what they find there and to gather specimens. The children can form
naturalists' clubs for the purpose of studying the natural environment.
Such study should embrace rocks, soils, plants, leaves, flowers, fruits,
and specimens of the wood of the various trees. Birds and insects can be
studied and collected. The work of such a club would have a twofold
value. (1) The study and collecting acquaint the child with his natural
environment, and in doing it, afford a sphere for the activity of many
aspects of his nature. They take him out of doors and give an
opportunity for exploring every nook and corner of the natural
environment. The collecting can often be done in such a way as to appeal
to the group instincts. For example, the club could hold meetings for
exhibiting and studying the specimens, and sometimes the actual
collecting could be done in groups. (2) The specimens collected should
be put into the school museum, and the aim of this museum should be to
represent completely the local environment, the natural and physical
environment, and also the industrial, civil, and social environment. The
museum should be completely illustrative of the child's natural,
physical, and social surroundings. The museum would therefore be
educative in its making, and when it is made, it would have immense
value to the community, not only to the children but to all the people.
In this museum, of course, should be found the minerals, rocks, soils,
insects,--particularly those of economic importance,--birds, and also
specimens of the wild animals of the locality. If proper appeal is made
to the natural desire of the children, this instinct would soon be made
of service in producing a very valuable collection. The school museum in
which these specimens are placed should also include other classes of
specimens. There should be specimens showing industrial evolution, the
stages of manufacture of raw material, specimens of local historical
interest, pictures, documents, books. The museum should be made of such
a nature that parents would go there nearly as often as the children.