Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-10
Topics in Nature Study for
Schools in Winter
Months.
GIVEN AT STATE UNIVERSITY.
How TO Teach Science by Observation
And to soclalile knowledge by
Actual Use.

"The nature work for the winter
months IN the common schools" said
Prof H. Cummings yesterday IN the
nature-study class at the university,
should take up those subjects which
may be treated irrespective OF the
season Of the year. such as sound
light heat. mechanical principles. etc
The fall and the spring season are
each distinguished by certain work TO
be done at these seasons only. so that
independent topics NAY be considered
during the winter months. Each topic
should he approached by experiment
and from the standpoint OF the childs
own knowledge. After the subject Is
considered. the knowledge gained Is
utilized or made Tvactical by some
form OF socialization. that Is by show
Ing lis relation TO the childs inter-
ests and activity and by finding prac-
tical or profitable applications OF IT,
EXPERIMENTS IN SOUND.
Several weeks Of interesting work
may DO devoted 10 the subject OF
sound. Ask the children OF what use
sound Is to them Visit class Of
deaf mutes and notice their devices to
overcome their deficiency OF hearing.
Visit a band. call attention to the diff
ferent sounds and their harmonles.
Have the children notice the differing
acuteness Of hearing among animals.
and report instances OF cases OF re-
markable hearing Show by simple
experiments that sound Is due TO the
vibrations Of the sounding BODY by eN-
periments with the tuning-fork. which
when sounding Is easily proved 10 be
IN rapid vibration Further expert
ments showed that sound is propagat-
ed By waves In the air, the difference
between noise and music the effect
Of sounding board etc What a
spherical wave In air is like was ap.
proximately shown by making waves
I'm water by sending a wave along a
rope. by a row OF boys in a line. etc.
ANY simple text bcnk on physics may
be used as basis for these lessons.
The surfaces Of spheres are proper
tional % the squares OF their radil.
Thus A sphere OF one foot has only one
sixteenth the surface Of a sphere with
a radius NJ four feet; hence the in
tensity Of the sound diminishes al a
rate equal to the square OF the dis
tance from the sounding body
PROPERTIES OF SOUND.
The different kinds OF media-air
wood. water. iron stone. etc.--the fact
that they transmit sound, were next
Investigated by MEANS OF experiment
That sound requires time IN which 20
travel was brought out 10y observation.
It goes 1860 feet per second through
air at % degrees. To judge the dis
lance. allow about tive seconds for
mile To show the reflection OF sound
have the children hold two books or
their hands alternately In front Of and
behind their cans. while the organ is
playing. etc. This shows the utility OF
the outer ear. and the children may
show which animals tthe rabbit the
deer etcD need for their 49,, 49,
external ears. or ear-trumpets, to rein-
force the sound.
Al this point, a study Of the ear-its
mechanism. its functions its descrim-
mating power Of selection, etc.--is TAX
en- up because Of its relation to the
preceding topics.