Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Nature Study

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26139

Title

Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Nature Study

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This 1915 manual offers a comprehensive guide to nature study for Ontario teachers, blending practical gardening, animal observation, and physical science experiments. Authored by the Department of Education, it emphasizes hands-on inquiry, seasonal field work, and the cultivation of scientific habits in young students.

Summary up to 500 words

Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Nature Study, authorized by the Minister of Education in 1915, serves as a comprehensive instructional resource designed to guide educators with minimal prior training in nature study. The manual structures a flexible course of study divided by school forms (grades) and seasons, covering autumn, winter, and spring activities. It integrates three main phases: garden work, animal studies, and physical science. The text details specific lessons on common flora, such as pansies, nasturtiums, and bulbs, as well as fauna including rabbits, cats, pigeons, toads, earthworms, and various insects. It provides concrete instructions for classroom observations, such as dissecting buds, raising tadpoles to study metamorphosis, and setting up balanced aquariums. The physical science section includes experiments on heat, light, and air pressure using simple, improvised apparatus. A significant portion is dedicated to combating garden pests like cutworms and scale insects, linking agricultural knowledge to local Ontario conditions. The text also explores the aesthetic, utilitarian, disciplinary, and spiritual aspects of nature study, encouraging teachers to foster a love for the natural world through direct experience rather than rote memorization. It correlates lessons with literature and art, suggesting poems and drawing exercises to enrich the curriculum. Ultimately, the book advocates for a method where the acquisition of knowledge is secondary to awakening student interest and training habits of observation and investigation. The manual emphasizes that the treatment of the subject must always be suited to the age and experience of the pupils, to the seasons of the year, and the accessibility of materials. It cautions teachers against merely dictating notes, asserting that mere information is not nature study. Instead, the focus is on developing the spirit of inquiry. The manual suggests that at least one lesson be taught from the subjects outlined under each general heading in the detailed Course of Study, with a minimum average of three lessons from the subjects under each general heading. It encourages the improvising of simple apparatus from materials within the reach of every teacher and advises that substitutions and changes be made a subject of consultation with the Inspector. The manual also highlights the importance of correlations with literature, art, and geography, using examples like Tennyson's "The Brook" to enhance geographical definitions. It concludes that nature study develops a sympathetic attitude toward nature, increasing the joy of living and leading pupils to see nature through the eyes of the poet, moralist, and scientist.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Science
• Nature Study