Show rt MISCELLANEOUS SCIENCE TEACHING TI This is an iconoclastic age Nothing seems to be too sacred for the destructive destructive destructive tive force of the revolutionary reformer The most revered institutions of religion ion iOD economic theories of ot time honored time a authority tho ty social dis whose claims have never been mentioned mentioned all these have felt the desecrating touch of the spirit of the age which is neither humble bumble nor reverent Even education hose evolution almost from time im immemorial memorial had gone one no further than to modify in some degree the and of the ancients is sharing in in the universal change The new era erain erain in i science enc to which Bacons Bacon's doctrine of went ment gave rise was an epoch in philosophic method but its practical ef- ef effect effect ef effect upon educational method was not destined to be felt for many generations Though here and there one arose to dispute the arrogant despotism of the classIcs and like the voice of one cry cry- crying crying ing ia in the wilderness proclaimed the benefits of scientific studies yet the worship of ol literary form lorm and classic beauty continued almost supreme until the tb present century indeed almost to the present generation At that time however a change be- be becan begun can be-can gun can in educational views which if not as yet y t so universal is at least even more sore revolutionary than that great in intellectual upheaval which followed the disc discovery very of the classic in the ut tb century viz The introduction o of scientific study into our colleges and universities From the moment Ine t the child first puts forth his hand and finds that one object is hard harda Id and that another is soft he is a learner of 01 the tee facts acts of ot science As he be learns to walk walk every step he takes every fall he suffers every blow he receives from table or chair increases his ledge o of the relations which his ism sustains to matter apart from that is his experiences have added something to his little store of scientific truth When a few months later he is throwing objects into imo the water that goes dancing past his door that the stones fall quickly to the bottom while the sticks and grasses are borne borbe away in the current again he a phenomena and probably a deduction from them which a I Cime IU tl o of scientific study would not t k I re look at t that at footed bare chin mounted hi h on his stilts abd c testing Cis his skill in the deep deep- deepest t el est pool mud question q that child whose well constructed kite is piercing distant clouds follow ollow yonder tardy boy spool whose passion for nest hunti hunt- hunt i far has bas BBS made him truant from school YOU Yoa will probably find to your chagrin at the first not only knows but makes intelligent use of the laws of ot equilibration doa tion which you had forgotten that the nest aest cart pities your ignorance of the dyna- dyna moles dyna-moles moles o of that the third is better authority in the ornithology of bit region than you who have read every page e of Cones and Baird and Huxley I M do not mean to say that these embry- embry ic scie would make u of the top W w wt W you 0 would a oy of tl eathey probably probably never eve veil Heard sard- sard ard- ard bat but there 4 is no doubt whatever that in J d- d dI I P many cases the very children whom we weso weso weso so love to patronize and awe with our large sounding words have a more available knowledge of the domestic sciences than we ourselves who pose as their teachers The plea ot of the advocates of science teaching in the common schools is not not then a plea for the introduction of any innovation into the into life of a child they merely urge that the natural yearnings of the child be gratified that he be not compelled always to grope blindly after knowledge which it is his inalienable right to enjoy that he no longer be re- re required required ability re-ability to suffer because of his in- in inability ability to discover unaided the cor cor- correlations correlations correlations relations of the facts which he acquires In a word it is urged that the teacher and nature operate co-operate co operate in that most sub sub- sublime sublime lime work of either the dev development of ofa ofa ofa a human soul into symmetry beauty and completeness Admitting however not only the value o of science teaching but also the pupils fitness to receive It it some serious questions must still be answered How can another subject so extensive as this thisbe thisbe thisbe be crowded into our school courses which already are oppressive with their weight When the call f for lor r lighter work and less grind in our schools is so uni- uni universal uni universal versal is it in all seriousness proposed to fasten another burden upon the me backs of our sinking children Or if that is not contemplated must we to gratify the vanity of a few innovators witness the banishment fr from m mOU OU our schools of arithmetic and geography and gram gram- grammar grammar grammar mar studies which have satisfied the needs of our children for unnumbered generations In reply to these excited but reason reason- reasonable reasonable reasonable able questions permit me to say that it itIs itis itis Is not to increase but to lighten the burdens of our children that the study ot of science is ur urged ed it is not with a view to the destruction of existing subjects that we advocate another it is that the theold theold lold old may be given new life may acquire new meaning meaning may be brought into close harmony with the nature of the beings for whose use they are in- in intended intended in intended tended But I w would uld have you notice that the fundamental principle of operation tobe tobe to be in the Introduction of science into common schools is based on the natural correlations existing be between between between tween it and all the other studies of the curriculum To a very general disregard disregard gard of the correl correlations ions which ram ramify y through and between all the subjects taught in our schools are chargeable very many of the evils which affect the elementary teaching o of today Not only are the ordinary school studies reading geography and his his- history his history tory often taught as if there were no common bond between them but the same superficial view of knowledge which permits this leads also to a dis- dis disregard dis disregard regard of the relations of these sub sub- subjects subjects subjects to the conditions o of ordinary life I and experience More thoughtful con considerations I side Iside rations however make it plain that just as the mind though capable of manifesting its activities in varying modes is after all a spiritual unity as all forms of energy are correlated correl J and convertible into other forms so co the apparently endless variations and con COD contrasts con contrasts of human knowledge e are only modifications multiple of truth which in all its multiple relations is invariably harmon harmon- harmonious harmonious harmonious ious and consistent I Holding jn view then this principle of correlation I venture to sug suggest est that the science work of school especially in the more elementary classes can be used as the basis of instruction in 10 every other subject When a child is learning to read the process is greatly facilitated if he is given matter for reading in which his interest has been awakened by previous examination through sense perception I am stating no new prin prine principle principle ciple here it is one which has been more or less consistently used by the best primary teachers since the methods of the new education were brought to light When some of us were children we were at stated intervals called to the teachers teacher's cha chair r and with primers in hand were taught to say in song sing song sing sing tones It hit is an ox Can I go up He CHe can go up too And when a page of such inspiring literature had been gone through we were sent back to our our- seats with the pleasant injunction italicised by a few passes of the ferule to sit perfectly still and make no noise Today as far as educational emancipation emancipation emancipation pation has lias been reached the little child possibly handed empty but Dut with joyful anticipation goes to meet his teacher for forthe forthe forthe the reading lesson And no wonder wonder- the pupils pupil's interest is kindled for first of all the teacher puts in the hand of each of her little ones some attractive object perhaps a bright purple grape Then appears the evidences of genuine art for by skillful questioning she draws from her class just the state state- statements statements statements ments that she wants to use and in the exact order best adapted to her pur pur- purpose purpose purpose pose As the children from their own discoveries develop thoughts about bout the the- objects in their hands their own words are quickly written upon the board In Inthis Inthis Inthis this way in in freest conversation andreal andreal and real delightful earnest study eight ten twelve minutes go by when lo on the board before them stands the reading lesson vitalized in every word by the thou thought ht which the children had put into it No longer any question about its adaptation to the class for i if it is their own No ground for criticism that the the- lesson is unrelated to the other lessons of the day for the development from first to last is an ideal exercise in oral language and in it is involved the study of number form size and color But this is not all After the reading of the sentences singly and as a collection the board is cleaned and the children re return urn t to their s seats ts each with a ne new now in class they are going going to write all they can lor for the written language lesson which comes by and by This is is all excellent and serves my my- purpose well in showing that the facts of science science can be learned teamed in connection with the regular studies of the school with no waste of time and with manifest increase of effectiveness But the plan just indicated is merely one aspect of an intelligent effective method of teaching reading and of correlating it with language and other studies In this however science teaching is only incidental the importance importance importance tance of science in itself is not taken into account and the ends of science are but imperfectly sub This is about as far as we we have gone What is needed however is that thata a carefully arranged course in ia some general department of scientific observation and study be provi provided t d and taught and that from it much material be drawn for lessons in reading in number in language in drawing in color Were sufficient time at my disposal I would like to show how from the day that the peas and beans and wheat and aud corn are planted by the children in their miniature garde gardens s through h all aU the suc suc- successive successive steps of germination and growth until the new seeds eeds are found in their appointed places in the plant richest materials are always at hand into nat nat- natural natural natural ural correlation with which would fall faU most of the instruction that it is the duty of the schools to give Already I have shown how naturally and easily this plan of work harmonizes itself with intelligent methods of teaching reading and language At almost at every step also in the study of any natural science numerical relations appear Though I would not wish to be understood as urging that anyone any one department of knowledge be beuse drawn upon exclusively for material to use in i if the teacher were desirous of employing no other she could find in the study of common plants alone data sufficient for the con con- construction construction construction of all the concrete problems that her class could use What more delightful occupation as a practical exercise exercise in primary arithmetic than the study of the numerical relations of sim sim- simple simple simple and compound leaves their number Dumber and arrangement on the stem stem the plan of the flower in threes fours and fives the fractional division of fruits in their e There can be no charge made then that the time spent in school in the study of plant life has keen dishonestly appropriated to the the injury J jury injury of ot those of-those those studies to which custom has s given the lading place Language has no value except as the vehicle of thought form study and drawing must find their ap- ap appropriate appropriate ap appropriate exercise in in their application to things number nu her in the abstract cannot be grasped by the child mind but must be embodied em bodied yin in in concrete reality therefore there there- therefore fore whatever gives s birth to thought and furnishes stimulus for or its expression expression whether in composition Q position in drawing orin or orin orin in numerical operation is directly pro motive pro pro- motive of the interests of those sub sub- subjects subjects subjects So with geography We desire our children to know something about the earth on which they live We not are are ambitious that they shall shaU learn leam the name of every squatters squatter's camp in the Dakotas or every stream of water inthe in inthe inthe the Indias but we would nave them ac acquainted ac- ac acquainted acquainted with with those conditions which render this region or that region fit for forthe forthe forthe the dwelling place of man So the study which properly introduces the teach teach- teaching teaching I ing of geography is science study The child must know something of the inorganic constituents of the earth He must make observations on gravity light heat moisture evaporation He must learn certain f facts about the growth and development of plant life lite its relations to sun and soil and water He must have some knowledge too of animal bythe life and how it is determined by the life of plants When from his science science ence studies the pupil has obtained a conscious grasp of these things then and not till then he is in a position to study intelli the earth L as affected by them Disregard Disregard of the principles here involved I cannot forbear r to say has made much of the t ti tea i of ol the schools a dull and unprofitable ta Ie cram cram- cramming cramming ming of the memory with facts some some- sometimes sometimes sometimes times useful but quite as often useless or even harmful and has bas directly tended to impair those powers of the mind which are concerned in its higher work of comparison comparion generalization and reasoning But you may ask has science been so sowell sowell sowell I soI well taught in our scho schools ls as to justify its introduction everywhere Have all the conditions necessary to its success success- successful successful successful ful presentation been met Is it certain that its history in the schools of ot lower grade will be a repetition of that which followed its introduction into our higher institutions of learning to all these questions I answer frankly no In many many cases cases JJ as another has said the s so call called d science science c en e teaching e cing has a la lure Hut the causes are not tar far to seek In the first place the number of te teachers chers who are pre pre- prepared prepared prepared pared to deal with this subject is not atall at atall atall all large Never having themselves been taught the real methods and aims of science it is not at all strange that they cannot teach others The first impediment then to the success of this work is unqualified t teachers A sec nd Ind and possibly a greater hindrance to its prosperous advance is the almost uni uni- universal universal universal versal misconception which prevails of its true aim or end d Even among those who advocate the teaching of oi science its |