The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-10-13
How the Children Keep a Weather
Calendar-When Children See All
Nature Doing and Making Some
thing, They Long to Join in the
Work of This Busy World.
lBy Mrs. Bertha Lewis)

BY Mrs. Bertha LeWis)
Ii nature study is to be begun for
the first time, either in school OF
in the home, the easiest introduc-
tion is by the time honorcd topic OF
the weather in conjunction with
| the day. \ weather calendar natur-
/ ally follows, the days being mark ed
with appropriate colors and SYM
bols, yellow for sunshine, grey for
cloudy, kite for windy, umbrella for
rainy, etc. The calendar may be
decorated to represent the main ma
turc study idea for the month, a
snow scene for January, skating for
February, etc.
Daddy has a newspaper every
morning; why should not the chill
dren have one of their very own ?
Theirs can be a sheet OF drawing
paper hung beside the calendar on
which one OF the children may draw
flower, etc These drawings may
not be works OF art from the grown
up standpoint, but they aid the chill
dren to observe and to tell, as well
as they are able, what they have
seen. He should be shown where
he can improve his work, but the
original sketch should never be in
terfered with or criticised. a more
accurate representation can be Civ
en- in a separate lesson after the
child has had chance for further
observation, but in no way connect
ing this with his first drawing on
the calendar lest he become dis
couragedor self-consciouS and try
to express something which he has
not really seen.
To adopt a tree inspringtime is
another good plan. Have the chill
drcn give the tree a name and so
make OF it a companion. Always
include 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 or
branches. Try to discover if the
tree has an other visitors; bright
eyes will soon discover many. Play
a game around the tree; sing to it
some such rhyme as the following:
Time is never wasted listening to
the trees;
Ii to Heaven we arose as grandIy 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 dir
ty 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
with different kinds of
soil-clay, sand. loan. In this way
they will become familiar with the
names and textures as well 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 sum
ney weather. damp in rainy weather,
calm. breezy or very windy, EX-
plain 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 animals that crawl
on the bottom OF ocean or river.
Every child is familiar with water
in many forms. but perhaps the Won
ierS of its forms are SO common that !
he has not noticed how miraculous |
hey are. I'VE cultivate the magma
ion OF our children by tales of the |
prince who became invisible when he |
put on his cap OF darkness and who
made far journeys through the air
On his magic carpet, and yet no cap |
Of darkness ever wrought more as
-onishing disappearances than oc-
cur when this most common OF our
earth's elements disappears from un-
der our very eyes. dissolving into
hin air. What child has not noticed
the steamrising from the damp pave
ment when the sun comes out after
a shower? The drops OF water are
lonning their magic caps and flying
off into the atmosphere to become
invisible to our eyes. The next time
we see them. it may be as part OF
the white cloud sailing across the