Ontario Teachers' Manuals

CHAPTER I

The Aims of Nature Study; General Methods 13 Concrete Material 15 Topics and material must suit the season; matter suited to the child; use of the commonplace; order of development of lesson; problems in observation; note-books and records 15

The School Garden 19 Suggestions; Garden Expenses 20

The Excursion 23 Its value; difficulties; frequency; suggestions for ungraded schools; the teacher's excursions; a type excursion 23 Collections 29

Animal Studies 29 Domestic animals; references 29 Birds; references 30 Insects; insect collections 34 Butterfly and moth collections 37

Plant Collections 39

CHAPTER II

Physical Science Phase of Nature Study 42

Instructions and General Method 42 Value of such lessons; conditions under which experiments should be performed 42 Correlations of physical science phase 44 List of Reference Books and Bulletins on garden and plant study, physical science, and animal study 45

Physical Science--Equipment for Forms III and IV 47 Desirable apparatus 47

Chemicals 48

Apparatus 50 Grenet cells; decomposition apparatus; pneumatic trough; spirit-lamp; barometer; hygrometer; hints 50

Time Apportioned to Nature Study 53

Chapter Iii. Form I: Autumn

Garden Work 54 Lessons on a Garden Plant--Pansy 55 Observation Exercises on the Dandelion 57 Correlation with literature and reading 59 Dwarf Nasturtium 59

Seeds 60 Field exercise; class-room lesson based on the collection 60 Seed Dispersal 61 Lesson on seeds that fly; correlations 62

Twigs and Buds 62 Lesson on Twigs 62 Further study of twigs; review lesson 63 Lesson on Buds 65 Review lesson; correlations 65

Leaves 66 Field exercises; class-room lesson on leaves 66

Garden Studies 68 Studies in the Pupil's individual Plot 68 Studies from the Garden as a Whole 69

Bulb Planting 69 Lesson on Bulbs and Bulb Planting 69 Planting the bulb 70

Chapter Iv. Form I: Winter

Pet Animals 72 The Rabbit--Lesson on; correlations 72 The Domestic Cat--detailed study 75 The Pigeon--detailed study 76

Winter-blooming Plants--Observation and care of 78

Trees 79 Pines of the Locality 79 The White Pine 79 Field exercises; class-room lesson 79 The Elm--field exercise 82

Domestic Animals 83 The Horse; correlations 83

Domestic Birds 85 The Duck--class-room lesson 85

Chapter V. Form I: Spring

Garden Work 87 Garden Studies--window garden 88

Wild Flowers 90 Recognition of Wild Flowers 91 Lesson in Outline--Bloodroot; correlations 91

Insect Study 93 Cecropia, or Emperor-moth 93 Dragon-fly 94 Other Conspicuous Insects 95

Birds 95 The Robin 96 Field exercises; the nest, eggs, and young 96 The Song-sparrow 97 Field exercises; class-room lesson 97

The Sheep 99 Problems for Field Work 99

Chapter Vi. Form Ii: Autumn

Bulb Planting Out-of-Doors 101 Bed for growing bulbs; planting of bulbs indoors 101

Garden Work 103 Seed selection; storing seeds; harvesting and storing of garden crops; class-room lesson; autumn cultivation 103

Garden Studies 106 Garden Records; correlations 107

Climbing Plants 108

Trees 109 Storing of Tree Seeds 110

A Flower 110 Type--Nasturtium 110

Soil Studies 112 Kinds of Soil 112

Animal Studies 113 Bird Migration; correlations 113 Common Wild Animals 114 General method for field work 114 The Wood-chuck 116 The Chipmunk--field exercises 117 The Eastern Swallow-tail Butterfly 118

Chapter Vii. Form Ii: Winter

Care of Plants in the Home 120

Trees 121 Collection of Wood Specimens 122

Related Reading 122

The Dog 123 Class-room lesson; observation exercises; correlations 123

Lessons Involving Comparison 125 Cat and dog; experiments for assisting in the study of the cat; comparison of the horse and cow 126

The Squirrel 129 Field exercises; class-room lesson 129

Winter Birds 130 Field exercises; class-room lesson; correlations 130

Animals of the Zoological Gardens 132

Chapter Viii. Form Ii: Spring

Garden Work 133 Combating Garden Pests 134 Cutworms; root-maggots; flea-beetles 134 Seed Germination 135

Plants for Individual Plots 137 Studies Based on Observations of Growing Plants 137 Planting and care of sweet-peas 138

Wild Flowers 139

Weeds 140

The Apple Tree 141 Field exercise; class-room lesson; field exercise following class-room lesson 141

Bird Study 143

The Toad 143 Field exercises; class-room lesson; detailed study; life history of the toad 143

The Earthworm 147 Class-room lesson; references 148

The Aquarium 149 Aquarium Specimens 150 Mosquito; study of adult form; the development; references 150 Caddice-fly 152

Insects Suitable for Lessons in Form II 153

Chapter Ix. Form Iii: Autumn

Garden Work 154 Treatment of Fungi 154 Treatment of Insects--cabbage-worm 156

Plants 158 Annuals, Biennials, and Perennials 158 Class-room lesson 158 Garden Studies 159 Annuals, biennials, perennials 159 Special Study of Garden Plants 160 Sweet-pea; pumpkin; corn; correlations 160

Seed Dispersal--Lesson 164 Detailed Study of Seed Dispersal--class-room lesson 165 Seed collections; man as a disperser of seeds 166

The Sugar Maple--field exercises 168 Maple Leaves--class-room lesson; correlations 169

Weed Studies 170 Observation lesson on weed seeds 171

Grasshopper--field exercises; class-room lesson 172

Aphides 174

Tomato Worm--the adult; the chrysalis 175

The Crow; correlations 177

Chapter X. Form Iii: Winter

Care of Plants in the Home 178 Plant Cuttings 179 Selection of cuttings; potting of rooted cuttings 179

Evergreens--class-room lesson 181

Collection of Wood Specimens 182

Related Reading 183

How Animals Prepare for Winter 183 Summary of Lessons; correlations 184

Chickens 185 Conversation lesson; arithmetic lesson; care and food of chickens 185

Physical Science Phase of Nature Study 188

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 188 Change of State 189 Expansion of Solids 189 Practical applications; questions for further investigation 190 Expansion of Liquids--applications 192 The Thermometer 193 Expansion of Air 194 Sources of Heat and Light 194 Notes for a Series of Lessons 194 Conduction--problems 196 Convection--problems, convection in gases; applications 198 Radiation of Heat--problems 199

Chapter Xi. Form Iii: Spring

Window Boxes 201

Window Gardens 201 Suitable Plants; Fertilizer 202

Soil Studies--constituents 203

Garden Work 206 Tree Seeds 207 Transplanting--flowers, vegetables, tree seedlings 208 Budding 209 Cuttings--leaf cuttings, root cuttings, layering 211 Planting and Care of Herbaceous Perennials 212 Garden Studies--biennials 212

Wild Flowers 213 Study of the Trillium 213 Class-room lesson on the specimens 213

Adaptations of Animals 215

Bird Types 217 Woodpeckers--the downy woodpecker; observations 217 Flycatchers 219 Wrens 219

Insect Types 220 Cabbage-butterfly 220 Tussock-moth 221 Potato beetle 222 References 222

Fish--Observations; problems; references 223

Chapter Xii. Form Iv: Autumn

Garden Work 225 Herbaceous Perennials from Seed 226

Trees--Deciduous; references 227 Trees in Relation to their Environment 228

Fruits--Excursion to a well-kept orchard 229 Small Fruits 230

Autumn Wild Flowers--Milkweed; correlations 230

Trees--The White Pine 232 Outline of a class-room lesson on the white pine; correlations; references 235

Apples--Comparative Lesson on Winter Varieties 239 King, Baldwin, Northern Spy 239 Codling moth; references 240

Some Common Animal Forms; references 242 Centipeds and millipeds 243 Salamanders or newts 243 Spiders 244

Bird Studies 245

Chapter Xiii. Form Iv: Winter

Forest Trees 246 Evergreens; Wood Specimens 246

Fruits 247

Weeds and Weed Seeds 248

Physical Science Phase of Nature Study 248 Water Pressure--exercises 248 Study of Air 249 The barometer; the common pump; expansive force of air; composition of air; oxygen; carbon dioxide; impurities of air 250 Solutions of Solids 255 Solutions of Liquids 256 Solutions of Gases 256 Limestone 256 Carbon 257 Hydrogen 258 Magnets 258 Electricity 259 Steam 260 Farm tools--machines; problems 260

Chapter Xiv. Form Iv: Spring

Method of Improving Home and School Grounds 263 Making and Care of a Lawn; References 264

Soil Studies 265 Weight 265 Subsoils 266 Fertilizers--experiments 268 Soil-forming Agents 268 Tilling the Soil 269 Garden Work--experiments in plots out-of-doors 270 Function of Parts of Plants 273 How the plant gets its food from the soil; germination of some of the common grains 274 Weeds 278 Vines 279 Wild Flowers 279 Planting of Trees, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Perennials in Home and School Grounds 280 Shade trees; transplanting 281

Animal Studies 283 Scale Insects 283 San José scale; oyster-shell bark-louse; cutworms; white grubs 283 Crayfish 285 Freshwater Mussel 286

Bird Study 287

Different Aspects of Nature Study 288

PREFATORY NOTE

This Manual is placed in the hands of the teachers in the hope that the suggestions which it contains on lesson topics, materials, books of reference, and methods in teaching will be found helpful to all teachers and in particular to those who have had little or no instruction in Nature Study during their academic or professional training.

The first Chapter of the Manual discusses topics which have general reference to the subject as a whole. The remaining part of the Manual deals more particularly with the subject in its application to the different Public and Separate School Forms. While this division of the matter into Forms is convenient for general classification, it is not to be regarded as arbitrary. Materials and methods of presentation suitable for one class of pupils in a certain Form might, under different conditions, be quite unsuitable for another class of pupils in the same Form. For example, work which would be suitable for a class in Form I made up of pupils admitted to a school at seven or eight years of age, after two years' training in a kindergarten where nature lessons received special attention, would not be suitable for a Form I class made up of pupils admitted to a school at five years of age with no such previous training. In selecting work for any class the teacher, therefore, should not be guided solely by the arbitrary divisions of the Manual, but should exercise his own judgment, taking into account his environment and the attainments of his pupils. To facilitate such a selection, page references are given in the details of the Course of Study, which in reality forms a detailed expansion of the Public and Separate School Course in Nature Study. By means of these references, the teacher may find, in any department of the subject, typical matter suited to the development of his pupils.

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