The semi-weekly messenger., 1905-12-22
NATURE STUDY OUTLINE


sssANI AoLn 1AS ounce u the state SIP
erintendent OF public instruction
Teachers Bulletin No. ). Every teacn
er N the state should secure q COZ
of tbs bulletin. If your county SUI
erin'eLdent nas not given yon sE
"rite tn the ss.te superintendent &.
public instruction. Raleigh. y. C., an
ask for copy Ii will be sent TO 81,
gTasis This buiietin takes up mou:
by month anu grade BY grade w,r
suitable for your use. You should have
this bulletin constantly al hand an
base your work each week upon '.
Ii Is intende-i IN the present series
OF articles 10 take the topics given iE
this hullelin as 2. basis and TO anipiify
th"... giving practical hints for th
carry .ng out cc the nature work
hi, outline. ana TO give also sugg1S
uc;;> a TO the method Of teacnil
and ihc I:f.s.lf. and literature y be
consp,.ed in connection with the wors
These suggestions will appear ea n
week pertaining TO the week follow
Ing, SO that each teacher may nav
hen n band ir ample time TO makc
tul PREPARATIONS for the work OF tie
fcI.o9i1" week.
1t will De impossible in this series oi
articles 20 exulain the whole Of The
nature study outline. Each week
portion only Ci the outline for IN
week fJllowing will be considered. Tne
matter discussed in the present article
Is the suggestion Tor first grade wo-k
fr december found on page 10 Of tue
5alleti.,. The moons phases, new, fun
old, nd waning
The suggestions here given apply 10
az CII2 AIDED Sc-ooi.' Ii your school is
graded you WI do we'll to separate
the work into lessons for each grate
Jus before The c.OSe of school on Mon
da. you may TX the whole schoo, %
give attention and then inquire wheth
CT any one can tell what the condition
Of the moon viii be that night. Ask
Them il they kLGw the difference be-
tween full m Oh and Il new moon;
between first quarter and n last quar-
,er- Have some one go 10 the black
board and draw a full moon as they
think it appears. and have others pro.
nounce upon the correctness OF 1t
Have someone else draw new moon
and some one an Old moon. 1t Wi.
be best in the first broaching of the
subject not TO give them any infoInia-
tion 1T all. Merely attempt to raise
in their mind the question as TO whs-h
er they do knOs' or not, and arouse in
them 2 desire % find out for them
selves from nature the facts.
Suggest then that each pupil watch
the noon and 2e ready to tell next
day how it appears; where it is, when
it rises, and anything else they can,
about it,
On Tuesday. ten minutes before
school closes, you may take up the
subject again. Ask how many have,
seen the moon; if they can draw it.
See how manv can draw it correctly;
how many remember it exactly. After.
having gotten from them the know
ledge they volunteer, you may ask
them to tell vJu how large the moon
is: compare it with familiar objects
Is it as large as a dollar, dipna
plate, a ten cent piece. Il saucer. a cup
WASH tub? Get a vote of the school,
on these various dimensions. How
many of the sclcoi favor each opinion
Then ask them 70 give closer attent' on
the next night ID this matter of size.
Have them hold a penny at different
distances from the eye to see just how
far away it has to be in order to oh
scure the full size of the moon. CThi
can est be done by placing the penny
ON ruler and placing one end Of the
ruler at the eye and pointing the Other.
end of the ruler ct the moon. Grad
ually move the penny away unit:
just obscure's tie moons face. The
note on the ruler the number Of inche
t1n
Their first estimates as TO size VII
probably vary greatly. In this seCo1
estimate they should agree quite we'll
You m ght suggest to the older pup:l
that with the later method of measure
ment hey could possibly tell thu a.
tual lie of the noon, if they had any
means of knowing how far away It is
On Wednesday you may question
concerning t"e experience and obser.
vatio1 of the previous night The two
following davs in q similar fashion
you nay question cC.l K ming the ce
gree of brightness. the change in posi-
ton from night TO night among th =.
stars, and the change in position from
hoar to hour or a given night; IN
directions in which the horns point
etc.
with your English by having them
write little compositions about wha
they nave done, and what they hav
discovered; or with their drawing b
having them oraw the moon Is it
changes from. night to night; wit
their arithmetic by having them no.
the tine of rising each night, and then
by subtraction determine how much
later each night he moon rises. ,
division let them ascertain how iou
it will be before the moon again rise
ut the same tine il rises tonight
Nearly every tcacaer can probably pro
cure an almanac or calendar and b
Friday the pupils will be interesteu
enough in the noon to welcome a
explanation of he facts which the q.
manac tells concerning the various
phases, time OF rising, etc.