Observation one of the activities in the third grade of the University elementary school

Abstract

In various forms Nature-study has become a part of the curriculum of the schools, often holding an equal place with the "Three R's". Frequently the usual studies are too remote from the daily lives of the children to be of great interest to them. The problem of the University Elementary School is "to help pupils to do better in those wholesome activities in which they naturally engage". The four activities, which in the first three grades, seem to fit in with the natural interests and needs of children up to the age of nine or ten are: 1) observing what goes on around them; 2) playing games; 3) making many things useful and ornamental; and 4) reading, telling, and hearing stories. The purpose of this paper is to give an evaluation of the first named activity, Observation, as taught in the Third Grade.