The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-07-11


Calendar-When Children See All
Nature Doing and Making Some
thing They Long to Join in the
Work of This Busy World
Article XXXI-By Mrs. Bertha Lewis
If nature-study is to be begun for
the first time, either in school or in
the home, the easiest introduction is
by the time-honored topic of the
weather in conjunction with the day.
A weather calendar naturally fol-
lows, the days being marked with
appropriate colors and symbols, yell
low for the sunshine, grey for cloudy,
kite for windy, umbrella for rainy
etc. The calendar may be decorated
to represent the main nature study
idea for the month, snow scene for
January, skating for February, etc.
Daddy has newspaper every
morning; why should not the children
have one of their very own? Theirs
can be sheet of drawing paper hung
beside the calendar, on which one of
the children may draw a flower, etc.
These drawings may not be works of
art from the grown-up standpoint
but they aid the child to obesrve and
to tell, as well as he is able, what he
has seen. He should be shown where
he can improve his work, but the
original sketch should never be inter
fered with or criticised. A more ac.
curate representation can be given
| in a separate lesson after the child
has had chance for further observa-
tion, but in no way connecting this
with his first drawing on the calen-
dar, lest he become discouraged OF
self-conscious and try to express
something which he has not really
seen.
To adopt tree in springtime is
another good plan. Have the chill.
dren give the tree a name and SO
make of it companion. Always in
clude the family name of the tree
Frequent visits must be made to the
tree because it cannot come to the
children. Notice how the buds are
arranged on the branches, which of
them grow most rapidly, and what
they turn into, leaves, flowers c.
branches. Try to discover if the tree
has any other visitors; bright eyes
soon discover many. Play a game
around the tree; sing to it some such
rhyme as the following:
i"Time is never wasted listening to
the trees;
If to Heaven we arose are grandly as
these,
Holding to each other half their
kindly grace
HAPPY we were worthier our human
place."
Because the child, after making
mud pies is told that his face is dirty,
he naturally concludes that all soil is
dirt. Point out to him that it is only
when out of place, that it is dirt, for
in its right place it is the home Of
miracles, the matrix from which
comes that wonderful force we call
life. Let the children make expert
ments with different kinds of soil
clay, sand, loan. In this way they
will become familiar with the names
and textures as we'll as the best uses
of each.
Have the children notice the
changes in the air, that it is hot in
summer, cold in winter, dry in sunny
weather, damp in rainy weather,
calm, breezy or very windy. Explain
why we should be careful to breathe
only good air, to breathe deeply and
expand our lungs; that we live in the
air as the fish live in the water; that
birds fly up and down in the air as
fish swim up and down in the water;
that air is all above us just as the
water is above the little water ami
mails that crawl on the bottom of
ocean or river.
Every child is familiar with water
in many forms, but perhaps the Won
ders of it's forms are so common that