From the Ohio Educational Monthly. Natural History in Common Schools.

BY DE. P. W. MOSBLECH.*

THE great object of education is to develop

has to be directed answers to the native inquisitiveness of the pupils. It is for this very reason that object-lessons are so fruitful of good results. It was this very thing that made the schools of Pestalozzi, Basedow, Campe, Fellen

berg and others, so far superior to other schools.

the faculties that are in man, and to direct them to, and to concentrate them upon, all such But the various branches of study are not all things as contribute the most to the welfare of equally apt to satisfy the faculty of inquisitivethe individual, the family and the country. ness, and to exqite and animate the spirit of inThis is the prime object which every teacher quiry; and a branch of learning prominent in should have in mind. He should look upon his this power above all others should occupy also boys and girls as men and women in miniature, a prominent place in every school. I do not whom he has to educate in such a manner as to mean by this that most of the time should be develop all their faculties by which afterward given to it, but that it should be considered as a they have to constitute themselves as individ-necessary and prominent object. Such a branch uals, and as useful members of society. is presented to us in the contemplation and study

One of these faculties, which is prominent in of nature. This may startle many of our teachchildren, and peculiar to man alone, as a rea-ers in this country; but it is not so in other soning being, is inquisitiveness, which is the countries prominent in procuring to the new fruitful mother of attention, observation and generation a solid instruction and a true eduinquiry, and consequently the mother of true cation; as, for example, in Prussia and in othknowledge. All knowledge, not proceeding er states of Germany. In the common schools from this faculty, is superficial and relatively of Prussia the study of nature is pursued not useless for life and society; knowledge becomes only as the best means of strengthening the understanding only when it proceeds from in- spirit of inquiry, but as a delightful recreation quiry; which idea is fairly expressed by the ex- from the other branches of learning; and, incellent Anglo-Saxon term "to understand," to deed, during recess between the classes you may stand under, to support, and without such an see the children running and jumping about in "understand," or support, all knowledge fails. all directions in search for some new object of The truth of this has been proved both by true inquiry, hunting insects, examining stones, gathand false teachers, and by the leaders of man-ering flowers, etc., etc. The teacher is always kind; true teachers and leaders endeavored to among them, for the pupils are his delight. He develop inquisitiveness and inquiry; and we examines and collects in company with them; are indebted to them for our free institutions, tells them the names of new objects that hapfree speech, free press, and for all the blessings pen to fall under observation; teaches them the derived therefrom. On the contrary, false lead- various properties and uses of these objects; ers and teachers prohibited inquiry, abolished tries to make them sensible of their beauties; free speech; they thought themselves made to and thus implants in the young hearts both think för all the rest of mankind, and impose reverence and love for nature. upon them their views and their doctrines. There are plenty of this sort of teachers in state and in church.

Once a week an excursion-class is appointed. It is considered among the scholars the greatest punishment when the teacher excludes the one We say, then, that the foundation of good or the other from this delightful exercise, which education is the steady development of inquisi- is done for some serious offence or misbehavior. tiveness in the young minds; and that teacher The whole school marches in military order, will be the most successful who knows best how two by two, from the school-building through to inspire his pupils with the spirit of inqury. the village or town, noiseless, but not silent, Every branch of study must be carried on in and once fairly out of town they disband, runthis direction, and only when this is done teach- ning, jumping, dancing and singing, in all diers will cease to complain of the inattentien and rections, just as their youthful impulses carry listlessness of their scholars. The proper life them along. But the object is not only bodily of a school is attention; and attention is only exercise, but examination. They stop, for insustained when the object to which attention stance, in the presence of a wheat-field. Some one observes that some cars stand straight up,

* Professor of Natural Science in Bethany College, Va. while others hang bent down. Inquiry: Why?

The answers are given by pupils or by the teach- tute, wherein natural history is taught not only ; the teacher, however, answers only when in select classes, but also by lectures; and ex10 one of the pupils is able to answer. After cursion classes are appointed twice a week, in having given the true cause a moral application order to show practically how to observe, and is often made; in this case, for instance, thus: how to collect. A number of the teachers presWhen the head is empty, it is easily lifted in ent at the Institute join the Natural History Sopride! Again, there are some flies busy about ciety which has been established at Hopedale, the wheat-plant. Inquiry: What are they do- and with which there is connected a natural hising? Do they injure the wheat or not? But, tory museum. Ho, boys!" exclaims one of them; "here is a large blue wasp, look here, quick!" The teacher tells the boy to catch it. "Will it not sting?" "Would I tell you to catch it if it could do you any harm?" "Oh, no, Mister, I beg your pardon. The apparent wasp is caught; it does not sting; it is a useful fly and not a wasp, called the blue Ichneumon. It destroys a great number of destructive larvas.

Another feature in connection with the study of natural history in Prussia is this:

a

There is connected with almost every school nursery or a little garden, or both. The children learn which are the best wild stocks to graft" or bud upon, and how to do it. It is from these nurseries that the farmers around get their best fruit trees. The girls make little gardens in the front of the school-house, where they raise flowOn the other hand, the girls are in a perfect ers and vegetables. The teacher sometimes disuproar, running in all directions, and much tributes seeds of rare flowers, or of some new frightened. "What is the matter?" "A vegetable, and boys and girls rival in raising snake, a snake!" The teacher approaches, them in the best way. Seeing such a country and having seen the snake, tells one of the boys school-house, it looks almost like the seat of to catch it. This snake here is a perfectly harm- some gentleman, surrounded by the most chosless and, moreover, useful animal. It swallows en fruit trees, evergreens, flowers and vegetathousands of grubs, which would, when left, bles. Everything in and about the school-house be injurious to vegetation. It is a beautiful an-is neat; and thus the children learn to keep imal, too. See these eyes, these glittering scales, themselves and the place where they live, clean these beautiful colors! And now, girls, do not and neat. All these things pass from the schools be frightened any more, when you see a snake. to the most humble cottages. To see a weedAgain, there is a sandstone, or a limestone. surrounded dwelling now is very rare wherever Questions: What is a sandstone? What is a the schools have been established. Thus the limestone? Is this sandstone good for building country has been reformed by the schools. purposes? Is this limestone fit for making lime? Why must the limestone be burnt in order to make lime?

How easy would it be in this country, where |land is comparatively cheap, to have neat school houses surrounded by an acre or more of land, many useful things are learned in one single teacher and pupils, into a delightful spot, of and to convert this land, by the industry of

Thus observation and inquiry continues, and

excursion.

which the township could be proud.

Teachers, will you not try? Endeavor to

Do we require, then, from every teacher a knowledge of natural history? Yes, sir. But not, indeed, the knowledge of a Buffon, an gain influence in a community, and be indusOwen, an Agassiz, but a general knowledge of trious and never be discouraged. The people will finally be willing to sustain you. all those objects that fall under daily observation. Every teacher, yea, every man, should know them, and learn how to classify them, PROOFS OF IMMORTALITY.-When I consider and the uses to which they may be applied for the boundless activity of our minds, the rememour safety and our comfort, as well as their brance we have of things past, our foresight of beauty and their importance in the economy of what is to come - when I reflect on the noble The Normal Institutes for Teachers discoveries and vast improvements by which hould have regular lessons in all branches of those minds have advanced in art and scienceatural history; and I am glad to be able to I am entirely persuaded, and out of all doubt, otice at least one of those institutions in Ohio that a nature which has in itself a fund of so ake the lead in this particular. There is held, many excellent things, can not possibly be mort Hopedale, every summer a Teachers' Insti- tal.-XENOPHON.

nature.

and qualities should be used in conversing with the words bear to each other. With such prethem about the language, instead of the more vious training in regard to language, he will familiar, general ones. In lieu of speaking of soon acquire an elegance in composition which persons, places or things, they should be called the study of grammar alone can not impart ; "nouns. In a short time the pupils will have and will not be compelled to endure the mortiit impressed indelibly upon their minds, that fication felt by good penmen, fair readers, accu"A noun is the name of any person, place or rate spellers and excellent mathematicians when thing that can be known or mentioned." When they enter a superior grade, on account of the qualification of nouns becomes a necessity, their ignorance of that language which has call the words used, "adjectives." The schol- been the channel through which all their previars will not be long in finding and remembering ous education has been acquired. The time is the use and different modifications of this part coming in which such pupils will be released of speech. In the formation of their sentences, from the embarrassing position this neglect has let them mention the grammatical names of the placed them in. The question now absorbing various members of them; and should an ellip- the minds of teachers, seems to be this one: sis occur, either intentionally or otherwise, re- When and how shall we teach the English quest them to fill it by some word or phrase, language?" The children, whenever we find giving only the grammatical species of the words them thus embarrassed in their pursuit of a required. By this, I do not intend to urge the difficult study (difficult, only because begun too adoption of a text-book altogether, or even to late,) are mute appeals in behalf of some innorecommend a close application to it, to either vation in this department of education. Papupil or teacher. rents and patrons, hearing the question so often The text-books of the English language are agitated, have grown almost as much interested but the "guide-boards " of popular travel, as we, and wonder how the teaching world is while there are many other paths, by which to to answer it. The teachers, as a body, are tryreach the same end. Some lie through the for- ing by experiences of every nature, — by pracests, and others across the fields of educational ticalizing theories, by laboring upon learned literature; and who will deny that they may and unlearned advice, to gather from among the not be more pleasant and just as correct as the undistinguishable crowd of improvements sugwide highways, where is accumulated the dust gested, some grand master one, that will comof centuries? The old argument, handed down mand all others and marshal them, as it were, through generations of teachers, that children into the discipline of an army.

of which we are unable to trace. Their under

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no farther advanced than the third grade of In the method we have presented, we have scholarship cannot study grammar understand- labored for the more universal teaching of the ingly, will here meet the proof to the contrary, language in the primary department of instrucand be overcome,—not by theory but by expe- tion. Our plan has been, to use the English rience. Here the pupil's thoughts, compacted tongue not only as the means of teaching readand practicalized, can and will be concentrated ing, spelling, penmanship and simple mathematinto action by an involuntary process, the steps ics, but as the greatest end and aim of a scholar's career. We would have a knowledge of words standing, while it makes them see and perceive and the uses of them, so far as regards the exall other things, will take no notice of itself; pression of thought, impressed upon the mind and in this condition needs the active, energetic of the youngest pupil; would have the scholar assistance of a ruling mind, that, while it gov-know his language in a few of its modifications erns, can give vigor to the utterance, facility to as soon as he should his multiplication table. the flow and freedom to the force of language. This method seems to us, to bring the mind of By the time the pupil enters the grade in the child and his conception of the principles of which the teaching of the English language be- his language in full fruition together; and to comes a greater specialty, he will be no novice avoid that ignorance of the most general rule in the language itself. He will possess a toler- of it, so sadly prevalent in the minor grades of ably accurate knowledge of the use of words; schools. The teacher's task will be an extremewill know & correct from an incorrect sentence; ly difficult one under the proposed method of will express any thought in a simple, proper instruction. Busy brain and prattling tongue manner; and, if quick in perception, 'will be will demand much time and great patience. able to point out the relation the thoughts and There will have to be line upon line, precept

J. D. Philbrick, Esq., followed, and ably ar- And the same is true of most other books. He gued that text-books should be used; but he believed that the present generation of teachers would have thin books. He always discourag- understand and teach arithmetic as perfectly as ed the introduction of thick ones. He recom- it can be; but some authors seem to be trying mended Mr. Wells's new book, "The Graded to combine the higher mathematics with eleSchool," to teachers. How should the spelling-mentary arithmetic; and he feared that soon book be used! He could not agree with those the Differential Calculus would be required of who insist that every word spelled should be children four years of age- but he did not bewritten and defined. He would have the spell-lieve they could understand it! He felt, also, ing-book spelled through-and-through, orally, yexed at having two different dictionaries in his and at a pretty early period of the grammar-school-room; he did not pretend to know which school course, whatever else might be done by was the best one, but it seemed to him that when way of writing and learning definitions of words. the State had made an appropriation of sixteen He would have the dictionaries used much, es- thousand dollars, and placed in each schoolpecially the large ones. He did not like to see room in the State a dictionary, that the one that the dust on them. It is only the large dictiona- was chosen by eleven-twelfths of the schools ry that really defines words. He did not like ought to be taken as the standard; and more to witness an exercise in reading and hear not a particularly when that same book had the conquestion by the teacher as to the sense of what fidence of, and was in use by, almost the whole was read. The most important part of the text population of the United States. He thought of history should be committed to memory, that nobody knew what text-books ought to word for word. Of course, it should be talked be used so well as the teachers, and he hoped about and explained. Dates were important to they would take measures to memorialize the be learned. The best primary reading he had legislature to make the books uniform throughheard, was in a school where the teacher read out the State. He confessed to having learned the pieces to her pupils, and then required them something of text-books from having been a to imitate her; and he would by no means book agent ten years; during which time he counsel teachers of lower classes to rest satis- had looked into every school-book in use that fied with simply teaching the exact matter re- he could find; and, that, while he had great quired for promotions. Teachers should aim to regard for our friends, the book publishers, he have the pupil understand as much as he can thought if they should lose a little money by of the branches studied; but not to refrain from our action, they would not be any worse off cultivating the memory, if the meaning of what than some of us who have lost ours. At any was learned was not perfectly comprehended. rate, he would defend the pupils against the Mr. Reed would not let so good an opportu- present system by having the teachers unite in uity pass without saying something upon a sub- trying to effect a reform. ject that had vexed him for years; and to which he had given much attention. He agreed with us the following: both the other gentlemen; thought Mr. Phil- These meetings continue to increase in interbrick was doing an excellent service with his est. The first twenty minutes are devoted to cards, and believed the plan could be carried general exercises, and teachers are invited to much further in teaching arithmetic and gram- bring in and exhibit anything interesting in edmar. But he wished to look at text-books in ucation. At the last meeting several interestanother light than their simple use, for he did ing pamphlets were shown by Mr. Philbrick. t not like the way and manner in which school- One was "The Constitution of the Associated books were compiled, published and thrust up- Instructors of Youth in the Town of Boston, on the pupils and teachers. Almost every am- adopted January 22, 1812." Another was an "bitious scholar would compile some text-book, address, delivered before the Association on its say a grammar, in which something would be first anniversary, August 19, 1813, by John iltaught different from every other book, and then Lathrop, Jr., A. M. Slates from the Sheafe althese different books would find lodgment in Street Primary School, showing specimens of W 'some parts of the country, so that no uniformi- their excellence in printing, writing and making Wty could be had in anything. He had used figures, were examined with a great deal of inmabout twenty different grammanical text-books Schools. The sentiment of the meeting was deterest. The topic for conversation was Music in alin his career as teacher; so they must excuse cidedly in favor of less singing by rote and more him for not knowing much about grammar. singing by note,

The Secretary of the last meeting also sends