54 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

A SCIENCE CLUB IN A HIGH SCHOOL.

BY Louis C. FELDMANN,University of Wisconsin^ Madison, Wis.

Every high school in which seventy-five or more pupilsare enrolled ought to have a science club. While attendinghigh school the boy passes through what G. Stanley Hall calls^The Gang Age.^ It is during this period that much permanentdamage to the boy^s character can be done, for at this time hechooses his associates. These will exert their good or badinfluence over him as the case may be. On the make-up of thegang and its moral standard will depend the developing or thesuppressing of such traits as good-fellowship and a desire to doright. Since the boy^s later character depends to such an extenton his associates, the greatest aid that can be given him is thechoosing of proper companions. The club with its selectedmembership exercises this function.

For the girl such a club is no less important; first of all,on account of the influence for good that she, under properguidance, can exert on the boys, her fellow members. Thenas for herself this association will develop in her the spirit ofcooperation. This last-mentioned trait was formerly consideredas desirable for men only, but with the growing complexityof economic life this spirit is no less essential for women.Aside from the power of developing character which such

a club can be made to exercise, both boys and girls will haveinstilled in them a love for nature and the great outdoors.These two features, if properly rooted, will remain with themthroughout life. They will be no mean sources of pleasure andhealth during their active years, and an enjoyable pastimefor old age. If education is a preparation for life, then this clubis a necessary part of education.We have noticed the necessity of a club for the boy to carry

his primitive instincts into worthy channels. The girl needs aclub to round out her character and aid her rapidly developingwomanhood. The natural inclinations of both call for it; aswell as the need of making wholesome recreation a hobby tobe indulged in throughout life. But on whom falls the lot oforganizing and directing such an undertaking? It is extra-curricular and yet highly educational. I should answer that it isthe biology teachers duty, for his field is attractive enough toarouse the dormant interests of the pupils. Further, the biologyteacher will not only feel as though he has accomplished some

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educational work, but he will draw around himself a circle ofinterested boys and girls who will be able to discuss intelligentlywith him his special problems.There is another good result which th^ teacher can consider

as having accomplished. I here refer to the community spiritof the boys and girls. After a successful year as a member of abiology club, the interest in parks, flowers, and the generalbeauty of the surroundings will be appreciated far more. Theywill make attempts to keep the neighborhood neat, and if possi-ble they will cultivate plants or shrubbery in bare places.Now by organizing and directing I do not mean that the

teacher should immediately after entering upon his dutiessend a notice to the assembly room stating that a meeting willbe held at such a time for the purpose of forming a science club.Let the teacher first be successful in his classroom, and thenafter he has created the proper spirit in his students let them athis suggestion form a club. The official work of such a clubought to be in the hands of the students, except perhaps theposition of critic. This the teacher could advantageously fill,for it would give him a place from which he could properlyguide the actions of the club without making it seem as thoughhe were controlling the activities, and thus kill the interestof the members.To provide suitable programs in order to keep up the interest

9,nd induce proper activities on the part of the members is al-ways a serious problem. On the nature of the program pre-sented will depend the success and life of the club.

Various types of programs can be undertaken. One of theseis to provide each member with a copy of a certain book, andthen take up one chapter at each meeting and discuss it. Asan aid to the discussion certain pupils can be asked to prepareshort papers -on certain phases of the subjects taken up in thechapter. Personally, I see no interest in such a meeting for ourhigh school pupils. To them this would merely be anotherclass with all the accompanying drudgery.A more interesting program would be to study natural ob-

jects in their proper environment. This would mean field tripswith the accompanying joys for the pupils. Of course these tripscould be undertaken only .during the fall and spring. Duringthe winter other activities would have to be indulged in, and Ithink it would be well worth the while of the students if duringthe trips in the fall they were to pick up and preserve certain

56 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

objects that they might happen upon, and then during the wintermonths study and discuss them. If a museum is to be foundin the city, several meetings could profitably be held there.Then, too, programs could be arranged by having membersgive papers; talks, often illustrated, by members of the faculty;and addresses by outsiders who are experts in their own lines.

In the winter months, if the interest begins to fail, the scopeof the club could properly be widened somewhat so as to includethe fields of physics, chemistry, and geography to some extent.A feature of a few programs could be the visiting of some ofthe local industrial plants. This ought to be both profitableand enjoyable. Often a whole program could be taken up withone subject. At some meeting, for example, certain studentscould present the subject of carbonic acid. A tank of gas couldbe bought, and many freezing experiments could be performedand their biological significance pointed out.Membership is rather a delicate proposition, for if the rules

are too stringent no students will join; and, on the other hand,if too loose the members will lose interest and gradually with-draw. Certain .requirements ought, however, to be insisted on,and among these are (1) a mark of 85 in one subject, (2) an in-terest in science, (3) a readiness to attend all the meetings, and(4) a willingness to take part in the programs when called upon.The ^dues ought to be fifteen or twenty-five cents a semester,

which will be more than enough to meet all ordinary expensesand pay for one or two sociable events to be arranged for duringthe school year to break the monotony of a too scientific atmos-phere.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.INTRODUCTORY SCIENCE�One-half or one unit. Instruction

in Introductory Science should precede all other courses in science andshould preferably be given -in the ninth grade.The aim of this course should be to enable the-student to interpret

his environment and his relation to it. Teachers of Introductory Scienceare expected to give instruction also in one of the other sciences and tohave had adequate preparation in one physical and one biological science.The ground to be covered by the course should be largely determined bylocal conditions.A committee of representatives from the Education and the Science

men of the University of Michigan has been appointed to draw up astatement of the preparation advised for teachers of general science.