Abstract
THERE is a notion in this book—a sensible, practicable notion; and this is enough to distinguish Mrs. Wilson's lessons from the common run of school natural histories. Her aim is to stimulate the children to work for themselves; and now and then she succeeds in laying out really interesting work for them, as in the lessons on seedlings and on some common American trees. We recommend the book to the notice of enterprising teachers. In spite of very obvious defects, it may be a guide to better methods than those which prevail at this time. The great fault of the book is the feeble execution of an excellent idea. Many of the lessons do no sort of justice to the objects, and pass over without remark features which ought to arouse the curiosity of the children. We can hardly understand how any teacher could work through the thorn-apple with a class, and then write down so poor a description as that on p. 19. Many of the drawings, particularly those of insects, are too crude and hasty to be produced as examples even of what can be done in school. In the present writer's opinion the. mythology and the poetical pieces are overdone. These things may be allowed to come in as extempore illustrations; but when they are laboured, they simply distract the attention and prevent the children from focussing their minds upon the objects.
Nature Study in Elementary Schools; a Manual for Teachers.
By Mrs. L. L. W. Wilson. Pp. xix + 262. Woodcuts. (New York: The Macmillan Company. London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1897.)
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M., L. Nature Study in Elementary Schools; a Manual for Teachers. Nature 57, 340 (1898). https://doi.org/10.1038/057340b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/057340b0