Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-02-18
NATURE TEACHING.
-, nv Miss Nelrie q. Carroll read at
lFaP,,ok county teachers convention last

.r,o, nv Miss Seliie u. Carroll read at
lFaP,.ok county teachers convention last
.Oct0uef'I
r,. o,iset OF teaching Nature in our
III. IA not SO much TO bring out
s,a,siy the information taken up in the
,a..or hut we want to teach the habit of
'nas,vatton, and to lead the children to
the beauty in their surroundings, to
no,ice The wondrousIy charming works
o,Nsture-,to bes bic to read the "sermons
n .topes". TO understand the tongues in
.nnniue brooks, and thus to see tho
ngood 10 everything, With the poet we
want them to
"Cnme forth into the light Of things,
Let Nature be their teacher.
We be,leye that It adds an Interest to
life to know the names of the wild flowers
which grow in our vicinityi to know and
rscosuize the different birds and their
,ongs. aud to know something OF their
hsbit.; to understand something of the
,voud,rs OF insect life about us, and to be
familiar with the delightful poems,
myths. stories and legends connected
with them
Most OF our greatest men and women
have been country born and bred, and
beve loved their life and known IL
thoroughly. Where can we Hnd more
vivid picture OF boys love for nature
than the one Whittier draws from the
memory of his own childhood days in
.srbe Barefoot Boy? And In all his poems
we fad that touch OF nature--the very
thing we are trying now to interest the
children in--the
"Knoyledge never learned OF schools
OF the wild bees morning chase,
OF the Wild fowers. time and place,
Flight OF fowl and habitude
or the tenants of the wood,
How the tortoise bears his shell.
How the woodchuck digs his cell,
And The groundmole sinks his well.
How the orioles nest ia swung
How the robin feeds her young,
and ali the other fascinating wood lore
which he mentions.
Anyone reading the "One Hoss Shay"
ssssed by the poet OF the properties OF
different kinds OF wood.
You rememb Der how the deacon selected
the "oak that couldn't he bent nor
brose", the hubs from tho "settIer's
elem, etc. And Holmes was one OF the
few of our poets who was not country
bred, but he had the spirit just the same
We cannot make HoImeses or Whittiers
out Of all our children, but we can open
their eyes TO some OF the wonders that
are all about US. Longfellow says:
"Aud nature the oil nurse
Took the child upon her knee
Sayiug: Here Is a story-book
Thy father hath written for thee"
And it Is our duty 10 teach him to read
the story book of nature.
To learn anything OF the ways Of wild
creatures or plants requires long, patient,
careful observation; not once, but many
times continued, aud We believe that II we
broaden his ability In many directions,
besides giving him an added Interest In
the wonderful worid In which he lives
II after lesson on the cricket you find
your children patiently watching one
hoping to see him when he sings, you
have accomplished much, for they have
taken long step toward the desired
result.
Kindness to animals is uncousiousiy
taught with nature work, for when the
children have learned of the wonderful
intelligence OF the spider, or the curiosi-
ties Of the caterpillar, they will step
ssd and forbesr TO crush the insect in
their play. The language work Will take
on an added interest when the children
are told to write about some insect or
Hover OF which they have studied.
After few lessons on the grass hopper
they Sre eager TO write what they have