Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-03-15
NATURE STUDY FOR OUR SCHOOLS

NATURE STUDY FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
There is a growing tendency among
our best educators toward making ma
ture study prominent feat: ' Of the
work of the public schools. { mef to
think of it, this is a 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 dot 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
wholly with books and oral lessons why
not get closer to natures hidden treas
ures and mysteries and let them learn
from her? To illustrate, take a pr
mary school Of thirty scholars ranging
from six to twelve years of ages 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 powerSof the
sun, the melting SHOWS, the flushing
rivers and where they go; thes migra-
tory wild fowl their kind. where, they
winter and where they nest in simmer;
the south wind, the tieecy cloud pic:
lures, how they come and where they
go; the birds, first harbingers Of spring
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 plow and the farmer blowing; differ
ent sols-clay, sand, loan; the harrow,
the seeder L.. the plowman take your
place as teacher and explainsit' 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 eddies, cur
rents, Overflows, waterfalls and water
power. Tell them how the water pow
er is used and go into the mill. The
miller will explain how he makes the
water grind the wheat intothour. Lat
err when summer has aE9ived, take
them into the cool, shady woods. The
insect life, the leaves, the 2grasses, the
flowers, the birds, the cooI4pring glsh
ing from tie rocks, the tR4nders storms
the electricity, the haillhe summel
winds and the birds anfseheir nests
ali around you is an endless variety q
practical themes Take them to {
creamery and let the creameryma1
tell them how butter Isl made. Take
them to the depot and let the engineer
tell them of the locomotive, tender
freight train. switches, whistles, sigma
lights and power Of steam. The op
orator wiz tell them Of the telegraph
wires, battery, the mysterious clicking
and how messages ar{ sent. TAX
them t. the brickyards and let then
see claygturn into bricks and how th
tile is made. Follow up, as the sea
son passes, the ripentng grain, th
! reaper, the harvest. the 'thrasher. No,
2 are ripened fruits and nuts. an endles
/ variety Of interesting and useful oil
E ject lessons Arithmetic, geograph
S and philosophy as studies may all b
! interviewer in these outdoor lesson
by thes apt teacher. This half da
!. would be very beneficial, 9 WELDON
= change to both those who teach an
those who are taught, and the amour
Q Of practical information thus SO plea
r antly obtained would be worth as mut
O as all the other lessons Of the week p1
d together. Give the child an outdo
education for one fifth Of his school III
i and we believe that It would show {
better results than the same amount
- %3,,,n = nvnfod "a tho sfl1dv Of hooks .3