The Nature Study Review Vol 3 Classic Reprint PDF Download

Excerpt from The Nature-Study Review, 1908, Vol. 4: Devoted to All Phases of Nature-Study in Schools All of which goes to show that nature-study is not a definite and specific body of knowledge, but an attitude of mind; that its results are in no wise to be measured in terms of accumulated facts, but in an attitude of mind in the presence of facts. The thought that nature-study is a body of knowledge has done very much to retard its advance, very much more to confuse a matter which is, after all is said, extremely simple. If nature-study is merely the name for a device for securing a symmetrical intellect ual development through a wise training of the senses by the use of environmental material, then the notion so widely prevalent that nature-study necessarily means birds and flowers and ih sects and trees is an erroneous one. If it were true, nature-study would be practically impossible in the congested districts of our great cities or could at best be but imperfectly presented. It is difficult, however, for one to see why the habits of life, the food gathering and food - storing, the architecture and activities of the animal known as man should not furnish material as valu able and interesting as do other animals. It is extremely doubtful whether nature-study in narrow connotation of the past and of far too many schools at present is of any value at all commensurate with the time given to it in the schedule. On the other hand it is Obvious that work which closely relates the daily life and the school life, which uses the objects and phenomena of the environment as educational material has a value so high that it can scarcely be over estimated. These values can be secured only through the orderly and logically progressive training of the senses - the external organs of relation; by at least keeping functional these powers upon the strength, rapidity and precision of which so much of self-reliance and initiative ultimately depend. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.