FORM I
AUTUMN
GARDEN WORK
On the re-opening of school after the summer holidays, the pupils should
see that their plots are put into good order without delay. If they have
been neglected during the holidays, a good deal of attention will be
needed, and in some cases it may not be possible to reclaim them because
of prolonged neglect. If such plots are found, they should be cleaned
off completely, spaded up, and left in readiness for planting the
following spring. All plots should be cultivated throughout the month of
September to keep the soil mellow and prevent the growth of weeds. The
pupils should be allowed to pick flowers from their own plots, but
should always leave a few in bloom for the sake of the general
appearance of the garden. Paths should be kept clean, and all rubbish,
weeds, dead plants, etc., removed to the compost heap, which should be
in the least conspicuous part of the garden. Hoes, rakes, and claw-hand
weeders should be used in cleaning up and cultivating the plots. The
soil should be kept fine and loose on top to prevent drying out.
LESSONS ON A GARDEN PLANT
PANSY
LESSON I
~Materials.~--A flower for each pupil
A plant set into a flower-pot
A leaf for each pupil
A pile of leaves containing a few pansy
leaves and several of other kinds.
~Introduction.~--A conversation with the pupils about their favourite
flowers.
~Observations.~--The pansy flowers are now distributed and the general
form of the flower is first noted. The resemblance to the face of an
animal will be discovered. The name _corolla_ is given, but no other
botanical terms are to be introduced in this lesson.
The details of colours, perfumes, velvety feeling of the corolla, and
the number of leaflets in it are next _discovered_ and described by the
_pupils_. Lastly, in a withering flower they discover the seed cases and
the little seeds.
LESSON II
The conception of the relationship between the flower, root, and stem is
developed by a method similar to the following:
What soon happens to a pansy flower after it is broken from the plant?
Are the flowers that you have in your hands withering?
How can you keep them from withering?
Hence, what must the flower get from the stem?
Where does the stem get the moisture?
Hence, what is one use of the root?
A pupil is asked to pull the plant out of the soil in the flower-pot.
What is another use that you have discovered for the root?
The plant is now uprooted from the soil, and the pupils examine the root
to find how it is fitted for gathering water and food from the soil and
for holding the plant in place.
Note the number of branches touching a great deal of soil and also the
twisted form of the roots for grasping the soil.
The form of the leaves is studied by the pupils, and, as a test of the
accuracy of their observation, they are asked to pick out the pansy
leaves from the pile of leaves.
_To the teacher._--The pupils must be active participants in the lesson.
They must use their eyes, hands, and even their noses in gaining
first-hand impressions, and they are to be required to express in their
own way the things that they discover. The beautiful flower with its
face like that of an animal is an appeal to the child's imagination, and
the child's interest in the _use_ of things is utilized in the study of
the relations of root, stem, and flower.
This lesson may be used as the basis for busy work by means of the
following correlations:
1. With art:
Represent the flower in colours.
2. With reading and literature:
The pupils are required to express the meaning and sentiment of the
following stanza:
The pansy wakes in early spring
To make our world more bright;
All summer long its happy face
Fills children with delight,
Lessons similar to those on the pansy may be based upon the following
plants of the garden or field: dandelion, aster, buttercup, nasturtium,
goldenrod. The teacher in preparing the lesson should read a description
of the plant from a Nature Study book and should also study the plant
itself until he is familiar with all the phases of its life.
OBSERVATION EXERCISES ON THE DANDELION
The exercises given below are suggestive for out of school observation
work, but must not be too long. By way of preparation for an exercise of
this kind, the interest of the pupils in the dandelion must first be
aroused.
FIRST EXERCISE
The teacher places the pupils at the school windows from which
dandelions are visible and asks them to name any flower that they can
see. A short conversation about the brightness of the flower follows.
The pupils are next instructed to:
1. Find dandelions late in the evening, and find out how they prepare to
go to sleep and how they are tucked in for the night.
2. Find where the leaves of the dandelion are, and bring a leaf to
school next morning, and also observe how the leaves are grouped or
placed.
_To the teacher._--Dandelion flowers close up in the evening; the green
leaves beneath the head wrap closely around the flowers to form a snug
covering. The leaves have margins with teeth shaped like those of a
lion, and from this the plant gets its name, for the name is the French
_dent de lion_, which is pronounced very much like the word dandelion.
The use of the leaf cluster as a system of rain-spouts for guiding the
rain toward the root should be noted.
SECOND EXERCISE
1. Why is the dandelion easy to find?
2. What makes it easy to find even in long grass?
3. What insect friends visit the dandelion?
4. Find out just how these visitors act during their visits, and find
whether they carry anything to or away from the flowers.
_To the teacher._--The bright yellow colour of the dandelion attracts
attention. When it grows in long grass, the flower stalk grows long, so
that the flower surmounts its obstructions and climbs up to the
sunshine. The flowers are visited by ants, bees, and wasps, and these
may be seen burrowing into the flowers in search of honey. If their
bodies and legs be touched, the yellow pollen of the flowers will be
found sticking to them.
THIRD EXERCISE
1. Look for flower heads that do not open to the sun. Do not disturb
them, but watch them for a few days and find out what they become.
2. Examine the large white balls of the dandelions and find out what
they are.
3. Blow the down away. What does it carry with it?
_To the teacher._--In this exercise the pupils will learn that the large
white balls are the mature, or ripened, flowers and are composed of
little brown seeds, each being a little airship for wafting it away.
CORRELATION WITH LITERATURE AND READING
When the above exercises have been completed, the pupil's knowledge of
the dandelion may be utilized in interpreting the following stanzas:
Oh dandelion! yellow as gold,
What do you do all day?
I just wait here in the tall green grass
Till the children come to play.
And what do you do when your hair is white
And the children come to play?
They take me up in their dimpled hands
And blow my hair away.
In addition to the dandelion, the following plants are suitable for
observation exercises: morning-glory, wild balsam, sweet-pea,
snap-dragon, nasturtium.
DWARF NASTURTIUM
~Observations.~--The size of the plant at the time of flowering; its
leaves--size, colour, shape, length of petiole and how arranged; colours
found in the flower, comparison with others of same species found in the
garden; size and shape of the flower and the length of its stems. Do the
flowers grow higher than the leaves? Do they look better when with the
leaves or when alone? Note the perfume and taste of the flower stem, the
insect visitors, and what part of the flower they tried to get at, when
the first blossom was seen, and how long the blossoms continued to come
out. Do they keep well in bouquets? Do they stand hot, dry weather as
well as other flowers? When did the frost kill them? Compare with the
climbing nasturtium. Find the seeds.
SEEDS
The autumn months are the best for seed studies, for almost all annuals
are ripening their seeds at this time of year.
FIELD EXERCISE
Assign to the pupils the following exercise:
Collect the seed pods from as many plants of your garden plots, or home
gardens, or wild plants, as possible, and be careful to write the name
of each plant on the paper in which you put the seed pod of that plant.
Notice the part of the plant from which the seed pod is formed.
CLASS-ROOM LESSON BASED ON THIS COLLECTION
The pupils place the seed pods on their desks, and observations and
problems are dealt with of which the following are representative:
How does each seed case open?
What are the seeds for?
How many seeds are in each case?
Why should a plant have so many seeds?
How are the seed cases fitted for protecting the seeds?
Are any two seeds alike in shape?
Are the seeds easy to find if they are spilled upon the ground?
What makes them hard to find?
Where do nearly all seeds spend the winter?
Of what use is the hard shell of the seed?
SEED DISPERSAL
Study only a few of the more striking examples of seed dispersal with
the Form I class. Seeds that fly and seeds that steal rides are good
examples of classes of seeds whose methods of dispersal will prove of
interest to children.
LESSON ON SEEDS THAT FLY
~Materials.~--A milkweed pod; a ripe dandelion head.
~Introduction.~--A short conversation about the effects of the crowding of
plants, as carrots and turnips, in a garden plot, and hence the need for
the scattering of seeds.
~Observations.~--Open a milkweed pod in the presence of the class, so that
they may see how the pod opens, how beautifully the seeds are arranged,
and how the silk tufts are so closely packed in together.
Allow a pupil to lift a seed out, blow it in the air, and observe how
the silk opens out like an umbrella. Distribute seeds, one to each
pupil. Ask the pupils to find out why this little airship is able to
carry the seed. They will find that the seeds though broad, are thin and
light, and the silky plumes very light.
Ask the pupils to release their milkweed seeds at recess, when out of
school, and find out how far they can fly. This is an interesting
experiment for a windy day.
The white balls of the dandelion are next examined, the tiny seeds are
found standing on tiptoe on a raised platform, each grasping a tiny
parachute and waiting for a puff of wind to start them off. A pupil is
permitted to give the puff. Seeds are distributed, and the means of
flight is compared with that of the milkweed. The shape of the seeds is
observed and also the tiny anchor points at the lower end of the seed
for clutching the ground when the seed alights.
Another lesson on seeds that fly can be based on the study of tree
seeds, using those of the maple, elm, basswood, pine, and spruce.
CORRELATIONS
1. Drawing of milkweed pods and seeds, and drawing of the dandelion
seed-ball and the seeds when floating in the air.
2. Reading and literature. Interpret the thought and read expressively:
Dainty milkweed babies, wrapped in cradles green,
Rocked by Mother Nature, fed by hands unseen,
Brown coats have the darlings, slips of milky white,
And wings, but that's a secret, they're folded out of sight.
TWIGS AND BUDS
The study of buds is a part of tree study and may be taken as
observation work in the class-room. This somewhat detailed study should
follow the general lessons on tree study.
The materials for the lessons may be collected by the pupils at the time
of the field lesson and kept fresh in a jar of water until required for
use.
LESSON ON TWIGS
~Materials.~--A twig of horse-chestnut about six inches long, for each
pupil.
A twig of the same tree with the leaves still on it.
~Observations.~--The twigs are distributed and the teacher asks the pupils
to examine them and to describe all marks and projections that can be
found on the twig.
Answers are required from the pupils separately. The pupil's answer in
each case should be sufficiently clear for all the class to recognize
the feature that the answer is intended to describe. A few brief
questions will guide the answerer in making his description more
definite, but the description should be the result of the pupil's
observation and expressed in his own words.
The meaning or use of each feature should be discussed, when possible,
immediately after it has been described.
The following features will be discovered and the problems suggested
will be solved:
The brown or greenish-brown bark.
The buds.
One bud (sometimes two) is at the end of the twig.
Some buds are along the side of the twig.
What caused the end bud to grow larger than the others?
There is a leaf scar under each bud.
Of what use is it to the bud to be between the twig and the leaf stalk?
The bands of rings, one or more on each twig.
The tiny oval pores, each surrounded by a little raised band.
The detailed study of the buds is left for a separate lesson.
FURTHER STUDY OF TWIGS
The study in detail of various features is illustrated in the following:
Look closely at the leaf scars and describe them fully, as to shape,
colour, and marks.
Do the scars look like fresh wounds, or are they healed over? Of what
use to the tree is the healing of the scar?
We will learn later that the part of the twig between each pair of bands
of rings represents one year's growth. How old is your twig? Who has the
oldest twig?
Do all twigs grow at the same rate?
Who has the twig that had the most rapid growth?
_To the teacher._--The bud at the end of the twig or its branches is
called the end bud; there are two leaf scars underneath it. The buds
along the sides of the stem are called side buds, the latter are smaller
than the end bud. The bud situated between the stem of the leaf and the
twig is in a sheltered position. This position also puts the bud close
to the pantry door, for the plant food is prepared in the leaf. The leaf
scars are yellowish-brown, or if they are the scars from the leaves of
former years, are dark brown in colour. Each scar is shaped like a
horse-shoe and tiny dots are found in the position that the horse-shoe
nails would have. Even before the leaf falls, a layer of corklike
substance has formed over the scar. This layer is a protection against
the entrance of frost and rain and germs of fungi and it also prevents
the loss of sap from the scar. The tiny oval pores, each as large as the
point of a needle, are the breathing pores of the twig. The bands of
rings are the scars of the scales of the end buds of successive years.
This latter fact can be discovered when the bud is opening.
REVIEW LESSON
The review lesson should consist of a review of the points taken up in
the lessons that were based on the horse-chestnut twig, supplemented by
the examination of the twigs of elm, apple, or lilac.
LESSON ON BUDS
~Materials.~--Twigs and buds of horse-chestnut, one for each pupil. An
opening bud. (A bud or a twig placed in water in a warm room will
develop rapidly.)
~Lesson.~--Distribute specimens, and review the positions of the buds.
Pupils examine the buds and tell all they can about them. They describe
the colour, shape, and size of the buds, and also their gummy and
scalelike covering.
Of what use are the gum and scales? Of what use is the brown colour of
the bud?
They next find out what is inside the little brown house. They open the
buds and try to identify the contents. There will be some uncertainty as
to the meaning of the contents. Leave this over till spring.
_To the teacher._--The brown colour of the bud makes it an absorbent of
sunlight, and also serves as a protection from observation by the sharp
eyes of bud-eating birds. The gummy scales are waterproof, and the
scales, by spreading open gradually, cause the waterproof property to be
retained even after the bud has grown quite large. The inner part of the
bud is composed of two, four, or six tiny leaves folded up and supported
on a short bit of stem. Some of the buds have, in addition to leaves, a
tiny young flower cluster. All of these things are densely covered with
white down. The down is the fur coat to protect the tender parts from
the cold.
REVIEW LESSON
Review the lesson on buds, but substitute buds of the lilac or apple for
the horse-chestnut buds of the original lesson.
CORRELATIONS
The observational study of the buds and twigs is a good preparation for
busy work in art and manual training, and the pupils may be assigned
exercises, such as charcoal drawing of a horse-chestnut twig, paper
cutting of a lilac twig and buds, clay or plasticine modelling of twigs
and buds.
For oral and written language exercises, enlarge the vocabulary of the
pupils by requiring sentences containing the words--scales, twigs, buds,
protection, terminal, lateral, leaf stalk, blade, etc.
LEAVES
Leaves, because of their abundance and the ease with which they may be
obtained, are valuable for Nature Study work. It is possible to arouse
the interest of even young children in the study of leaves, but care
must be taken not to make the observation work too minute and the
descriptions too technical for the primary classes.
FIELD EXERCISES
An excursion to the school grounds or to some neighbouring park will
suffice to bring the pupils into direct contact with the following
plants: a maple tree, a Boston ivy (or other climbing vine), a
nasturtium, a geranium.
Ask the pupils to find out where and how leaves are placed on each of
these plants, that is, whether they are on the inner parts of the
branches of the tree or out at the ends of the branches. Do the leaves
overlap one another or does each make room for its neighbours? Are the
leaves spread out flat or curled up? What holds the leaves out straight
and flat? What do the leaves need to make them green and healthy?
Are the leaves placed in the right way, and are they of the right form
to get these things?
_To the teacher._--The leaves of the plants named are quite noticeably
so placed on the plants, have such relations to one another, and are of
such outline that they present the greatest possible surface to the
_air_ and _sunshine_ and _rain_. The leaf stalk and midrib and veins are
stiff and strong to keep the leaves spread out. Compare with the ribs of
an umbrella. The benefit of sunshine to leaves and plants can be
developed by discussing with the pupils the paleness and delicateness of
plants that have been kept in a dark place, such as in a dark cellar.
They are also acquainted with the refreshing effect of rains upon
leaves. The use of air to the leaves is not so easy to develop with
pupils of this age, but the use of air for breathing just as boys and
girls need air for breathing may be told them.
CLASS-ROOM LESSON ON LEAVES
~Introduction.~--Tell me all the things that you know upon which leaves
grow. On trees, bushes, flowers, plants, vegetables, etc.
Are leaves all of the same shape?
To-day we are going to learn the names of some of the shapes of leaves.
~Observations.~--Show the class the heart-shaped leaf of catalpa or lilac,
and obtain from the pupils the name _heart-shape_. Use the following
types:
Maple leaf as star-shape,
Grass or wheat or corn as ribbon-shape,
Nasturtium or water-lily as shield-shape,
Ash or rowan, as feather-shape.
~Drill.~--Pupils pick out the shape named. Pupils name the plant to which
each belongs. Which shape do you think is the prettiest?
GARDEN STUDIES
If the pupils of this Form have planted and cared for garden plots of
their own, they will have a greater love for the flowers or vegetables
that grow in them than for any others in the garden, because they have
watched their development throughout. For them such continuous
observation cannot but result in a quickening of perception and a
deepening of interest and appreciation.
STUDIES IN THE PUPIL'S INDIVIDUAL PLOT
What plant is the first to appear above ground? What plant is the last
to appear? Describe what each plant was like when it first appeared
above ground. What plants grow the fastest? What effect has cold
weather, warm weather, dry weather, on the growth of the plants?
What weeds grow in the plot?
Why do these weeds obstruct the growth of the other plants?
What kind of root has each weed?
Find out what kind of seeds each weed produces?
Why is each weed hard to keep out of fields?
What garden plants produce flowers?
How are the seeds protected?
Compare the seeds with those that you planted.
Select the seeds of the largest plants and finest flowers for next
year's seeding.
STUDIES FROM THE GARDEN AS A WHOLE
What plants grow tallest?
What plants are most suitable for borders?
What plants are valuable for their flowers?
What plants are valuable for their edible roots, for their edible
leaves, for their edible seeds?
How are the edible parts stored for winter use?
Compare the plants that are crowded, with others of the same kind that
are not crowded.
Compare the rate of growth of the plants in a plot that is kept hoed and
raked with the rate of growth of plants in a neglected plot.
BULB PLANTING
The planting of bulbs in pots for winter blooming should be commenced
with pupils in Form I and continued in the higher Forms. As a rule, the
potted bulbs will be stored and cared for in the home, as most
school-rooms are not heated continuously during the winter. Paper-white
narcissus and freesia are most suitable and should be planted about the
fifteenth of October, so that the plants will be in bloom for Christmas.
LESSON ON BULBS AND BULB PLANTING
~Materials.~--The bulbs to be planted.
As many four-inch flower-pots or tomato cans as are required.
Soil, composed of garden loam, sand, and well-rotted manure in equal
proportions. Stones for drainage.
Sticks for labels (smooth pieces of shingle, one and a half inches wide
and sharpened at one end, will answer).
Pictures of the plants in bloom.
~Observations.~--The attention of the pupils is directed to the bulbs, and
they are asked to describe the size, form, and colour of each kind of
bulb.
A bulb is cut across to make possible the study of the parts, and the
pupils observe the scales or rings which are the bases of the leaves of
the plant from which the bulb grew. The use of the fleshy mass of the
bulb as a store of food for the plant that will grow from it is
discussed.
The sprout in the centre of the scales with its yellowish-green tip is
observed, and its meaning inferred.
The picture is shown to illustrate the possibilities within the bulb.
PLANTING THE BULB
The teacher directs, but the work is done by the pupils, and the reasons
for the following operations are developed:
What is the use of the one-inch layer of pebbles, or broken brick, or
stone, that is placed in the bottom of the pot?
Why are the bulbs planted near the top of the soil?
Why is the soil packed firmly around the bulbs?
Why must the soil be well wetted?
Why is the pot set in a cool, dark place for a month or more?
_To the teacher._--The pebbles or broken bricks are for giving drainage.
The bulbs are planted with their tips just showing above the surface of
the soil and there is about half an inch of space between the top of the
soil and the upper edge of the pot in order to facilitate watering. The
potted bulbs must be set in a cool, dark place until they are well
rooted. This is subjecting them to their natural winter conditions, and
it will cause them to yield larger flowers, a great number of flowers,
and flowers that are more lasting. Sand in the soil permits of the more
free passing of air through the soil. Basements and cellars are usually
suited for storing bulbs until they have rooted, but they must not be
warm enough to promote rapid growth. The pots when stored should be
covered with leaves, sawdust, or coarse sand to prevent drying out. The
soil must be kept moist, but not wet. Paper-white narcissus, if brought
out of the dark after three or four weeks, will be in bloom at the end
of another month if kept in the window of a warm room. Care must be
taken not to expose the plants to bright light until they have become
green. The bulbs of the white narcissus are to be thrown away after the
flowers have withered, as they will not bloom again, but freesia bulbs
may be kept and planted again the following year.