FIRST HALF

LESSON ON SQUIRREL

May E. Chandless

The Nature Plan for October could be as follows:

Animals:

Squirrel, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, pigeon; also such birds and insects as present themselves. Plants:

Observe form, etc., of apple, hickory nut, chestnut, with burr.

Have children learn something of the distribution of seeds by wind. (thistle, milkweed and dandelion); by fastening to clothing, etc. (burdock burrs and stick-me-tights); by wind and water (maple, ash and elm).

The Nature Lesson, which is restful, should follow one where close attention has been required. The afternoon is the better time for this lesson.

When presenting the lesson, the object, picture, or blackboard drawing is indispensable.

THE SQUIRREL (GRAY).

Put the picture or blackboard drawing before the class in the morning. This arouses interest, recalls previous knowledge, and makes children rich with thoughts and receptive for new facts.

After obtaining the name from the children, with the word on the blackboard, the peculiarity of the word awakens another interest, if the teacher tells them that the first part of the name tells about its bushy tail (squirrel).

I. Size:

Compare with size of cat. Children will appreciate the comparison if the teacher will place dots 13 to 14 inches apart to represent the squirrel, and 22 or 23 inches for the cat.

II. Color:

Under part white, and back gray fur. (The picture should show this.)

III. Mouth and Teeth:

Sketch on blackboard the four chisel-like teeth and speak of their

use.

IV. Tail and Feet:

The bushy tail and how he uses it -just as we cover ourselves with blankets he spreads out his tail over his back and sleeps sitting up.

The claws, long and curved, fitted for clinging and climbing trees. V. His Food:

What does he eat Where does he find his food? Can he get it when the snow covers the ground? What must he do then? Where does he store it? When is he very busy? Tell the children how he fills his cheeks with nuts and runs back and forth many, many times, placing the nuts in the hollow of a tree. How he sometimes takes the eggs from the birds' nests and eats them. Holds food between two fore paws.

VI. Home:

For the winter he finds a hollow in a tree (illustr.). Gathers leaves and moss to make it soft. He builds a summer home in the top of a tree with twigs, leaves and grass. His home is called a nest.

VII. Habits:

Sleeps the greater part of the winter, but has his store of nuts to eat should he wake up. Bright and nimble (jumps from branch to branch), chatters and scolds if he is disturbed. VIII. Use:

Flesh is sometimes used for food. Fur, for coats and muffs. IX. Literature:

Story for conversation. "The Squirrels," from "All the Year Round," I., by Strong. Poetry, "The Squirrel's Arithmetic."

"THE SQUIRREL'S ARITHMETIC."
High on a branch of a walnut tree
A bright-eyed squirrel sat,
What was he thinking so earnestly?
And what was he looking at?
The forest was green around him,
The sky all over his head;
His nest was in a hollow limb,
And his children snug in bed.

He was doing a problem o'er and o'er,
Busily thinking was he;

How many nuts for his winter store
Could he hide in the hollow tree?
He sat so still on the swaying bough,
You might have thought him asleep.
Oh, no; he was trying to reckon now
The nuts the babies could eat.

Then suddenly he frisked about,
And down the tree he ran.

"The best way to do, without a doubt, Is to gather all I can."

In speaking of food, develop the cud chewing process; then develop other habits of the cow, such as lying in the shade on warm days; standing knee-deep in water to keep cool, etc.

Uses. (When alive.)

Very strong, therefore the ox is used in drawing heavy loads.

Gives us milk, butter and cheese. Let children tell how cows are taken to the cattle yard to be milked. (Speak of cowbells.)

Horns used to help themselves.

Uses. (After life.)

Hair for plaster, bones for handles, horns for combs, hoofs for glue, fat for tallow, hide for leather, flesh for food.

Tell story of "Wise Cow and His Horns."

Teach Poem.

Thank you pretty cow that made
Pleasant milk to soak my bread,
Every day and night,

Fresh and sweet and pure and white.

SECOND HALF.

GERMINATION

Eleanor L. O'Hearn

With young children in the IA and IB grade, it will be best to study carefully the germination of one kind of seed. For this the lima bean is probably best, its parts being so distinct.

The following comprises a series of lessons which can be carried on as opportunity or progress of plant war

rants:

Material:

I. An abundant supply of lima beans, so that they can be distributed. freely to the children.

II. Conveniences for planting.

(a) Window boxes or flower pots filled with soil.

(b) A box filled with sawdust. Keep this wet.

(c) Glass tumblers with a piece of cotton batting, cut so as to lie on top of the water.

(d) A glass jar filled with water. III. Pieces of heavy manilla paper about five inches square; one for each child.

IV. A paper of pins. Notes to Teacher:

The manilla will keep damp or wet beans from soiling the desk.

Use pins to keep the bean secure on the manilla while drawing the different stages of growth. The drawings. are apt to be more accurate than otherwise.

Have manilla given out for each lesson; pins, when needed. Method:

Observation and discovery. Experiment, inference, conclusion. Lesson One may well be devoted to gathering up what the pupils already know about the growth of seeds in general, what they need for growth, and the planting of seeds.

We might begin in this way:
Give each child a bean.

Let us see what our hands can tell us about our lima beans?

As a result, the following discoveries will be made by children:

Our beans are hard, smooth, flat, and are shaped like a half-circle; one edge straight, other edge curved.

Put this story on the board.

Is there anything about our beans, our hands have not told us? From children:

Our beans are white and shiny, and they have a scar.