Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 84.djvu/338

334 story of their observations in the school-room and at home. In this way the child develops initiative, resourcefulness and the power of expression, while others share in his interesting knowledge and discoveries. The child himself and his development is the chief aim of nature-play.

At least ten minutes each day should be given to the type under consideration, with an appropriate subdivision of the subject matter for the week. There is no need of different subjects for the various grades. There is not a first-grade cat, second-grade cat, and so on; but only the one cat which should be described in such clear and simple language as to be readily understood by pupils of all ages. Each teacher may be trusted to make whatever translation, or omission, if any, may be necessary for her own pupils. Both teachers and pupils should freely ask questions of one another. If no one knows the answer, let all together become searchers for truth. The crime is not to be ignorant, but to pretend to knowledge when ignorant. With the same type in all the grades, children of different ages in the same family, or neighborhood, and their parents, as well, may all join together in nature-play and thus the larger part of the population will be devoted to learning all about the type in hand. Thus movements for civic betterment, such as the campaign against the fly, may be organized and promoted with power and efficiency.

As a record of individual observations, nature maps may be made of much value and at the same time give an inspiring opportunity for practise in drawing. On a large sheet of paper, the pupil lays out his home square, bounded by streets and subdivided into lots. Houses, stables, trees, bushes, cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, cows, chickens and other birds, lizards, toads, ants and other insects—indeed all the works of nature and of man that it is possible to include—are drawn in, or indicated by appropriate symbols. The sanitation map is a modification, showing