Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-01-24
NATURE STUDY FOR OUR SCHOOLS.

NATURE STUDY FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
There is growing tendency among
our best educators toward making ma
ture study prominent feature of the
work of the public schools. Come to
think of it. this is very sensible thing
to do, for surely there is no better type
of education than training the children
to become intelligently familiar with
the common things Of life-the things
with which they will have to do all
their lives long This practical knowl-
edge about common things is withal
one thing in which all children are sure
to manifest deep interest. The child
must be taught, but instead of doing it
not get closer to natures hidden treas
ures and mysteries and let them learn
from her? To illustrate, take pri-
mary school of thirty scholars ranging
from six to twelve years of age. Let
the teacher select days when the wealth
er is suitable, say one afternoon each
week, and let these be devoted to out
door object lesson. Say the first aft
ernoon out is in April. These are resur-
rection days. Let the lessons these
days be on the increasing power of the
sun. the melting SHOWS, the rushing
rivers and where they go; the migra-
tory wild fowl, their kind, where they
winter and where they nest in summer;
the south wind, the tieecy cloud pic
lures, how they come and where they
and their kind. Later the plowed field,
the sowing of seed, where, how and Of
what kind; the budding trees, first flow
ers, rain and why it falls. Show them
a pillow and the farmer blowing; differ
ent soils-clay, sand, loan; the harrow,
the seeder. Let the plowman take your
place as teacher and explain it all to
them. Another day take them to the
river Take the fishes, the aquatic
plants and the insect life, the way wa
ter runs. Tell them about eddics cur
rents. OverflOws. waterfalls and water
power Tell them how the water pow
err is used and go into the mill. The
miller will explain how he makes the
water grind the wheat into -four. Lat
err, when summer has arrived, take
insect life. the leaves, the grasses, the
flowers. the birds. the cool spring gush-
ing from the rocks. the thunderStOrms.
the electricity, the hail. the summer
winds and the birds and their nests
ali around YOU is an endless variety Of
practical themes. Take them to a
creamery and let the creameryman
tell them how butter is made. Take
them to the depot and let the engineer
tell them of the locomotive, tender.
freight train, switches, whistles. signal
lights AMI power of steam. The OPP
orator will tell them of the telegraph,
wires. battery, the mysterious clicking
and how messages are sent. Take
them to the brickyard and let them
see clay turn into bricks and how the
tile is made. Follow up. as the sea-
son passes. the ripening grain, the
reaper. the harvest, the thrasher Now
are ripened fruits and nuts, an endless
variety of interesting and useful OBJ
ject lessons. Arithmetic geography
and philosophy as studies may all be
interviewer i'm these outdoor lessons
by the apt teacher. This half day
would be very beneficial a welcome
change to both those who teach and
those who are taught, and the amount
of practical information thus so pleas
antly obtained would be worth as much
as all the otll<r lessons of the week put
together. Give the child an outdoor
education for one-fifth Of his school life
and we believe that 1t would show far
better results than the same amount OF
time devoted to the study Of books.