Evening star., 1934-06-08
BY WILLIAM H. SHIPPEN, JR.
have changed since they
bounced Mary's little lamb out
of school.

of school.
i Today the lamb would be
welcomed as an educational
exhibit, and Mary sent to the head
of her nature study class for permit
ting the pet to follow her to school.
While the Washington public schools
seem to be out Of lambs at present,
they have other pets in great variety
guinea pigs, setting hens. baby alli-
gators, squirrels, kittens, ducks and
geese and even frogs.
Time was when croakers and lizards
were imported into educational circles
by furtive juveniles whose reward was
birching in the ante room. Now
these boys are hailed as budding
naturalists and encouraged to deliver
additional specimens.
Veterans Of punitive ante rooms
would be astonished at every turn
could they take a tour under guidance
of Miss Esther Scott, supervisor of
nature study in the public schools.
Learn to Spell Names.
For example. take Joe Penner, the
highly audible young goose which is
the pride and Joy Of Miss Grace w.
Pass first grade pupils at Whittier
School. And Joe Is only part of the
grades pet unit" which includes
guinea pigs, white rats, rabbit. two
broods of kittens and miscellaneous
turtles. alligators and such.
Entertainment is one of the lesser
functions of the pet unit" Stimu-
lated by object lessons "in the flesh"
the children are learning to spell the
names of the animals as well as the
workings of their sundry descriptions.
Caring for pets has great educa-
tional value" Miss Scott explained,
as the children captured Joe Penner
and restored him to his cage-two
chairs lying on their sides in a corner.
Educational not only in laying a
foundation for the understanding of
home and family life, but in character
training as we'll AS. DR.. Benjamin
Gutenberg has said. the cry Of the
neglected pet is an accusing con-
science for all neglect"
Share Window With Bees.
The record for tie largest number
Of pets must go to the fourth grade at
Brightwood School. The children
share one Of their windows with five
or ten thousand bees. The beehive
is inclosed in glass to permit free
view of the vast activity inside. The
honeymakers. however, have no ac-
cess to the class room. They enter
and leave the hive by a hollow, flex-
ible cable connected with a tiny exit
in the window frame.
One Of the most popular pets in the
entire system. young squirrel. was
captured in infancy and raised on
milk administered with an eye
dropper by Mrs. Rebecca S. Vests
fifth grade pupils at Buchanan School.
The children have a picture Of their
favorite lying on his back with four
paws grasping the tiny nursing bottle.
A handsome young crocodile, about
IL inches long, is fugitive from the
fourth grade at Buchanan. He
escaped two days ago and the whole
school has been hunting for him
since, in dark, out of the way corners,
desk drawers and other places.
Miss Scott said the nature study
classes are suffering from a dirth of
cages, containers and aquariums. A
few have been supplied through the
cooperation of j. Elmer Zearfoss, di-
rector of manual training, but for the
most part the children must provide
their own make-shift containers, and
the fugitive crocodile is one of the
sad results of this system.
A hen with enough stability and pa
tience to hatch a setting of chickens
In a busy classroom is the property of
the first grade at Shepard School.
Tadpoles were favorites with the kin
dergarten at z. v. Brown School un-
til they grew up to be frogs and COM
menced to hop about under the desks.
Canaries Aid Singing.
The singing lessons of 3B and "A
grades in John Burroughs School
have proved more popular since they
have been accompanied by pair Of
canary birds, the property Of the
teacher, Mrs. Helen B. Williamson.
The birds sing every time the chill
dren do, which Is often.
Six cages for small mammals and
wheels designed to give exercise to
small animals have been presented to
the nature study department by DR..
Vernon Bailey, recently retired from
the Biological Survey and one Of the
worlds outstanding authorities on
the habits of small animals.
DR.. Bailey's designs for the cages
and wheels, into which went a life
time Of knowledge. are being copied
for duplication. The wheels spin as
squirrels, mice or other tiny creatures
run inside their cages. The gift in
cluded a mouse cage with a device
for lifting the top for observation
purposes without disturbing the fam
lily under inspection.