THE BOOK OF NATURE
With the Creator from Season to Season
by
MARION; Et CADY
Revised by
FRANCES A. HOWELL
“The cool of the north, the glow of the east,
The balm of the south, the tenderness of the west, Winter, spring, summer, autumn,
Each brings earth its own peculiar charm.“
—Lareom.
A revision of Bible Nature Series, Books One and Two
Published for the Department of Education of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA
Omaha, Nebraska
Portland, Oregon
Cristobal, Canal Zone
Copyright, 1928, by
Pacific Press Publishing Association
1929
PREFACE
For a period of fifteen years the Bible Nature Series has been used in the elementary schools without revision. This is too long a period, for the best of books need to be kept abreast with advanced knowledge and improved methods. The principal problem in the work of revision has been the selection and arrangement of suitable material adapted to children of the fourth and fifth grades.
In the revision of this book, for use in the fourth grade, the creation sequence followed in the Nature Study Series has been retained and emphasized. Instead of repeating this sequence once each year for three years, it is repeated three times during the year. With but few exceptions, the teachers of nature study urged the retention of this feature in the revised book. In no other way can the children's minds be fortified against the false theory of evolution now taught in every grade from the kinder-garteri to the college than by a correct understanding of the sequence and purpose of each creative act wrought on each of the days of the creation week.
The study of nature according to the seasons of the year is a new and valuable feature of the revised work. The sequence (or order) of creation and of the seasons is a great advance in method of both the study and the teaching of nature. It is unfortunate that the school year does not begin at early springtime, when the sequence of the creation plan and the season of the year are in perfect unity and harmony. But in spite of this handicap, the seasonal study of nature greatly adds to the value of this book.
This work has been revised by Mrs. Frances A. Howell, a successful teacher of many years' experience in our elementary schools. Acting as critic teacher in our normal schools and later employed for several years as Educational Superintendent of a large conference, Mrs. Howell has been able to carry on this work of revision with a keen sense of the problems that arise in connection with the teaching of the various subjects in the elementary school. At the present time she holds the position of Normal Director in Washington Missionary College.
In the Introduction, the reviser explains the plan of the book, and gives helpful hints and suggestions that will greatly aid the teacher in the teaching of this very important subject.
The importance and value of nature study to the child is clearly and strongly expressed by the following quotations:
“While the Bible should hold the first place in the education of children and youth, the book of nature is next in importance."—“Counsels to Teachers,'" pctge 185.
“Parents can associate God with all His created works. The only schoolroom for children from eight to ten years of age should be in the open air,
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amid the opening flowers and nature's beautiful scenery. And their only textbook should be the treasures of nature."—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol 3, page 137.
“So far as possible, let the child from his earliest years be placed where this wonderful lesson book shall be open before him. Let him behold the glorious scenes painted by the great Master Artist upon the shifting canvas of the heavens, let him become acquainted with the wonders of earth and sea, let him watch the unfolding mysteries of the changing seasons, and, in all His works, learn of the Creator. In no other way can the foundation of a true education be so firmly and surely laid."—“Education,” pages 100, 101.
The author has the conviction that this firm, sure foundation for true education of the child is not being fully laid in the elementary school. In fact, there is less interest than formerly among teachers, and nature study finds but little place in the daily program. It is to be hoped the revised work will help to bring a revival of nature study in the home and in the school.	Marion E. Cady.
August 27,1928.
REVISER’S PREFACE
A study of the entire creation sequence throughout each of the seasons as they come in the school year is the essential feature of the revised work. This plan emphasizes the creation story three times over during the school term,—at the fall, winter, and spring seasons of the year. At the beginning of each season's study, the child first opens the word of God and reads the sacred story of creation. The thought of God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the foundation upon which the pupil builds in his round of seasonal nature study. At the opening of the fall book of nature, the child's heart is turned, first of all, to the idea, “In the beginning God." The same is true in opening the winter and the spring books of nature. In each case the child is first taken back to this great, vital starting point in the study of God's handiwork. The studies on light, air, heat, water, and other created things are introduced in their seasonal aspect in each case, with the story of their creation. “God said, Let there be: . . . and it was so" is the introductory unit in the study of each phase of nature as it occurs in the creation sequence from season to season.
Equal emphasis is also placed upon the seasonal aspect of nature itself. The two features go hand in hand, the one coordinating with and strengthening the other. For instance, in the study of land animals created on the sixth day of the week, the woolly caterpillar of the moth is studied during the fall season. On reaching the sixth day of creation week in the winter season, woolly bear's winter condition and habits are observed. Then, on reaching the sixth day of creation in the spring season, woolly bear as a chrysalis and then as a moth is the special feature for observation.
An effort has been made in the presentation of creation's story to emphasize those points which will especially fortify the child to meet the widespread deceptions of the hour concerning the beginnings and the continuance of life upon the earth. It is desired to eliminate the possibility of textbook study to the exclusion of the things of nature itself. An attempt has been made to study the birds, animals, trees, and flowers within the reach of every school and every child. Forming an intelligent acquaintance with his pets — his canary bird, his cat, his dog — and the trees and flowers of his neighborhood, should be the child's introductory lessons in these features of nature study. For instance, since the little canary bird itself will interest and instruct the children far more than any textbook on canary birds, field studies are outlined which will guide the teacher and the child in their observations of the canary bird, and help them to learn from nature itself.
Every lesson, whether it be an observational study or a textbook presentation, is concluded with field-study requirements, which will send the
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child away from the book and the schoolroom to nature itself. Quite a wide range of field study is suggested in connection with each lesson, for often the teachers admit their inability to tell the children what to observe and how to observe in their daily contact with nature. In providing a range of observations from which to select, it is hoped that at least a few points for observation will be found within the reach of every child and every school.
Dear teacher, God’s “other book” is open wide everywhere, and the boys and girls are eager to read its wonderful pages with you. Come, let us live with our children amid the beauties of nature in the common things about us, and their little hearts will turn to the Creator as naturally as the flowers turn to the sun. This is our high privilege and this is our reward.
Frances A. Howell.
September 12, 1928.
GENERAL INDEX
PAGE
Preface ........................................... v
Reviser’s Preface..................................vn
Teaching Suggestions.............................. xi
Section One—Autumn—Lesson Index....................xv
Chapter I.	In the Beginning.................. 1
Chapter II.	Light and Heat.................... 4
Chapter III.	Air and Sound.....................16
Chapter IV.	Water.............................24
Chapter V.	Dry Land..........................33
Chapter VI.	Plants............................45
Chapter VII.	Sun, Moon, and Stars..............58
Chapter VIII.	Water Animals.....................66
Chapter IX.	Air Animals.......................71
Chapter X.	Land Animals......................79
Chapter XI.	Man...............................90
Chapter XII.	The Sabbath......................101
Section Two—Winter—Lesson Index...................105
Chapter I.	The Earth in the Beginning .... 108
Chapter II.	Light and Heat...................114
Chapter III.	Air and Sound....................126
Chapter IV.	Water............................137
Chapter V.	Dry Land.........................143
Chapter VI.	Plants...........................146
Chapter VII.	Sun, Moon, and Stars.............150
Chapter VIII.	Water Animals....................156
Chapter IX.	Air Animals......................164
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Chapter X.	Land Animals......................169
Chapter XI.	Man...............................176
Chapter XII.	The Sabbath.......................185
Section Three—Spring—Lesson Index................191
Chapter I.	In the Beginning..................194
Chapter II.	Light and Heat .'.................200
Chapter III.	Air and Sound.....................210
Chapter IV.	Water.............................220
Chapter V.	Dry Land..........................232
Chapter VI.	Plants............................238
Chapter VII.	Sun, Moon, and Stars..............244
Chapter VIII.	Water Animals.....................252
Chapter IX.	Air Animals.......................257
Chapter X.	Land Animals......................261
Chapter XI.	Man.............................. 268
Chapter XII.	The Sabbath.......................277
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
Lesson Content
The lesson content may be used either as a reading lesson or as material assigned for study. The object in these formal lessons is not to place emphasis upon the accumulation of facts, but to bring to the pupil an arouse-ment of interest in field observational effort. They are intended to be merely introductory and inspirational. If interest in nature itself is placed above the mastery of formal facts, the child will go from these lessons to the bird, butterfly, tree, and flower with eyes and ears open to learn from nature for himself. Every teacher will need and will desire to reenforce these formal lessons with explanations, specimens, and personal contacts with nature.
Field Study
A large range has been provided, in order to make it possible for every teacher to select at least some items within reach of the school. That school is fortunate which is so located that the pupils can make all the observations suggested.
The teacher cannot go out with the children every day to carry out these field suggestions, but will go frequently with them, especially at the beginning of the year when they will need training in observational work.
The teacher can do much to aid the children in field study by telling them where he saw a tanager's nest, where there are elm or beech trees growing, just where the goldfinches are numerous, or where they will be likely to find their woolly bears. Telling them how many of the field requirements he was able to observe on his way to and from school will also be helpful.
After their interest has been awakened and they have been taught the secret of using their eyes and ears, the children will surprise their teachers in the discoveries they will make and the interesting information they will be able to gather; for “the ear as yet undulled by the world's clamor is attentive to the Voice that speaks through nature's utterances."—“Educes tion,” page 100.
As far as possible the children themselves should bring into the classroom all the specimens called for, such as the polliwogs, the ants, and the “woolly bears." In this way it is their material and their project, and interest is spontaneous and voluntary. Each textbook lesson should be preceded by a visit to the classroom nature-study table for observation of materials and specimens previously collected. Have the planted beans sprouted yet? Is there any change in the tadpoles? What is “woolly bear” doing? This is suggestive of the questions that may be asked at the nature-study table.
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Also, before turning to the textbook, give opportunity for the children to report on observations and specimens gathered as suggested by yesterday's lesson. Often the children will not be able to report immediately upon observations required; but, by calling for a report from day to day, the teacher can keep them looking and watching until they find the desired specimens.
Observations of schoolroom globe, sand-table projects, and the experiments suggested are all simple enough to be assigned to the pupils as individual projects. They can work them out, and then give a report or a class demonstration. If, for instance, a sand-table project is not satisfactory, it should be assigned to other pupils until satisfactorily executed.
Facts to Be Remembered
These are suggestive of the formal facts considered worth while for the child to remember. They have been gleaned from the lesson content and from field observational work. The talks called for may be given as oral reproduction exercises at the regular language period. The formal questions called for may be drilled upon as rapid-fire, two-minute exercises from time to time at the nature period. The facts covered to date should appear and reappear in these rapid-fire exercises.
Notebook Requirements
This is the form that is used by many teachers in writing up continuous observational work:
Name of Specimen......................
Where found? .................................
When found?...................................
By whom found?................................
Description when first brought into classroom.
Date........................
Observation ...............................
Date........................
Observation ...............................
Date........................
Observation .................................
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In writing up observational work that is not continuous, some such outline as the following may be used:
Name of Specimen.......................
When found? ...................................
Where found? ..................................
By whom found ?................................
Question asked ................................
Question answered..............................
Loose-leaf paper is the most satisfactory for these written exercises. The sheets may be put together in booklet form at the end of each season. All work should be written in ink, and nothing but the child's best efforts should be acceptable to the teacher. This written work should be assigned as a seat-work exercise apart from the regular nature period.
Nature Gems
These nature gems *are of high literary value, and should find their place in the child's memory. Write on the blackboard the gem for the chapter being studied, and have it read each day by the class in concert and individually. Encouraged by the teacher's appreciation, the children will learn to love and to know these gems, which will greatly aid in dignifying and exalting the most common things of nature. Be sure that the children learn the names of the poets who wrote these nature gems. It would be well to take a day occasionally for definite drill upon such formal features as facts to be remembered, nature gems, and Bible memory verses.
Bible Memory Verses
The memory verses are confined to the first chapter of Genesis. What a privilege to fix in the heart of the child these verses that contain the principles of true fundamentalism and which will anchor his soul to a belief in God as Creator of heaven and earth! Assign these Bible verses for study, if thought best, but remember it is the daily drill that will fix them in the child's memory. A three-minute memory verse drill should be conducted at least three times a week. These drills may be given at the worship period, and the whole room included in this valuable exercise; or it may be given in connection with the regular nature period. One class concert prepetition of verses mastered to date, with individual repetition of verses last studied, should complete a drill. It is not the intensive but the frequent drills that will bring results.
AUTUMN IS HARVEST TIME
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UNDERWOOD PHOTO
Autumn
“The autumn time has come On woods that dream of bloom; And over purpling vines,
The low sun fainter shines.”
— Whittier.
Chapter I. IN THE BEGINNING
1.	The Creator and the Creation
2.	“In the Beginning God”
‘As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful.”—E. G. White.
Chapter II. LIGHT AND HEAT
“Those bright leaves whose decay, red, yellow, or pale, rival the pride of summer.”—Shelley.
v3. A Ray of Light
4.	Darkness and Light
5.	Autumn Colors
6.	Climate
: 7. Autumn Climate
Chapter III. AIR AND SOUND
“O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being.”
8.	The Firmament.	—sheiiey.
9.	An Autumn Windstorm
10.	Air and Sound
11.	The Listening Ear in Autumn
Chapter IV. WATER
“Little brook, sing us your farewell song ; Say you are sorry to see us go.”
12. The Gathering of the Waters	—Cooper.
13.	Bodies of Water Near Your Home
14.	An Autumn River Scene
15.	An Autumn Lake Scene
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ChapterV. DRYLAND
“Then, when the maples have burst out into color, Showing like great bonfires along the hills,
There is indeed a feast for the eye.”
16.	The Dry Land Appeared	—Burroughs.
17.	A Home in Autumn .18. The Soil
19.	Autumn Days in the Mountains
20.	Autumn Days in the Valley
Chapter VI. PLANTS
“Come, little Leaves,” said the wind one day ; “Come over the meadows with me, and play.”
21.	The Creation of Plants	—Cooper.
. 22. The Parts of a Plant
23. The Flower and Its Work,
'24. The Flowers of Autumn v25. Your Tree in Autumn
Chapter VII. SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“The pallid silver of the harvest moon
Floods all the garden with its soft, weird light.”
26.	Light and Heat Givers	—Hayes.
27.	The Rising and Setting Autumn Sun
28.	The Stars and Moon in Autumn
Chapter VIII. WATER ANIMALS
“The flowers long since have told their dewy beads, And naught is. heard except the frogs’ small choir in distant meads.”—Hayes.
29.	The Creation of Water Animals
30.	How Water Animals Move and Breathe
31.	The Goldfish
Chapter IX. AIR ANIMALS
“Gone are the birds that were our summer guests; . . .
Only the empty nests are left behind.”
32.	The Creation of Air Animals	—Longfellow.
33.	“Gone Are the Birds99
34.	The Canary
35.	The Goldfinch
36.	The Downy Woodpecker
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Chapter X. LAND ANIMALS
“Cricket, good-by,
We’ve been friends so long.”
37.	The Creation of Land Animals	—Cooper.
38.	The House Fly
39.	Little Woolly Bear
40.	The Cat *41. The Dog
42.	The Cow
Chapter XI. MAN
“As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature. . . . His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health.”—E. G. White.
43.	The Creation of Man
44.	Man's Relation to Light
45.	Man's Relation to Air—Breathing
46.	Man's Relation to Water
47.	Health and 111 Health
Chapter XII. THE SABBATH
The observance of the Sabbath “was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator.”—E. G. White.
48.	The Creation of the Sabbath

2 Book of Nature
CHAPTER I
IN THE BEGINNING
“ ‘God is love' is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green,—all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God, and to His desire to make His children happy.”
Lesson 1
The Creator and the Creation
Genesis 1:1, 2.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Look about you. Look above you. Open your eyes and look. Open your ears and listen. Open your hearts and know that God is the Creator of all the earth.
Around you, above you, everywhere is the great book of nature. God is the author. He wrote the first page when in the beginning He created the heaven and the earth. Everything He has made, from the tall tree on the hillside to the tender blade of grass in the valley; from the great animals of the forest to the tiny insect flitting from flower to flower; the twinkling star, the sparkling dewdrop, the murmuring brook,—all are pages of God’s book of nature.
As we study about light, heat, air, and all the wonders of God^s handiwork, we are turning the pages of the book of nature one by one. Let us turn the pages slowly this year,
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and learn well the story of God’s wisdom and power. “God is the Creator” is written on every page.
Fall, winter, spring, summer, each has its own book of nature. Birds, flowers, trees, change from season to season, but God does not change. Every day we shall see His wisdom and power. Every day we shall know that nature study is the study of God’s created works and that God is the Creator.
Field Study
List the names of the birds with which you are familiar.
Write the names of the trees that you know.
Name several weeds that grow in your yard.
Name flowers that you know which grow in the yard or garden.
What wild flowers are you acquainted with?
Notebook Assignment
Under a spray of goldenrod print the words, “God is the Creator of all the earth.”
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 2
“In the Beginning God”
We cannot find this story in the book of nature. We must go to the' word of God. Open your Bible, and read the first page. “In the beginning.” That was a long time ago. We must know what happened then in order to understand the book of nature as it is now.
“In the beginning God.” What a good beginning! God must be “in the beginning” in our study of nature. Without His help we cannot learn the wonderful lessons in earth and sea and sky.
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“In the beginning God created.” “He spake, and it was done.” “It was done” by only a word. What a wonderful power! Creative power belongs to God alone.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” They were created, and God was the Creator. The earth was unfinished at the time of its creation. In six days God finished our world home, and made it beautiful and complete.
The building plan that the Master Builder followed in the creation of our world home will be the plan we shall follow in our study of His created works. Light first appeared in the Master Builder’s plan, so light will be our first story.
There are so many wonderful things also to learn about the air, which comes next in the Builder’s plan. Following this story we shall learn that each little flower has a secret to tell. In our study of the starry heavens a great surprise awaits us. And the birds in the sky and the fish in the deep sea, the insects flitting from flower to flower, all tell us that they have many secrets to unfold.
Field Study
Name the birds that may be seen in your neighborhood at this time of the year. If you do not know their names, be sure to notice their coloring and their size so you can tell your teacher, and she will help you name them.
Notebook Assignment
Print under a spray of autumn leaves, “In the beginning God.”
Record and date as many observations as possible on requirements under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Around you, above you, everywhere is the book of nature. All of God’s created works are pages in the book of nature.
“God is Creator” is stamped upon every page.
God'created our world home in six days.
Creative power belongs to God alone. “Teach me to know Thee, the only true God," should be our prayer each day as we open the book of nature.
CHAPTER II
LIGHT AND HEAT
“Those bright leaves whose decay,
Red, yellow, or pale, rival the pride of summer .”
—Shelley.
Lesson 3 A Ray of Light
Genesis 1:3-5.
‘‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
Let us darken our schoolroom and admit only, a few rays of light. Here they come, each with its message of warmth and cheer! There are many dark places waiting for your cheer, little sunbeams. We are so glad you have come. Without you our schoolroom would be dreary, our world would be dark. Who sent you to us, little sunbeams?
“Oh, we are little sunbeams,
Sent down from God to man;
In all life’s shady places,
We’ll shine as best we can.”
As the sunbeams stream across our schoolroom, they remind us that they came to this earth on the first day of creation week, at the command of God. They invite us to examine them carefully, and to study well the rules that govern them.
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Where is your home, little sunbeams?
“Our home is far, far away. We came from the big, round sun. We have traveled many millions of miles.” “What a long time you have been traveling!”
“Oh, no, we came very fast,—faster than any train or automobile. It takes us only eight minutes to come from our home to your home. In answer to your prayers, the angels, on their way from heaven, travel faster than we do.
“One reason why we make such good time is that we travel in a straight course. Notice how straightforward we go. We turn not to the right or to the left. We do not lose a minute. It pays always to be straightforward.”
Put a candle in a dark room, and its rays carry light to every part of the room. Rays of light come from every point of its flame, and travel in every direction. It is so with every light-giving object. We are not surprised that we can see the flame of the candle, the sun, or a flash of lightning. They are light-giving objects. Their light comes direct to our eyes, and we see it. But no light is made by houses, trees, persons, and many other things that we see about us. How is it, then, that we can see these objects that give no light?
You have often thrown a rubber ball against the walk or the side of the house. The ball returns with a bounce. In like manner when the light from the sun falls upon the different objects about us it bounds from them like a rubber ball. The light that bounds from the surface of an object comes in a straight line to the eye, and makes a picture.
REFLECTION OF FOLIAGE IN WATER
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We are told in the Bible that God’s word is a light. It will make a plain pathway for our feet. My life must be as true as a little ray of light in its straightforward course.
Field Study
Why can you not see around a corner? Give other examples which show that light travels in a straight line.
As you bounce a ball, what direction does it take when thrown straight against a surface? What direction will it take when thrown slantingly?
Place a paper shade over a window, and make a hole in it half the size of a lead pencil. Now lay a mirror on a table near the window, so that the sunbeams coming through the hole in the paper will fall upon the mirror. Notice the direction of the bouncing ray. Change the distance of the mirror from the window, and notice the difference in the slant of the ray.
Notebook Requirement
Write a little story about the ball, the mirror, and the slanting rays of light.
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Lesson 4
Darkness and Light
Go out of doors on a very dark night, and look around you. Can you see very far? Can you see very much? Can you see anything clearly? How glad you are that it is not dark all the time!
‘Darkness was upon the face of the deep.”
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“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Before the first morning of creation week, it was dark on the earth all the time and everywhere. God knew that you and I would not like this darkness. So He said in a commanding voice, “Let there be light.” Did the light come? Oh, yes, it came quickly, for God had spoken. And what did the darkness do? The darkness began to fade away just as it does at the break of day when the birds begin to sing. When the light comes, the darkness must flee away. It is this way each morning. When the light leaves, the darkness comes. This is the way it does every evening.
This coming and going of the light and the darkness all took place on the first day. God made it the plan for every day. Some morning when you hear the birds begin to sing, get up and go to your window. Watch the darkness fade away as the light breaks in. This is a picture of what happened on the first morning.
The Bible tells the story in this way: “And God saw the light that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” The full day is made of darkness and light, of evening and morning. The evening, or darkness, is
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the first part of the day. The morning, or light, follows the evening. This is what the Bible means when it says, “The evening and the morning were the first day.”
The long summer days are now gone. The days are shortening, and the nights are growing cold. Autumn is here, and “the low sun fainter shines.” Enjoy these glorious days of autumn, for they will slip away all too soon. Each day is an opportunity,—a gift planned for us during creation week by the loving Creator.
Field Study
Study your schoolroom globe. Notice the earth's axis, the north and south poles, and the equator.
Explain why our day is nighttime in China.
How many hours, minutes, and seconds in a day at this time of the year?
What flowers within your observation “sleep" at night? How do they sleep? What further influence of day and night do you observe on the plants in general?
What sounds mark the approach of nightfall ? What sounds indicate the coming of dawn?
Notebook Assignment
Draw a flower as it appears in the day. Draw the same flower as it appears at night.
Record and date as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
Lesson 5
Autumn Colors
Take a common little flower, and notice its coloring. Notice the deep, rich shades which blend into softest tints. Light is the master painter that painted your beautiful flower.
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Light produces color. Without light there would be no color. The colors of light make beautiful the land and the sea and the sky. They are tokens to us of our Creator’s love, and they tell us that He loves the beautiful. He clothed the earth with softest green. He knew just what soft tints to use
and what shades of color would be most restful to the eyes. He spread above our earth a covering of soft blue, across which, at times, He throws clouds, painted in gorgeous colors.
Beautiful goldenrod, I know why you are yellow. The colors fell upon you. You held all the colors but yellow. You threw the yellow back to my eyes. This is why you look yellow to me, beautiful goldenrod.
Lovely autumn woods, I know why you are brown. The colors of light fell on you. You held all the colors but brown. You threw the brown back to my eyes. This is why you look brown to me, lovely brown woods.
Brown, yellow, orange, and red, these are beautiful autumn colors that please the eyes at every turn. All other colors are held by the lovely autumn leaves. They send these colors back to my eyes. This is why you look so beautiful to me, leaves of autumn.
As the light falling upon the world beautifies all creation with its lovely color, so the Holy Spirit falling upon our hearts will beautify our lives and make them beautiful in the service of God.
THE COLORS OF LIGHT
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Field Study
Place a prism in the path of a ray of light. When the prism is held in a certain position, it will cast upon the wall or floor a many-colored spot. Name the colors you see. Make a disk buzz. Upon this disk place all the seven colors. Whirl the disk on a string, and see what change takes place in the colors.
Once there were seven little companions who started on a long journey from the sun. They pressed close together and held hands tightly, for they must travel fast. Pressing close together, they made a beautiful ray of
light. When they reached the earth, they passed through a prism. They were turned in their course quickly,— so quickly that they lost hold of hands, and each little friend stood alone. Who are they?
Examine leaves to discover which colors appear first. Gather leaves that are red and yellow; some that are red and green; some that are brown and yellow; some that are red, yellow, and orange. Find as many varieties as you can.
What two colors mixed produce green ? How can purple be obtained by mixing two other colors? What twocolors produce orange?
Notebook Assignment
Make a drawing in colors to represent the rainbow. Record and date as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 6 Climate
Place your hand in a ray of sunlight. Do you feel the warmth? Heat has been called the companion of light because it comes to us in company with it from the sun. Light and heat travel many millions of miles together, and together fall upon the earth's surface.
HEAT REFLECTION
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Visit with me the cold regions of the frozen north. We find ourselves surrounded by great stretches of ice and snow. Do not bundle up in furs, for we are hurrying on.
Come now to the
land where the sun shines hot. We find no relief from the heat, even in the shade of the palm trees. Pause for a moment’s glance at the beautiful ferns and the large animals.
Visit next with me a land where there is neither the cold of the frozen north
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and south nor the intense heat of the tropics. See the great cities with their tall buildings. Hear the hum of work, work, for the people are not hindered by continual heat or cold.
You have visited the three climate belts of the earth. The regions of extreme cold are the cold belts, which extend from the north and south poles one fourth of the way to the equator. The region of extreme heat is the hot belt, located on either side of the equator. The regions free from continual heat or cold are the temperate belts, located between the hot belt and the north and south cold belts.
Rays of light, why do you carry such great heat to the tropics and so little heat to the frozen north and south?
“To the torrid belt we come straight down with vertical rays from the sun. To temperate belts we come in rays that begin to slant. To the frozen north and south we come in rays that slant more and more. The vertical rays bring great heat. The slanting rays bring less heat. The very slanting rays bring little heat.”
“The cool of the north,
The balm of the south, . . .
Each brings to earth its charm.”
The Master Builder planned well the heating system for our world home.
Field Study
On your schoolroom globe locate the climate belts of the earth.
Prove that light has heat by passing a ray of light through a reading glass and placing the hand where the rays are brought together.
Stand directly in front of the fireplace, and observe for a few moments the degree of heat. Change your position, standing to one side of the fireplace. What change do you notice? What does this prove about vertical and slanting heat rays?
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Examine the twigs of almost any tree before the leaves come off. Are there any signs of the buds for next year?
Notebook Assignment
Record and date as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 7 Autumn Climate
Are bonfires burning on the distant hill? Oh, no! You are seeing the glow of the autumn maples in their burst of gorgeous red.
Step softly as you walk through the quiet wood. You need not search long for acorns. Your baskets fill quickly with the nuts that are lying in plenty at your feet. Beautiful autumn, glad harvest time, tell us, what brings you here each year?
The great world home swings around the sun as it turns on its slanting axis. It takes our earth home one year, or about three hundred sixty-five days, to swing once around the sun. Just now in this journey around the sun the earth’s axis begins to slant away from the sun. It is this slant of the earth’s axis away from the sun that causes the chill of autumn to fall upon the earth’s surface.
How are you enjoying these frosty mornings? Look out, or Jack Frost will nip the leaves of your geraniums.
“Jack Frost is a roguish little fellow.
^	He nips little children by the nose,
And he pinches little children by the toes.
He makes little girls say, Oh! oh! oh!
He makes little boys say, Ho! ho! ho!”
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“Come, little leaves.”
Who is calling? The autumn breezes are calling the little leaves to come to the meadows for a frolic.
Go, little leaves, for summer is gone,.and the days grow cold.
Yes, the axis of our world home is slanting away from the sun, slanting away from the warmth and cheer of the glad summer time. We pull our wraps about us. The autumn cold makes us chill.
God’s strong hand rests on the axis of our world. He governs its slant and controls the seasons.
Field Study
With your schoolroom globe demonstrate the four seasons.
Why i3 autumn called the fall of the year?
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Draw a diagram showing the slant of the earth’s axis and the position of the sun in the fall of the year.
What does the thermometer register in the sun at this time of the year? What does it register in the schoolroom?
Mention six signs that show that autumn has come.
Notebook Requirement
Record and date as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
On the first day of creation God said, “Let there be light.”
God divided the light from the darkness. He called the light day. He called the darkness night.
The turning of the earth upon its axis causes day and night. It takes our earth just twenty-four hours to turn once upon its axis.
Light travels very fast.
Light travels in straight lines.
Light bounds. That is why we can see objects that give no light.
Light has color. The prism will show the colors of light. They are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, indigo.
Heat is called the companion of light because, in company with light, it comes to us from the sun.
The three climate belts of the earth are: the cold belts, the hot belt, and the north and south temperate belts.
The north and south cold belts receive very slanting rays from the sun. The north and south temperate belts receive less slanting rays from the sun. The hot belt receives vertical rays from the sun.
The great world home swings around the sun as it turns on its slanting axis. It takes our earth home one year, or about three hundred sixty-five days, to swing once around the sun.
In its journey around the sun, the north end of the earth’s axis sometimes inclines, or leans, toward the sun. This brings us summer. Sometimes it inclines away from the sun. This brings us winter. When the earth’s axis is beginning to lean toward the sun, as it does at the close of winter, we have spring. When the earth’s axis begins to point away from the sun, as it does at the close of summer, we have autumn.
3 Book of Nature
CHAPTER III
AIR AND SOUND
“0 wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being ”
— Shelley.
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.”
Lesson 8
The Firmament
Genesis 1:6-8.
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
Our great world turned again on its axis, and the second day of creation week began. A cloud of fog, or vapor, wrapped the earth like a blanket.
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Since the creation of heat on the first day, the fog had been rising from the waters that covered the earth just as the steam does from a pan of water heating on the stove. The fog surrounding the earth in this manner did not beautify it.
The Master Builder’s plans did not permit the fog to cloud the earth, and make it dark and cheerless. God saw that the clouds must be lifted up. He said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
The firmament is the open space which God created between the oceans below and the clouds above.
God filled the open space with air. We know that the air fills the firmament, for, although it cannot be seen, it can be felt and we can see many things that it does when in motion. The air has weight, and it was the weight of the air that pushed up the clouds. On the second day the clouds were balanced above by the weight of the air.
Neither plants nor animals can live without air, and so the Creator placed air around the earth before He created any life upon its surface.
Let us pause a moment to breathe deeply. Air is life-giving. Without it we would die. Fill your lungs, and you will be able to think better and work harder. How grateful we are for those wonderful words on the second day of creation, “Let there be a firmament”!
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Field Work
Invert a tumbler, and place it in a pan of water. Does the water rise in the tumbler? Why not?
Tip the empty tumbler to one side, and notice what happens. Why does the water rise?
After the air has all passed out of the inverted tumbler, lift it almost out of the water. What makes the water stay in the tumbler?
Fill a tumbler brimful of water, and place over it a sheet of paper. Place the palm of the hand over the paper and then quickly invert the tumbler. Remove the hand. Why does the water not run out of the tumbler?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 9
An Autumn Windstorm
There goes your hat! Run, or the wind will carry it away. Get out your kites, boys. The autumn winds will blow them high.
On a windy day we see the specks of dust whirling in the air. We see the moving of grasses and the fluttering of leaves. We hear the flapping of flags and the snapping of clothes upon the lines, as they are hit by the passing wind, and we ask, “Whence and whither, 0 wind?”
The air is not always still. At times it moves. Air in motion is the wind that shakes the trees in autumn and strews the ground with the pretty autumn leaves. When the air moves slightly, we have a gentle breeze. When it moves swiftly, we have a strong wind that rattles the window and slams the door.
It is the heat that sets the air in motion. Outdoors the air gets heat from the sun. The air near the surface of the
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earth becomes heated first. Warm air is lighter than cold air.. The warm air rises, and the cold air moves in to take its place.
Rise, warm air! Move in, cold air! Blow, blow, cold wind!
Walk through the woods after a heavy autumn windstorm. The trees are almost bare. Their leaves cover the ground with an autumn-colored carpet. Here and there are patches of brown. Look closely. They are the nuts you have been looking for. Gather them quickly, for the wind comes blowing through the branches of the trees with a moan that says: “The balmy days are gone. Prepare for winter.”
Field Study
Make some paper windmills and fasten them over the stove or radiator. What makes them whirl around?
In a furnace-heated house, is it warmer upstairs or down? Why?
Look at the trees and bushes, and see if you can tell which way the wind is blowing.
Can you tell by the looks of some trees or bushes which way the wind usually blows?
Look at the clouds, and see if any of them are moving. What makes them move?
What different sounds can you hear when the wind blows hard?
Notebook Requirement
Write as many answers to these questions as you can.
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Lesson 10
Air and Sound
The clock is ticking in the room. What is it that brings the sound to our ears? The wind is stirring in the tree tops outside. How is it that we can hear the rustling of the
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leaves? How are the tones of a piano or of any other instrument carried across the room?
Did you know that it would not be possible for any of the sweet voices of nature to delight us if it were not for the air? It would not be possible for us to hear the warning of whistles and bells and gongs were there no air in the firmament above the earth. It is air that carries sound to the ear.
Perhaps you remember that when you throw a stone into a pond the wave circles move outward until they reach the shore. It is just so with the waves in the air when a sound is made.
Have you ever seen a long freight train start? When the engine gives a jerk, it starts the first car, and that car the second, and so on to the last car. The jerk, or sudden pull, of the engine runs quickly along the whole line of cars. Each car is jerked a little by the engine, and then it springs back again as far as the coupling will permit.
You must think of the air as being made up of very small elastic balls, so small that they can never be seen. The voice strikes the nearest air balls, and these air balls strike against other air balls near them and bound back just as the freight cars do.
Why is it that a person speaking in a building can be heard more easily than one speaking in the open air? It is because the air waves are shut in by the walls. It is for the same reason that you can hear a whisper so far through a speaking tube extending from one part of a building to another. The waves are shut in within the tube. They have no chance to spread out in all directions.
We thank you, air waves, for the sweet sounds you bring to our ears. May the air waves carry only gentle tones from our lips.
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Field Study
Take a pole twelve feet long. Lay a watch on one end of it. Stand at the opposite end. Can you hear the ticking of the watch ? Put your ear to the pole. Can you hear the ticking now? What does this prove?
Sound travels well in iron. Prove it.
Sound travels well in water. Prove it.
What kind of tone is produced through a long tube? a short tube? Some days you may be able to hear train whistles and other noises from great distances. Are the days when you can do this best, cloudy or clear, or damp or dry?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 11
The Listening Ear in Autumn
Listen carefully. Catch the autumn sound waves. Air waves in autumn carry many wonderful sounds to our ears.
Take a walk with me. Step softly, but listen carefully.
“Bobolink, Bobolink,
Spink, spank, spink.”
Did you hear that? Bobolink is trying to lead us away from his nest by singing to us in another part of the field.
Listen! hear that clear call. Do you know whose call that is? Listen again. Yes, it is the dear little robin singing over the big fat worm he has caught for breakfast.
“Listen, I hear a humming bird,” you say.
No, you are mistaken. You are hearing a humming moth. It makes a humming noise with its wings as it goes flitting from flower to flower.
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Now let’s follow up that faint, clicking sound. Click, click, click. Oh, you gaudy beetle! How gay you are in your orange and red!
Follow that sound to the top of that hickory tree. See that squirrel up there chattering in curiosity as he glances at us. He is chattering a duet all by himself. He is carrying two parts, a shrill chatter with a chuckling sound.
I hear some one else chattering down on the ground. It is not a squirrel this time. It is a dear little chipmunk. Listen, his chatter sounds much like the cluck of a cuckoo.
Chirp, chirp, chirp. You want to be heard, too, don’t you, little black cricket? Tune up your violin, and play for your dear little mate.
A careful listener may hear many other sounds in autumn time. As we walk home, we hear the leaves faintly rustling in the breeze of the sighing south wind. This is broken by the snap of the twigs under our feet.
For the sweet voices of autumn that delight us with their charms we thank our loving Creator, who created the air on the second day, and thus made sound possible.
“Day by day the dead leaves fall and melt.”
Field Study
List three bird sounds that you hear in your neighborhood in autumn. List three insect sounds that you can hear at this time.
List three other sounds that are heard in autumn time.
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Watch a man chopping his winter supply of wood. Stand quite a distance from him. Count from the time you see the ax strike until you hear the sound.
Watch the factory whistle at noontime. Which came first, the steam or the sound of the whistle?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Heat changes water to vapor. On the second day of creation God made an open space that He called the firmament.
God filled the firmament with air. The air pushed up the vapor that surrounded the earth on the second day.
Air has weight. It is a strong pusher.
Air moves. It is heat that sets the air in motion.
Warm air is lighter than cold air. Warm air rises and the cold air moves in to take its place.
Wind is air in motion.
It is air that makes sound possible.
Sound travels on waves of air.
CHAPTER IV
WATER
“Little Brook, sing us your farewell song; Say you are sorry to see us go ”
— Cooper.
“And God said, Let the waters ... be gathered together unto one place.”
Lesson 12
The Gathering of the Waters
Genesis 1:9.
“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.”
Again our great earth turned on its axis and a new day began. This was the beginning of the third day of creation.
The light streamed upon the earth. The warm heat rays were doing their work. The clouds were established above. But the surface of the earth was still covered by the waters of the great deep.
God, the Creator of heaven and earth, spoke. He said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it was so.
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The waters came together at the sound of that powerful command. They no longer covered the earth. The dry land appeared. “The gathering together of the waters called He seas.”
The waves roll in and break upon the sands of the shore. They come dashing at times with great force. But they go just so far and then they stop. They are stopping at the command of God, who said, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further.” God’s decree is the “stop signal” to the proud waves of the sea.
“Pretty waters, pretty waters, Sparkling here and there,
You refresh us and you bless us, And we're glad you're here."
Field Study
Observe the seas and oceans on your school globe. Which ocean is nearest your home? Name the oceans in order of size.
Notice how the water gathers in puddles in the road and in the meadow. In what kind of places does it gather?
Go to some pond or lake after a rain, and notice how the water gathers together into the lake. Name bodies of water you have seen.
Notice how the water on a roof gathers into the eaves trough. What makes it gather together into one place ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record your observations.
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Lesson 13
Bodies of Water Near Your Home
There may not be a great ocean or a rushing river near your home, but surely there is a brooklet somewhere in the meadows or in the woods. Let us go find it.
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“Oh, tell me, pretty brooklet,
Whence do thy waters flow?
And whither art thou roaming,
So smoothly and so slow?”
Little brook, I know how you came to be here. God said on the third morning of creation week, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place.” You have found your place. You stay in your place, for you have heard His voice.
Merry little brook! Trip, trip, tinkle, tinkle, how you love to ripple over the pebbles !
Little brook, you were once a band of tiny raindrops. Your home was far away in the deep sea. The great sun shone on you. Up, up you went on your light vapor wings.
Up, up into the bright blue sky.
How cold it was up there! You put on your pretty white cloud jackets. A cold wind whistled by. You folded your vapor wings. Once more you were drops of water, and down you pattered on the hillsides. Down you ran into the thirsty ground. Finally you burst into a beautiful spring. This was your beginning as a stream.
THE BOY AND THE BROOK
Down from yon distant mountain height The brooklet flows through the village street;
A boy comes forth to wash his hands;
Washing, yes, washing, there he stands,
In the water cool and sweet.
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“Brook, from what mountain dost thou come?
0 my brooklet, cool and sweet!”
“I come from yon mountain, high and cold,
Where lieth the new snow on the old,
And melts in the summer heat.”
“Brook, to what river dost thou go?
0 my brooklet, cool and sweet!”
“I go to the river there below,
Where in bunches the violets grow,
And the sun and shadow meet.”
—Henry W. Longfellow.
You must always follow your slope, pretty brooklet. If you rush, if you glide, if you run straight ahead, if you whirl about, it is because you must obey the slope of your bed. Sometimes you reach a place where your slopes widen and spread you out into a pretty round pond.
We thank Thee, Lord, for waters cool,
That flow from spring and shady pool.
For brooks and ponds ’neath skies of blue,
Our thanks to Thee, dear Lord, are due.
Field Study
Find a brook or stream in your neighborhood. See if you can tell where the water comes from.
Follow the brook along, and see if you can find where it goes.
Look along the banks of the brook, and try to find some other brooklets flowing into it.
Are the banks of the brook dry and parched, or are they fresh and green ? What trees or plants do you find growing along the brook?
Watch to see if you can find a bird taking a drink or bathing in the brook. Do any of the animals in the meadow come to the brook for a drink?
Can you find any living creatures in the brook ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record your observations.
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"THE FAIR ROLLING RIVER”
Lesson 14
An Autumn River Scene
There are many, many brooklets like the little stream near your home. Down the steep slopes they run, sparkling in the clear sunlight. Here and there they flow together. From all sides others flow in till they form a great river.
Peaceful river, gliding along so quietly, your waters are gathered together. They are obeying the voice of God, which spoke to them on that third morning of creation week. Your source is the spring in the high mountains. Your home is in the broad ocean.
Let us take our stroll to-day down at the river. It is delightful down there this lovely autumn time.
Let us stop and examine the pretty thistle flowers. What is the little red butterfly doing on that thistle flower? Watch,
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she dips down into the flower with her long tube. There are many little flowers in that thistle head. She goes from one blossom to another, and sucks a tiny bit of juice from each one. Oh, it is good!
Step carefully as you walk through the grass. The burdock will try to hook you with its seed heads. They stick very tight, for they want you to carry them to a cozy seed bed somewhere.
After this dusty walk, how grateful we are to reach the banks of the river! Let us rest a few moments in the shade of the drooping willows. That saucy little wren up there in the tree, with its tail sticking straight up, is scolding at us as if to say we are intruding.
“Down to the water,” is our joyous call to one another as we scramble down the bank and over the rocks to the water’s edge.
The river is very low at this time of the year. Through the months of September and October the water has been settling. This is not strange with so little in the springs and brooks to feed its headwaters. How clean and smooth the stones are that line the water’s edge! The river has cleaned and polished them well. How you jumped! Did you think that some one was aiming at you from the banks? It is the maple trees showering their brightly tinted leaves on your head. There they are! What? The big, brown cat-tails we have been looking for. Let us gather some. They make such a pretty decoration for our schoolroom. We must be going. Good-by, pretty river. Flow on, and water your thirsty banks. We wish we might follow you to your mouth, where you empty into the great ocean.
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Field Study
Name and locate the river or large creek nearest your home.
Find out where its source and its mouth are.
About how wide is the river ? How deep ?
Does the river run in a straight or a crooked line?
What kinds of trees and plants grow on its banks ?
What birds do you see flying across it or near the banks?
Can you see any fish? If so, tell what color and kind they are.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record your observations.
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Lesson 15
An Autumn Lake Scene
The river glides on and on. Sometimes it widens and widens into a bed with inward slopes on all sides. It is no longer a rushing river. It is now a beautiful lake. Nearly all ponds are wide places in brooks; some lakes are wide places in rivers.
Beautiful lakes sparkling here and there, no matter where you are you give beauty and freshness to our earth. You, too, are obeying your Creator’s voice, which spoke to you on the third morning of creation week. “In your place do you abide, for you have heard His voice.”
“Oh, how refreshing!” exclaim the tired travelers who have come over dusty roads and have caught their first view of the clear, sparkling waters of our autumn lake. Greet the tired travelers, pretty lake, with your breezes, cooling their warm, dusty faces.
Your waters were such a pretty blue when I saw you last summer, beautiful lake. Why have you changed your color?
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“Oh, autumn is here. Autumn skies are not blue. The color of the skies is reflected in the waters of the lake. Those gray skies paint my waters gray.
“If you would see me at my best, visit me at night when the autumn moon is shining in all its glory. It tips each tiny
ripple with silver.”
“Honk, honk.” Look, there is a flock of wild geese flying overhead. They fly very high, in the shape of a V. Very soon they will be flying south, where they will spend the cold winter. “Quack, quack,” the ducks are trying to attract attention. How they love to rest on your quiet waters!
“Do you remember how beautiful my pussy willows were last spring? The dear willow pussies are gone now, but the brown, bare twigs tell us they will come back again. Look across my waters to the autumn woods that decorate my shores. Their gorgeous autumn colors have painted a pretty background for my waters. Look across my waters in another direction, and see the lavender-tinted meadow. The lovely asters grow as near me as they can.”
Give on, pretty lake, of your freshness and your beauty to the world around you.
Field Study
Name and locate the lake or pond nearest your home.
Form in your sand table your idea of a brook, a pond, a lake.
4 Book of Nature
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What streams flow into the pond or lake?
What kind of grass or weeds grow along its edge?
Is the water clear, or muddy and slimy ?
How deep and how wide do you think it is ?
What birds nest in the trees near by?
Why do you think the lake is located where it is?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record your observations.
Facts to Be Remembered
God's decree is the “stop signal” to the proud waves of the sea.
A brook is a tiny stream of water hurrying on to join a large stream.
A spring is water bubbling up from the earth.
Sometimes a brook widens and spreads out, and becomes a beautiful pond. Many streams flow together to form a river.
A river is a large stream of water flowing through the land.
Sometimes a river widens and widens into a bed with inward slopes on all sides. It is no longer a rushing river. It is now a quiet lake. A lake is a body of water surrounded by land.
The beginning of a stream or river is called the source.
The place where the river empties into the ocean is called its mouth.
A large body of water is called an ocean.
The oceans, in order of size, are: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, and Arctic.
CHAPTER V
DRY LAND
“Then, when the maples have burst out into color, Showing like great bonfires along the hills,
There is indeed a feast for the eye”
—Burroughs.
“And God said, . . . Let the dry land appear.”
Lesson 16
The Dry Land Appeared
Genesis 1:10.
“And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good.”
The dry land appeared. It appeared on the third morning of creation week at the command of the Creator. “God called the dry land Earth.”
“You friendly earth,
How far do you go?”
Take a globe, and notice “how far” the land goes. Notice that the land is divided into great bodies.. Each body has its own name. Each body of land is a homeland.
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In order of size, beginning at the largest, the bodies of land are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. These bodies of land are called continents.
How large these continent homes are! Think how many, many people live upon them. The people plant their fields of golden grain. They raise their crops. They build their cities. They erect churches and schools and hospitals. Oh, you are a “great, wide, wonderful world,”
“With cities and gardens, and cliffs and isles,
And people upon you for thousands of miles,”
Field Study
Illustrate the poem, “Great, wide, wonderful world.”
Locate your continent on the globe. Now locate your home on the continent.
Take a walk into the fields near the school or your home.
Does the ground seem soft and wet, or hard and dry ?
Is the land level or hilly?
What plants do you find growing on the dry land ? what in the water ? Make a collection of seeds that stick to your clothing on a walk through the fields at this time of the year.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record your observations.
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Lesson 17
A Home in Autumn
Look again at the great continents that make this world home of yours. You are looking at many, many homes. Find the home of Ah Qne, the little Chinese girl. Find the home of Swi, the little red-skinned boy of India. Find the home of
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Jum, the little African boy. Find the home of Gretchen, the little Dutch girl. Find your home.
As a shelter from rain, snow, cold, and heat, men build houses, which they furnish as homes for themselves and their families. Here they live, eating, sleeping, working, and
spending their time as they choose.
Not all houses are like the stone, brick, or wood structures that we know.
In very cold countries, men build their houses of snow and ice. The natives of these countries think themselves quite comfortable in their sparkling white igloos.
Some people make homes in holes dug in the ground. Some live in houses made of skins, cloth, or bark. Others live in houses of grass.
Some homes are in the country. I hope your home is in the country. Boys and girls should grow strong and well in the country, where they may learn to love the book of nature.
“My home is a house made of wood,” says the boy who lives in the country. “It is surrounded by fields where our horses, cattle, and sheep are feeding. There is a big barn near the house, with a great haymow where we children sometimes play.
“The woods near my home are not green just now. The leaves of the maple have turned red and yellow. The leaves of the beech tree have turned yellow and brown. I have just been to the woods to gather beechnuts. The squirrels were busy gathering in their store of winter nuts. Just now the
AMONG THE RUSTLING LEAVES
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A CORNFIELD IN AUTUMN
ground is covered with leaves. It is such fun to gather them . into a pile, and then jump in them.
“We children love to play tag around the corn shocks. We must watch out, or we shall stumble over the pumpkins. Mother is calling. I must go to the orchard to gather some apples for dinner. After dinner I am going to the fields with the men, to help them harvest the potatoes. These autumn days are busy days on the farm.
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“To-night we are to have a story. Let us bring in our log for the fireplace. We must gather some chestnuts too. It is such fun to sit before the fireplace and roast them. How we enjoy these autumn evenings!”
Field Study
Sit in the field some day, and watch the English sparrows or other birds when they do not seem to notice you. Speak aloud, and see if they notice you. At another time move a little, and see if they notice you move quickly. Do these creatures trust their sight or hearing more ?
Do cows, horses, dogs, and cats all get up from the ground in the same manner? Next discover if they all lie down in the same manner.
When did you last hear a katydid or a cricket?
Search cabbage plants for the cabbage butterfly in its different stages of development. The caterpillar, or larva, is green and heavy. Do not confuse it with the greenish measuring worm, found there. Do the cabbage butterfly caterpillars eat in one place and then go to another, or do they always eat in one place ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 18 The Soil
When God lifted the dry land above the waters, He intended to make it suitable for a home for man.
Beneath the earth’s surface He laid massive rocks. These formed a solid and enduring foundation for the dry land.
Over this foundation were beds of coarse gravel and sand.
Above all, covering every kind of rock formation, the Creator spread a deep, rich soil.
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Do you know what soil is? It is not merely “dirt,” like that which has to be washed away from hands and faces. It is a great food factory and storehouse. Iron, lumber, linen, —oh, so many things we need to make us comfortable and happy,—come from the soil.
Since the Flood, how is soil often formed?
“I was once a great rock high in the mountains,” said the soil. “The rain and the wind beat upon the rock. The water settling in the cracks of the rock by freezing breaks it, just as a water pipe or pitcher is broken by the freezing of water.”
The small rocks thus formed are picked up by the river. They are bounced about and knocked against one another as the river hurries over its gravelly bed. They are broken again and again. They become tiny pebbles. The rocks in the river bed break and crush the pebbles again as they beat against them. Finally they become gravel. On rushes the river. The breaking and grinding and polishing go on until the gravel becomes very fine sand and clay.
The river overflows its banks, and carries the sand, with the humus and clay brought from the land by streams, far into the valley. It is in readiness now to flourish the hungry plants.
Examine the soil and see its sand, clay, and humus. The sand keeps it loose and open. The clay binds the sand particles together. The humus is rich in food that is good for plants. The clay also contains plant food.
Yes, you are more than “dirt,” deep, rich soil.
Field Study
Place in a medium-sized bottle a small amount of garden soil. Add water until the bottle is nearly filled. Shake well, and set aside. Later locate the sand, the clay, and the humus
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Examine closely samples of clay and sand. Roll each about and feel both. Note the size of the particles of each.
Secure a sample of garden soil. Note the pieces of decaying leaves and other vegetable matter. Hold over a small flame a tin of garden soil. Note the burning and the odor.
Why should you not make a practice of burning the autumn leaves you have raked into a pile?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 19
Autumn Days in the Mountains
Do you live near the mountains? How high are they in some places? They rise up high into the clouds. Some are rounding and smooth. Others are rocky and steep.
Where is the rich, soft soil that should cover these bare rocks that tower above us? The rains and the melting snows washed the soil away, and carried it down into the valley into your garden bed.
Several mountains together make a ridge, or chain, usually called a mountain range.
Several chains extending in the same direction make a mountain system.
An elevation less than one thousand feet is called a hill.
The top of a mountain is called its summit. The foot of the mountain is its base.
Mountains help to make the earth beautiful. Their melting snows feed the rivers with water and carry rich soil to your garden beds.
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MOUNTAINS HELP TO MAKE THE EARTH BEAUTIFUL.
Let us go to the mountains near by and gather some autumn foliage for our schoolrooms. How dusty the trails are! The springs are low, and little moisture has reached the grass and shrubs. But how we delight in the colors that surround us!
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Stop and rest a moment in your climb. How many browns do you see displayed in the bushes above you? How delicately they are blended! How many tints of orange do you see in the foliage near by?
What are those patches of green among the autumn colors around us? It is the beautiful mountain laurel, whose leaf is everlasting.
Look below you and see the firing line of the sumacs in the distance. Avoid the gorgeous red foliage that tempts you by the wayside. It is the dreaded poison oak or poison ivy that you must not touch.
Listen, how refreshing after our warm climb!
“Hear the mountain streamlet In the solitude,
With its ripple saying,
'God is ever good/ ”
Field Study
Name and locate the mountains nearest your home.
Form in your sand box a mountain, a mountain range, a mountain system, a hill.
Try to break off a fresh elm branch, and you will find that elm bends fairly easily but does not break. How does elm compare with willow, hickory, oak, beech, and maple for toughness?
Examine the roots of clover and alfalfa, and discover if you can if they keep green when the surface soil is so dry that almost all other plants shrivel and die.
Root cellars may be stocked during these months with plant materials that will be of value to us during the winter months. What effect does the absence of light have upon the green parts of such plants as celery ? Do the plants grow in the root cellar ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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“Sweet and smiling: are thy ways, beauteous, goldey autumn days.”
Lesson 20
Autumn Days in the Valley
Last night a heavy rain fell in the mountains. The mountain sides were covered with tiny streams that raced down the slopes like playful squirrels. And, oh, how hard the little rills did work! You should have seen them roll the pebbles down the bluffs and break off the sharp edges. Then they washed the sand together, and rounded its corners.
They wore deep gullies in the steep places, and carried away the finest soil. They swept the light loam down the slopes. They ran away with the pretty earthworm mounds and tiny ant hills. They spread the rich soil all over the meadow.
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This is how all the streams in the world are at work,— yes, and tiny rills and large rivers are wearing down the slopes, with the pebbles cutting deep canyons that grow deeper and wider until they form the broad valleys that stretch between the mountains.
Grain by grain the hills are covering the valleys, for it is the work of water to wear down the highlands and fill in all the low places.
Now we understand why the soil in the valleys is so rich. We understand, too, why the autumn flowers grow so plentifully in the valleys.
See the purple blossoms. They are the asters that grow in the meadows and along the roadside. How cheerful and happy they seem!
How many yellow flowers we see in the autumn! The autumn flowers seem to gather up the autumn sunshine. Here is an oxeye daisy with its beautiful yellow rays. How many, many wild sunflowers there are! Black-eyed Susans are here too. See the fields of goldenrod in the distance. The sun seems to smile upon the valley in the autumn time.
Hear the hum of the drowsy insects flitting about. Wouldn’t you like to chase that big butterfly? That golden beetle pretends he is dead, but he is not. Don’t try to hide, little ladybug. We see your red dress dotted with black.
The river goes winding in and out, sauntering along as if in no hurry to leave the pretty autumn valley.
The valleys are the work of His hands.
Field Study
Name and locate the valley nearest your home.
Form in the sand table your idea of a valley.
Watch for the small reddish, orange, or tan beetles, usually with black
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spots. These are the ladybird beetles. What do they eat? Are they useful or harmful? Do they chew or suck their food? Do they spend the winter as adult beetles or as eggs ?
At this time of the year large numbers of dark-red and black butterflies may be seen all flying in the same direction. In what direction are they flying, and why do they go that way? Do they, or do they not, spend the winter as adults ?
Watch poplar leaves for swellings on their stems. Often these are twisted and hollow. These are called galls. What do you find inside of them ?
Compare the leaf scars on the twigs of the butternut and black walnut trees. Compare the pith of the same twigs.
Are the leaves of the cat-tails placed opposite each other along the upright stem, or does but one leaf grow out at a joint? What seems to be peculiar about the interior of the leaves?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
The dry land appeared on the third day of creation at the command of the Creator.
Large bodies of land are called continents. The continents, in order of size, are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.
A mountain is a high elevation of land.
Several mountains together make a mountain chain, or mountain range.
Several ranges extending in the same direction make a mountain system.
An elevation less than one thousand feet is called a hill.
The top of a mountain is called its summit. The foot of the mountain is called its base.
Tiny rills and large rivers are constantly wearing down the slopes of highlands.
A valley is a broad stretch of land between two mountains or hills.
An ideal soil is composed of sand, clay, and humus.
Sand keeps the soil loose and open.
Clay binds the sand particles together and contains food for the plants.
Humus is very rich in plant food.
CHAPTER VI
PLANTS
“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day; “Come over the meadows with me, and play.,f
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb . . . and the fruit tree.”
Lesson 21
The Creation of Plants
Genesis 1:11,12.
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
The world garden bed was in readiness on the third day of creation. Light was streaming upon it. Air surrounded it. Water was in readiness to give drink to the thirsty roots. Soft, rich soil filled the garden bed to nourish the hungry plants. God did not create the plants until there was light, warmth, water, and food for them.
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“Come forth, lovely flowers, tall trees, and soft green grass.” They came forth. They came forth the third day of creation, when they heard God’s great voice.
God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth,” and it was so.
How beautiful was our world home on this third day of creation! Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The mountains were crowned with trees grander than any we now see. The entire world was more beautiful than the decorated grounds of the proudest palace.
God loves the beautiful. He wants us to love the beautiful. That is why He made so many, many lovely flowers. What is your favorite flower? “Cherish some flower, be it ever so lowly.”
“Let the earth bring forth grass.” A soft carpet of green grass covered the earth. There are many kinds of grasses. What kinds can you name? Did you know that corn belongs to the grass family? You may be surprised to learn that wheat, oats, rye, barley, and bamboo belong to the grass family also.
“The herb yielding seed.” Herbs are very plentiful. How grateful we are, for they furnish us with food. Many vegetables are herbs. Name your favorite vegetables.
“And the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth.” Think of these words that brought forth the fruit trees the next time you walk through an apple orchard or an orange grove. What is your favorite fruit? With what trees are you acquainted? Why should we love the trees? Do you have a favorite tree?
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Grass, herbs, trees, you surround us with beauty; you furnish us with food. You give us shelter.
“Great, wide, wonderful world,
With the wonderful water around you curled!
And the wonderful grass upon your breast,—
0 wonderful world, you are beautifully dressed.”
Field Study
Bring to class leaves and branches that will represent the three classes of plants created on the third day.
What grasses grow in your neighborhood, and what is their general appearance at this time of the year?
Search the twigs of apple, cherry, and peach trees for the eggs of tent caterpillars. See how many of these you can find and destroy. What other trees do you find bearing similar egg masses?
Compare the stems of grasses with the stems of shrubs and trees.
Watch for the black and brown woolly bear caterpillars hurrying to find a hiding place. Do they form pupae before settling down for the winter?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 22
The Parts of a Plant
A perfect plant has six parts for you to notice: First, the root; second, the stem; third, the leaves; fourth, the blossoms ; fifth, the seed chamber; sixth, the seeds.
These parts may be called the organs of the plant; and just as in the body every organ has its special work so in the plant each part is fitted especially to do just the work for which it was intended.
Roots have been rightly named plant servants. Do you know why?
5 Book of Nature
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One great duty of the roots is to hold the plant firmly in its place. With threadlike fingers they lay hold of the earth with a grasp that they must never lose until the work of the plant is completed.
Another great duty of the roots, and perhaps the most important duty, is to bring food and water from the ground for the whole plant household.
A stem forms a connection between the roots and the leaves. Through the stem the sap must be carried up into the buds, leaves, flowers, and fruit.
You find that all growing, living leaves are full of sap— the plant’s food. Faithfully the root servants work to supply this sap, and the stem of the plant carries it upward. Why do all the plant servants work so diligently that the sap may reach the leaves?
The sap is raw food—mineral food—before it reaches the leaves. The green leaves, by means of the light, change this raw food into plant material,—cook it, we might say; so, besides being the lungs of the plant, the leaves are really small kitchens for cooking food; and at the same time each leaf is a pantry where the cooked food is stored until the plant’s work for the season is completed.
Now you see how important it is that every plant should be supplied with an abundance of these air and sunshine catchers.
So the great purpose of the plant is seed growing. The flower is the seed nursery. The baby seeds are there cradled and nursed by the flower servants. Roots, stems, leaves, and all the various flower parts are working together in obedience to God’s plan, that every plant should bring forth seed “after his kind.”
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“Little ones may be just like the fruitful trees;
Buds are like our hearts, which only Jesus sees;
Blossoms are like faces, smiling clear and bright;
Leaves are gentle words; good fruit is doing right.”
Field Study
Bring to the schoolroom a perfect plant showing the six plant organs. Bring to the class also root and stem specimens.
Mullein plants may still be seen. Are the latest blooming flowers at the top or near the bottom of the flower stalk?
Suspend seeds in a tumbler of water with netting. Observe from day to day.
Cut two or three stems from a geranium plant, and place in a glass of water. Observe from day to day.
Place the geranium stem in red ink, and notice the little sap pipes as they fill with ink.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 23
The Flower and Its Work
Have you ever looked into a flower and examined closely its special parts, or organs? You have admired its color; you have enjoyed its fragrance. Now let us learn a little of its interesting work.
"Work!” you say. Yes, the work of the flower is the great work in which every other part of the plant is interested. If this work is not performed, the very object of the plant’s existence is defeated. What, pray, is the work? We shall see.
What is the yellow flower dust that sticks to your nose when you smell a cherry blossom or a rose? We call it the
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pollen. What is the sticky, knobbed body that the stamens surround? It is the pistil.
By what name do we call the circle of bright yellow leaves in a buttercup blossom? That is the corolla. Below the corolla is another circle of leaves, forming a little green cup. This is called the calyx, a word from the Greek, meaning cup.
The flower calyx forms a protection to all the other parts we have named.
But we have not yet discovered the most precious organ— the part that the organs are all made to nurse and to shield. At the bottom of the pistil you find a small case or bag. What is it?
Watch it grow from day to day. Does it grow smaller or larger?
The flower withers and drops from the plant when its work is done. But what becomes of this seed case? If you can not answer these questions now, keep on the lookout until you can. Be able to answer them for more than one flower.
You have already seen how the roots, stems, and leaves help. You have seen how the calyx helps. Examine the calyx of different flowers, and observe the relation of the calyx to the seed box.
Do the petals help? Oh, very much indeed! They are thrown out, like gay handkerchiefs, by the plants, that their beauty and fragrance may attract insects and birds.
ORGANS OF THE FLOWER cal — Calyx	st—Stamens
cor—Corolla	p—Pistils
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But why do they wish to call these strai^erql /It has been found that birds and insects are realfy!tlfe flowers’ partners in this work of seed making, and that the whole work of the plant would often be in vain were it not for the help of these partners.
The pollen dust which the stamens manufacture is very precious indeed. Unless pollen is carried from flower to flower, the seeds will never develop in their seed cradles.
The pistil conveys the precious flower dust to the seed babies, but the flower must depend upon the outside friends —the winds, the birds, the bees—to bring to it the pollen food. In return for the favors it expects to receive, the flower prepares for its friends delicious nectar, and keeps the sweet feast constantly on hand until it has treated its guests and been helped to finish its work.
A plant bearing beautiful flowers and giving off fragrance is a fit symbol of a Christian.
“We should be like gardens,
Bright and sweet with flowers,
Blessed with heaven's sunshine,
Cheered by gentle showers."
Field Study
Find a flower in your neighborhood that will show all the parts of the flower.
Along streams and in damp places you will find willows of all kinds. How many scales are there on each bud ? Is the number the same for all the willows you find ?
Notice how many fleshy fruits are also brightly colored to attract attention. See how many such fruits you can find. Remember that not all of them are good to eat. Make a collection.
Make a collection from the haymow or from the roadside of as many different kinds of grass as you can find. Count the number of kinds. How are leaves of the grass fastened to the stem?
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White and yellow sweet clover, and other tall plants with small fragrant, pealike flowers, may continue to bloom at this time. How many seeds does each flower produce? When do they stop blooming?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 24
The Flowers of Autumn
GOLDENROD
“Here, right this way, is a flower family that needs a bee or a beetle or an insect of some sort to bring pollen from abroad, so that it can ripen its seed. It will give plenty of nectar in exchange, honeybee.” This is what the goldenrod is saying this autumn afternoon.
In the goldenrod the flowers are so small that in order to attract the attention of insects they are set closely together along the stem to produce a mass of color. I love the gold in the goldenrod, don’t you?
“I am only a common autumn flower,” says the goldenrod ; “but I have many interesting things to tell you that you cannot learn from books. Come to the fields. Pay me a visit some autumn afternoon. Use your eyes well, and you will learn my secrets. Most of all, you will learn that God gave me my golden color and beauty to cheer the hearts of my friends.”
“The lifting hills above me With goldenrod are gay.”
—Ames.
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Field Study
Where do you find the goldenrod growing ?
Do you find any growing in the woods ? If so, how does it differ in shape from that which grows in the fields ?
How are the flower heads set upon the stems ? Which flower heads open first, those at the base or those at the tip of the stem ?
Do the upper stems of the plant blossom before those lower down ?
What is the general shape of the flower branches ?
Are the flower branches long or short?
Is the stem smooth, downy, or covered with bloom? What is its color?
Study the lower and the upper leaves ? Describe each, as follows: shape, size, and edges. Are the leaves smooth or downy? Are they light or dark green?
How many kinds of insects do you find visiting goldenrod flowers ?
Describe the seeds of the goldenrod, and tell how they are scattered.
THE ASTERS
There are many different kinds of wild asters. Some are blue, some lavender, some white. Some have tiny flowers, and others have larger ones. But whatever their color or size, you love them.
What does the word aster mean? Write it in two words, and put an a in place of the e, this way, a star. This is just what it means. “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.” The asters are the work of His hands.
Field Study
Where do you find the asters growing?
How high do the plants stand when growing?
Were there many flowers or few on each plant?
Were the flowers open wide when you gathered them? How soon did they close?
Study the lower and the upper leaves. Describe each, as follows: the shape, the size, the edges.
Has the stem many branches or few? Are the stems hairy or smooth? What is their color? What is the size of the flower head? Describe the coloring?
Watch the bees working on the asters, and find where they suck the nectar.
Describe the seeds, and tell how they are scattered.
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THE SUNFLOWER
The sunflower is not a single flower, but is a large family of flowers living together. Each little flower has its own work to do for the family welfare. This beautiful flower never forgets to smile. Bring one to the schoolroom, and place it in water; it will smile at you for days, from rim to center. Do you twist your stems so that your blossoms face the sun all day, sunflower?
“Come to the garden, and watch me morning, noon, and night You will be surprised at the answer to your question.”
“Flowers have faces, some seem to smile,
Others again are plain, honest, upright Like the broad-faced sunflower.”
—Beecher.
Let the thought of God be linked with bird, tree, and flower. What thought of God can you link with the sunflower?
Field Study
The sunflower is made up of two kinds of small flowers. Compare those around the edges with thos$ in the center. Find one in the center containing a pistil. Find one in the center containing stamens.
Of what use are the flowers around the edges ? Do you think we would admire the sunflowers as we do if these were lacking? How many rows of these larger flowers are there?
Make notes about a sunflower which has just opened, describing the stages of the flowers that are in blossom. Continue these every day for a week, describing each day what has happened. Be sure to record how many days there are between the opening of the outer row of flowers and the opening of the central buds.
Does the stem of the sunflower hold it upright? Does the stem twist so as to face the sun all day ?
How does the sunflower scatter its seeds ?
What birds are especially fond of sunflower seeds?
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General Field Study
Make an autumn flower chart, ruling four columns headed as follows: name (of the flower), when seen, where seen, when last seen.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
The trees have been rightly called our friends; and faithful friends they are. Day by day, through rain and sunshine, they stand at their posts of duty. Do you have a tree friend? Get acquainted with the tree that grows nearest to your home or your schoolhouse. Remember, your tree is a living thing, with a life and needs of its own. Name your tree after some favorite character.
Secure a little notebook, and call it your tree notebook. Sketch your tree on the outside, writing its special name
Lesson 25
Your Tree in Autumn
“I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree.”
—Joyce Kilmer.
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below. Draw or describe in your notebook all that happens to your tree during the autumn months.
Field Study
What is the color of the autumn foliage of your tree ?
How high on the trunk from the ground do the lower branches grow? How large around is the trunk three feet from the ground?
What is the color of the bark ? Is the bark smooth or rough ? Are the ridges fine or coarse? Are the furrows between the ridges deep or shallow?
Describe the leaf of your tree, noting its shape, its edges, its color above and below, its veins or ribs. Sketch a leaf from your tree. Are the leaves set opposite or alternate upon the twigs ? At about what date did the leaves begin to fall from your tree? At what date are they all off the tree?
Do you find any fruit or seed upon your tree? If so, describe and sketch it, and tell how you think it is scattered.
GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH TREES THROUGH THEIR LEAVES
Field Work
THE MAPLE
Sketch a maple leaf from life, and color. Make ’yourself familiar with its shape, its veins, its edges.
Does the maple get its autumn colors all at once or on one or two branches first?
At what time do the first autumn colors appear ?
When is it completely clothed in autumn dress? Descrioe its coloring.
At what time do the leaves begin to fall? Do those branches which first colored brightly shed their leaves before the others?
At what date does the tree stand bare?
Describe the seed and its method of travel.
In the same manner study the elms, the chestnuts, the beechnuts, the ash, the sumac, or other trees whose leaves color and fall in the autumn time.
Remember, “Only God can make a tree.”
General Field Study
Make an autumn leaf chart, ruling columns headed as follows: the name (of the leaf), shape, coloring, edges, veins.
Be able to draw from memory the leaves of any of the autumn trees in your vicinity.
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F acts to Be Remembered
Three classes of plants were created on the third day,— grass, herbs, and trees.
The parts of a perfect plant are: the roots, the stems, the leaves, the blossoms, the fruit, the seed.
The members of the flower household are: the sepals, the petals, the pistil, the stamens, the seed cradle.
Be able to name and describe three autumn flowers growing in your neighborhood.
Be able to draw from memory the leaves of three autumn trees in your neighborhood.
“Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the autumn leaves lie dead; They rustle to the eddying gust, and to the rabbit's tread.”
—Bryant.
CHAPTER VII
SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“The pallid silver of the harvest moon Floods all the garden with its soft, weird light”
—Hayes.
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament.”
Lesson 26
Light and Heat Givers
Genesis 1:16.
“God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.”
We have already learned that light and heat began their work upon the first day of earth’s history. We have studied, too, something about the great work that light and heat have to do.
However, three days passed in the first week of time before the great light bearers appeared in earth’s firmament. We learn that it was on the fourth day that God ordained
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certain heavenly bodies to be the light and heat givers, and they appeared in the firmament above the earth.
The new world, the home God was preparing for us, must be forever provided with light and heat; and so upon the evening of that first fourth day, lights flashed in earth’s dark firmament, and on the morning of that day the sun appeared for the first time.
What are these lights? What is this sun, and what are these lesser lights, which, since the creation of the earth, have been constantly at work just as God commanded?
Besides giving light and heat, what other work did the Creator give to these heavenly bodies?
Which is the greater light, and what did God give it to do? What were the lesser light and the stars to do?
Field Study
What kind of night is best for star study?
Make three statements telling what you have already learned about the sun.
Make three statements telling what you have already learned about the moon.
Make three statements telling what you have already learned about the stars.
Place peas or beans in two bottles. Cork one, and leave the other uncorked. Use moist cotton or sawdust in the bottom of the bottles. Observe from day to day.
Continue your observations on autumn trees, leaves, and flowers.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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“Every season hath its pleasures.”
Lesson 27
The Rising and Setting Autumn Sun
Matthew 5:45.
“He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good.”
“Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten.”
—Lowell.
Look! You can see signs of life everywhere. Listen! You can hear stirring sounds that tell you life is filling all our world to overflowing.
What awakens life in the little seed and gives strength and energy to every living thing? It is the great, round sun which swings through our skies. Daily it sends its messages of light and warmth. The flowers brighten and smile. The trees grow strong. The spires of grass spring up. The birds feel the glow, and begin to sing. The color comes to the faces of the pale and the sick.
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We thank Thee, Lord,
For sun so bright,
That brings good cheer From morn till night.
But, most of all, for Thy love so true,
Our thanks to Thee, dear Lord, are due.
j
The sun seems to rise in the east every day, and to move across the sky, and to set in the west. The moon does the same; and each one of the thousands of stars seems to rise and set every night.
But does the sun really move? The heavenly bodies do move, but not in the way they appear to us to move. The sun seems to rise above the horizon in the east, and at the end of the day appears to set in the west; but this is not so.
You have already learned that the earth is a sphere, and that as it turns once upon its axis darkness and light follow each other upon its surface, making a day of twenty-four hours.
Since the motion of the earth upon its axis is from west to east, the eastern horizon is always lighted first, and it is the western horizon that glows with day’s last beams. Thus, according to the Creator’s plan, our sun never fails to rise in the east and to set in the west.
The sun’s rays are beginning to say good-by to the most northern parts of the earth’s surface. They are leaving for the southland. As the northern point of the earth’s axis begins to turn away from the sun, the sun’s rays fall farther and farther away from the north pole. As the southern point of the earth’s axis begins to turn toward the sun, the sun’s rays come nearer and nearer the south pole. This is happening at this time of the year.
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Take a peep at the early morning autumn sun. Don’t look toward the pine tree where you saw the rising summer sun. You must look a little farther south for the rising autumn sun. Perhaps you will see it rising just over the garage. Do you remember where you looked for your summer sunset? Take a look at your autumn sunset, and notice its change of position.
“And over purpling vines The low sun fainter shines.”
Field Study
Study your schoolroom globe, and notice the eastern half of the earth’s surface (the Eastern Hemisphere). Notice the western half (the Western Hemisphere); the northern half (the Northern Hemisphere); the southern half (the Southern Hemisphere).
Let a candle represent the sun. Let a ball represent the earth. Let a knitting needle running through the center of the ball represent the earth’s axis. Upon this needle turn the ball to represent day, night, summer, autumn, fall, and spring. Keep a daily record, and note the time and place of the autumn sunrising and sunsetting for two months.
Measure the shadow of a tree in the school grounds at noonday once a month during the rest of the school year. How do the autumn shadows compare with those of winter, spring, and summer?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on the requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 28
The Stars and Moon in Autumn
Psalm 147:4
“He telleth the number of the stars;
He calleth them all by their names.”
How many stars are in the sky? They appear as numberless as the grains of sand at one’s feet; yet they are numbered, every one.
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What are these shining, twinkling sparks of light made of? Men have studied them for hundreds and hundreds of years. Something has been learned of their motions and of their immense distance from us and from one another.
It is because they are so far away that they seem like bright, shining points in the sky.
There are in all about six thousand stars that one can see with the naked eye. However, as we see only half of the sky at once, it is never possible to see more than half of this number from any one spot on the earth.
Those stars that appear to keep a fixed place among the heavenly host are called “fixed stars.” They are really great, shining suns, but at enormous distances from our sun.
Stars that do not keep a fixed position, but appear to wander among the fixed stars, are called planets. The word planet means “wanderer.” Our world is a planet.
Some stars are so grouped that they seem to form a figure in the sky, although the stars themselves may be millions of miles apart.
(J Book of Nature
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The Big Dipper looks like the outline of a large dipper. The Little Dipper forms the outline of a small dipper. Stars that are grouped in this way are called constellations. There are many other interesting constellations to be seen in the sky in the autumn time.
The moon is another member of our sun’s family. It travels around our earth just as our earth travels around the sun. It takes the moon nearly one month to travel around our earth. Big round moon, you have no light of your own. You get your light from the sun, and you pass it on to us. You are very beautiful in the autumn time. Your light is silvery, and you flood the fields of autumn with your soft light. This is why we call you the harvest moon.
A string may be tied to a stone, and the stone may be swung about one’s head. Just as the string holds the stone firmly and the hand guides it in its path around and around as it swings, so God’s power guides our earth and our moon, and holds them in their path.
Field Study
Locate the Big Dipper. Locate the Little Dipper. Locate the North (Pole) Star. ‘
Look at the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper early in the evening and late in the evening, and note if each is in the same place. Make a diagram of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper as they look to you at this time of the year. Make a drawing showing how you can always find the Pole, or North, Star if you can see the Big Dipper. How many stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper? How many stars in the handle? Is the Little Dipper nearer or farther from the North Star than the Big Dipper? How many stars in the handle of the Little Dipper? How many stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper?
Describe the difference in appearance between the new moon and the full moon. Observe the moon for a full month, beginning with the full moon.
Date and record the changes that you see during this month.
Start one plant in a dark and another in a light place. Observe every two or three days.
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Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
On the fourth day the sun, moon, and stars began to shine upon the earth. The sun is the source of all light and heat upon our earth. The earth turns upon its axis from west to east. This makes the sun appear to rise in the east and set in the west. In the autumn time in the Northern Hemisphere the sun's rays fall farther and farther from the north pole and nearer and nearer to the south pole. This makes the sunrise appear farther south.
The northern half of the earth's surface is the Northern Hemisphere. The southern half of the earth's surface is the Southern Hemisphere. The eastern half of the earth's surface is the Eastern Hemisphere. The western half of the earth's surface is the Western Hemisphere.
Stars that keep a fixed place among the heavenly host are called “fixed stars." Stars that do not keep a fixed position, but appear to wander among the fixed stars, are called planets. The word planet means “wanderer." Some stars appear in groups. These groups are called constellations. The Big Dipper is a constellation that points to the North Star.
The moon travels around our earth just as the earth travels around the sun. The moon has no light of its own. It shines with light received from the sun.
CHAPTER VIII
WATER ANIMALS
“The flowers long since have told their dewy beads,
And naught is heard except the frogs' small choir in distant meads”
— Hayes.
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.”
Lesson 29
The Creation of Water Animals
Genesis 1:20
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.”
“Tiny little fishes, darting here and there.” Your home is in the water. You came to your home on the fifth day of creation, at the command of God, when He said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.”
How many, many fish! Some were tiny like the little minnow. Some were large like the great whale. There were fish of all sizes and all shapes. They filled the waters every-
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where. Their home was ready for them. They needed air, light, heat, and water. These were all in readiness. Breathe, little fish, deep down in the water. Breathe through your gills, and you will get all the air you need.
The water animals move about in the water by the use of fins, tails, or other organs especially suited to movement in the water. How rapidly you swim, little fish; and how graceful you are! If taken from your watery home, you would appear very awkward and helpless.
There are so many things to learn about fish. How do they breathe? Do they have lungs? What do they eat? Do they have teeth? Do they have eyes? The mouth of the fish is always in motion. Is it swallowing water all the time?
When we have finished our study of the common fish, there are many other interesting living things in the water to study. The starfish, the jellyfish, the sponge, and the coral are all living creatures, with a wonderful story to tell.
Great wide sea, you furnish a comfortable home for your large family. God spoke, and your waters brought forth “abundantly.”
Field Study
Name and describe the fish with which you are familiar. What was the date when you last saw a frog? What becomes of frogs in winter? Where do you look for a salamander ?
Name and describe the water animals you are acquainted with in your home community.
In the brook you may find black scavenger beetles. How do the under parts of their bodies look in the water?
How many other insects can you find continuing to be active in the water at this time of the year?
Name the berries you can find in the woods at this time of the year. Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 30
How fp'ater Animals Move and Breathe
In order to live, all animals need light, heat, air, water, and food.
Those animals that are fitted especially for living in the water cannot live and move about if they are not in the water.
Should a man, a dog, cat, or horse be placed under the water for any length of time, what would happen? Why?
What animals are fitted with organs for breathing under water? The breathing organs of a fish are called gills. As the water passes through the gills of the fish, the air that it holds among its particles is taken in by the fish;
As we have learned, water animals move about in the water by the use of organs that are especially adapted to movement in the water. Many of them are able to move very rapidly. Although graceful in movement,'if they are taken from their watery home they appear very awkward and helpless.
It will interest you far more to study the wonderful creatures of brook and pond right where they live than it will to study what some book may say about them. An aquarium in your schoolroom will furnish much fascinating study. You will especially enjoy one when you are studying the lessons of this chapter. Plan to make the aquarium homelike for the animal life that you secure. Such creatures as live in ponds and quiet pools can live very comfortably in an aquarium. Be sure that you do not overcrowd your aquarium. Allow one gallon of water to a fish three inches long.
Put water plants in the water, that the water may be kept pure.
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If the fish show by their actions that they are uncomfortable, if they come to the surface and gasp for breath, the water must be changed, some of the animal life removed, and more water plants found for the aquarium.
Field Study
Is the frog a good swimmer? How does it use its legs in swimming? How does the frog breathe? Why does it swallow the air?
Of what use to the fish are the fins in swimming? Of what use is the tail ? Where are the breathing organs of the fish located ? What takes place in the gills of the fish ?
Why must the water in the fish globe be changed often? What enables the fish to rise or sink?
How do water beetles breathe in the water?
Do the frogs croak at this time of the year as they did in the spring?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. -----------------------------$------
Lesson 31 The Goldfish
Field Study
Gather around the schoolroom aquarium, and the goldfish will answer these questions for you:
What is the shape of the goldfish when seen from above? What is its shape when seen from the side? Where is the widest part?
How many fins has it? Make a sketch of the goldfish with all of its fins. Which pair correspond to our arms? Which to our legs?
Make a sketch of the tail. Is it square, rounded, or notched?
Describe the action of all the fins when the fish is in motion. In what position are the fins when the fish is at rest? Note carefully the eyes of the fish. How are they placed?
Describe the mouth of the fish. How does the goldfish breathe? What are the colors of the goldfish above and below? What does the goldfish eat? How often should it be fed?
In your study of the goldfish, what have you learned about the wisdom of the Creator?
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Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
On which day of creation were water animals created?
Name the water animals with which you are acquainted.
How do water animals breathe?
How do water animals move?
Describe the goldfish.
CHAPTER IX
AIR ANIMALS
“Gone are the birds that were our summer guests; . . .
Only the empty nests are left behind ”
— Longfellow.
“Out of the ground the Lord God formed . . . every fowl of the air.”
Lesson 32
The Creation of Air Animals
Genesis 1:20
“And fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
On the fifth day of creation, song filled the air. The birds had come. They came at the call of God when He said, “And fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
What lovely fresh air in which to fly! What comfortable nesting places in the tall trees! Fly to the springs for a cooling drink, little birds.
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Sing, lovely birds. Fill the air with your sweet songs. God is good. He cares for you.
In Eden birds of every variety of color and plumage flitted among the trees and flowers, while their mellow-toned music echoed among the trees in sweet accord with the praises of their Creator.
He who upholds the unnumbered worlds, at the same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song without a fear.
Christ pointed His disciples to the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, showing how God cares for them, and presented this as an evidence that He will care for man, who is of greater consequence than birds and flowers.
What do you know about birds? Do you understand bird language? How many bird secrets do you know? Come, live with the birds and learn their ways. Provide yourself with a bird notebook. Every day the birds will'teach you something new.
Field Study
How many bird friends have you had?
What birds are in your neighborhood this time of year?
What bird calls do you know?
What bird nests are you able to recognize?
Can you tell by its notes when your canary is expressing loneliness, hunger, joy, or fright? Can you tell when it is scolding?
Listen for the loud call of the blue jay. How does the top of his head look?
Why does the hen turn her head first this side and then that as she looks at you? Does the hen hear well? Where are her ears?
Notebook Requirement
In your bird notebook record your fall bird studies as follows: Name of bird, coloring, nest, bird notes, where seen, when seen, disappearance.
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Lesson 33
“ Gone	Are the Birds”
“Gone are the birds that were our summer guests.” What does Mr. Longfellow mean? Why have the birds gone, and where?
Wise little birds. They know that cold winter is coming. They know that food will be scarce for them. They know that the cold winds will make them shiver; so off they go to the southland. Good-by, loved friends; we’ll be waiting for you in the glad springtime.
Watch out for the lighthouses and other high towers on your journey. Many a poor bird, blinded by the bright light of the lighthouse, has been dashed to pieces against the windows. Its light will attract you; but turn from it, dear birds.
How well you find your way, bird travelers ! Oh, you have good eyes! and then, too, God has taught you how to find your way. Even a dense fog does not seem to turn you aside.
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We hope no storms will overtake you. Fierce winds drive you from your course and sometimes bring you down to the ocean, where you find a watery grave unless you can swim.
Be sure you are well and strong before you begin your journey. Some birds are “feathered balls of fat” when they begin their journey, but become lean and hungry before they reach the southland. Some birds fly by night, and rest in the day. Some rest in the night, and fly by day. Some birds fly both night and day.
How strong your wings are! It is well that they are, for some of you take long, long journeys. Some birds fly thousands of miles in their journey from the northland to the southland. What a journey! Birds never seem to tire in travel. Bird flocks that have crossed great bodies of water do not stop to rest, but usually continue many miles inland. It is only accident or illness that sometimes causes birds to stop for rest. What brave little birds, and how strong they are!
“The way of an eagle in the air;” this is “too wonderful for me,” says Solomon. As we see our bird friends southward bound, let us say with Solomon, This is “too wonderful for me.”
Field Study
Date the disappearance of the bird friends of your neighborhood.
What birds are still with you?
Are there any birds in your neighborhood that will stay with you all winter?
Describe and locate the deserted nests that you can find in your neighborhood.
In low bushes or hedges you may find a small nest lined with horse hair. This is the nest of the chipping sparrow. Of what is the nest made? These birds do not use their nests again, so it is quite proper to collect them.
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Be on the watch for bird flocks that are southward bound. Do they fly higher than usual ? Do they fly at their usual rate of speed ? Do they fly singly or in groups?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
CANARIES
Lesson 34 The Canary
Field Work
Bring your pet canary into the schoolroom and watch his habits. The canary offers opportunity for very close observation, which will prove excellent training for you in beginning your study of birds.
Are canaries all the same color? What is the difference in color between the singer and the mother bird ? Describe the colors of each in your notebook, as follows: Top and sides of head, back, tail, wings, throat, breast, and under parts.
What does the canary eat?
What seeds do we gather for him in our garden?
What does the canary do to the seeds before eating them?
What is the shape of the canary's beak?
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Watch the canary at drinking time. What does he do?
Observe the canary at bath time. How does he act when he takes a bath 2
Describe the legs and the feet.
How do canaries show bad temper? How do they show affection?
Describe the canary’s song.
How do canaries greet you when you bring their food?
What do they say when they are lonesome and hungry?
How does the canary sleep?
What thought of God do you get from your study of the canary?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
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Lesson 35 The Goldfinch
Do you know little goldfinch? He is a tiny bird, smaller than his canary relative. At this time of the year he has yellow plumage with a little black cap pulled down over his face. He has a black tail and black wings tipped with white. His mate is not so gay in her coloring. Her head and back are brown. Her breast is yellow, and her tail and wings are black. Goldfinches are at their best at this time of the year. Look for them wherever the thistles are found in abundance.
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Field Study
Why are the goldfinches called “wild canaries”? Compare the form, size, and coloring of the goldfinch with the canary. How can you distinguish the father from the mother bird and from the young ones in color? Where do you find the goldfinches feeding?
Describe the father goldfinch and also the mother goldfinch, as follows: Crown, back of head, back, tail, wings, throat, breast, and lower parts. Do you know the song of the goldfinch? Is it like the song of the canary? Describe the nest of the goldfinch. Where is it placed? How far is it above the ground? When does the goldfinch change his summer dress? Notice his change in color in October. Does the goldfinch go south for the winter?
The goldfinch also teaches us lessons of the wisdom and power of God. Mention some of these.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 36
The Downy Woodpecker
Downy woodpecker, you are a friendly fellow, and we all like you. We see you hunting each crevice and crack in the bark of our favorite apple or shade tree. We know you are looking for cocoons and for insects hiding there.
We love your black and white uniform. You show good taste in your black coat speckled and barred with white and your whitish-gray vest and trousers. Please turn this way and show us the black in your forehead, the black streak extending backward from the eye with a white streak above and also below it. Which one of the family wears that bright red patch on the back of the head? Is it you, father woodpecker? Your wife thinks plain black and white are good enough for her. What a pretty white throat and breast you each have! Your side tail feathers are white also. The black
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in your middle tail feathers is needed to make your uniform complete.
Field Study
Record in your bird notebook where and when you began your observations of the downy woodpecker. Record in your notebook the downy woodpecker’s coloring in full. What does the downy woodpecker eat, and where does he find his food ? What is the shape of his bill, and how is it fitted for getting food? What is the call of the downy woodpecker? Does he make any other sound ?
How does the downy woodpecker climb a tree trunk? How does he descend? Describe the downy’s toes and his tail, and tell how they assist him in climbing? Where is his nest? In what way does the woodpecker serve a good purpose?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
On which day of creation were the “feathered folk” created?
Be able to give a brief talk telling what you have learned from observation about the following:
The Canary.
The Goldfinch.
The Downy Woodpecker. Other birds near your home.
DOWNY WOODPECKER AT HOME
CHAPTER X
LAND ANIMALS
“Cricket, good-by,
We've been friends so long”
— Cooper.
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth . . . cattle, and creeping thing, and beast."
Lesson 37
The Creation of Land Animals
Genesis 1:24
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
At the close of the fifth day of creation, the waters were teeming with life, and here and there above the earth flitted the fowls of heaven, beautiful in plumage, filling the air with their melody. But upon the dry land there were no animals or creeping things.
The work of the sixth day was to complete the creation of all animal life. Angels and happy beings in other worlds waited with interest to see creation’s complete picture.
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7 Book of Nature
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And God said: “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind.” And it was so.
“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and Gotf saw that it was good.
“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Genesis 1: 24-26.
“And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31.
Field Study
Name some of the common beasts. Name familiar creeping things seen at this time of the year. Out of what were these all hiade ? How were they created? In what respect are they unfitted for a home in the air? in water? In what ways are they adapted to a home on the dry land ?
When did you last see a caterpillar? Where was it? What was it doing?
When arid where did you last see a ladybug? What was it doing?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 38 The House Fly
The common house fly is wonderfully made. Perhaps that is why it can so conveniently carry so many germs. It has thousands of eyes on each side of its tiny head. Do you
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wonder you have so much difficulty in hitting it or catching it?
How clean the fly appears to be in its personal habits! It rubs and it scrubs and it brushes. Each leg is supplied with hairs and spines just like a hairbrush.
Though the fly takes such pains to keep clean, yet it has not learned the art of getting rid of germs. After such a brushing and scrubbing, you would expect the fly to be clean, but it is not clean. Its little feet are just covered with disease germs, which it scatters about wherever it goes. Beware of the house fly. Study its habits, and protect yourself and your family.
As you study the fly, you will see how wonderfully even this little creature has been made by a wise Creator.
Field Study
Look at a fly through a magnifying glass. Describe its eyes. Describe its sucking tube, and find its feelers. How many wings has the fly? What is the color of the wings ? Are they transparent ? From what part of the body do the wings grow? How many legs has the fly ? Describe them. From what part of the body do the legs come ? Describe its feet. Why can the fly walk so easily upon the ceiling? How does the fly's abdomen look? What color is it? When the fly eats, can you see its tongue? Watch a fly clean its body. How does it clean its front feet? its head? its middle feet? its hind feet? its wings? How do flies carry disease? What diseases are carried by flies? What must you do to prevent flies from bringing disease to your family? Where does the fly lay its eggs?
Pour some unsweetened gelatin on a clean plate. As soon as it is cool, let a house fly walk around on it. Cover the plate to keep out the dust, and leave it for two or three days. Examine it then, and see if you can tell where the fly walked. What did it leave in its tracks ?
Discover at least three methods of destroying flies.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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MR. WOOLLY BEAR
Lesson 39 Little Woolly Bear
Who is woolly bear? He is the little woolly caterpillar that we see in the fall hastening along as if he were in a great hurry. He probably is hurrying to secure some safe place in which to hide during the season of cold and snow. Be sure to find him before he discovers a hiding place, and curls up for his long winter’s sleep.
Woolly bear’s head is polished black. His body is reddish brown and black. He is a big fellow in the fall. He eats very little, for he is ready to stop growing.
Bring in the woolly bears as you find them, and place them in boxes with grass or clover growing in them. The caterpillars will sleep here all winter, and in the spring they will spin a cocoon of silk woven of their own hair. In May they will come out as yellowish moths with black dots on their wings. Watch your woolly bears, and see these wonderful things happen.
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Field Study
How can you tell woolly bears from all other caterpillars? Are they all colored alike ? Look closely at the hairs of woolly bear. Are any of the hairs of the body longer than others, or are they all even?
Can you see the fleshy legs along the sides of the body ? How many are there of these?
Describe woolly bear’s head. Describe it when he is eating. Can you see a small bright yellow spot on each side just behind the head? What do you suppose this is?
On what does woolly bear feed? Give him fresh grass to eat, and see how he grows.
Why does he shed his skin?
Can you see the little openings along each side of his body? What do you think these are for?
Describe woolly bear’s movements as he hurries along.
What does woolly bear do when you try to pick him up?
Where should woolly bear be kept in winter to make him comfortable?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. ------------------------------❖------
Lesson 40 The Cat
How much cat language do you understand? Do you know when your cat is frightened? when she is angry? when she is contented ? Can you tell when she is hurt severely, and when she is hungry? Does your cat love you? How does she show her affection? How much of our language does your cat understand? All cats should understand the call to food, their own names, “Scat!” and “No, no!”
The cat loves home and the fireside. She learns to know her friends, and is very loyal and true.
Can your cat do any tricks? What do you think of a cat that could open a latched door? Cats are very intelligent, and
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may be trained to do many interesting things. Cats may be trained to love birds if the training is begun when they are kittens. Punish your kitten every time she even looks at a bird. This will break the bird-catching desire in her.
AN ARISTOCRATIC PUSS
Treat your cat pets kindly. Look out for their comfort. Train them every day in good habits. They, will become useful, loving members of your household.
We love to hear pussy purr. It is her way of saying, “I am well supplied with all I need. I praise my Creator for His goodness to me.”
Field Study
State all the things your cat can tell you in cat language.
How many things that you say does she understand ?
What feeling does she express when her tail “bristles up” ?
What is it a sign of when her tail lashes back and forth ?
What do you feed your cat? What does she catch for herself?
How does the cat help us? How does she injure us?
Describe how a cat catches a mouse. Describe pussy's feet.
Are there as many toes on the hind feet as on the front feet?
Which walks the more silently, the dog or the cat? Why?
How does a cat jump? On which feet does she alight?
What is there peculiar about a cat’s eyes ?
What is the shape of the pupil in the light? in the dark?
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Describe her teeth. How many whiskers has she? What is their use?
Do you think she has a keen sense of hearing? How do the shape and position of the ears help in listening? In what position are the ears when puss is angry?
Compare the fur of the cat with the hair of the dog. How do they differ?
Watch a cat wash her face. How does she clean her fur? How does her rough tongue help in this ? What would you say of her habits of cleanliness ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 41 The Dog
Of all animals the dog has the best understanding. He loves his master truly and faithfully. If you have not had a special dog friendship, you have missed a great deal.
The dog’s manner of loving is not always appreciated. We would enjoy his affection more if he would not try to lick our faces and our hands with his soft tongue. If he just wishes to be friendly, he looks at us interestedly and then wags his tail as a sign of good faith. When startled, he holds his tail stiff in the air and looks up with one ear lifted, as if to say, “What do I hear?” But when angry, what a change in our friendly dog! He growls and shows his teeth and holds his tail rigidly out behind, as if to let us know he means business. What is he doing now? He is lying flat on the ground, whining and looking beseechingly toward his master, begging not to be punished. Sometimes he is ashamed. See him slink away with his tail between his legs and a sidewise glance at you.
Dogs have been known to go hungry and to suffer severe hardships for the sake of their masters. Their loving devo-
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tion seems almost human. Get better acquainted with your dog. Be sure you understand him, and he will serve you faithfully.
“WHITE OSHKOSH,” ONE OF THE WHITE HOUSE DOGS
Does the dog lack anything he needs to fill his place well? He was made by the same Creator that made us all, and we shall find in our study that he lacks nothing needful.
Field Study
Compared with the legs of the cat, why are the legs of almost all dogs long and strong in proportion to the body ?
Compare the feet of the cat with those of the dog, and discover which has the heavier pads. Why is this of use to each? Which has the stronger, heavier claws, the cat or the dog?
Can the dog draw in his claws so they are not visible, as does the cat? Of what use is this arrangement to the dog? Are his front feetk just like his hind feet?
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Is the body of the dog soft like the cat’s, or lean and muscular? How do the eyes of the dog differ from those of the cat? Does he depend upon his eyes for finding his prey? Can a dog see in the dark? What is the color of the dog’s eyes ?
Describe the dog’s ears. Are they covered? What is their general shape? How do his ears change position in listening? Do you think that dogs can hear well?
Describe the dog’s nose. What is the condition of the skin that surrounds the nostrils? How does this help the dog?
What teeth does the dog use in gnawing a bone? in chewing?
How does a dog show delight, friendliness, affection, anger, fear, and shame ?
How many breeds of dogs do you know? Describe each, as follows: general shape of body, head, ears, nose; color and character of hair on head, body, and tail; the length of legs as compared with the body.
State the most striking instances you have seen or heard of a dog’s loyalty to his master.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. ------------------------------❖------
Lesson 42 The Cow
Come out to the field, and pet my cow. Pat her sleek coat. See that kind face and those large, gentle eyes. Notice her well-proportioned body and her spreading, polished horns.
See, she can turn her ears in any direction. Her sense of hearing must be very keen. The skin about her nose seems sensitive and moist. She must have a keen sense of smell too. Her legs are very short; but see her run! You’ll have to run your best to catch her.
Watch her play. Isn’t she a funny sight ? Her tail is lifted aloft, and she kicks as lightly as if she were made of rubber. She is growing tired. Watch her lie down. See her kneel on
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THE FAMILY COW
her front legs. She is soon on the ground. But she does not lie down; she sits upon her legs. How differently she rests from most animals!
You, too, are a good friend, pretty cow. How we should miss your fresh milk each day.
The cow is a wonderful creature. Only the hand of the Creator could have made this friendly animal so wisely and so well.
Field Study
Do you think a good cow is a beautiful creature?
Describe her horns, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.
What is the position of her ears when she is listening? Do you think she can hear well?
Is her nose moist? Do you think she can smell well?
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Is her hair long or short ? smooth or rough ?
Describe the cow’s foot. Why is the cow’s foot better adapted than that of the horse to walk in mud and marshes ?
On how many toes does the cow walk ? Can you see any other toes that she does not walk on ?
Is the cow a good runner? Is she a good jumper? Can she swim?
For what use was the cow’s tail evidently intended?
At what time of day do cattle feed in the pasture?
What food is best for cows? How does the food affect the flavor of the milk ?
What is meant by “chewing the cud” ? When and where do they do this ? Describe how a cow lies lown and gets up.
Why is a cool barn an expensive place in which to keep a cow?
Why is an unventilated barn a danger?
Name and give brief descriptions of the breeds of cattle with which you are familiar.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
What classes of animals were created on the fifth day?
Tell what you have learned from observation about:
The House Fly.
Woolly Bear.
The Cat.
The Dog.
The Cow.
Other insects or animals near your home.
CHAPTER XI
MAN
“As man came forth from the hand of His Creator, he was of lofty stature. . . . His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health—E. G. White.
‘‘So God created man, . . . male and female created He them.”
Lesson 43
The Creation of Man
Genesis 2:7.
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and maiv became a living soul.”
After God had brought into existence the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and the creatures that were to live on the dry land, He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth.” Genesis 1:26.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Verse 27.
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Man was the climax of God’s created work on the earth. He was made a little lower than the angels, and was crowned with glory and honor.
The name of the father of the human family was Adam, and the name of the mother was Eve.
The holy pair were placed in Eden, and were surrounded with everything that was beautiful. God placed them in the garden, not to spend their time in an idle way, but to dress the garden and to keep it.
Man was given powers of mind far greater than those given to beasts. He could think and study about the wisdom and the power of God as revealed in His handiwork. He was holy and righteous in character; for man was made upright in the beginning.
Man was wonderfully made. David, in speaking of the human body, said, “I will praise Thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Like the plants, man was formed from the dust of the ground; but the all-wise Creator endowed him with a body and a mind unlike anything that He had before created upon the earth.
Field Study
Out of what did the Lord build this world?
What was its condition when first created?
What was God's purpose in creating the earth?
What was present to help in the work of creating and forming the earth?
What was the first work that the Lord did to bring order out of chaos ?
What did the light and the heat do?
What was created the second day?
For what purpose did God create the air ?
What was perfected by the first two days' work?
What was the first thing done on the third day?
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For what purpose was the dry land caused to appear?
How many classes of plants did the Lord create ?
Will plants grow without light, heat, air, and water?
After the Lord had planted the earth with vegetation, what did He then do?
For what purpose did God make the sun and the moon?
For what purpose did God create the plants?
How many classes of animals were created?
How many homes were provided for them?
On the sixth day what did God create that was superior to any of the animals previously created?
Out of what did the Lord make man?
What relation was he to sustain to the lower animals?
Notebook Requirement
Tell in your own words the story of man’s creation.
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Lesson 44
Man’s Relation to Light
God provided five special gateways through which knowledge should enter the mind of man. There are five special means of gaining a knowledge of what is in the world around us,—by seeing, by hearing, by feeling, by smelling, and by tasting. Only thus can knowledge and truth make an impression upon the mind.
Of these special gateways, none is more wonderful than the eye, the organ of sight. He who made the light made the eye, and fitted it to receive the light.
Sight is indeed a very precious and valuable gift. By means of this gift we learn what is going on in the world around us,—near by and also many miles away. Without this gift, what would all the beautiful colors of light mean to us?
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The eye is so precious that it is protected in every way possible. We may think of it as a very costly gem set in a well-made case.
In shape, the eyeball is not unlike an egg, and it is well fastened in a special place fitted to its shape. A deep, bony
socket was made to receive the nicely planned organ of sight. The eyelids shut down whenever the eye is in danger, and the lids are fringed with lashes to keep out the dust.
The colored part of the eye, which makes it so beautiful, is the curtain of this wonderful window. The black spot in the middle of the colored curtain is the opening. It is called the pupil. This colored circular curtain can make the opening large or small, so that the right amount of light may be
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let in. The eye is small, but it can take more beautiful pictures than the finest camera, and can take all the colors too,
When one goes out into the bright sunlight, the curtain draws together around the pupil, and less light is allowed to enter. When one enters a dark room, the curtain is drawn back to make the pupil larger, to let in more light.
By good care the eyes may be kept bright and useful for many years. It is good for the eyes to use them, but they must always be well treated. It is not wise to expose the eyes unnecessarily to too brilliant a light. When the eyes smart or tingle or the sight is dim or blurred, they need rest.
Field Study
Name the organ of sight. Of what use is this organ?
What is the organ of sight fitted to do? How is it protected?
Describe the curtain and the pupil.
What are proper lighting conditions in a schoolroom?
How many square feet of window glass are required?
Test one another's eyes. See if anyone in the class fails to read writing on the blackboard twenty feet away. Is anyone in the class color-blind? What does the test of your eyes show ? What can we do to protect our own eyesight? the eyesight of others? Do you know of any persons who are blind? How did they lose their sight?
Notebook Requirement
Write answers to the above questions.
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Lesson 45
Maris Relation to Air—Breathing
We have already learned that God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and that from the first moment of one’s life until the very last, we are constantly taking air into our lungs and sending it out again.
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Now why is breathing so necessary? We have been breathing all our lives without thinking about it. Of what use is the air to the body, and why do we not continue to live
if we are shut away from it?
In our last lesson we learned that the heart pumped the blood from the lower right chamber of the heart through two tubes into the lungs. This is not a very long journey, for the heart lies in the chest just between the two divisions of the lungs.
In the lungs, the blood tubes branch and divide, until they become too fine and too small to be seen by the naked eye. These small blood vessels have walls so thin that, when the air is drawn in through the breathing tubes of the lungs it can pass right into the blood. The tiny blood particles exchange their load of stale air for a supply of fresh air, and hasten back to the heart to be pumped into the general circulation, and then be carried to some remote part of the body.
In less than half a minute, however, every blood particle has deposited its supply of fresh air, and must hasten along to the lungs for more.
The tubes that lead to the lungs carry blood particles that have given away their supply of fresh air. Such blood is always purple in color. But the tubes that lead from the lungs are filled with bright red blood. These tubes are carrying
THE LUNGS
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multitudes of blood particles laden with fresh air, and hence the change in color.
The more we study about the body the better we shall understand how closely connected is the work of each part with every other part. If the lungs should fail to do their work, of what use would be the work of the heart?
Again, if the heart should fail to do its work, how could the lungs carry oh the work that God has given them to do?
Health Suggestions
Why is it just;as necessary that we be careful about the air we breathe as about the food we eat or the water we drink?
Why should we always breathe through the nose?
Show how to open a window to ventilate properly.
What is the best kind of air to breathe? Why?
Count the number of times you breathe per minute when sitting still, also after exercising.
Put a candle in a glass jar, and cover it tightly. What happens? Why?
Why is dry sweeping harmful?
Why will a two-minute deep-breathing exercise*each morning prove most helpful?
Look for dust dancing in the air, as shown by a ray of sunlight. Why must we hold a handkerchief before the mouth and nose when we sneeze? Why do we breathe out?
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Lesson 46
Man’s Relation to Water
Psalm 51:2
“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Water is just as necessary to the work of the body as are light, heat, and air. A person could live several days without water; but he would finally die.
While water is not a food, yet it must be taken into the
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body to keep us healthy and well. In fact, nearly three fourths of the body is water.
In the first place, water assists in the digestion of foods, for food must be made into a liquid before the body can use it. Having been made into a liquid, it must be carried through the body to build up its parts. The water that helps to make up the fluid in the blood carries this liquid food on its journey over the body.
On its circuit through the body the water gathers up at every point particles of waste material. These it carries to the organs whose special work it is to rid the body of what it cannot use, and which, if left in the body, would produce poisons.
To what organs is all this waste fluid taken? Much of it is collected by the kidneys. The kidneys are, therefore, very important organs. But much waste is thrown off at every point of the surface of the body.
In the skin are found little vessels called pores, through which the water reaches the surface. The water that is separated from the body through the skin is not pure, but is filled with poisons gathered as it flows through the body.
This water is constantly escaping. When it escapes faster than the air can take it in, we call it sweat, or perspiration.
Now the impure part of sweat does not go off into the air, but remains on the body. If left there, it will finally fill up the little pores, and keep the sweat from coming out. It has a very bad odor. You can now see the value of a bath.
The skin is a wonderful organ. Besides its work of throwing off waste matter, it is the organ of touch and feeling. Examine the ends of your fingers and the palms of your hands. Do you notice those little ridges? Each one has in it
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a small nerve. These connect with larger nerves, which find their way to the brain. Thus feeling is another gateway to knowledge; and the entire surface of the skin is furnished with nerve endings, which act like little telegraph operators constantly on duty.
There are other wonderful things to tell about the skin, but they cannot be told in this lesson.
Thought Questions
Why is cleanliness a stepping-stone to success ?
Why is a warm bath good for cleansing? How often should a warm bath be taken?
Of what benefit is a daily sponge bath ?
Why should you wash your hands before eating?
Why should you always use your own towel ?
How does keeping the face clean help the complexion?
Why should we drink freely of good pure water ? How much should one drink daily?
Written Requirement
Make a health poster on cleanliness.
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Lesson 47
Health and III Health
3 John 2
“I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health.”
We often hear remarks like these, “I do not have very good health,” or “My health is very good.” What is meant by the term health? And upon what does health depend?
We have found in our study of man thus far that light, heat, air, water, soil, and plants are necessary to his life. With these things we are constantly surrounded. We cannot
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get away from them; we cannot live without them. However, we cannot live by these things unless we use them in the way the Creator intended.
The body may become overheated, as in sunstroke, or it may become chilled or even frozen because of lack of heat.
The air may blow upon the body in such a way as to produce a cold or an even more serious difficulty.
By carelessness, incorrect position, too much light, too little light, the sight may be hurt, and even destroyed.
By bathing at improper times, by drinking too much or too little water, by getting the clothing wet and failing to remove it—by all these things ill health may be produced.
Tea, coffee, alcohol, all stimulants, and unripe or decaying fruit will bring on stomach trouble. So will also the habit of bolting one’s food, washing it down with water, eating too much, eating too many kinds at once, and eating between meals. The stomach cannot put up with such treatment. The person then says, “I am ill,” or “I am sick.”
It is plain, then, that, if we would enjoy good health, we must learn how to use and not to abuse the things by which we are surrounded.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.
Field Study
If you are absent from school this month, keep count of the number of days and half days. How many times were you absent because of sickness ?
Why is the foundation of a building very important? How do the workmen try to make it strong ? In what way is good health a foundation for life ?
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HEALTH HABITS FOR DAILY PRACTICE
Wash hands before each meal.
Clean finger nails.
Brush teeth after breakfast and the evening meal.
Carry a clean handkerchief, and use it to protect others when coughing or sneezing.
Drink at least four glasses of water.
Drink at least one glass of milk.
Eat some cereal, Graham or whole-wheat bread, fruit, green vegetables. Sit, stand* and walk in correct posture.
Sleep at least ten hours at night, with windows open.
Take a sponge bath and a brisk rub.
EACH WEEK
Take a warm, soapy, cleansing bath.
How much should you weigh?
Keep a monthly and a yearly record of your height and weight.
Keep a careful record of your daily health habits, and build a strong health foundation.
CHAPTER XII
THE SABBATH
The observance of the Sabbath “was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator ”—E. G. White.
"God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
Lesson 48
The Creation of the Sabbath
Genesis 2:2
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.”
“God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
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“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3.
“The creation was now complete. . . . Eden bloomed on earth. Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No taint of sin, or shadow of death, marred the fair creation. ‘The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.’
“The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty, and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God ‘rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.’ God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.
“After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God’s work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.”
Questions
During how many days was God engaged in the work of creation?
What did He do each day?
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When God Wad finished, what did He say of all the things He had made? What did God say of the work of His hands?
What did the Creator do on the seventh day?
Was God weary from labor?
What did God do during the seventh day?
What did God do after He had rested?
Why did He bless and sanctify the day?
What command had God given His people concerning the Sabbath? Exodus 20:8.
Notebook Requirement
Write from memory the Sabbath requirement.
“HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE SOFT, WHITE SNOW THAT COVERS THE SLEEPING FLOWERS!”
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UNDERWOOD PHOTO
Winter
“But Winter has yet brighter scenes,—he boasts Splendors beyond what gorgeous Summer knows.” — William Cullen Bryant.
Chapter I. THE EARTH IN THE BEGINNING
'‘Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes.”—E. G. White.
1.	Our Winter Book of Nature
2.	The Earth in the Beginning
3.	The Form and Size of Our Earth
Chapter II. LIGHT AND HEAT
“My shortest days end, my lengthening days begin ; What matters more or less sun in the sky,
When all is sun within?”
4.	The Entrance of Light	—Christina Rossetti.
5.	The Colors of Light
6.	How Heat Is Produced
7.	Climate
t/8. Winter Climate
Chapter III. AIR AND SOUND
“In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan.”—Rossetti.
9. The Creation of the Firmament 10. The Breath of Life JLI. The Wind
12.	Ventilation
13.	The Listening Ear in Winter
Chapter IV. WATER
“A white flake here and there—a snow lily.
Of last night’s frost—our naked flower beds hold.” —Rossetti.
14.	The Gathering of the Waters
15.	Snow, Hail, Ice, and Sleet
16.	Springs and Lakes
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Chapter V. DRYLAND
“How beautiful the fields appear t How quietly we sleep 1”—Gotten.
17.	And the Dry Land Appeared
18.	My City or Town
19.	My County
Chapter VI. PLANTS
“Watching all things lie down to sleep.” —Helen Hunt Jackson.
20.	The Creation of Plants
21.	Winter Tree Study
22.	The Pine Tree
23.	The Hemlock
24.	The Spruce
Chapter VII. SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“Come out where the ice is gleaming Like steel in the cold moonlight.”
25.	Let There Be Lights	—Miller.
26.	The Sun and Its Family
27.	A Great Star Group
28.	The Moon
Chapter VIII. WATER ANIMALS
“I hear their chorus of ‘Good night.’ ” —Jackson.
29.	The First Animals
30.	The Sponge
31.	The Coral
32.	The Whale
Chapter IX. AIR ANIMALS
“And for a rose flower in the darkening mold,
The hungry redbreast gleams, no bloom, no bee.”
33. The Fowls of the Air	—Ros .etti.
34.	Birds’ Nests in Winter
35.	The Crow
36.	Chickadee
37.	The Nuthatch
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Chapter X. LAND ANIMALS
“The hare limp’d trembling through the frozen grass,
And silent was the flock in woolly fold.”
38.	The Creation of Land Animals	—Keata.
39.	Winter Sleepers
40.	Cottontail
41.	Woolly Bear and His Cousin in Winter
42.	The Horse
Chapter XI. MAN
“He [man] was holy and happy . . and in perfect obedience to His [God’s] will.”
43.	Created in the Image of God	~E-G- White'
44.	Man's Relation to Heat
45.	The Ear
46.	Man's Relation to Land
CHAPTER XII. THE SABBATH
“The Sabbath ever pointing to Him who made them all, bids men open the great book of nature.”
47.	The First Sabbath	White-
48.	Enjoying the Sabbaths in Winter
CHAPTER I
THE EARTH IN THE BEGINNING
“Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes ”—E. G. White.
Lesson 1
Our Winter Book of Nature
Farther, farther, farther away from the sun has been the slant of the axis of our earth. Autumn has been slipping away day by day, until now it has gone. Now we are slanting far away from the source of our light and heat, and we know that winter is here.
“But Winter has yet brighter scenes,—he boasts Splendors beyond what gorgeous Summer knows.”
Winter has a new book to spread before us—a book of nature all its own. Its pages may not be as gorgeous as the lovely autumn, but they are as sparkling as the brightest •diamonds. The soft snow dazzles in its whiteness, and the long icicles glitter in the winter sunshine. Even your eyes shine and your cheeks glow with a deeper color.
There are many interesting things to study in the winter time. The trees say, “We are not all sleeping. We will tell you many secrets.” The winter birds say also, “Come, learn of us.” And if we step softly, we may be able to take a peep at some of the winter sleepers, and learn of them.
Before opening the winter book of nature, let us open the word of God and read again that first story of our great world home. We shall follow once more the Master Builder’s
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plans as we study nature during the winter. Let us first listen to His voice, and then we shall understand better the voice of nature as she speaks to us during these winter months.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Wonderful words to introduce our winter nature study! Let us not forget them. They will lighten every page as we turn the leaves of our winter book.
Questions and Observations
Name five signs which tell you that winter is here.
Take your schoolroom globe and demonstrate your winter season, using some object in the room to represent the sun.
Name the fall months. Name the winter months.
When does the sun rise at this time of the year? When does it set?
Keep a record for a week of what the thermometer registers each morning at nine o’clock, also at noon, and at five o’clock in the evening.
Which has the longer distance to travel, a vertical ray of sunlight or a slanting ray?
Which has less heat when it reaches the end of its journey?
When the first snowfall comes, do the branches of the leafy trees have a greater load to hold than those whose leaves have been shed ? Are trees bearing broad leaves more, or less, likely to shed their leaves than those bearing needlelike leaves?
Notebook Assignment
Date and record as many of these observations as possible.
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Lesson 2
The Earth in the Beginning
Genesis 1:2
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Let us take our Bibles and hold them reverently in our hands as we talk again about creation morning. The Bible
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is God’s voice speaking to us just as truly as if we could hear it with our own ears. There are many stories told about the creation of our world home, but some of them are untrue. The Bible tells the only true story.
When the Master Builder created our world home in the beginning by speaking only the word, He was gathering together His building materials. God planned to use water and land to build with; and here they were, in great abundance, on creation morning. The land was there, but it could not be seen. It was covered with water. The earth looked like a wide, wide sea, and “darkness was upon the face of the deep.”
A world in darkness, covered with water and empty of the things that now make it so beautiful! Not a very pleasing picture, you say. But it was pleasing to God, for He could see in this dark, dark world, covered with water, the beginning of a beautiful world home for y6u and me.
For the same reason God delights in the lives of boys and girls, for He can see in them material that will some day build strong characters for Him.
Let us close our eyes. In this way we can better imagine the dense darkness that was upon the face of the deep. The great sea stretched out before us gives us a feeling of awe. In fact, there must have been a solemn hush resting upon the world as it stood with its great building materials in readiness, waiting for the Spirit of God to form and shape a beautiful world home for us.
Questions and Observations
What does “void” mean? In what way was the earth void in the beginning? Name ten building materials which a carpenter gets together before building a house. Does the carpenter form or create a house from these building materials?
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What is the difference between creation and formation? Was it the shape of the world or the building materials that were without form on creation morning? Name some of the things that God formed from the material which He had created.
Can you find any insects active at this time of the year?
Name the birds which you can see in your neighborhood at this time. Start a feeding box for your winter birds. What kind of birds visit your feeding box most commonly?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many of these observations as possible.
WHEN APPROACHING LAND THE SUMMITS OF THE MOUNTAINS APPEAR FIRST
Lesson 3
The Form and Size of Our Earth
The true form of the earth has not always been understood. For many years it was believed that the earth was a flat surface surrounded by water.
In later years, those who studied the sky noticed that the shadow of the earth upon the moon, during an eclipse, was always circular. Only objects round like a ball throw a circular shadow, and this fact led some to believe that the earth is round. Then, too, because the other heavenly bodies are round, people concluded that the earth must be similar in shape.
Soon men began to take longer voyages. They went farther away from the land. They noticed that when approaching the land from any direction, they could always see th#»
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tops of the mountains long before the larger part below came into view. Not only in crossing the water, but also in crossing the plains, one can see first only the tops of the distant mountain peaks. Finally, men sailed around the earth, and thus it was proved that, without doubt, our earth is a great sphere.
The earth is so very large that we can form no clear idea of its size. It is a little less than twenty-five thousand miles around. If there were no land to hinder, a steamship, sailing steadily at the rate of five hundred miles a day, would take about fifty days to sail around the earth. Were there no large bodies of water, and could a railroad be built around the earth at the equator, it would take a fast train, traveling day and night, nearly three weeks to carry us this distance.
Questions and Observations
Hold up an orange, and think of it as a small globe. Take some spot upon the orange to represent your home. Start from this spot and move your finger around the orange in any direction. To what spot do you return? What does this prove?
Imagine a tiny insect upon your orange. Why does the surface of the orange appear to the insect to be flat? Why does the surface of our world appear to us to be flat?
Hold your orange in the light of the sun or a candle, and observe its shadow. Describe an eclipse of the moon that you have seen. Make a drawing of the shadow as it appeared to you.
When ships are approaching the land in the distance, what part of the ship is seen first? What does this prove? What is the longest distance you have ever traveled?
Look for the swellings in the twigs of oaks or the fallen oak leaves. Does anything live inside of them ? Is there any way you can tell whether or not the insect making the gall has come out even though you do not open it?
Describe Mr. and Mrs. English Sparrow as they appear now. Do these sparrows walk or hop ?
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Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many of these observations as possible.
Facts to Be Remembered
When the northern half of our earth is slanting away from the sun, it is winter for the boys and the girls who live there.
The winter months are December, January, and February.
The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us. If we listen first to the voice of God, we shall understand better the voice of nature.
In the beginning God created two building materials—water and land.
In the beginning “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” This was a pleasing picture to God, for He could see the beginning of a beautiful world home.
Our earth is a sphere in shape.
It is a little less than twenty-five thousand miles around our earth at the equator.
AS AN ORANGE WOULD LOOK OPENED OUT FLAT
CHAPTER II
LIGHT AND HEAT
“My shortest days end, my lengthening days begin; What matters more or less sun in the sky,
When all is sun within?**
—Rossetti.
Lesson 4
The Entrance of Light
Genesis 1:3-5
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
We have already learned that the Creator spent six days in creating the earth and the things which it contains. Now it is our plan to study each of the wonderful acts of creation, so that we may better appreciate them, and may see in each one the power, wisdom, and love of God toward us, His children.
After creating the world, God’s next work was the creating of light. The earth had just been born, and it was still wrapped in the swaddling bands of darkness. Again a voice is heard. It is the voice of God. It is the same voice that created the world. And God said, “Let there be light.’’ We are not told how the light was caused to shine upon the earth, or whence it came; but in obedience to God’s command it shone out of the darkness.
The earth was thus lighted until it had turned three times upon its axis and the fourth day had dawned. On this
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<!ay God ordained the sun to give light by day, and the moon and stars by night.
“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.” We can appreciate this verse after we have been denied the privilege of seeing the sun’s smiling face for several days.
God wishes the beautiful light, with all its blessings, constantly to remind us of “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Jesus is the Light of the world, and His beams can drive from our hearts all that is dark and evil. Satan is the prince of darkness, but Jesus is the Prince of light.
Field Study
Name the benefits of light.
How does a plant look when it has not had enough light? How does a boy or a girl look ?
Name the habits of light which you studied last fall.
Look for some bird in your neighborhood. Watch for it, and write up a full description of it. Learn its call.
If you live near the ocean or near a lake, watch for the sea gulls or the ducks. Notice what color they are. Do they ever call while flying?
What colors do you see out of doors at this time of the year? What makes color possible?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 5
The Colors of Light
One very beautiful thing about light is color. If it were not for light, there would be no color.
You may discover that light has color by placing a prism in the path of a ray of light. When the prism is held in a
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KAY OF LIGHT SEPARATED BY A PRISM
certain position, it will cast upon the wall or floor a many-colored spot.
Study the spot closely. You notice that in the middle it is bright green and yellow. On one side it is orange and red,
and on the other side blue, indigo, and violet.
It is impossible to tell where one of these colors begins or where it ends, for the seven colors, from red to violet, are most beautifully blended.
These various colors of light make beautiful the land, the sea, and the sky, and are tokens to us of our heavenly Father’s love.
God clothed the earth with verdure. He knew just what soft tints to use, and what shades of color would be most restful to the eye. He gave to the birds and butterflies and fishes, as well as to the plants, bright and pleasing garments of color.
He spread above our earth a covering of soft blue. Across this He permits clouds to pass, which at times are painted in gorgeous and charming colors.
As a token of His love and faithfulness, He spreads in our heavens the bow of His covenant, a beautiful bow, like the one that surrounds His throne,—the rainbow, which never fails to charm and delight.
In studying God’s creation we shall learn much about color. As we observe the beautiful tints and shades found in nature, we shall see more and more that light is doing
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marvelous things for us. Also, we will not forget that light is a master painter.
Field Study
Name the colors which you have seen,— in the sky at sunset, in the sky at sunrise, and in the stream or the lake.
Draw three winter vegetables and color them.
Draw three winter fruits and color them.
Draw three winter birds and color them.
Take a look at your cocoon, and be sure you are keeping it moist enough. Does frost form on the outside or the inside of the windows? Does it form better on the window of a warm or a cold room ?
Look for cocoons on the apple tree. See if you can find a hole in some of them. What do you think made the hole?
Notebook Requirement
Make a drawing of the rainbow. How many colors did you use ?
Make a simple landscape drawing that will show what colors are prominent at this time of the year.
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Lesson 6
How Heat Is Produced
We have already learned that heat is the companion of light. When the heat of the sun's rays is thrown by a reflector upon cloth or paper, fire is produced. This is because
the curved surface of the reflector collects the heat rays and throws them upon one spot. We find that heat is reflected the same as light.
A lamp, a candle, a stove, all send out heat rays in every direction. These rays of heat pass out in straight lines through the air to the
HEAT PRODUCED BY FRICTION
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objects about them. They are reflected from the walls of the room, and from the articles of furniture upon which they fall.
If the heat rays fall straight down upon a surface, they bounce straight up again. If they fall slantingly, they are reflected in a slanting direction. Did you ever notice that it is much more sultry on a warm, cloudy day than on a warm but clear day ? Low clouds do not prevent the heat rays from passing to the earth; but when the rays are reflected from the earth into the atmosphere, the clouds act as reflectors, throwing them back again.
Heat is often made without apparent light. This is the case with the heat of our bodies. The clothing we wear keeps the heat that is made in our bodies from passing off too fast. A great deal of heat is produced in the bodies of animals. The more active they are, the greater the amount of heat.
This is because when one is exercising more food is used up, and this produces more heat.
Heat is also produced by friction. Savages kindle a fire by rubbing two sticks together.
The woodwork of machinery has been known to take fire from the heat caused by fric-
CLOUDS AS REFLECTORS
REFLECTION OF HEAT
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tion. At night a spark may be seen when a horse’s shoe strikes a stone.
You know how easily a match is lighted by rubbing it. This is because there is on the end of the match a substance that burns with very little heat, and so needs but little friction to set it on fire.
Before matches were invented, a very common way of starting a fire was by striking a piece of flint with a piece of steel. A great deal of patience was needed in starting a fire because a spark was not always easily caught.
Field Study
Review the points you learned about heat in your fall studies.
Saws become heated in sawing timber.
Give three other examples of heat caused by friction, which you have observed.
Did you ever burn your hands by slipping down a rope rapidly?
Name the habits of heat that are similar to the habits of light.
Which reflects greater heat, a highly polished metal or a dull metal? Do plants under water or plants in the air show the effect of cold weather more quickly?
It is safe at this time of the year to hunt for an empty wasp's or hornet's nest. Some are made of paper and some of clay. Describe the one you find.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. ------------------------------0------
Lesson 7
Winter Climate
When we wish to refer to the kind of weather a region usually has, we call it the climate of that region.
The most important feature of the climate and of the weather, and the one we talk most about, is the temperature;
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that is, the heat or cold. If it is too cold for comfort, we try to warm our houses. If it is too hot, we shut out the sun’s heat as much as possible, and do everything we can to keep cool.
We have already learned that the world is divided, according to the temperature, into five great belts, or regions, known as zones.
You have learned that the climate of the earth is not the same everywhere. It is very hot at the equator, and grows colder as we approach either of the poles. On each side of the equator, for more than fifteen hundred miles, it is very warm; and this portion of the earth is called the torrid zone. All countries lying in this zone receive the direct rays of the sun for the greater part of the year; and over this vast belt the heat is intense. For a distance of more than fifteen hundred miles from each pole, it is very cold. These polar regions are called the frigid zones. The region around the north pole is called the north frigid zone, and the region around the south pole is called the south frigid zone. Here the slanting rays of the summer sun are not sufficient to melt the ice and snow. In these frigid regions nothing but moss and small plants are found growing. The sun is never di-
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rectly overhead, but circles around near the horizon. The frigid zones are also known as the polar zones, because they surround the poles.
The north temperate zone lies between the torrid zone and the north frigid zone. The south temperate zone lies between the torrid zone and the south frigid zone. The climate in these regions is temperate.
Field Study
Draw a circle, and indicate in it the five climate zones.
Along streams and in damp places you will find willows of all kinds. How many bud scales are there on each bud?
Dig under the leaves in the woods, and find broken parts of trees. How do they differ from the tree parts above ground?
What would happen in the woods after a while if the trees that died did not decay ?
Look under the bark of some dead tree, like a white birch, and find the burrows that worms have made. Find some of the worms if you can.
When did you last see a meadow lark ? Do you hear it sing in December ? Are the neatest appearing hens in your flock at home the best layers ? Try to find out for yourself.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. -----------------------------0-----
Lesson 8
Winter Climate
Winter comes sometime to north, south, east, and west. In some places the winters are bitter cold, and the snow piles high. In other places the winters are mild, with only the patter of the rain and now and then a dash of cold. In still another place the winter months come, but the heat of the summer continues.
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What makes these differences in winter climate? There are a number of things. The climate of a place depends chiefly upon the zone in which it is located. How would you like to have warm summer weather in January? This is
the kind of winter weather the people have who live in the torrid zone.
The climate of a region is greatly influenced also by its distance from the ocean or from any large body of water. The ocean will help to keep the land warm in the wintertime unless the water is cooled by a cold stream. Some places you know are higher than other places. Places that are high are in high altitude. Places that are low are in low altitude. The climate grows cold in high altitude. It is milder in low altitude. High mountains sometimes shut off cold winds. Places that are thus protected do not have such cold weather.
Come, spend a winter where the weather is mild. The boys and girls of this climate are getting out their raincoats and rubbers at this time of the year. Their winter rains have come. Frequently a heavy windstorm accompanies these rains. The windows rattle, the trees shake, and the wind moans,—all to the music of the pouring rain. Finally the storm blows away, and the sun shines brightly. Only the chill is left as a reminder that it is still winter.
The boys and girls must wear their warmest clothing, but they do not bundle up as do the boys and girls who live
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where the winters are colder. They may find their winter sport in their gardens. Their potted plants show a beautiful array of purple, pink, and red flowers in the schoolroom windows. Do you wonder that at times these boys and girls forget that it is winter?
Now come to a land where the winters are cold. How would you enjoy a ride over the snow in a sleigh? Perhaps you would prefer to skate on a frozen pond. The boys and girls in this climate enjoy many such winter sports. They bundle up in their warmest clothing. Their caps cover their ears, and they pull on their warmest mittens. It grows very, very cold. The ice thickens on the ponds. But how beautiful is the blanket of soft, white snow that covers the sleeping flowers!
IN THE TROPICS
“This is the way the snow comes down, Softly, softly falling/'
We have been talking about winter in the temperate belts. Now let us find out about the winter season in the hot belt. Little black boy, tell us about the winter in your part of the world.
“You would be very much surprised to hear,” says little black boy, “that we never have any winter at all. With us it is summer all the time, for the slanting rays that bring the cold of winter never reach our part of the world. The rays of the sun come straight down on top of our heads, and keep us warm all the time. We get relief from the heat
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by going into the shade of the great palms and ferns. Of course we never have snow or ice; but, oh, how hard it rains sometimes!”
Now let us go to the far, far north. Come out of your igloo and tell us about your winter, dear little Eskimo boy.
“See how warmly I am dressed in my furs. It is so cold I must wear two suits of fur all the time. Isn’t my home pretty? It is made of big blocks of ice.
I play with my dog. He pulls me over the snow and ice in my little sleigh.
It is wintertime for six long, long months. For days and days and weeks and weeks it is just like night, for the sun never reaches our part of the world during this time of the year.”
Though the winter has its charms, we are glad it is not always winter. How glad we shall be when our part of the world begins to receive the more direct rays of the sun! How we shall welcome the glad springtime!
Field Study
Check the temperature of a glass of water and a glass of soil in the morning, at noon, and at night. Which becomes heated more slowly ? Why is water cooler than the land during the day? If you could measure the temperature during the night, you would discover that the land cools more quickly; therefore the land is cooler than the water at night. The day corresponds to summer time and the night to winter. Would the water be cooler or warmer than the land in summer? Would it be warmer or cooler than the land in winter?
What effect would the water have on the climate of the land in summer time? in the wintertime?
What happens to a pail if you let the water freeze in it?
IN POLAR REGIONS
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How long did the first snow this winter last? Were the flakes large and soft, or wer£ they fine and hard ?
Find out where the boys and girls live who have the mild winters with the mixture of rain and sunshine. Why do they have mild winters?
Where do the boys and girls live who may enjoy sleighing and skating during the winter months ? Why do they have cold winters ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Name three habits of light.
Name three habits of heat.
Name in order the seven colors of the prism.
How is heat produced ?
Name the climate belts of the earth.
The climate of a country depends chiefly upon the zone in which it is situated; yet it is affected also by what other causes?
What effect does a neighboring body of water have upon the land during the winter? during the summer?
CHAPTER III
AIR AND SOUND
“In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan ”
—Rossetti.
Lesson 9
The Creation of the Firmament
Genesis 1:6-8
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
Let us think again of the second morning of creation week. It dawned upon a world surrounded with vapor. We would say, “It was a very, very foggy morning.” But not long did it remain so. Just one word, and the vapor was lifted. It was God’s voice, which was heard around the world and which caused the fog to rise quickly.
God said, “Let there be a firmament.” Oh, the power in those words, for they are the words of God! The world came, the light came, and now the firmament has come at the call of God. “Broad as the firmament,” the poets say. Yes, the firmament is broad. It reaches from the east to the west. This gives us some idea of the abundance of fresh air that fills the firmament. There is plenty of air. Let us not forget to breathe deeply and fill our lungs full.
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Many years have passed since the air was made on the second morning of creation week. Yet the air still fills the firmament.
Though the air surrounds us everywhere, yet it is never in our way. The particles of air are so light that they easily slip by one another, and are so easily pushed aside that we do not think of the air as being in the way at all.
'We thank Thee, Lord, for air so fresh,
That brings good health in every breath.
Field Study
Place a pan of water on the stove, and watch the steam rise. What caused the steam to form? What caused the vapor to form on the second morning of creation week?
Why does the steam rise?
Take two bottles of the same size. In each place seeds on damp cotton. Cork one, and leave the other uncorked. In which bottle do the seeds grow faster and better ? What does this prove ?
Gather more cocoons of moths, and keep them until spring. If you keep them in a warm schoolroom, be sure to moisten them from time to time.
What becomes of the house flies in winter ? Search for them.
See how many weed tops remaining above the snow you can name.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 10 The Breath of Life
The Creator breathed into the nostrils of the first man, and the man became a living soul. To the beasts also God gave the breath of life,—the same breath.
All animals must breathe. None can live without breathing. It is when the breath returns to God who gave it that we say the animal dies.
10 Book Nature
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The motions of breathing can be seen and felt, and the sound made by the air as we breathe in and out can be heard. On a cold day the breath can be seen puffing from the horse’s nostrils as he rests after a long, hard pull. We see the sides of the dog move in and out after he has been running. On cold mornings we can see our own breath like a cloud of steam.
It is by means of beautiful and wonderful machinery that breath is taken into the body.
Put your hand upon your chest and breathe. The chest becomes larger when the breath is drawn in, and the air can be felt passing through the nose.
Little hairs in the nose keep any dust particles from going through. In the nose the air is warmed before going to more tender parts. From the nose the air goes into the throat and down the windpipe. The windpipe is a stiff tube in the center of the neck, in front. It opens into the back of the mouth, and serves as a passageway for the air to come in and go out.
At its lower end the windpipe divides into two branches, one going to each side of the chest, and spreading out in the lungs.
The lungs may be thought of as two elastic bags, placed one on each side of the chest, within the bony case made by the breastbone, ribs, and backbone.
The chest sounds hollow because the lungs within are filled with air.
When the chest becomes smaller, the air has been driven out as it has been from the bellows when the handles are brought nearer to each other.
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The clothing should be worn loosely about the chest and waist, because the lungs need plenty of room to expand when they are filled with air. Tight clothing presses upon the ribs until they are bent in, and the chest becomes smaller. If the ribs are compressed in childhood, the lungs do not have a chance to grow to their full size or to expand with each breath.
The Creator wishes every one of His creatures to be strong and healthy; but no one can be strong and healthy who has weak lungs.
Field Study
Measure your chest with a tape measure. Now fill your lungs full and measure your chest, holding in the air. (If you are a deep breather, you will be able to expand your chest a good deal.)
Try these breathing exercises for chest development:
Breathe in slowly and breathe out quickly three times.
Breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly three times.
Breathe in quickly and breathe out slowly three times.
Breathe in quickly and breathe out quickly three times.
Find a crow's nest and a squirrel’s nest. Compare the two, and decide which would make the better winter nest.
Mice, rats, dogs, and cats all have whiskers. Which have the longest and which the shortest, and why?
Which has the sharper claws, the dog or the cat, and why ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 11 The Wind
“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth.” John 3:8.
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When the air is moving along so swiftly that we can feel it on our faces, we call it wind.
On a windy day we see the specks of dust whirling in the air; we see the moving of grasses and the fluttering of leaves; we hear the flapping of flags and the snapping of clothes upon the line, as they are hit by the passing air; and we ask, “Whence and whither, 0 wind?”
It is heat that sets the air in motion, and this is how the work is done: Outdoors the air gets heat from the sun. The air near the surface of the earth becomes heated first, and as warm air is lighter than cold air, the warm air rises, letting the cold air rush in to take its place.
Now in the hot belt of the earth there is much heated air always rising. This hot air is replaced by the cold air that travels toward this hot region from both the north and the south.
Thus wind circuits are found upon the earth, and, as Solomon said, “The wind goeth toward the south, and turn-eth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.”
Now the air above a body of dryland receives heat faster in the daytime than does the air above a body of water, and so in the daytime the cool air from the sea moves toward the dry land, where the heated air is rapidly rising, and a cooling sea breeze is the result.
At night the air over the sea is warmer than the air over the dry land, and the cool air from the land flows in to take the place of the heated air over the water, and a land breeze is created.
The air is of use in many ways, and, whether we know it or not, is always doing much work for us. Indeed, the
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wind is very strong, and the faster it moves the more it can do.
Unpleasant and hurtful odors are constantly rising from around our homes, and the air is kept pure by the winds.
You have often seen the rain clouds overhead. Their moisture is carried from place to place by the winds.
Listen to the clattering windmills on a windy day. Water is pumped by the windmill, and machinery is turned by water power.
Winds are named from the direction from which they blow. Winds that blow from the south are called south winds. Winds that blow from the north are known as north winds. Those that blow from the east are east winds. Those that blow from the west are west winds.
Field Study
What is wind?
Go out and see which way the wind is blowing.
What does God use to set the air in motion ?
Where on the globe is there much heated air always rising?
Why does warm air rise?
What kind of breezes do you have where you live?
Did you ever see a bird flying against the wind? Tell how it makes headway.
What signs of a hard wind can you find on your way to school ?
What are the different sounds the wind makes? What causes these sounds?
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Lesson 12 Ventilation
In the morning we rise from our beds, turn back the covers, and let the fresh air blow upon the bedclothes to purify them. We often hang clothing on a line outside for the same purpose.
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Soiled clothing is washed in water, and then hung out to dry in the open air. When dried by steam heat, the clothes do not have the same sweet smell that is given by the sunlight and air; and they are really not so clean.
There is not a room or a closet in the house that does not need to be sweetened and purified by the entrance of good, fresh air.
If, on a cold winter day, the doors and windows are kept tightly closed, and the air of the room is breathed over and over again, it becomes very impure. The cheeks will grow red and hot, and the head will ache.
When one wakes from sleep with a headache, it is most often because the air of the sleeping room is not pure. Windows should be open top and bottom.
It is not enough simply to air the room once a day. The air must be changing all the time while being used, because it is all the time being made impure.
In the schoolroom, where so many are breathing the same air, it very soon becomes impure unless fresh air is coming in. constantly.
If there is no system of airing the room, a good way to ventilate in very cold weather is to place a board six inches wide under the lower sash. This board fills up the space made by the opening, and allows the air to come in between the sashes.
Many years ago in India one hundred forty-six English prisoners were crowded into one room less than twenty feet square. Two little windows did not let in enough air for the poor captives to breathe, and during only one night all but twenty-three died from lack of air.
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Both day and night there should be some way for the pure air to get into the house, and for the impure air to get out.
Field Study and Observation
What is the method of ventilation in your schoolroom? How does the pure air get in? How does the impure air get out?
What is the method of ventilation in your home? How does the pure air get in? How does the impure air get out?
Did you ever sleep in a poorly ventilated bedroom? How did you feel the next morning?
Breathe into a jar that contains lime water. What happens to the lime water ? It is the waste material in your breath that makes this change in the lime water.
Name five results of a poorly ventilated schoolroom.
Describe the appearance of a boy who has slept in a poorly ventilated room.
Describe the appearance of a boy who has slept in a well-ventilated room.
After the snow covers the ground, watch for the burrows of the squirrels in the snow banks.
Can you locate a mouse burrow ?
Describe the appearance of the tree sparrow at this time of the year. Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study and Observation.
Lesson 13
The Listening Ear in Winter
Open your ears and listen. Catch the winter air waves. They also have secrets to whisper in your ear. The sounds of winter are more faint than those heard in autumn, and they are not so numerous, for many of the creatures who sang to us and talked to us in the autumn time are wintering in the south. Others are sleeping in some snug place to escape the winter cold.
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“Have you ever heard the wind go wo-oo-oo?
'Tis a pitiful sound to hear,
It seems to chill you through and through With a strange and speechless fear.”
“Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat
Fall the tiny raindrops Splashing oh so lightly on the windowpane.”
These are sounds that the winter air waves carry to our ears again and again. Blow, blow, winter wind, and patter, patter, winter rain. You are a welcome song to our ears, for you bring health and wealth to our world home.
The sleigh bells are calling us. Hear their merry jingle. Are you ready for a sleigh ride over the snow? Hear the creaking of the snow and the cracking of the ice as we ride along.
Winter, your sounds are merry, and we love to hear them. They lift the darkness, and bring cheer-to the listening ear in winter.
Snap, snap, snap, what sound are you bringing to our ears now, winter air wave? Listen carefully and catch this sound. The twigs in the woods are snapping. The cold, cold air makes them snap.
While you are in the woods, listen for the chatter of the red squirrel. He is not afraid of the cold winter. You are too lively to sleep during the winter, aren’t you, little red squirrel?
I hear another sound. It sounds like thump, thump, thump. We see you, old cottontail. Who is annoying you? Why are you thumping the ground so hard with your hind foot? We’ll not harm you, cottontail. We are so glad to have you these dark winter days.
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Oh, what a harsh sound, Mr. Crow! Can’t you do better than that? Your “caw, caw, caw” is anything but musical. Perhaps at a distance it would sound better. Anyway, we are glad to hear you, too, during this winter quietness. You remind me of the shrill wail I heard last night. It awakened me from sleep. I thought at first it was a child in distress. But I soon discovered it was old screech owl calling his mate. He wanted to let her know he was still in the world.
Dear little chickadee. How brave of you to stay with us through the cold winter! That happy song, “Chick-a-de-de-de,” makes the dullest woods seem joyous. Where is your little chum, the nuthatch? We want to hear his ringing “ank, ank” note too before we go home.
Field Study
Listen to the winter sounds you can hear in your neighborhood in the morning.
Listen to the winter sounds you can hear in the evening.
Explain how air makes sound possible.
Does the first ice form in shallow or in deep ponds ?
Does ice usually form more rapidly at night, or when the sun is shining?
Keep your record of the shadow of a pin on a ruler. Measure the shadow each noon. When, during December, is it the longest? When is it the shortest ?
Keep a weather chart marked on a calendar.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible on your Field Study. Facts to Be Remembered
When the air is moving along so swiftly that we can feel it on our faces, we call it wind.
A sea breeze is felt in the day because the sea is cooler than the land in the daytime. A land breeze is felt at night because the land is cooler than the water at night.
Winds are named from the direction from which they blow.
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There is not a room or a closet in the house but needs to be sweetened by the entrance of good, fresh air. It is not enough simply to air the rooms once a day. The air must be changing all the time in order to keep it pure.
Little hairs in the nose keep any dust particles from going through. In the nose the air is warmed before going to more tender parts.
The lungs may be thought of as two elastic bags placed on each side of the chest. The clothing should be worn loosely about the chest and waist because the lungs need plenty of room to expand when they are filled with air.
God's voice was heard around the world on the second morning of creation, and the vapor lifted quickly.
A HEAVY SNOW BLANKET
CHAPTER IV
WATER
“A white flake here, and there—a snow lily Of last night*s frost — our naked flower beds hold ”
— Rossetti.
Lesson 14
The Gathering of the Waters
Genesis 1:9
“And God said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place: . . . and it was so.”
The third morning of creation dawned upon a world covered with water. Everywhere rolled the waters of the deep sea. What a wide, wide ocean!
But there is not a drop too much. It is all needed in God’s great building plan. He has a place for it, and a work for it to do that light and air cannot possibly do.
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What are the waters doing on the third morning of creation? They are gathering together. They are rushing to find their place. They must no longer cover the whole world.
Why are the waters moving in this manner on the third morning of creation week? God has spoken. The waters are obeying His voice. They are quiet again. They cover only a part of the earth’s surface. On the rest of the earth’s surface they must not trespass. (They did not in the long ago. They do not to-day.) To-day three fourths of the earth’s surface is water.
The great waters of the ocean roll in and roll out in the ebbing tide. The days may come and go, but the great waters do not move from their place. No, they cannot change their place, for God has commanded them to stay where they are. They can only change at His command.
The waters of the cold Arctic Ocean are found around the north pole, and those of the cold Antarctic Ocean are around the south pole. The waters of the stormy Atlantic are located between the Old World on the east and the New World on the west. The waters of the peaceful Pacific Ocean, the largest of all, lie between the New World on the east and the Old World on the west.
The waters of the stormy Indian Ocean may be found south of India, between Africa on one side and Australia on the other.
“In their place do they abide,
For they have heard His voice.”
Field Study
Take your schoolroom globe, and locate the five oceans.
Locate the ocean nearest your home.
Draw a circle, and indicate the proportions of water and land in blue and yellow.
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Represent in your sand table the proportions of land and water.
Place some beans in water. Do some float? Can you tell why?
Some day follow your cat around the house and yard, and write a little story telling what the cat did.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 15
Snow, Hail, Ice, and Sleet
Snow and hail are solid forms of water. Ice, sleet, and frost are also forms of water in a solid condition. Look at your thermometer, and locate 32°. Water will freeze when the mercury falls below 32°. When the vapor in the clouds becomes colder than 32°, it will not fall to earth as a liquid but as a solid.
If the vapor is high above the earth, its particles may become chilled and freeze into crystal snowflakes as they descend earthward. This happens before the vapor particles have time to condense and fall as raindrops. If, however, the vapor condenses into drops of water before it freezes, these frozen drops of water may reach the earth as hailstones. The size of the hailstone depends upon the number of drops frozen into one lump. In calm weather a single drop of water may form a single hailstone; but when the wind blows, many of them are blown together, and they fall as larger lumps of ice.
Sleet is drops of frozen water that are driven about by the wind, or that fall through a layer of warmer air and are partly melted before reaching the earth.
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At night, if the temperature is below freezing point, the water vapor, instead of condensing into drops of dew, forms fine little spikes of ice, and covers everything with what we call frost. The higher up one goes, the cooler is the air.
In mountainous regions one may reach a height above which moisture never falls as rain but as snow. In warm countries, snow-topped mountains are great reservoirs of moisture; for they supply water during the long, dry summer, to be used oftentimes for the irrigation of arid lands in the plains or valleys below.
If no snow fell in winter in those regions where it now falls, the ground would be frozen hard, and few seeds could live in it; but the snow covers the earth like a blanket, and this keeps the ground from freezing so deep that the seeds do not have a chance to live.
The snow is a symbol of purity and cleanliness. David prayed, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” The Lord has promised, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
Field Study
From colored paper cut out several snowflake designs.
Find the tops of at least two kinds of milkweed sticking above the snow.
Many fields will contain the dried tops of common mullein. How are the flowers arranged, and on what part of the stalk are they ?
Watch for the mosses that grow on stones and tree trunks. When do they seem to thrive best?
How large was the largest hailstone you ever saw?
SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS
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Notice the temperature during a hailstorm, during a rainstorm, and during a snowstorm, and compare.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 16 Springs and Lakes
Have you ever seen water bubbling up from the earth through an opening between rocks? Or have you ever seen it escaping from the earth in a stream of clear, sparkling water? You run for your cup, for you know you have found a spring. Drink freely from its pure, cold waters.
Springs are formed by rain or snow falling on the hilltops, sinking into the soil, and filling up some underground basin, from which the water then bubbles forth.
Often the water, in seeping through the soil, comes in touch with minerals, and the spring will contain iron, sulphur, or whatever the mineral is.
A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. It is formed by water filling up a hollow in the dry land. Some lakes are formed and fed by springs beneath them.
The head of a lake is where the water flows in. The foot of a lake is where the water flows out. Sometimes the lake has no outlet. In such cases the water is usually salty. Salt lakes are frequently called seas. The Dead Sea is a body of salt water.
Lakes help to beautify the earth. Some of them are very large, and people can travel over them in vessels.
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Field Study
Represent in your sand table a spring and a lake, also other water forms you have studied thus far.
Name and locate the springs, lakes, and rivers nearest your home.
Are there any deposits of sulphur or rust near the spring you are observing ?
How far does the stream from this spring go before it joins another stream or empties into a lake?
What happens to your spring in the wintertime?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
At the command of God the waters gathered together on the third morning of creation week.
The ocean is the great source of moisture for the watering of the dry earth.
The ocean sometimes stretches great arms of water into parts of the dry land. These arms are called gulfs, bays, and seas.
In all its motions water is seeking to keep level. It is this habit that causes water to flow on and on in brooks and rivers.
Heat turns liquid water into vapor.
Define hail, snow, frost.
Define a spring, a lake.
What is the head of a lake called ? the foot of a lake ?
CHAPTER V
DRY LAND
“How beautiful the fields appear! How quietly we sleep!”
— Gotton.
Lesson 17
And the Dry Land Appeared
Psalm 95:5
“His hands formed the dry land.”
The land on the earth’s surface was caused to appear at the command of the Creator.
The dry land is divided into great bodies called continents.
In order of size, beginning at the largest, the continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.
A flat drawing of the earth’s surface, as it would appear to a person looking down from an airplane at a great height, showing the land and water shapes, is called a map.
The world is generally represented by a globe or by a map in two parts, one of which represents the Eastern Hemisphere and the other the Western Hemisphere. (The word “Amt” means “half.” A hemisphere is half a sphere.)
Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia are continents in the Eastern Hemisphere, and are known as the Old World.
The Western Hemisphere is known as the New World, and comprises the continents of North and South America.
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Map Study (See map in Lesson 14)
Name the continents nearest the north pole.
Name the continents nearest the south pole.
Name the continents crossed by the equator.
What continents have the most regular shores ?
Which are the most irregular?
What continents are south of the equator?
What continents are north of the equator?
What continent is south of North America?
What continent is east of Europe?
What continent is west of Europe?
In what direction is Asia from North America?
What part of North America is the coldest?
What part of South America is the coldest?
What part of Asia is the warmest? Why?
Notebook Requirement
Color and label the continents on an outline map of the world.
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Lesson 18
My City or Town
In what city or town do you live ?
What is its size?
About what is its population ?
Name its chief buildings.
Name its chief land and water features.
Who is your mayor?
What are the principal industries of your town ?
What are its products ?
Describe its climate.
Is its location healthful or unhealthful? Give reasons.
Locate your home in your city.
Locate your church.
Locate your school.
In what ways could your city be improved?
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Lesson 19 My County
In what county do you live?
About what is its size ?
What is its population?
Name its chief towns and cities.
Name its county seat.
Name its chief land and water forms.
Describe its roads and highways.
Locate your city or town in your county.
What is your county’s principal industries ?
What are its products ?
What is its prevailing climate?
Are you proud of your county? Why?
Facts to Be Remembered
Name the continents in the Western Hemisphere.
Name the continents in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Define: island, peninsula, cape, promontory, isthmus, strait, mountain, mountain range, mountain peak, mountain system, plain, plateau, and cliff.
Name and locate these special features with which you have become familiar in each continent.
Be able to give a one-minute talk describing your city.
Be able to give a one-minute talk describing your county.
CHAPTER VI
PLANTS
“Watching all things lie down to sleep ”
—Helen Hunt Jackson.
Lesson 20
The Creation of Plants
Genesis 1:11
“God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
Upon what day did the world bring forth the very first plants?
How were plants created? Genesis 1:11.
How did the plants come into existence ? Genesis 2:9.
What three classes of plants did God create ?
Name grasses with which you are familiar.
Give examples of familiar herbs.
Name trees with which you are acquainted.
What was one purpose for which God created plants ? Genesis 1:30. What was another purpose ? Genesis 1:29.
What was still another reason for making plants? Genesis 2:9.
Name plants which furnish man with food.
Name some which furnish food for the lower animals.
Name plants which serve only to adorn the earth.
Are we invited ito study these beautiful plants? How shall we study them?
Notebook Requirement
Write answers to questions the teacher may assign.
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Lesson 21
Winter Tree Study
Field Study
Make sketches of at least six trees in your neighborhood, showing their forms as they stand bare.
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PINE CONE
Find some with limbs branching from all sides of the trunk. Find some with the trunks dividing into branches.
Of what use are the branches to a tree?
Are the twigs at the ends of the branches coarse or fine?
Are they lifted up, or do they droop ?
Is the bark on the branches like that on the trunk?
Is the color of the twigs the same as the branches?
Why do some trees drop their leaves in winter ?
Do you think that trees grow in the wintertime?
What birds visit the trees you are observing?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 22
The Pine Tree Field Study
Where does the pine tree grow in your neighborhood ?
What is the general shape of the pine tree?
Is there one central stem running up the tree to the top ?
What color is the bark?
Is it ridged or in scales?
What is the color of the foliage?
Does the pine tree shed its leaves, or do they stay on as long as the tree lives ?
Why are pine leaves called needles ? How many needles in a bundle ? How long is a needle? Is it straight or curved? Does it bend easily, or is it stiff?
Why does the wind make a moaning sound in the pine?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
THE PINE
“Whose emerald scalp nods to the storm."
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Lesson 23 The Hemlock
HEMLOCK BRANCH AND CONES
Field Study
Where does the hemlock grow in your neighborhood ?
What is the general shape of the tree?
What kind of bark has it?
How tall does it grow?
How are its branches arranged to shed the snow?
What is the color of the foliage ?
How are the leaves arranged on the twigs ?
Are all the leaves about the same size?
What is the shape of a single leaf? What is the color above and below? Does the hemlock ever shed its leaves ?
Make drawings of the hemlock twig showing the arrangement of the leaves. Make a drawing also of a single leaf.
What birds find a home in the hemlock tree in the wintertime?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. ------------------------------0------
Lesson 24 The Spruce
Field Study
Where does the spruce grow in your neighborhood?
What is the general shape of the spruce ?
As a rule, how much can you see of the trunk?
Do the lower branches rest upon the ground?
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What advantage is this to the tree in the wintertime?
Do the twigs stand out or droop from the branches ?
Of what advantage is this in heavy snow?
What is the color of the foliage? What is the color of the twig? How do the leaves grow upon the twig?
When do the leaves prick, when they are brushed toward the tip or from the tip backward?
What is the shape of a single leaf? Is it soft or stiff? Is it sharp at the tip?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Be able to describe the leaf and general shape of the pine tree, the hemlock, the spruce.
Mr. Cowper says:
“No tree in all the grove but has its charms,
Though each its hue peculiar."
CHAPTER VII
SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“Come out where the ice is gleaming Like steel in the cold moonlight ”
—Miller.
Lesson 25
Let There Be Lights
Genesis 1:16
“God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.”
We have already learned that light and heat began their work upon the first day of earth’s history. We have studied, too, something about the great work that light and heat have to do.
However, three days passed in the first week of time before the great light bearers appeared in the sky. We learn that it was on the fourth day that God caused certain heavenly bodies to appear as light and heat givers. They are still doing their wonderful work.
The new world, the home God was preparing for us, must be forever provided with light and heat. On the evening of that first fourth day, lights flashed in earth’s dark firmament; and on the morning of that day the sun appeared for the first time.
What are these lights? What is this sun, and what are these lesser lights, which, since the creation of the earth, have been constantly at work just as God commanded?
Besides giving light and heat, what other work did the Creator give to these heavenly bodies? Genesis 1:14.
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Which is the greater light, and what did God give it to do? Psalm 136:7, 8.
What were the lesser light and the stars to do? Psalm 136:9.
Field Study
Do the stars seem brighter in the winter than in the summer ? Do they seem to twinkle more or less than they did in the summer ?
Get out your peg board again, and measure the shadow at noon in December, January, and February. Keep a record of the December noon shadow, for you will want to compare it with the February noon shadow. It will be interesting to see which is longer.
Notice the buds of the maple. Are these buds inclosed in many small scales, or are they inclosed in but one or two scales ?
What shape are the scars left on the twigs of butternut trees or some other tree, where the leaves formerly grew? Is the scar similar to the leaf scar on the black walnut or other trees?
In the garret or in some other protected place it is barely possible you may find a bat that is asleep for the winter. Does it hang head downward or head upward?
Look a cat in the eye. Are the pupils in the cat's eyes round, or are they like a vertical or a horizontal slit? What shape are the pupils in your eyes? in the eyes of horses ? of cows ? of dogs ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 26
The Sun and Its Family
Psalm 113:3
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.”
Astronomers tell us many wonderful things about the sun. It is a great, great sphere. It would take more than one million earths to make a sphere as large as the sun. What an immense sphere the sun is!
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JUPITER 483 M.M.
SATURN
886 M.M
URANUS
1.780 M.M.
NEPTUNE 2.746 M.M
THE SOLAR SYSTEM Showing comparative distances in millions of miles.
It is because of its enormous distance from us that it does not appear to be what it really is, for the sun is about ninety-three million miles from us. This means that an express train traveling one thousand miles a day would have to travel ninety-three thousand days, or two hundred fifty-four and four-fifths years, to get to the sun. What a long, long trip that would be,— two hundred fifty-four years!
This great sphere sends out its light and heat in all directions. It shines with a brilliant light,—so bright that we cannot look upon it.
We all know that our world is constantly lighted by the sun’s beams, and that we are warmed by its heat. We know that no life would be possible on our earth were it not for this light and heat.
Now, besides turning around on its axis, the earth is at the same time traveling in a path around the sun. This path around the sun measures a year. You will remember that God said, “Let them be . for days, and years.” We have already learned that it is the earth turning upon its axis that makes our day. Now we learn that it is the earth’s journey in its path around the sun that makes the year.
There are other worlds besides our own
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traveling around the sun. The path of some of these is nearer to the sun than ours, and the path of others is a greater distance from it
Those at the greatest distance cannot be seen by us with the naked eye, but it is known that there are at least seven other worlds besides our own that travel in paths around the sun.
All these worlds, too, depend upon the sun for light and heat, just as does our earth, and so are said to belong to the same solar system. “Sol” is a word meaning sun; hence the solar system means the system of the sun.
Field Study
What does the sun do for us?
When during the day do we get the least heat from the sun ? When do we get the most heat ?
At what hour does the sun rise on the first of the following months,— December, January, and February? At what hour does it set on the first of these months ?
Which is the shortest day of the year, and how long is it?
Standing in a certain place, mark by some building, tree, or other object just where the sun rises in the east and sets in the west on the first of December, January, and February. Does it rise and set in the same place always? Until the shortest day, does it seem to be moving northward or southward? Notice that after the shortest day it changes directions.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. -----------------------------❖------
Lesson 27
A Great Star Group
Field Study
Now is the time to get acquainted with a great star group in the sky. Its name is Orion. Some have imagined the shape of this starry group to be like that of a man, and they have called it the hunter of the sky. You can
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easily locate him, for in the middle of February at eight o'clock in the evening, he is in a line directly south of the North Star. Earlier in the month, look east of this, and later in the month west of the North Star. His belt and his sword are very prominent. A large red star rests like a glowing ruby in his shoulder and a white star is set like a spur on his heel. Some of you will be able to locate his dog also.
How many stars in the belt of Orion?
How many stars are in his sword ? Can you locate the glowing ruby in his shoulder?
Can you locate the white spur in his heel?
Running ahead of him is his dog. The bright bluish star marks its location.
Draw a picture of Orion as he looks to you.
What do we call stars thus grouped together?
Name other constellations with which you are acquainted.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 28 The Moon
Field Study
The sun, which God commanded to give us light by day, is sometimes called the “king of day." The moon, which He commanded to rule the night, has been called the “queen of night."
The queen seems to be very polite, for she always keeps her face toward us as she moves around the earth. So, you see, the moon takes just as long to turn on her axis as she does to go around the earth. Show how this is by calling one child's head the earth and a ball with one side colored red the moon. Move the ball slowly around the child's head, always keeping the red side toward it. Has the ball turned completely around on its axis? It takes our earth about 365 days to make its journey around the sun. It takes the
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moon about 27% days to make its journey around our earth; and a new moon appears about every 29% days.
The moon appears to be covered with rocks. It has no light of its own. If this is so, where does it get that bright face it often shows to us ? Oh, the sun has plenty of light to spare! The sun casts its beams upon the moon. The moon, in obedience to the command of God, sends these light beams on to us.
With a globe representing the earth, a ball the moon, and a lamp the sun, demonstrate the four “faces” (phases) of the moon. Where is the moon when she is full faced? new faced? quarter faced? half faced? old faced?
Where and when does the new moon rise and set? the full moon?
Describe the old moon.
Does the moon rise earlier or later from night to night?
About what is the difference in time of moonrise from night to night?
How many times does the moon travel around our earth in a year?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Tell briefly the story of the fourth day of creation week.
Give facts about the size of the sun.
How far is our sun from us?
Describe again the movements of our earth, (a) how it turns upon its axis; (b) how it travels about the sun.
How many other worlds belong to our solar system?
Briefly describe Orion.
Demonstrate with globe, lamp, and ball, representing the earth, the sun, and the moon, and show why and when we have full moon, new moon, old moon, quarter moon, etc.
How long does it take our moon to make its journey around our earth?
Where does our moon get itj3 light?
THE PHASES OF THE MOON
CHAPTER VIII
WATER ANIMALS
“I hear their chorus of ‘Good night* ”
—Jackson.
Lesson 29
The First Animals
Genesis 1:20
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
Great, wide, boundless ocean—you are in readiness on the fifth morning of creation for the many, many creatures that are to make their home in your depths. At the command of God they came forth—“great whales, and every living creature that moveth.”
Everywhere they darted here and there in the waters, happy in the wonderful home God had provided for them. So many different kinds of water animals—so different in shape, in size, and in habit! It will take us a long, long time to get acquainted with even the most common. But it will be worth while, for they have thrilling stories to tell us of their life in the deep ocean.
First of all, consider their creation. They came forth at the command of God on the fifth morning of creation week. They are His handiwork. They came forth in obedience to His call. Swim, swim, fish—great and small—live your life and fill your place.
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Field Study
On what day were the first animals created?
Where were these animals to make their homes?
How were they created?
What brought forth the water animals?
Did God create many creatures to live in the waters, or did He create few?
What are the principal differences between plants and animals?
Why did the Lord create the plants before He created the animals ? Why did He create the air before He created either of these?
Why did God create light before He created the firmament?
For what purpose did God create all things? Revelation 4:11.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 30 The Sponge
What is that strange-looking object, soft and full of holes? Is it a plant or is it an animal?
Many simple animals look very much like plants, and for a long time they were regarded as such.
One of these, which was a source of dispute for a long time, was the sponge. It is now generally regarded as an animal.
The bath sponge is but the soft skeleton of the animal we are about to study.
Examine a sponge, and you will see that it is filled A SPONGE	vith holes of all sizes. Dur-
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DIVING FOR SPONGES
mg life, the little canals leading from these holes to the inner parts of the sponge are lined with tiny cells.
The cells are provided with little lashes. The moving of these lashes creates a current that constantly flows through the System of canals, and carries with it the food for the cells. Each one of these little cells leads an independent life, yet it is closely related to the entire colony, and all taken together form the body.
The water is taken in at the holes at the side, flows through the canals, and out at the holes \yhich you will notice on the opposite side.
A sponge colony has been likened to a submerged city, where the people are arranged along the streets in such a way that each may choose his food from the -water as it passes.
Sponges are quite common in both tropical and temperate climates, and may be found in fresh as well as in salt water. The varieties commonly useful to us are nearly all found in warm waters. Off the Bahama Islands are the best sponge-fishing grounds in the world. As much as a million pounds of sponges have been gathered there in a single year.
Sponges are obtained for market in different ways. The finest and largest are usually obtained by divers, who cut them carefully from the rocks to which they are attached.
The smaller and cheaper ones are simply torn loose by long rakes or tongs.
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After the sponges are gathered, they are washed, to free the skeleton from the jellylike cells. They are then cured and prepared for the market. The mineral matter contained in them is dissolved by soaking them in an acid, which leaves the soft, fleshy portion that we use to wash the automobile and for many other purposes.
Observations
Describe the general appearance of the sponge you are studying.
Are the holes all the same size, and shape ? What was the use of these holes in the living sponge? Find the holes at the sides where the water flowed in and out in its circulation through the sponges.
What part of the living sponge do you hold in your hand?
Describe the different colors and shapes you have seen in sponges.
How do sponges differ in softness and fineness of texture?
What is the difference in prices that you have to pay for sponges?
Where may sponges be purchased? Name their various uses to us.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible.
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Lesson 31
The Coral
Does it seem strange to have a lesson on the study of little animals called “The Island Builders” ? Have you never heard of those small creatures that build islands in the sea?
The coral polyp is the animal that builds the coral rock of which you probably have heard or which you may have seen. This tiny creature lives and works, for the most part, in tropical waters, thriving best in water less than two hundred feet in depth.
If you examine a piece of coral with a magnifying glass,
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you will find that it contains many small holes. In each of these holes lived a soft, jelly-like coral polyp.
The coral that you hold in your hand is the skeleton of a whole colony of coral polyps; for, like the sponge, the coral polyps live in companies, budding and branching much as does a plant.
Each little polyp possesses arms, or tentacles, which it thrusts out of the small opening when in search of food. When at rest, the arms are drawn within.
The tentacles are called feet by some writers, and that is the reason the animal was named polyp, which means “many footed.”
There are many different kinds of coral. Some coral patches resemble gardens of shrubs and various branching bushes, upon which appear blossoms of wonderful pink, blue, and lavender. The petals, or leaves, of the flower, however, are the arms of the animal waving about in search of food.
When these little flowerlike creatures die, their skeletons form the foundation upon which another generation of
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polyps build their home. In this way the great coral rock rises slowly but steadily, higher and higher with each generation, until it reaches the surface of the water, and what is called a coral island is formed.
As the coral polyps cannot live above water, they cease building upward as soon as they reach the surface of the water. The action of the waves upon the rocky surface would in time produce soil. By and by the seeds, which the birds might drop, and which the waters might carry to the lonely shores, would take root, and clothe the island with vegetation.
Many of the islands of the sea, which are now inhabited, were built entirely by these little polyps. Thus these coral creatures, although so small, do a great work, even providing a home for man. Anciently, coral was considered of much value, and is mentioned along with pearls and rubies. Coral is still valued by some peoples.
Observations
Describe the coral that you are studying as it appears to you under the magnifying glass.
In the living coral what was the purpose of the many little holes that you see ?
Is the coral an animal or a plant ?
What is the material that forms the coral? Does it break easily?
Is it smooth or rough ?
How does coral grow?
Which part of the coral that you are studying do you think grew first?
Which do you think grew last?
What is the color of your piece of coral? What other colors have you seen?
Is coral of value? Name several uses of coral
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible.
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Lesson 32 The Whales
What huge creatures they are! We have learned of tiny creatures that build islands, but here is one monster—the largest creature that we know anything about how—himself looking like an island as he floats on the surface of the water!
Is the whale a fish? No, for fish are cold-blooded; but here is a great creature, with plenty of warm, red blood, living in the water—created to live there!
Although provided with lungs to breathe air, he is able to spend much time under water. In fact, he is perfectly helpless on land, and will die if washed ashore.
How easily his fishlike body rolls the water aside! His tail is not like a fish’s tail, but it is adapted to his needs, for with it he pushes himself upward and downward through the water.
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As he rises to the surface, the air escaping from his nostrils spouts the water high over his head. After securing a fresh supply of air, he dives below in search of food.
His appetite is enormous. He devours great quantities of fish both large and small, seals, and even other whales. His great mouth opens so wide that a man can stand upright between the extended jaws. Some whales have teeth. One kind has horny plates instead of teeth. These plates are sometimes ten or twelve feet long, and there are often as many as three hundred eighty in the mouth of one whale.
His head is about one third of his length. His eyes are small, and his ears are tiny holes close behind the eyes. He has no neck. His fore limbs are two flat, oval-shaped paddles, and there are no signs of any hind legs. He has no use for limbs.
Field Study
Have you ever seen a whale? If so, where?
Go to a museum and observe as many points in the lesson as possible.
In what respects is the whale similar to fish with which you are familiar? In what respects does he differ?
There are whaling stations at many places along the coast. Why do men catch the whales and bring them to land?
Have you seen any ice crystals this year? Are those which form slowly in a uniform temperature larger or smaller than those which form quickly ?
When ice melts on the sidewalk, notice whether it leaves any loose pieces of rock. Do you suppose that these pieces were loose before the ice formed?
Do the sprouts of potatoes that have been in the dark seem to differ in any way or ways from those exposed to the light?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
On which day of creation were water animals created?
Name the different types of water animals you have studied thus far.
Be prepared to give two-minute talks describing the sponge, the coral, and the whale.
CHAPTER IX
AIR ANIMALS
“And for a rose flower on the darkling mold The hungry redbreast gleams, no bloom, no bee ”
—Rossetti.
Lesson 33
The Fowls of the Air
Matthew 6:26
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet our heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
“And God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
“Out of the ground the Lord God formed . . . every fowl of the air.” Genesis 2:19.
“And God blessed them, saying, . . . Let fowl multiply in the earth.” Genesis 1:22.
In Eden birds of every variety of color and plumage flitted among the trees and flowers, while their mellow-toned music echoed among the trees in sweet accord to the praises of their Creator.
When God created the animals, He provided for them three homes—the water, the air, and the land. All creatures were so made that they are adapted to live in one of these three homes.
As the Bible says, the birds were to “fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” For this reason they are spoken of as “the fowls of the heaven” and “the fowls of the air.”
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In your study of winter birds do not hesitate to ask, “Why is the bill so long?” “Why are the wings of this bird so long and slender?” “Why are the feet of that bird so large and strong?” Ask all the questions you can about birds. Ask yourself these questions. Ask your teacher. Ask father and mother. Yes, do what the Bible says, “Ask now ... the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.”
Field Study
Name the birds with which you are personally acquainted.
Name the birds you love best.
With what bird notes are you familiar?
What bird nests do you know?
Name three ways to cultivate bird friends.
In what respects was the world home in readiness for the birds on the fifth morning of creation week ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 34
Birds9 Nests in Winter
Field Study
Hunt for an empty bird’s nest, and bring it into the schoolroom. Examine your nest well, and be prepared to stand before the class and give a little talk about it, using the following outline:
Where did you find your nest?
If on a tree, what kind of tree ? If on the ground, describe the location. If in or on a building, tell how it was situated. How large is the nest? What is the form of the nest? Describe the outside. Describe the inside. How was the nest made? Was it woven or plastered?
Name the bird that built the nest.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 35
The Crow
Field Study
When and where did you see a crow?
Describe its colors.
How large is the crow compared with other black birds?
What is the general shape of the crow?
Are its wings long and slender or short and stout?
Is its tail long or short? Is it uneven or straight across the end ?
Describe the crow’s feet. Are they large and strong, or slender?
How many toes does the track show in the mud or snow?
When hunting for food, does the crow hop or walk?
Where and of what material does the crow build its nest ?
What are the notes of the crow ?
Where and how do crows live in winter ?
Upon what do crows feed ?
A CROW’S NEST
Describe the crow's beak.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 36 The Chickadee
Field Study
When and where did you see the little chickadee?
What is his song ?
Describe the coloring of the chickadee.
Compare the size of the chickadee with other birds.
What is the shape of the chickadee's bill?
What is his food in winter? Where does the chickadee find it?
How does he act when feeding or hunting for food?
In what part of the tree do you find the chickadee?
What makes you think that the chickadee seems to like the snow and cold weather?
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Where does he build his nest?
Why does every one love the little chickadee?
Who made the happy little chickadee?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 37 The Nuthatch
Field Study
Look for the nuthatch. Can you find him?
On what part of the tree does the nuthatch usually alight?
Does he alight head down or up as a rule ?
How does he run down a tree,—does he run down headfirst or does he back down?
What is his general color above and below?
How far down does his black cap come?
Has the nuthatch a black bib?
Describe his beak.
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What is his food, and where does he find it?
What is the song of the nuthatch ?
Where does he build his nest?
Who taught the nuthatch*how to sing and to build?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Facts to Be Remembered
In what respects was our world home in readiness for the birds on the fifth morning of creation week?
Be able to give a complete description of at least three birds’ nests. Name the leading characteristics of the crow, the chickadee, and the nuthatch.
CHAPTER X
LAND ANIMALS
“The hare limp'd trembling through the frozen grass, And silent was the flock in woolly fold”
—Keats.
Lesson 38
The Creation of Land Animals
Genesis 1:24
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
On the sixth morning of creation week cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth heard the call of God, and they came forth. What fine-looking cattle browsed in the green pastures! Lions, bears, leopards, cats, tigers, dogs, wolves,—animals of all kinds,—roamed the shady woods, and frisked about with the playful lambs. Creeping things, some very tiny, others larger, crawled through the soft grass from bush to bush and from flower to flower.
What a happy family they were! Animals of all kinds roamed together, ate together, played together, and lay down to sleep side by side. There was no fear or strife among them. Did the bears growl at the little lambs? Did the wolves pursue the sheep? Oh, no! Even the huge elephants stepped about with care, for they would not crush the tiny little creatures beneath their feet.
Such were the beasts that God created on the sixth day. Why this peace and friendliness among the animals? Ah, sin was not there! Sin brings hatred and strife. When there
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is no sin, there is friendliness and love. What a comfortable home these creatures found awaiting them! The cattle found their place in the green pastures, the beasts found their place in the shady woods, and creeping things found downy beds in soft grass. Every creature found his place. It was all so wisely planned by a loving Creator.
Field Work
Name beasts of the field that are helpful to man.
Name beasts of the field that are unfriendly to man.
Which is your favorite animal, and why?
Look for animal tracks in the snow, and name them.
Can you tell whether the animal was coming toward you or going from you?
Did he put his hind foot down in the same place as his forefoot?
Name creeping things you have seen in your own garden.
Name creeping things you have seen in the woods.
In what respects was our world home in readiness for the beasts of the field and creeping things on the sixth morning of creation week?
State facts to be remembered in your fall animal studies.
Be sure to continue your observation on thermometer readings at nine each morning and five each evening. Study the weather reports, and name a city that is having colder weather, and one that is having milder weather, than you are having.
When did you have your last thunderstorm? Was it followed by warmer or colder weather?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 39 Winter Sleepers
Field Study
Sleepy little toad, we know where you are sleeping your winter sleep. You found a safe place in the ground. You are safe from your enemies. You are snug and warm in your little nest. You will sleep until the warmth of spring awakens you.
Where are you, little woodchuck, these winter days? The last time we saw you, what a fine, big, fat fellow you were! It is your summer's business
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to fatten up for the winter. We located your burrow last summer by rolling stones into your den. How you did dig when the stones came rolling in! When you felt the cold of winter coming on, you crawled into your burrow for your winter nap. You live during the winter on the fat stored in your body. How thin and lean you will look when you crawl out of your den next spring!
Let us locate, if we can, our little friend, chipmunk. Do you remember how funny he looked last fall with his little cheeks stuffed full of nuts? How he hurried away to his den to hide them for winter use! His nest is hard to find. He burrows in the ground usually on the dry hillside. At the end of his burrow is his cozy nest. It is full of nuts and grain. Little chipmunk awakens from his nap from time to time during the winter, and finds a good meal awaiting him right at hand. Wise little chipmunk to leave your play and gather in your winter store of nuts!
Who is sleeping in this hollow tree? It is little brown bat. He went to sleep when chipmunk did last fall.
Who is this curled up like a ball in the warm crevice of a tree ? It is little woolly bear. How soundly he is sleeping!
Surely the winter cold cannot reach you, Mr. Snail, with the three doors of lime you have built across the opening to your shell. Where have you hidden from the bitter cold? You have buried yourself under a large log where you are well protected from the cold. We’ll be careful not to move your log, Mr. Snail, and disturb your winter slumbers.
Deep down under the soil is another sleeper. He is sleeping so soundly you would think he was dead. It is potato beetle. He’ll be as lively as ever next spring.
There are many other winter sleepers. Look for them, and take a peep at them if you can, but do not disturb their winter slumbers.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 40 Cottontail
Field Study
When and where did you see a cottontail?
How does the cottontail get his name?
Sketch his tracks as they appear in the snow. How many do you find?
Which are ahead, the forefoot or the hind-foot tracks?
When do you think these tracks were made, by day or by night?
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What does cottontail do during the day ?
What does he find to eat during the winter?
Describe his ears when resting, when startled, when listening, and when running.
Do you think that cottontail has a keen sense of smell ?
How are his eyes placed so that he can see forward and backward ? Why does cottontail need such strong hind legs ?
Describe cottontail's winter coat.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
A CHRYSALIS
Lesson 41
Woolly Bear and His Cousin in Winter
When you last saw woolly bear in the autumn, do you remember that he seemed to be in a hurry? Do you know why he was hastening? He wanted to find some secure place in which to hide during the season of cold and snow. Finally he found just the place he wanted. It was a snug little place under the porch. There he curled up in safety for his long winter nap.
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Woolly bear has a little cousin caterpillar that has a different plan for the winter. He selected the birch tree for his winter home. He knew that the leaves of this tree would make good eating for him in the springtime.
Cousin woolly bear made his winter home in the birch tree in this way: First he spun a fine silk thread. He fastened this thread to the edge of a leaf. Then he carried it to the other edge of the leaf. Then he fastened other threads in the same way. Each thread was a little shorter than the one before. This bent the leaf. At last the leaf was bent into a tube, and cousin woolly bear lined it with silk. Then he covered the outside with silk the color of the gray purple of young birch buds. How clever! Cousin woolly bear knew that in this way he could escape the notice of the birds in the spring. Next cousin woolly bear bound his house to the twig with a silk thread by crawling around and around drawing the silk with him. The fierce winter storms will not tear off this house which he bound to the tree. When all was finished, cousin woolly bear crawled in head first. The knobbed end of his body filled up the open part of the nest. So let the winds blow and let the snow fly, cousin woolly bear lies safe in his snug winter home. He is sleeping.
Field Study
Look for some cousin woolly bears that are wintering in this fashion. You will doubtless find some in your birch tree. Look for old woolly bear himself, curled up in some secluded spot. Woolly bear is likely to wake up if warmed in your hand or in the sunshine. If you wish to take care of woolly bear during the winter, put him in a box and place the box out of doors. Be sure to put the box where it will be protected from storms, and yet have the ordinary winter temperature. Keeping woolly bear in a warm room during the winter may cause his death.
Find the “cradle cocoon” of the silk moth, and bring it into the schoolroom. You will no doubt find it on an orchard or shade tree. It is shaped
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like a hammock, and hangs close below a branch. If you keep it until springtime, you will see some interesting things happen.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
AT THE WATERING TROUGH
Lesson 42 The Horse
Field Study
Find a horse in your neighborhood, and cultivate his acquaintance. Kindness will win his friendship.
When taking a lump of sugar from your hand, does the horse use his teeth or his lips?
Describe his eyes. What color are they? Why do we put blinders on a horse?
Where are the horse's ears placed on his head?
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Has the horse a keen sense of smell ? Are his lips thick or thin ?
Does the horse's coat change in winter?
When the horse lies down, what part goes down first? When getting up, which rises first?
What kind of food is best for the horse? How and when should the horse be watered? Should the water be warmed in cold weather? Should the bit be warmed in cold weather before putting it in the horse's mouth ?
When a horse has been driven until he is sweating, what care should be given him when hitching him out of doors in cold weather?
What other rules for the care of the horse can you discover?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Facts to Be Remembered
Name the classes of animals created on the sixth day of creation week. Name several of the winter sleepers, and tell how and where they sleep. Be able to give a brief talk describing the cottontail and the horse.
13 Book of Nature
CHAPTER XI
MAN
11He [man] was holy and happy,... and in perfect obedience to His [God's] wilV'—E. G. White.
Lesson 43
Created in the Image of God
Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.”
Our world home was finished. Nothing was lacking. It was completely furnished with everything that could make a home beautiful and attractive. Every comfort was there, —everything that was needful to life and happiness. As God beheld its readiness, His great heart overflowed with love, and He said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” There surely was much tenderness and love in that call. Man came forth created in the image of God. How wonderful to be like God in looks, in form, and in character! What a strong, healthy body God gave to this first man! What a bright, clear mind! What a pure, clean heart! How true and noble he was, for he was like God! How sin has changed man’s looks! How it has changed his body and his character! Sin has marred God’s beautiful handiwork in man. How different from that first man are the people who live to-day! God looks down in tender pity upon our world family, and longs to make us noble and strong and pure as man was in the beginning. The same Holy Spirit that was present in the beginning to create man will create anew our hearts and
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our lives, and make us pure and lovely if we are only willing. Let us be willing every day.
There are many stories told about the creation of man, but there is only one true story. This story is found in the word of God. The Bible says God created man on the sixth day. He created him in His own image. God spoke, and man came forth, made of the dust of the ground. Let us read again and again the true story of the creation of man. If we do, we shall never be deceived by any untrue stories.
Field Study
What three things does the Bible tell us in the first chapter of Genesis about the creation of man?
How did the first man differ in looks from the people of to-day? How did he differ in character? How did he differ in strength of mind and of body?
Name ways in which we may strengthen our bodies at this time. Name ways in which we may strengthen our minds. Name ways in which we may strengthen our characters.
Have you ever heard any untrue stories about the creation of man ?
What in the Bible tells you that it did not take God many long years to create the first man? What in the Bible tells you that man was not at first a lower animal ?
Continue to cultivate the friendship of the chickadee, the nuthatch, the crow, the red squirrel, the cottontail, and other winter friends in your neighborhood. When and where did you see them last, and what were they doing ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 44
Man’s Relation to Heat
Animals, like plants, could not exist were it not for the heat given to the earth by the sun. The pleasant warm
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weather is a gift to us from the sun. But the Lord made the sun on the fourth day of creation week; therefore, the warm days are really a gift from Him.
But whether the weather is warm or cold, the heat of the body remains constant. It is not affected by the weather.
If the temperature of the body is taken by placing a thermometer under the tongue, it will be found to be a little above 98° Fahrenheit, provided the person is enjoying good health. If the temperature of the body is higher than this, we know that the person has a fever.
Should it fall below 98°, we are warned that something is the matter with the circulation.
It is the circulation of the blood to all parts of the body that distributes the heat of the body; so nothing can hinder the circulation without causing trouble.
You know that if you prick yourself deep enough anywhere, the blood flows out. The only parts of the body that have no blood are the nails, the hair, and the outer layer of skin. Where does all this red fluid come from, and what keeps it flowing through the body?
In our study of plants we examined the leaves, and learned that through the slender veins sap was constantly circulating, carrying food to every part of the leaf.
In our bodies there are sets of tubes through which the
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blood is kept constantly flowing from the heart to the surface and back to the heart again.
The heart is the wonderful pump that furnishes the power to keep up this constant circuit. If for one brief moment it should cease its steady beat, beat, life would cease.
Your heart is pear shaped, about the size of your fist. It contains four rooms,—two on the right and two on the left, as you see in the picture. The rooms on the right side do not open into the rooms on the left.
You see two large tubes from which the blood empties into the rooms on the right side. You can see the large tubes through which it is pumped out again. From here it goes to the lungs. On the left side you see four tubes entering the upper room, bringing back the blood from the lungs. Leaving the lower room on the left side is the large tube through which pure blood is pumped to all parts of the body.
Questions and Observations
Count your pulse. Count one another's pulse.
Where can you see veins in your body? Where can you see capillaries in your body? Where can you see arteries in your body?
Watch a pump at work. How is this similar to the working of the heart?
Is it more dangerous to cut a vein or an artery? Why? Imagine a cut artery in the arm. Put on a proper bandage. Imagine a cut vein in the arm. Put on a proper bandage.
Notebook Requirement
Trace the journey of a drop of blood.
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Lesson 45 The Ear
There is another way in which the air is very useful, for hearing depends upon the air.
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In our study of air we learned that one of its uses is the carrying of sound, and that it does this by jarring the air particles against one another.
Now the Creator, who arranged that air should carry sound in this way, knew just how to form the ear as a sound receiver. To appreciate this we must know something about the ear.
The ear is made up of three parts: First, the outer ear; second, the middle ear; third, the inner ear.
The outer ear is simply a funnel leading into a canal that ends with the eardrum. The eardrum forms a partition between the outer ear and the middle ear.
The middle ear is a cavity that contains a chain of three small bones. One end of this chain of bones is fastened to the eardrum. The other end connects with the other cavity, or inner ear.
The inner ear is shell shaped, and filled with a watery fluid. Floating in this fluid are small, grainlike stones called ear stones. The walls of the inner chamber are covered with very small hairs.
And how are all these parts of use in hearing? They must all be necessary, for, if any part is diseased, the organ of hearing is crippled, and this gateway of knowledge may become closed.
The outer ear collects the sound waves and conducts them to the eardrum. When the eardrum is set in motion, the little chain of bones within is set in motion also. This
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motion is carried in through the middle ear to the fluid of the inner ear.
Here, in that curious, shell-shaped room and in the loopshaped passages of the inner ear, the tiny, grainlike stones strike the tiny hairs with which the cavity is lined. The nerves of hearing, which the brain has sent down to gather up the sound messages, flash to the brain the news that the air waves have brought. And thus we hear. How wonderful !
Observations
The following are very injurious to the ear. Can you tell why?
Picking the ear with a pin or any sharp-pointed instrument.
A slap on the ears.
A shout in the ears.
Listen to the ticking of a wratch, and determine the strength of your hearing. What is the longest distance at which you can hear? Test the hearing of other pupils in your class.
Do you know of anyone who is deaf ? How did he lose his hearing ?
Why does the position of the ears of your dog and cat change when listening intently? Describe the position of the ears of each under such circumstances. Which do you think can hear more acutely, your dog or your cat? Tell why you think so.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible.
Write four rules that should be observed in the care of the ears.
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Lesson 46
Man’s Relation to Land
Psalm 103:14
“He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”
We learn in reading the record of man’s creation that “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” Not only was man formed of the dust of the earth, but “out of
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the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.” Not only were the animals created from the dust of the earth, but “out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.” Genesis 2:7, 19, 9.
It was God’s plan that the plants should, by feeding upon the soil, change it into food for man and beast. The first change is from soil to plant life; the second change is from plant life to animal life. So when we see a plant, let us remember that we are looking at soil that has been made alive, and that we ourselves are but plant life changed into a higher life.
When man dies, his body decays and turns into dust. “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” says the scripture.
More mineral matter is found in-the bones than elsewhere in the body. These bones form the framework, or skeleton, of the body, being to the body what timbers are to a house, giving it strength and form.
You have perhaps seen bleached, dry bones. These are very unlike the bones in the living body, which are a beautiful pink in color, filled with tiny blood vessels, and covered with a moist, gristlelike skin.
The animal matter in a bone may be burned away, leaving only the mineral part. The mineral part may be eaten away by acid. The gristle that is left will be soft enough to tie into a knot.
THE. FRAMEWORK OF THE BODY
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The bones of children have much more of this gristle than the bones of grown people. For this reason it is very important that during childhood the bones should be trained to take the best positions. The skeleton is composed of more than two hundred bones of many shapes and sizes. Some are long and round, some are thin and broad, others are short and flat; but each is exactly suited to do the work for which it was placed in the body.
The meeting places of the bones are called joints. The joints allow the parts of the body to bend in different ways, so that many motions are possible.
Not only do the bones provide a support for the body, but they are also a protection to the most delicate organs. What organs have we studied that are protected by the bones of the chest? The brain, one of the most important organs of the whole body, the one that controls all the others, is well protected by the bony covering, the skull, which surrounds it.
Perhaps you have heard the story of the gardener’s attempt to straighten the old, crooked tree. It was useless, was it not? If you wish to have an erect figure, you must form correct habits while you are children. Do not slide down in your seat. Do not bend over your book. Stand squarely on both feet. Sit “tall,” in your seats, with both feet resting upon the floor. Do not sit with one shoulder higher than the other. Do not wear tight shoes, or tight clothing about the
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waist. Eat plenty of good brown bread, and other foods that contain a good supply of mineral food.
Health Suggestions
What is a habit? How is it formed?
When is the best time to form good habits?
Describe correct habits in sitting posture.
Describe correct habits in standing posture.
Describe correct habits in walking posture.
What causes people to be: bow-legged, round shouldered, and hollow chested ? Often one shoulder is higher than the other. What do you think causes this?
Some children have the habit of standing with the weight on one foot. Why is this a bad habit?
Stand with the arms folded behind, and notice the chest line. Stand with the arms folded in front, and notice the chest line. Which is the better posture?
Some children always carry their books in the same arm, resting on the same hip. Why is this a bad habit?
Notebook Requirement
Answer the questions under Health Suggestions indicated by your teacher.
Facts to Be Remembered
Name three things that the first chapter of Genesis teaches about the creation of man. What produces heat in the body?
How is this heat carried to all parts of the body?
Describe the heart.
Name kinds of work that will strengthen heart action.
Describe the ear.
Give four rules for the proper care of the ears.
INCORRECT SITTING POSITION
CHAPTER XII
THE SABBATH
“The Sabbath ever pointing to Him who made them all bids men open the great book of nature ”—E. G. White.
Lesson 47 The First Sabbath
Exodus 20:8
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
We have followed the Master Builder through His plan of forming our world. We have seen each step that was taken after God spoke the world into existence until it was ready for habitation. It has been marvelous to see the world, which at first was “without form, and void,” become, under the hand of its Maker, a world of glory and beauty.
How did the Creator feel when He had completed the work of making a home for man ? As He proceeded with the work step by step, He saw that it was good. But when it was all finished, He saw that “it was very good.”
Six days He had labored. During this time He had created the world and made the many beautiful and useful things that it contains.
How did the Creator feel when He had completed the work of making a home for man? As He proceeded with the
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
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work step by step, He saw that it was good. But when it was all finished, He saw that “it was very good.” Six days He had labored. During this time He had created the world and made the many beautiful and useful things that it contains.
When all was complete, God spent the seventh day surveying His handiwork. He beheld the sun and the moon giving their light and heat to the earth. He beheld all the beautiful trees and flowers that adorned the earth, and that were to furnish man and the lower animals with food. He saw Adam and Eve, our first parents, in the Garden of Eden, their lovely home. He saw the birds flitting about them in joy, and the beasts sporting at their feet. Gladness reigned everywhere upon the earth; and as the Creator of all things beheld what He had made, His great heart of love was filled with happiness. The Scriptures tell us, “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on .the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.”
How gratifying it is to us, after we have worked to accomplish something good, to spend a little time beholding our. work! We rejoice when success attends our efforts. So it was with God. He took so much pleasure in that day that He set apart the seventh day of every week as a time for mankind to rest and to study the works of God about them. This day was to bring a refreshing to their souls after the week of labor.
The Sabbath marks the completion of God’s work of creating the earth. It is the world’s birthday. The Creator set this day apart, making it a memorial of His creative power. The Sabbath marks the close of each week. How
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long will this memorial continue? “Thy name, 0 Lord, en-dureth forever; and Thy memorial, 0 Lord, throughout all generations.”
Questions
How many days did the Creator use in building our world?
How did He express His joy in His work?
How did He spend the seventh day? With what results? Exodus 31:17. What did God do with the seventh day? Why? Genesis 2:1-3.
Surveying His Handiwork on His Day
Take a walk for the purpose of visiting the birds. See how many you can discover at this time of the year. Try to learn something new about the chickadee or any other bird you have been studying.
Pray that you may learn something new about God's wonderful works each Sabbath day. If you do, angel teachers will draw near to help you.
If you step softly and listen quietly, you will see many new things in the woods on the Sabbath day. Doubtless some of the winter sleepers are beginning to stir. Watch the red squirrel from some point where he cannot see you. His frisky movements and bright eyes will tell you a wonderful squirrel story.
Notice the change in the trees from Sabbath to Sabbath. Study the buds; their size, their shape, and their covering, also their location on the trees. How quickly they change!
Notebook Requirement
Write up a little report stating just how you spend each Sabbath day as it comes to you from week to week.
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Lesson 48
Enjoying the Sabbaths in Winter
Isaiah 58:13
“Call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable.”
GO TO SABBATH SCHOOL
Be sure to go to Sabbath school. Your teacher will miss you, and the angels will miss you if you are not there. Your Sabbath school lesson well studied each day during the week
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will make Sabbath school doubly enjoyable. Find your parents after Sabbath school, and sit with them during church service. Listen for the texts, and look them up in your Bible as the minister reads them. You will hear many interesting things if you learn to listen to the minister on God’s holy day.
STUDY YOUR BIBLE
Remember, as you open your Bible, that it is God’s voice speaking to you. First read your Bible Year assignment for the day, and then study your Sabbath school lesson for the next Sabbath. It is a fine thing also to memorize some verse from the Bible on Sabbath keeping or on the second coming of Christ. In a short time you will possess a rich store of precious treasures.
MISSIONARY WORK
Was some one missing from Sabbath school or church to-day? If so, let him know that you remember him. Carry him some flowers or some little token of your interest and sympathy. A note of sympathy is always appreciated. These things cost so little, but how they cheer the sick and the lonely! Many of the people about us do not know that Jesus is coming soon. A paper or a tract may help to save a soul in the kingdom of God. Let us give some one “the light” each Sabbath day.
OPENING THE GREAT BOOK OF NATURE
If the weather will permit, be sure to spend some time out of doors each Sabbath day, where you can learn something new about the trees, the birds, and the little creatures of the woods. If you are still, you will feel the Sabbath quiet-
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ness, and you will hear and see things that you do not hear and see on the busy week day.
Notebook Requirement
Write a little story under the name, “Enjoying the Sabbath Day in Winter.”
Facts to Be Remembered
What is a memorial ?
Of what is the Sabbath a memorial ?
How did God spend the first Sabbath in Eden ?
How should we spend our Sabbath days?
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“SPRING’S SWEET VOICE IS CALLING THE WINTER SLEEPERS TO AWAKEN IT IS BLOSSOM TIME.
Spring
‘Tis heaven alone that is given away,
‘Tis only God may be had for the asking; No price is set on the lavish summer, June may be had by the poorest comer.” — Lowell.
Chapter I. IN THE BEGINNING
“The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace.” —E. G. White.
1.	Opening the Book of Nature
2.	God's Plan in the Beginning
Chapter II. LIGHT AND HEAT
“Not only the days but life itself lengthens in summer.”—Jeffries.
3.	“Let There Be Light"
4.	Light and Its Habits
5.	The Colors of Light
6.	Climate in Springtime
Chapter III. AIR AND SOUND
“What is more gentle than a wind in summer ?”—Keats.
7.	The Creation of Air
8.	Good Air
9.	Musical Sounds
10.	How Sound Travels
11.	The Listening Ear in Spring
Chapter IV. WATER
“Spring teased the brook till he laughed outright.' ’— Macdonald.
12.	The Gathering of the Waters
13.	Watering the Earth
14.	The Clouds
15.	Drink Cold Water
16.	Bathe Often
14 Book of Nature
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Chapter V. DRYLAND
“There is a burst of rapture in the . V woodland rills.”
17.	The Dry Land Appeared
18.	Your Garden Bed in Spring
19.	My State
20.	My Continent
Chapter VI. PLANTS
- “And he is happiest who hath power To gather wisdom from a flower.”
21.	The Creation of Plants	— Wordsworth.
22.	The Violet
23.	Tulips and Crocuses
24.	Vegetables in Your Spring Garden
Chapter VII. SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“There are stars in the meadow dropped here and there.”
25.	“Let There Be Lights in the Firmament of the Heaven ”
26.	More About Our Sun
27.	More About Our Moon
28.	Getting Acquainted with the Stars
Chapter VIII. WATER ANIMALS
“And whatever of life hath ebbed away Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer, Into every bare inlet and creek and bay.” — Lowell.
29.	The Creation of Water Animals
30.	Tadpoles
31.	Minnows
32.	The Turtle
Chapter IX. AIR ANIMALS
“Oh, now’s the hour when the air is sweet And birds are all in tune.”—Percival.
33.	The Creation of Air Animals
34.	The Robin
35.	The Song Sparrow
36.	The Catbird
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Chapter X. LAND ANIMALS
‘The bee comes sipping every eventide His dainty fill.”
37.	The Creation of Land Animals
38.	Woolly Bear in Spring
39.	The Ant
40.	The Ant Cows
41.	“Mousie ”
Chapter XI. MAN
“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”—David.
42.	The Creation of Man
43.	The Stomach
44.	Proper Diet
45.	How to Eat
46.	Accidents and Emergencies
Chapter XII. THE SABBATH
“ ’Neath cloistered boughs each floral bell that springeth
And tolls its perfume on the passing air Makes Sabbath in the fields and ever ringeth A call to prayer.”
47.	The Sabbath
48.	Enjoying the Sabbath in Spring
CHAPTER I
IN THE BEGINNING
“The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace ”—E. G. White.
Lesson 1
Opening the Book of Nature SPRING
Here they come, the warm sun rays that tell us that winter has gone and spring has come with skies so blue.
The axis of our world home is inclining more and more toward the sun. The sun rays grow brighter and warmer day by day. Spring’s sweet voice is calling the winter sleepers to awaken. It is calling the lovely birds to come home. Grass and trees and flowers hear the call, and begin to unfold and lift up their heads. Oh, it is a wonderful time!
“Buttercup, Buttercup Lady,
Open your petals of gold;
Buttercup, Buttercup Lady,
All of your beauty unfold.
Says Robin dear, ‘Sweet springtime is here;
Skies are so blue and summer is near/
Buttercup, Buttercup Lady,
Open your petals of gold.”
What a joy to watch for the flowers of spring! Here they are! See these happy flower faces. They seem to smile their happy greeting to us. 0 Spring, you are a glad time!
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“Pussy Willow, Pussy Willow,
In your furry cap,
Pussy Willow, Pussy Willow,
Long you’ve had your nap.
Spring has come with skies so blue, Spring’s sweet voice is calling you; Wake up, wake up, Pussy, do, Pussy, Pussy Willow.”
What a glorious book of nature is open to us during the months of spring and summer! The freshness and fragrance of spring fill the air. At every turn in the road we exclaim, “Oh, how beautiful!” The loveliness of the soft, new grass, the richness of the unfolding foliage, the gorgeous tints of the blossoms of spring, somehow they give beauty and loveliness even to the old fence, and to the shabby woodshed near it.
Oh, the beauty of spring! A busy time, too! All life is astir. The little folk of the woods are scampering and skipping, gathering materials for their summer home. The insects are softly humming, for they know that the sweetest honey will soon be found in the lovely flowers of spring. What a hurrying in the tree tops! Snug, cozy nests must be built for baby birds. Yes, it is a busy time.
We must open our eyes wide, for there is much to be seen. Each day new pages will open to us in our spring book of nature. Let us train our eyes to look, to see, and to learn in the glad springtime of the year.
Field Study
Demonstrate with your schoolroom globe the position of our earth with reference to the sun at this time of the year.
Name the months of spring.
Name the months of summer.
Name the signs of springtime in your neighborhood.
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Do plants near water develop more rapidly than plants away from it?
Do evergreen trees ever shed their leaves? Look along the twigs or beneath the trees, and find out.
Chestnut trees may, during these months, bear their slender, tassel-like flowers. What color are they?
Are the sunsets brighter early in the spring or in the summer ?
Compare your thermometer readings at this time of the year with your thermometer readings for last December.
You may see many last-year’s nests left in the trees this spring. Decide for yourself whether birds use the same nests year after year.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Note to Teacher
The lesson entitled “Your Garden Bed in Spring,” beginning on page 234, is given in the dry land section to follow the creation sequence, but you should give it to the children at the time when it is suitable to start garden work in your locality. This applies also to the lesson entitled “Vegetables in Your Spring Garden,” on page 242.
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Lesson 2
God?s Plan in the Beginning
Isaiah 45:18
“He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.”
Before opening the spring and summer books of nature and studying the wonders of light and air and all the works of creation, let us again open our Bibles, and turn to that wonderful story about the beginning. We turned to this story before opening the fall or the winter book of nature. We want to read it again before opening our spring and summer books of nature. It is a story that never grows old. We may learn something new every time we read it. It will shine as a light upon every page of our spring and summer
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books. Before opening the book of nature each day, let us repeat this tribute to the Creator of the heaven and the earth, “0 Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all.”
There are three questions about the creation of our world home which puzzle some people. When and how and why was our world created? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” answers the first question. “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth,” answers the second question. Where shall we find the answer to the third question? Isaiah tells us why God created our world home: “He formed it to be inhabited.” It was His desire to make it a home for His children. Before God began the work of creating this world, He had planned to people it with a race of holy, happy, sinless beings.
We can better understand the heavenly Father’s love when we think of an earthly father, and what causes him to provide a pleasant and beautiful home for his children. But before he begins to build,—before the frame is erected, before the foundation is laid, before a stroke of work is done, in fact, before the materials for building are brought together,—the father carefully plans the home he is about to make. He thinks it all over beforehand. He thinks about the rooms—how many there shall be, and the size of each. He plans how each room shall be used. He imagines he is seated with his family around the table in the cheerful dining room. In imagination he spends many pleasant evenings chatting with his family before the large, comfortable fireplace in the sitting room. All these thoughts have prompted the father to build an inviting home. The love of the father for his children is proclaimed by the sound of the plane,
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saw, and hammer as they shape the raw materials into a building.
So must our heavenly Father have thought, felt, and planned, when He built this earth to be our home. Before He began the work, He thought of us, His children, who were as yet unborn. At every step of the work, the great heart of God was moved by love. While yet the earth was “without form, and void,” and covered with darkness, our heavenly Father saw His children in their Eden home. He saw them listening to the songs of the birds. He saw them examining the beautiful flowers. He heard them praising their Creator for the wonderful gifts of His love. The earthly father delights in seeing his children enjoy and appreciate the comforts and pleasures provided for them. How much more does our heavenly Father enjoy bringing comfort and blessing to His children!
A loving Father is our Creator. Let us pray that God will write this story of His love and power upon our hearts. If we strive to remember it each day, angels will draw near to teach us, and every boy and girl “may gain knowledge as .Jesus did.”
Field Study
Why is it unsafe to study the book of nature without first opening the word of God?
Watch sharply for the first robin. When and where did you see it? What was it doing?* Is its coloring the same as when you last saw it in the fall?
Look out for the first blue jay. Does it look the same as last fall ? Where does it build its nest? What do you see on top of its head? Is its call sweet or saucy?
Look for the first fruit tree in bloom. What kind is it? What color are its blossoms?
What do you see the farmer or gardener doing at this time of the year?
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In the rain barrel you may find mosquito “wigglers,” which jerk themselves away from the surface when you approach. Put some of these in a tumbler of water, and on the surface of the water put a little kerosene. Watch closely to see if you can decide why the kerosene kills the wigglers.
Across the sidewalk you may find many silvery lines that glisten in the sun. Follow some of them to the end, and you may find a slug or a snail. Let one of these crawl up a piece of glass, and see if you can find out how the trail is laid.
Under boards and logs you may find some gray, many-legged creatures. These are sow bugs. Put them into a terrarium in which you have living plants, and see where they injure the plants.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Name the months in each of the four seasons.
What is the position of our earth with reference to the sun when it is springtime? when it is summer time?
Answer these three questions with a scripture: When, how, and why did God create our world home?
Why is it unsafe to open the book of nature without first opening the word of God?
CHAPTER II
LIGHT AND HEAT
“Not only the days but life itself lengthens in summer ”
—Jeffries.
Lesson 3
“Let There Be Light99
Genesis 1:3-5
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
“Let there be light.” God, the Creator, was speaking on the first morning of creation week to a world in darkness. Was there no light before God had spoken? Oh, no! “Darkness was upon the face of the deep.” It was darker than the darkest night. But God’s words were mighty. The darkness must go, for the light had come in obedience to the command of God.
What a glorious daybreak was that first morning when the light appeared! The light flashed forth in splendor, and the darkness quietly slipped away. A dark, dark world became a beautiful, bright world. How the waters of the great deep sparkled as the light shone upon them! What cheer came to our world home with those first light rays!
“And God saw the light, thatfit was good.” He saw the gloom fade away in the glory of those golden beams of light. He knew that they would bring comfort to the sad. He knew the life-giving power in one little ray. The sparkle in the
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eye, the glow of health on the cheek, the gorgeqfos’ ,<*oloHng in all nature; He knew that light would bring these bless-' ings, and many more. “And God saw the light that it was good.”
“And God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” The light had a great work to do; the darkness also. The light was not to be on duty all the time. The darkness must have its time in which to do its special work.
What a quietness falls upon the earth when the day’s work is done and darkness steals upon us! It is time to put away our work. It is the time to rest tired brains and tired muscles. We fall upon our knees and pray—
“If I have wounded any soul to-day, . . .
Dear Lord, forgive/'
God hears our “good-night” prayer. He will bless the work we have tried to do for Him in the day that has just closed. He will pardon every sin before we close our eyes in sleep. Truly the night is good also, for it brings sweet sleep.
The night passes. The day comes. Our angel awakens us. How thankful we are for a new day! Our thoughts turn to God. He must be “in the beginning” of this new day just as He was “in the beginning” in the creation of this world.
Softly, gently breaking,
Comes the morn's first ray,
And with hearts confiding We look up and say,
“Father, watch and shield Thy child another day."
What a precious treasure is each new day! We cannot afford to lose even one.
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“Count that day lost
Whose low, descending sun Views from thy hand No worthy action done.”
Field Study
Repeat Genesis 1:3-5.
Demonstrate again with the classroom globe the causes of day and night.
Review the habits of light that you have studied thus far.
Why is the rest, which night brings, necessary?
Name some of the “worthy actions” that may make each day count.
Try to find out something new about the squirrel this spring. Find out why it is that the squirrels can go out on the tip of twigs high in the air, and not fall. Find out, too, if you can, how squirrels can carry so much food in their mouths when cats and other animals cannot do so.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 4
Light and Its Habits
Let us now review some of the facts previously studied about light,—the light that is received by our natural eyes. What do you already know about light? Are you able to tell something of its habits?
First of all, light travels. Just how it travels we do not know; but we do know something about the direction it takes while traveling. You notice that in the air it travels in a straight line from where the beam enters the room to the floor. If light did not travel in straight lines, we could have no shade. The light would bend under the branches of the trees, and peep around the corners of our homes, and man and the lower animals would be constantly in the blazing light of the sun.
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Light has color. Learned men tell us that it is white; and this agrees with the scripture, “His [Christ’s] face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” When Christ was glorified, to look into His face was like looking into the sun. Perhaps this is one reason why Jesus is called the “Sun of Righteousness.” The sunbeam is white. But we find that a beam of white light passed through a glass prism divides into seven colors,— violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
Light rebounds.
That is, if it strikes an object that will not receive it or allow it to pass on, it will bound back again. This is well illustrated by the looking-glass and also by brightly polished metals.
The light bends. This habit of light we have not yet studied. If you plunge a straw into a glass of water, you will notice that the straw appears bent. The straw is not bent, but only appears to be. This is because the light bends in passing from the water into the air.
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God gave light these habits when He created it upon the first morning of creation week. As you study more about the light, you will find that it is always true to these habits. It is a good thing to be true to good habits. A good habit is a character builder. Form good habits now, boys and girls, while you are young.
“Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.”—Chas. Reade.
Field Study
Admit a beam of light into a darkened room, and sprinkle a little chalk dust in the path of the light in order that you may see the direction of its path.
Drop a penny to the bottom of a tin cup, and stand in such a position that the rim just hides the penny from view. Fill the cup with water. Can you see the penny now?
Go to some body of water near your home where the water is clear, and notice the posts in the water near the water's edge. How do they look to you ? What habit of light is illustrated by the prism ?
What habit of light is illustrated by the mirror?
If you wish to see in the mirror articles of furniture in*the room to the right of the mirror, do you stand to the right or the left of the mirror? Where do you stand to see furniture in the room to the left of the mirror?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 5
The Colors of Light
You have already learned that color depends upon light. In every tiny sunbeam there are seven bright rays of color. Do you remember how we discovered this fact by means of the prism? Do you remember how we learned, too, that these rays of color may be separated from one another by means
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of the countless tiny, falling spheres of water when they are seen in the path of the sunbeams? Thus in one slender beam of sunlight are given all the beautiful colors of the rainbow.
Color is something that must be made every moment. The light is God’s agent for making color. If an object looks green to you, it is because the green color is made out of the light that falls upon the object while you are looking at it. The tiny blade of grass throws back to your eye the green rays of light, and the green rays only, holding fast all the other color rays. A green pane of glass allows only the green rays to pass through its substance, holding from the passing sunbeams all the other rays of color. When an object throws back, or passes on, all the colors, it is white. When an object passes on none of the color rays, but holds them all, it is black, or without color.
It was Sir Isaac Newton who first discovered that white contains all other colors. This interesting man lived about two hundred years ago. He made a wheel and painted all the seven colors on the side. When he whirled the wheel very fast, the colors all went to his eye mixed together; and, being mixed, they made white, just as they do in a beam of light. The rim of the wheel, when whirling rapidly, looked to him as if it were white. He also proved the same with powders, for he found that powders of different colors, when mixed in the right proportion, produced a substance nearly white in appearance.
To be able to tell colors apart is a great blessing. Four or five out of every one hundred persons in the world, it is
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said, are color-blind; that is, they are unable to tell one color from another.
There is another kind of color blindness that is more serious than not being able to tell red from green or blue from purple. There are people who cannot tell right from wrong. Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind. He came
to teach us how to know evil, that we may shun it; and how to know good, that we may choose it.
Field Study
Make a disk buzz, and prove that all the colors mixed together make white.
When did you see the first rainbow of the season? Was it high or low in the sky? Where was the sun at the time? Paint the rainbow as it appeared to you. Why is the rainbow called “the bow of promise” ?
What were the leading colors in nature during the autumn season? What are the leading colors of spring?
Find a choice wild flower, and paint or draw it with colored crayons. Be sure you know its name.
Draw and color the blossom of a fruit tree near your home. Be sure you know its name.
What colors do most cities use for the regulation of traffic? What colors do railway companies use?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 6
Climate in Springtime
Away with our winter scarfs and our warm mittens! The cold winds will bite our cheeks and chill our fingers no more this season. The cold winter is passing, and spring is here with skies so blue.
Just where are we now in our world journey around the sun? As you know, for three months during the cold of winter our world home has been slanting away from the sun. As it speeds along now, it is beginning to turn again toward the sun, toward the warmth and the brightness of its kind rays. About March twenty-first is the date when our world makes this change, and begins turning again toward the sun. This date marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Each day throughout the spring season our world home will turn more and more toward the sun. The warmth of springtime brings joy to our world. It brings new life. The little seeds begin to awaken and the little bud cradles begin slowly to open. Spring’s sweet voice calls loudly to the winter sleepers, and what a grand awakening! It seems like a new beginning to our world.
Do we have rains in the springtime? Oh, yes. But how we welcome them, for “April showers bring forth May flowers.” We have a dash of snow in the springtime also in some places. But it is a gentle snow that soon melts, and seems to add to the freshness of the season.
In the high mountains the snow begins to melt, and the trickling waters form streams and still larger streams until
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they join the mighty rivers. Some mountains are so high that they do not feel the warmth of spring, or even the warmth of summer, and their snows never melt. Come down from the high mountains if you would enjoy the warmth of springtime.
Do the winds blow in the springtime? Oh, yes; and they blow hard upon us unless we are protected by high mountains. The land begins to grow warm, bathed in the bright rays of the sun. The air near the land begins to rise, and the cold air from the water rushes in to take its place. Some of our hardest windstorms come in the springtime of the year.
Thank you, great oceans, for blowing upon us your warmer breezes during the cold of winter. You helped to make our winters far more pleasant for us. But now that springtime has come, with the warmth of its season, we shall not need your warmer breezes in the daytime. The land is warmer during the daytime than you are. We' will thank you for your cooler breezes as the days grow warmer.
We have been telling you about our springtime in the temperate belts. Now you tell us, little black boy, what kind of springtime you have been having in the hot belt.
“Oh, springtime never comes to us, you know, as it comes to you. We never turn away from the sun; so, with us, it is summer all the time.”
What kind of springtime are you having in the cold belts, little Eskimo boy?
“Of course we never have the warmth and the sunshine and the flowers that you have in your land. But in our springtime we begin to see the light of day. How we welcome it. for it has been a long, dark night for us. At each
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turn of our world home upon its axis, our days grow longer and longer during our springtime until our summer comes; and then we have one long day.”
Our world travels on and on, and the seasons come at their appointed times. God’s mighty hand guides our world home from season to season. In its journey about the sun it has not lost one moment of time, nor has it turned in the slightest from its proper course. The winter came and is gone, and now the glad springtime is here.
Field Study
Demonstrate with your schoolroom globe the position of our world home in its relation to the sun at each of the four seasons of the year.
Be sure to mark on your calendars the days on which your spring showers came. Also your windstorms.
Where is the climate the coldest, in the higher elevations or near the sea level ? Where do the winds blow the hardest, in the valleys or on the plains ?
Build in your sand table a little location that would have an ideal climate according to the suggestions on climate given in the lesson.
Does the frost go out of the ground in the fields, on roadways, and over bridges equally fast?
Notice the stones at the bottom of the creek when the ice is going out. Apparently the creek has had a house cleaning. What helped to do the cleaning?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
Why did God call the light “good” on the first morning of creation week?
Name and illustrate the four habits of light you have studied.
Who discovered that light has color?
How did he prove it?
When is an object green? When is an object red? When is an object black? When is an object white?
Name five things that influence climate.
What causes the seasons ?
CHAPTER III
AIR AND SOUND
“What is more gentle than a wind in summer?”
—Keats.
Lesson 7
The Creation of Air
Genesis 1:6-8
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
A great ocean of air completely surrounds our earth. There is air everywhere, and in abundance. It fills your house in every room. It fills every empty box, bottle, jar, glass tumbler, cup, and kettle of any kind. We breathe the air night and day. Every living creature breathes night and day. Yet the air is as plentiful as ever. We could not empty this great ocean of air any more than we could empty the great ocean of water.
We thank Thee, Lord,
For air so free,
As boundless as The rolling sea.
Truly the air is good also. It found its place on the second morning of creation week when God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.” Yes, let there be a great open space which will separate the clouds above from
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the ocean below. The firmament is this great open space. It is at its post of duty to-day, saying to the ocean, “Your place is below,” and to the clouds, “Your place is above.”
At the beginning of the second day the clouds rested upon the waters of the ocean. But they were separated immediately when God said, “Let it [the firmament] divide the waters from the waters.” What a pleasing change in the appearance of
our earth! The waters sparkled in the ocean below, and the beautiful clouds floated grandly above.
Some children, as they watch the clouds, wonder if they will ever fall. Oh, no, the clouds cannot fall, for they are upheld by the word of God. The air is God’s helper in holding the clouds above in their place.
The air, you know, is a pusher. It pushes up. It pushes down. It pushes in every direction. And it is always pushing. Air pushes with great power. It is God’s power. As we watch the balancing of the clouds above us, let us remember that they are supported by God’s power as if His mighty hand rested beneath them.
THE AIR PRESSES DOWNWARD
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Field Study
Fill a tumbler brimful of water, and place over it a sheet of paper. Place the palm of the hand over the paper, and then quickly invert the tumbler. Remove the hand. Why does the water not run out of the tumbler?
Take a long glass tube closed at one end, and use it instead of a tumbler. Does the water remain in the tube? Can you tell why?
Place a straw in a tumbler of water. Place the upper end of the straw in your mouth, and suck up the air. What happens ? Can you tell why ?
Have you ever pumped water from a well ? Does the water begin to flow at*once when you raise the handle of the pump? What did you have to do to your straw before your drink came? What must you do to the pump before the water will come? When an empty place was made in your straw, what pushed the water up to your lips ? When an empty place is made in the pipe of the pump, what will push the water up into your pail?
Have you seen any frog's eggs yet? How early do they come? Have you seen any toad's eggs? How do they differ from frog's eggs? Place some of each in a jar, and watch their development.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 8 Good Air
The principal of a school, stepping into one of the classrooms in his school, said, “The air in this room is bad. The ventilation must be improved.” What did he mean by “bad air”? Isn’t all air good?
Go to the open window and take a full, deep breath. The air you are breathing in is good air if you are in a healthful locality. Now breathe out. The air that is coming from your lungs is bad air. Good air, then, is air that has not been used. It is fresh and pure and clean. Bad air is air that has been used. It is stale and impure, and is heavy with poisons that are thrown out when we breathe.
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Good air contains a very important gas called oxygen. It is the oxygen in the air that is necessary to every living creature. It gives color to the cheeks and luster to the eyes of boys and girls. It enters our lungs and cleans our blood just as thoroughly as water removes the soiled marks on our faces. It causes fire to burn; and lamps, candles, and other flames burn and give us light and heat because of oxygen.
The used air that we breathe out contains a gas called carbon dioxide. This gas is given off by man and animals. It is also given off by anything that is burning. It is a poisonous gas, and does great harm to our bodies. It is heavier than pure air, and therefore may be found in dark cellars, in deep wells, and in cisterns.
Why do boys and girls who live in the country look fresher and stronger than those who live in the cities. Their cheeks are ruddy, and they are full of spirit and energy. The cities are full of smoke and dirt. Thousands of people breathe out gas into the air, and fill it with poisons. It is not so in the country. Everywhere is the fresh, pure air with its life-giving oxygen, and one does not have to breathe air that is tainted with gas. This is why boys and girls who live in the country are strong and well and happy, and why they can sing—
“For fragrant air so fresh, so pure,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.”
Field Study
Breathe into a fruit jar or large-mouthed bottle until you have filled it with gas from your breath. Now lower a lighted candle into the jar, and notice what happens to the flame. Why does the flame go out?
How can you test your cellar or your basement for this harmful gas?
Why do persons, before going into a cistern, lower into it a lantern or a light of some kind? Should the light go out, would it be safe to enter the cistern?
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Is it sufficient to open our windows at the top only? What happens if we do? Suppose we open them at the bottom only; what happens in this case ? What happens when we open them at both the top and the bottom ?
Can you tell when there is carbon dioxide in your classroom ? How can you tell ?
Look for early flowers coming up in the garden. What makes the leaves green ?
Ask the gardener to show you a cutworm. What does this worm do to the plant? When does it work? Where and when does it sleep?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. -----------------------------❖-----
Lesson 9
Musical Sounds
What a blessing to the world is a little song! It fills the air with joy and gladness. It makes us forget our little trials. It brings us kind thoughts of others. A little song makes the darkest day seem bright. So let us sing, and sing from the heart.. Remember, air waves are waiting to carry our glad songs to cheer sad hearts and to brighten dark corners.
The voice box with which we sing, together with the teeth, tongue, and lips, provides us with a very wonderful musical instrument. With these we can talk, we can sing. We can make more beautiful music and sweeter melody than all the instruments ever made. None of the animals can do this. Our voice box is operated by the air we breathe. It contains two fine, delicate cords. The air causes these cords to move. When they move, the air is set in motion and sound waves are produced.
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Have you ever made tones by blowing into a bottle or a tube? It is your breath that sets the air in the bottle in motion. The air within the bottle, thus set in motion, jars
the air between the bottle
clarinet, the fife, the flute, and the piccolo sound is made in this way. These are musical instruments like the human wind instrument. In these instruments the tone is produced by blowing into the end or across a hole in the tube. Tones are made in your common wood whistle or tin whistle in the same way.
The organ is a very interesting wind instrument. It contains thin plates of wood or metal, called reeds. When the air is forced into
the organ by use of n 11	............ »	■ ll
the pedals, the reeds	the fife
begin to move. The
moving of the reeds sets the air in motion, and sound waves are produced.
The longer the tube in which the air is set in motion, the lower the tone; the shorter the tube, the higher the tone.
It is the air that makes these pleasing musical sounds possible. If all the air could be removed from the firmament and nothing were left in its place, our earth would be wrapped in silence. Even if life were possible, no sound could be heard; for it is the motion of the air particles that carries sound to the ear.
For the blessing of sound we give thanks to God, the Creator, who made it possible for us to praise Him and to send out our praise on the sound waves of the air.
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Field Study
Fasten a strong cord to a door knob; pull the cord with one hand, and pick it with the other. What do you hear ? Take hold of the cord one foot from where it is fastened; pick it with the other hand. Keep the tone in mind, and repeat the experiment with a two-foot, a three-foot, and a four-foot length, then compare the tones. Do the tones grow higher or lower as you lengthen the cord? When is the tone the highest, when the cord is tight or somewhat loosened?
Examine your whistles. Are they all the same length? What is the difference in the tones produced by a long tube and a short tube ?
Describe the wild flowers you have seen thus far this spring, and be sure to learn the name of each one.
Describe the coloring of Mr. and Mrs. Robin at this time of the year.
Have you seen the little chipping sparrow yet this spring? Describe its coloring.
When you are spading up your garden, you may find some worms. Do these creatures get their food by chewing or by sucking?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 10
How Sound Travels
Sound waves travel in every direction from their starting point. They travel up and down; they travel right and left; they travel in every direction. This is why you can hear your mother’s voice from the parlor whether you are on the same floor in another room, in an upstairs bedroom, or in the cellar. The sound waves that her voice set in motion will reach you no matter what direction you are from her, provided you are not too far away.
By shaking one end of a rope that stretches along a floor, waves of motion are made to travel from one end of the rope to the other. We have often noticed how the waves on a pond
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of water spread outward in all directions from their starting point. The waves of motion in the rope travel only in a straight line, and the waves of motion upon the water travel upon the top of the pond only, while the waves of sound are carried upon air waves in every direction from 2) their starting point. This is why we can usually
HD hear a sound in all directions from it.
JKr Sound does not travel as rapidly as light. A man at a distance chopping wood, lifts his ax high and is ready for a second blow before you hear the sound of the first stroke.
Sound travels more rapidly through water. When bathing, have you ever struck two stones together under water and tried to hear if they made any sound? Or if, while your head was under water, some one struck the water a blow, did you hear the sound? Sound travels four times faster through the water than through the air.
Sound also travels through wood and iron. It travels very rapidly through these solids. A distant train may not be heard through the air at all. But, by putting the ear to the iron rail, it may be heard very plainly. Sound travels many, many times faster through iron than it does through the air.
Do you remember how the light and heat bounded from one object to another? Sound bounds in the same way. When the waves of air carrying a sound are thrown against a wall, they bound back again and make what we call an echo. Did you ever hear the story of the boy who was offended when he heard his echo because he thought some one was mocking him? Some one has said that we shall hear an echo of everything that we say and do in life. Those who
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send out kind words into the lives of others will hear echoes of kindness wherever they go.
Field Study
Watch the trains go by. Do you see a puff of steam and later hear the whistle, or do you see the steam and hear the whistle at the same time?
Which comes first in the storm, the rolling thunder or the flash of lightning?
Go stand near a long piece of timber. Ask some one to scratch the end of the timber while you place your ear at the opposite end. Do you hear anything? Now stand a few feet away while the scratching is going on. Do you hear anything now?
Make a string telephone. First open two tin cans. Next pierce a hole through the bottom of each and pass a long string through these holes, tying a knot on the inside of each can to prevent the string from slipping out again. Now stretch the string its full length. Hold one can to your mouth, and have some one else hold the other can to his ear. Try whispering back and forth.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 11
The Listening Ear in Spring
Field Study
Listen to the bird voices this beautiful spring morning. From the tree tops, the meadows, and the brooks, the birds are singing their sweetest songs, for this is the glad time of the year. It is a busy time for the sound waves of the air, for these lovely songs must all be carried to the ears of boys and girls who are listening for the sweet voices of spring.
Come down to the brook and hear our dearest little neighbor, the song sparrow. Perhaps when he saw you coming he plunged into a thicket with a defiant twitch of the tail, which said plainly, “Find me if you can.” Listen quietly for a while, and you will be sure to hear him sing. This is his little song as it sounds to one bird lover: “Sweet, sweet, sweet, very merry cheer.”
Listen to those rich, ringing tones from the bush near by, “Tor-re' do.” Ah, beautiful cardinal, you want us to see your lovely red coat. We see it through the bushes, and we see your red beak, too, in its frame of black feathers. Go on with your chirps and your trills, for we love your song.
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Aren’t you glad that you didn’t cut down your old apple tree? If you had, you might not have had little bluebird for a neighbor. He will repay you with his soft little love songs, which sound like “Tru-al-ly, tru-al-ly.” Listen for them.
What would springtime be without dear old robin! He wakens the world every morning with his songs of praise. His glad notes are the first to reach our ears when we awake. Listen to his early song, and see if you can imitate it.
Go, take a look for that little frog that entertained you at bedtime last night with his pleasant little croaking sounds. You may find him near a pool or stream.
Some day, while walking through the fields or along the beach, you may see a bird about the size of a robin but with much more slender wings. It will also have snowy-white underparts and a ring around the neck. When it flies, it calls quite plainly, “Kill-dee, kill-dee.” This is little killdeer speaking to you. Listen for his call, and try to make his acquaintance. He is such an interesting little fellow.
Are you acquainted with the rattling cry of the blue and white kingfisher? Look for him along the brookside. Be listening for the yellowish-brown woodpecker also. Perhaps you know him as the flicker, or yellow-hammer. He has a peculiar way of drumming. You will hear him too, if you listen for his drum.
Of all the voices of spring none are so near and dear to us as the peeping of the baby chicks as they arrive upon the scene of action. “Peep, peep, peep,” they say; “how happy we are to join in the glad chorus of springtime!”
What is that cunning little voice I hear? “Baa! Baa!” Oh! you dear little lamb! You are calling for your dinner, so you can grow fat and strong. You must grow white wool, to make clothes for boys and girls in winter.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
What is the firmament? When and why was it created?
Name the habits of air.
Name three experiments to prove that air has pressure.
What is the difference between good air and bad air?
Name several wind instruments.
How can you produce a higher or a lower tone in your whistle ?
Name the most striking sounds that the listening ear may hear in the spring.
CHAPTER IV
WATER
“Spring teased the brook till he laughed outright,**
—Macdonald.
Lesson 12
The Gathering of the Waters
Genesis 1:9,10
“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good."
The waters were quietly resting upon the bosom of the earth at the beginning of the third morning of creation week. They were awaiting the command of their great Creator. Only His voice could cause their mighty waters to move and to gather into one place. God speaks again on this third morning, and calls the waters by name. “Be gathered together unto one place,” calls the mighty voice of their Creator. The waters heard and obeyed. “Unto one place” gathered the waters, and there they are to-day; for God’s third-day command is still obeyed.
What great power was in the waters of the deep, wide ocean! But God’s words were strong enough to move them. Man to-day can change the course of streams, and sometimes even that of rivers. He can deepen lakes and widen their shores. With his powerful machinery, he can make many changes; but only God could move the waters of the mighty ocean.
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“The gathering together of the .waters called He Seas.” They were no longer to fce called the “waters under the heaven.” They were to be called “seas.” God had a special name for them because He had a special work for them to do.
“And God saw that it was good.” Truly the water is good. How interesting would be the story of a single drop of water could it tell of its travels and just what work it has found to do since the day of its creation!
In the beginning it rose and fell with the waves of the great deep. In the ocean, it helped the waves to toss the sands upon the beach; and it helped to bear up stately ships on the broad waters. In the cloud, it moistened and warmed the air above the earth. In the brook, it watered the plants and trees at its edge, and gave drink to the creatures of the wood and field. Rushing along in a swift stream down the hillside, it helped to turn the mill wheel, grinding wheat into flour and sawing logs into lumber. Moving on in the broad, silent river, it carried impurities from the land, and marked a path for boats to travel.
Working, working, working! This is what the light, the air, the water, and all that God has created have been doing since creation week. They have been working to help carry out the Creator’s plan of a beautiful world home for you and for me.
Field Study
Review the names of the oceans in order of size. Locate them on your schoolroom globe.
Demonstrate on your sand table a pond, a stream, a lake, a river, a 6ea.
On the trunks of the trees you may find a little black and white bird that reminds you of a woodpecker but for the fact that it does not stop to drill holes for insects. It is probably the black and white warbler. Look for him. If you don't find a warbler, look for the gray catbird.
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Watch some ants carrying away the dead body of some other insect. When they do this, do they hold what they are carrying with their mouths, with their forefeet, or in some other way?
Spiders may be found carrying a white ball with them. Keep a spider with such a ball in a covered jar for some time, and see what she does with it. Give the spider food and water.
When corn sprouts, is the seed brought above ground like the seed of a bean, or does it remain beneath the ground?
Plant a kernel of corn, and see if it is like the bean in this respect.
Notebook Requirement
’late and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 13
Watering the Earth
The liquid that we call water has a large place to fill in God’s great plan. Dew, mist, and rain are common forms of liquid water. Without these, plants would die and give us no food. Springs, brooks, creeks, lakes, and rivers would soon dry up if there were no rain.
Heat and air are helpers God uses in carrying moisture over the face of the earth. “When He uttereth His voice there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.” You have already learned that the ocean is a great body of water. You have learned that as the sun shines upon the ocean the water is turned into vapor. The vapor is lighter than air, and may be blown over the land.
This forms clouds, and when they are cooled, they drop water over hundreds of miles of land. Persons living where there is plenty of rain do not always realize what a blessing
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it is. How very important is the work done by the falling rain, the quiet mist, and the gentle dew! Those parts of the earth where but little rain falls are known as desert. In such regions only a few kinds of plants and animals can live. Travelers do not find a desert a pleasant place in which to stay.
The desert is a reminder of sin and the curse. Just as the traveler on the desert “urges his failing steps to the cool shade and the life-giving water,” so God’s children hasten to Jesus for “the water of life.” None need perish in the desert of sin; for Jesus invites all who thirst to come to Him.
The cooling of the earth at night chills the moisture in the air, and little drops of water form upon the grass and herbs. This is dew; and the blessing it brings to plant life is likened to the work of the gospel.
The coming of the Holy Spirit is compared to rain. Our Father promises to refresh His people and make them happy, even as He causes the lily to grow in all its beauty.
Represent on your sand table a desert region. Represent on another section of your sand table a region that has been sufficiently watered.
Have you ever noticed the water on the inside of a kettle cover, hanging there in large drops? How did the water get there?
When you plant radish seeds, watch when they come up and decide whether they bring the seeds above ground when sprouting or whether they leave them beneath the ground surface.
IN A DESERT REGION
GOD’S WATER CARRIERS
16 Book of Nature
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Do mice that are feeding on small particles of food stand on all fours as they do so, or do they sit erect and hold the food in their forepaws?
Plant some seeds in one place and keep them watered. Plant some in another place, and give them no water. Watch them from day to day and notice the difference.
Go to the woods, and find as many wild flowers as you can. Bring some of each kind to the schoolroom, and find out their names.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
FORMS OF CLOUDS
Cumulus	Stratus
Cirrus	Nimbus
Lesson 14 The Clouds
Some of the common forms of water as vapor are steam, vapor, cloud,and fog. These forms are all produced by heat; because heat, causing water to evaporate, changes
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it from a liquid into a gas. This water gas, which is lighter than air, becomes chilled, and is seen as vapor, fog, or clouds. Steam is never seen, because it is invisible; but chilled water gas is always visible.
Most of the vapor water above the earth’s surface is formed over the oceans. Here the heat has much water surface upon which to act. Large inland bodies of water also furnish moisture for the atmosphere; and wherever water is placed so that heat may act upon it, the liquid disappears in vapor.
If this moisture becomes chilled at once, the vapor hangs low upon the water’s surface, and we call it fog. A wind may carry the moisture along; and if it becomes chilled as it travels, it may hang low above the earth’s surface, covering valley and plain with a thick mantle. This is known as mist, or fog.
If, however, the vapor arising from water does not become chilled until it has been lifted high overhead, we then call the chilled moisture clouds. These are also pushed along by the moving air. Clouds are, on an average, about two and a half miles above the earth’s surface.
The cirrus, or curl cloud, looks like long curls of white, woolly hair. It is highest of all clouds, and is supposed to consist of snowflakes.
The stratus is a cloud arranged in straight, white bands, and is generally seen at sunset.
The cumulus has the appearance of rounded hills covered with snow. These are piled one above another.
Nimbus is the rain cloud, and is dense, heavy, and black.
God’s voice is heard in the cloud. He speaks to us of His love and care in the cloud as well as in the sunshine. Just as
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God sends the cloud across the bright sky, so He sends clouds into the lives of His children. Every sorrow or trial that is allowed to come, is really filled with blessing; and when the cloud passes, we can better appreciate the bright sunshine.
Field Study
What is it you see coming from the spout of your teakettle? Is it steam or vapor ?
Does foggy weather come in the evening, morning, or during the day? Can you tell why ?
Record the names of the kinds of clouds you see from time to time.
On the grass in the meadows you may find little green insects which stay perfectly still until you are ready to touch them; then, very suddenly, they hop a long distance away. These are probably leaf hoppers. Watch one on a blade of grass, and see if you can tell how it eats. Does it suck or chew the plant?
Have you seen any devil's-paintbrush yet? What color are its flowers?
Some day you may see a humming bird around the flowers in your garden. Be sure to record the date upon which you first saw one this season.
On the backs of oak leaves you may find little swellings made by gall insects. Are these all alike, and do they all appear at the same time?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 15
Drink Cold Water
Thirst is the call of the body for water, and there is no other drink that can answer this call. The blood and all the fluids of the body contain water, and every part of the body needs it. In fact, nearly three fourths of the weight of the body is made up of water.
Water alone will prolong life for a time. Men have succeeded in living forty days or longer without taking any other food or drink than water. There is a well-known case
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of a miner who lived twenty-three days buried in a coal mine, without swallowing anything but water sucked through a straw. The water contained in foods makes them easy to digest. Certain foods, as lettuce, cabbage, apples,
as “tea-drinkers’ heart.” Alcohol is a poison; and when taken* into the blood, it will injure health and destroy life. Our motto should be, “Touch not, taste not, handle not.” Alcohol looks like water, but its nature is very different. Water poured on a plant causes it to grow and thrive; alcohol poured on a plant kills it. A fish, which lives all its life in water, would die at once if put in alcohol. Water softens food and helps it to digest; alcohol hardens many kinds of food. No part of the body needs alcohol. It produces a hot feeling in the mouth, and so creates thirst instead of quenching it. Alcohol robs the blood of water. It is well called “the water of death,” whether it is taken as beer, ale, wine, cider, rum, whisky, brandy, or any other such drink.
and potatoes, are more than three fourths water.
DRINK COLD WATER
In warm weather the body needs more water than in cold, but ice water used in large quantities often leads to serious results. When taken, ice water should be sipped slowly, a little at a time. Pure water is our natural drink. The body requires no other beverage. Artificial drinks—tea, coffee, and fermented drinks—all are harmful. Strong tea will weaken the action of the-heart, and produce what is known
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WATER, PURE WATER “Water, pure water, that sparkles so bright,
Beautiful, fresh, and free!
Falling from heaven like jewels of light,
Falling for you and me;
Fresh from the bountiful Giver of all,
Nothing so pure can be;
This is the song of the showers that fall Over the lake and lea:
Drink water, pure water,
Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink,
Drink pure water.”
Questions and Observations
Pour a little alcohol in a basin, and touch it with a lighted match. What happens ?
Put a little of the white of an egg into alcohol. What happens to the egg? How much water should you drink daily ? How much water do you drink daily?
Make a list of the weeds you have found thus far this spring.
Where does the water come from that you use in your home?
Invert a tumbler over a plant, and lesfre it for some time. What do you ■ find on the inside of the glass? What does this prove?
What shows on a hot day that the body contains water?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible.
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Lesson 16 Bathe Often
Water cleanses and refreshes the body outside and inside. The skin, which covers the body closely, is one of the outlets by which the body gets rid of its waste.
We know that the outer skin consists of a countless number of little scales laid one above another, somewhat as layers of shingles are put on a house. Below this outer skin
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there is a very delicate true skin filled with blood vessels and nerves.
If we look closely at the skin on the tips of the fingers, we can see a great number of little openings. These openings are called pores. All over the body we find these tiny
mouths. They are the openings of the sweat glands, which lie just beneath the outer skin. These sweat glands are tiny tubes into which the blood strains certain waste matter. This waste matter rises in the sweat glands until it oozes out of the openings where it is called sweat, or perspiration. Thus the sweat glands serve as little drain pipes to rid our bodies of waste matter.
About two pints of sweat flow every day through these little waste pipes. If for any reason the sweat glands are not able to do their work well, the blood must retain the waste matter, and the body becomes poisoned. If all the pores of our skin were stopped up, we should die within a few hours.
How necessary it is, then, that we keep clean. A great deal of sweat soaks into our clothing, which, therefore, needs frequent washing. Some of the waste matter clings to the skin, and, together with the dust from the outside, makes a little plug, as it were, over the pores. Many people think they have done quite enough if they wash their hands and
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faces every day. But it is just as necessary to wash the entire body. It is well to take a cool or cold plunge or sponge every day, and a warm cleansing bath should be taken two or three times a week. Swimming has a wholesome effect upon the skin, and is a healthful exercise, if due care is taken to avoid chilling and other dangers. No kind of bath should be taken within two or three hours after eating, or when overheated.
When we see how important water is as a cleanser, we can understand why Jesus calls His words and the salvation they contain for each of us, “the water of life.” His word is free to all, and will cleanse from every impurity. As we need water to cleanse our bodies, so we need the word to cleanse our hearts from evil.
Questions and Observations
How often should you take a full bath? Which is better, a cold or a hot bath daily? Why?
Is there any difference in the appearance of one who bathes daily and of one who does not? State the difference.
Taste a little sweat on the back of your hand. What does it taste like? What is it? What happens if this impurity is not removed?
Why does Jesus call His word ‘The water of life”?
How can you tell when a life has been cleansed by the water of life?
Where and when did you learn to swim? What stroke do you use?
When little chickens come out of the shell, do they come out of the large end of the egg or out of the small end? Find out if you can.
a healthful splash
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Mr. English Sparrow wears a black bib. Does Mrs. Sparrow wear one too?
Young robins will soon be making calls from their nests. Are the calls of young robins and of old robins alike?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible.
Facts to Be Remembered
Name the blessings and uses of water.
What causes rain?
What are clouds? Name and describe the four kinds of clouds.
How much water should you drink daily?
Why is alcohol harmful to the body?
Why is frequent bathing necessary? How often should one bathe?
CHAPTER V
DRY LAND
“There is a hurst of rapture in the woodland rills ”
Lesson 17
The Dry Land Appeared
Genesis 1:9, 10
"And let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; . . . and God saw that it was good.”
On which day did the Creator cause the dry land to appear? What were His exact words that caused the land to make its appearance? “And it was so.” These are important words in creation’s story. When was it so? When was this command of God fulfilled? God’s third-day command was obeyed on. the third day. On this day the work of gathering the waters together and causing the dry land to appear was finished. How do we know that this work was finished on the third day? “God saw that it was good.” God would not call an unfinished work “good.” How could so much be done in one short day of only twenty-four hours, the same length as our days at this time? Oh, it did not require time to do this great work. It required power, mighty power that belongs to God alone. “By the word of the Lord” and “by the breath of His mouth” tells the story of how quickly and easily our great Creator could finish each day’s work during creation week.
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“And God called the dry land Earth.” As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. There were mountains, hills, and plains, with noble rivers and lovely lakes here and there; but the hills and mountains were not sharp and rough, with high, steep places arid dark, deep gulleys, as they now are; the sharp, ragged edges of the rocks were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a rich growth of green. There were no muddy swamps or barren deserts, but graceful shrubs and delicate flowers met the eye at every turn. The mountains and hills were crowned with trees grander than any we have now. The air, free from foul odors, was clear and healthful. All the face of the earth was more beautiful than the finest parks or the blooming gardens of a king.— Adapted from (‘Patriarchs and Prophets.”
Field Study
Take your schoolroom globe and point to the land masses, naming them in order of size.
Name ways in which the face of the earth has changed since it came forth from the hand of its Maker.
Demonstrate in your sand table a mountain system, a mountain range, a peninsula, a cape, a plateau, a plain, a valley.
About the barns you may find forked-tailed barn swallows with their blue-black backs and brownish breasts. Are all the barn swallows so colored? Where do they hide their nests?
When apple trees are in bloom, notice whether the blossoms are more commonly out at the end of the long branches or on short spurs from the larger branches.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Also record requirements fulfilled.
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PLATTING AND SPADING A SCHOOL GARDEN
Lesson 18
Your Garden Bed in Spring
Get out your rakes and hoes, boys and girls. It is time to make your garden beds, and get ready for your spring planting. How much you will enjoy having your own little garden ! Some one has said that “soil culture is soul culture.” Working the soil seems to bring us nearer to God. It makes boys and girls strong and healthy too. A good carpenter builds from a carefully drawn plan. A good gardener will do the same. Follow carefully these garden plans, and you will have a garden that will grow fine vegetables.
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Field Work
YOUR GARDEN PLOT PLAN
A plot eleven feet by four feet is a good size. It will allow for the planting of four rows of our common vegetables. Be sure that the rows run as straight as possible, as this will greatly help the appearance of your garden. Here is a good garden plan for you in detail:
11 feet long
PREPARATION OF YOUR SOIL
Spade deeply, and thoroughly turn over your soil with your spade. Be sure to keep within your garden markers, making your lines true from corner to corner. Cords stretched around your garden plot from corner to corner will help you to spade evenly at the edges of your plot.
Examine your soil, and determine which it contains the most of— humus, clay, or sand. You must select your fertilizer according to the needs of your soil, and according to the kind of crops you expect to plant.
Leaf mold, decayed manure, or nitrate of soda may be used. Your teacher will help you to decide which is best for the soil in your garden. Now take your hoe and break up the clods, working the fertilizer thoroughly into the soil. Then, with a good steel rake, thoroughly pulverize the soil until it is ready for planting.
PLANTING YOUR GARDEN
Place pegs at each end of your plot as indicated by your rows in the plan for your garden. Extend cords from each peg to the opposite peg across your garden plot. Use these cords, as a guide in making your trenches for planting. Plant the middle trenches first, then those outside.
Place the seeds in your trenches according to the direction for planting each kind of vegetable. Cover the seeds over carefully with your hand, and then press the soil firmly above the seeds with the back of a hoe.
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“In my little garden bed,
Raked so smoothly over, First the tiny seeds I plant, Then with soft earth cover.”
Notebook Requirement
Draw the plans for your entire school garden plot.
Draw the plan of your own garden plot.
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Lesson 19
My State
Field Study
In what state do I live?
. What is the state capital?
Who is the present governor?
Bound the state.
What is the largest city?
Name the three largest cities.
In what climate belt does it lie ?
What are its principal industries ?
What are its products ?
What are its principal rivers and lakes ?
What are its principal mountains and valleys?
In what conference do I live?
.Who is our conference president?
Notebook Requirement
Upon a map of your state place all the physical and political features called for in requirements under Field Study.
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Lesson 20 My Continent
Field Study
On what continent do I live ?
In which hemisphere is it located?
In what zone or zones does it lie?
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How does it rank in size with the other continents ?
What oceans wash its shores?
Name some important islands that lie near your continent.
Name some important gulfs and bays that cut into its coast line.
Name some important capes and peninsulas.
Name its highest mountains.
Name its largest rivers and lakes.
Name its three largest cities.
Name its leading industries and products.
Name some Seventh-day Adventist schools, sanitariums, and publishing houses, and locate them.
Notebook Requirement
Place on a map of your continent all physical features mentioned in the requirements under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
What were God's exact words on the third morning of creation week? Describe the appearance of the earth as it came forth from the hand of its Creator.
Give the steps in the preparation of your garden bed for your spring garden.
Describe the city. Describe the country. Which is to be preferred ?
Be prepared to give a talk on “My State," giving the leading facts suggested in the requirements under‘Field Study.
Be prepared to give a talk on “My Continent," giving the leading facts suggested in the requirements under Field Study.
CHAPTER VI
PLANTS
“And he is happiest who hath power To gather wisdom from a floiver”
— Wordsworth.
Lesson 21
The Creation of Plants
Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
God spoke again on the third day of creation week, and said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind.!' Notice that every command during creation week begins with “Let.” In this one little word is expressed God’s mighty command. When God said “Let,” the light came, and all His created works as they were called in turn. “Let” was the beginning, and “It was so” was the end of creation’s story each day.
“Let the earth bring forth grass.” Immediately on the third day of creation week,—on that very day,—grass covered the hills, valleys, and plains. What a beautiful, soft carpet God laid when He called the grass to cover the earth! Some kinds of grass furnish good, nourishing food for man and animals. “God is love” is written upon every blade of springing grass.
“For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet,
Father, we thank Thee.”
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“Let the earth bring forth ... the herb yielding seed.” What a great storehouse of food was in readiness immediately for man and for animals! Potatoes, turnips, carrots, celery, beets, and asparagus are nourishing foods, which we are able to enjoy every day because God included herbs in His third-day command. Many of our beautiful flowers belong to the herb family,—the violet, the pansy, the daffodil, the tulip. Our gardens are full of their fragrance and their gorgeous colors.
“For flowers that bloom about our feet,
Father, we thank Thee.”
“Let the earth bring forth ... the fruit tree.” Many of the fruit trees are blooming or forming young fruit just now. How we delight in their beautiful blossoms and the promise of the delicious fruits we shall enjoy in a few weeks!
What a bountiful table God has spread before us. As a loving Father He considered our needs, and included in His third-day command all the foods that would build healthy bodies for us.
“For flowers that bloom about our feet, . . .
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet, . . .
For beauty of the blooming trees,—
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.”
Field Study
Name the three classes of plants created on the third day.
Bring to class three samples of grasses, three of herbs, and leaves or blossoms of three fruit trees.
Look for an elm tree in your neighborhood, and notice its blossoms. What is their coloring?
Describe the blossoms of the hickory tree. On what part of the twigs do they grow?
Gather twigs of as many different kinds of willow as you can find. Put these twigs in jars of water and place them in a warm, sunny window. Note the change in the “pussies” from day to day.
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Describe an apple blossom, giving its color outside and inside, number of petals, their shape, and arrangement.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Lesson 22 The Violet
Field Study
Where did you find your violet, in the woods, dry field, or near a stream ? Describe the kind of soil where it grew.
Sketch or describe the shape of the leaf, showing its margin, or edge. What is its color ? Are the leaves and stems downy and velvety, or smooth and glossy?
Does the flower stem come from the root of the plant or from a main stem?
How many sepals has the violet?
How many petals? How are they arranged? Is the lower petal shaped like the others? Are there any marks upon it? Where do they lead?
What color are the petals? Are they the same on both sides?
What color are the stamens? What color is the pistil?
Find the seed pods of the violet.
What rainbow color did God place in the violet?
What grace does the little violet possess that boys and girls should have?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Lesson 23
Tulips and Crocuses
Field Study
Tulips
What is the color of your tulip?
Is it all the same color?
Describe a tulip bud.
Look at a tulip just opening. Do the green sepals fall off? What becomes of them ?
In the open flower where is the seed pod? Describe the pollen boxes. What color are they? What color is the pollen? Describe the pistil. How does it compare in length with the stamens?
Where is the nectar in the tulip? How do the insects become covered with pollen in reaching it?
Describe the tulip stem and leaves. When should tulip bulbs be planted? As you look deep into the heart of the tulip and you see how perfectly it is made, what does it say about its Creator?
Crocuses
At what date in the spring have you found crocuses in bloom ?
Take a crocus just pushing up out of its bulb. How many overcoats protect its leaves? What is at the very center of the bulb?
Describe the leaves. What is their color? Describe or draw the kind of margin or edge they have.
Do the flowers or the leaves have stems, or do they come directly from the bulb?
What is the shape of the open crocus flower?
Describe the pollen boxes. What color is the pollen ? How long are the stamens ?
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Describe the pistil. How long is it?
How many colors do you find in the crocus flower?
How do the crocus blossoms act in dark or stormy weather?
What lesson to childhood does the crocus teach? “Early will I seek Thee.”
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Make drawings of the crocus and tulip you have been studying, and color them.
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Lesson 24
Vegetables in Your Spring Garden
What nice vegetables you can grow in that carefully prepared seed bed! It is a fine thing for any boy or girl to be able to grow a good head of lettuce or a first-class radish. Follow these suggestions carefully for planting, and you will be sure to succeed as a vegetable gardener. Here is a good motto for young gardeners, “Use your hoe more, and
your watering can less.”
Field Study Lettuce
Sow the lettuce seeds in your trenches half an inch deep, and carefully cover them over with soft earth. After the plants are well started, thin so that they will be about two inches apart in the row. Begin using the leaves early, and thus continue to thin the rows. Lettuce requires good ground well pulverized and enriched with thoroughly rotted manure. Spade or plow to a depth of five or six inches, and rake the soil fine. After every rain go over the land with a garden rake to prevent the formation of crust.
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Turnips
Sow your seeds as early as possible after the frost leaves the ground. Sow the seeds sparingly in your trenches, and cover half an inch deep. They will come up quickly. Thin out to three or four inches apart. Keep the ground free from weeds, and as soon as the turnips appear keep the ground well cultivated with your hoe.
Radishes
French radishes are the best for early spring planting. They will be ready for the table in from four to six weeks. They should be sown as early as the soil can be worked. The soil should be light, and fertilized with decayed manure. Work the soil fine to a depth of four inches. Sow the seeds broadcast, and cover half an inch deep. Thin out about two inches apart when they begin to come up. Thin early so that the roots of remaining plants will not be disturbed. Keep the soil well cultivated.
Spinach
Sow the spring crop as early as possible. Your soil should be warm, light, and rich. A dressing of nitrate of soda raked in just before sowing will help your crop. Sow in your trenches broadcast. If your soil is moist, cover the seeds half an inch. If the soil is dry, cover your seeds one inch. Make the earth above your seeds firm with the back of your hoe. When they come up, thin out to about two inches apart. Keep the soil loose, and pull all weeds by hand while the spinach is small.
Notebook Requirement
Keep a careful record of the date of planting of each vegetable. Record date also when each first appeared above the ground and when each was fully grown. Also record care and cultivation given to each from day to day.
Facts to Be Remembered
Name the three classes of plants created on the third day.
Give a description of—
The violet	The crocus	The tulip
Describe the planting of—
Lettuce	Spinach	Turnips	Radishes
CHAPTER VII
SUN, MOON, AND STARS
“There are stars in the meadow, dropped here and there”
Lesson 25
“Let There Be Lights in the Firmament of the HeavenV
Genesis 1:14, 15
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”
Our great world turned again upon its axis, and a new day began. It was the beginning, or the evening, of the fourth day. During this day our bright, blazing sun shone in the heavens, and when night came the moon was shining forth in its splendor. The heavens also were decked with myriads of stars that twinkled like diamonds. Yes, these great, shining lights appeared on the fourth day in answer to the command, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven.”
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
A great, shining host,—sun, moon, and stars,—created in an instant by the word of God, began at once their appointed work. The sun filled the day with its glory and its warmth. The moon bathed the earth with its silvery light. That very night the stars shone forth in all their radiance.
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“0 Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.”
This morning our sun did not fail us. The day came, for the sun was at its post of duty. To-night the moon and the stars will be in their places also. Not once since creation week have sun, moon, or stars failed to fill their appointed place and to do their appointed work.
God’s word stands fast forever. The sun, the moon, and the stars tell us day by day and night by night that our God changes not.
Field Study
Name the lights made on the fourth day. Name the duties assigned to these light-giving bodies.
“Let them be for signs.” Has this duty ever been fulfilled? When and how?
Demonstrate with your schoolroom globe the causes of seasons, days, and years.
Keep a record of the rising and setting of the sun for a month at this time of the year, and note the difference in time from day to day.
Name, and locate if possible, the stars with which you are familiar.
What trees near your home are in blossom just now?
What is the color of the blossom of the apple, the peach, the cherry, the olive, and the almond ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 26
More About Our Sun
There are many, many large suns in the heavens. Oh, how large they are, and how brilliantly they shine! But they are so far, far away that they look like tiny, twinkling stars to us. The North Star at which we gaze so often is a great,
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great sun; but it is so very far away that it looks like only a star to us.
Our blazing sun is only one of many, many other suns. But it is our sun, and therefore it is of particular importance to us. There are many suns in the heavens much larger than our sun.
To some of the other worlds our great sun is only a mediumsized star.
Our world with its moon is not the only planet that travels about our sun. There are seven others with their moons that travel around with us.
What a grand procession these planets and their moons make as they march around the sun!
Our sun is a traveler in the skies just like our world. With its planets and their moons it swings around another great blazing sun, the throne of God, which is the center of the universe. It follows very carefully the path marked out for it by the Creator of the heavens. With so many suns and their planets traveling in appointed paths in the heavens, how necessary it is that each one keeps its place and moves on time.
SUN’S CORONA WITH STREAMERS
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Let us lift up our eyes and behold our wonderful sun. Even though we must look at it through a smoked glass, how grand and glorious it is! Notice the crown of dazzling brightness surrounding its face. The sun’s crown is caused by the glow from its great fire. Spreading out from the sun’s crown in every direction are streamers of fire. Some of these streamers of fire are thousands of miles long.
How faithfully our sun has been ruling the day since the fourth morning of creation week! Day by day it gives of its warmth and sunshine and radiance. It gives on and on, and yet does not seem to have any the less to give. Astronomers are greatly puzzled at this. “How can the sun always keep up its supply of light and heat?” they question. But we do not need to fear that the sun’s supply of light and heat will fail, for God said of David concerning his throne, “His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me.”
Field Study
Observe the rising and the setting of the sun for a month at this time of the year. Does it rise and set at exactly the same place from day to day? Perhaps it will appear to rise just over the barn for a while. In a week or so perhaps it will appear to rise just over the old elm tree. Name the objects near which the sun appears to rise and set from time to time.
Measure the shadow of a tree on the school grounds at noonday once a month for three months. When does this tree cast the longest shadow, the first month or the third month in spring ?
Get out your peg board and trace on the board with chalk the tip of the shadow cast by the peg through a sunny day. One month later make a similar outline of the tip of the shadow, and notice the difference.
Be sure to keep your weather chart up to date, indicating the days that are bright and those that are cloudy.
How long are the days at this time of the year?
How many wild flowers have you discovered up to this date? Be sure you know their names. What wild flower is common in your state?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 27 More About Our Moon
The largest and brightest object in our sky at night is our moon. It is one of the lesser lights made on the fourth day of creation week, and its appointed work is to rule through the dark hours of the night.
What do you think this is a photograph of? It is a photograph of our moon as it appears through a large telescope.
Noticehowbroken and ragged and barren its surface is. Here and there are valleys and mountains. There are several large mountain chains and valleys on the moon. Astronomers tell us that these mountains are very high, much higher than our highest mountain peaks.
There do not appear to be any lakes or rivers or streams of water upon the moon. No, there is not a drop of water there. Not a drop of rain or a flake of snow ever falls. So, of course, nothing green ever grows. There are no green
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trees, no bushes, no plants of any kind. Not even the tiniest blade of grass can grow without moisture.
Oh, how quiet it is on the moon! Never a sound is heard, not even as loud as a whisper. Do you know why this is? It is because there is no air surrounding the moon.
How big and round our moon looks sometimes! It looks as if it were many, many times larger than the hosts of stars that twinkle from afar. Is our moon so large? You will be surprised to learn that our moon is not very large. It is one of the very smallest bodies in the heavens. It is much smaller than our earth; but it is our next-door neighbor, and is nearer to us than any other body in the heavens. This is why it looks larger to us than those great suns that are millions of miles farther away.
Field Study
Observe the moon for a full month at this time of the year, and keep a record telling at what time it appeared each evening.
When and where did you see the full moon during this month?
When and where did you see the new moon during this month ?
How many days are there from one new moon to another?
How much difference is there in the time of the moonrise each night?
Continue your observations on the tadpoles in your aquarium.
What other forms of animal life can you find in the streams at this time of the year ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. ----------------------------$-----
Lesson 28
Getting Acquainted with the Stars
The stars in the heavens, shining with a “clear, pure light,” are constant reminders to us that there are thousands
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of worlds besides our own. We cannot learn many of their names, but we can learn a few. The stars are always with us. We may learn to know them as we know our friends.
Are you acquainted with Venus and Jupiter? They are two of the brightest stars in the heavens. Be sure you learn to know them. Jupiter is our evening star at this time of the year, and Venus is our morning star.
The planets are moving very rapidly in the heavens. They are so very far away that their rapid motion is hardly noticeable to us. They all seem to be going somewhere, and all are attending strictly to business.
Every bright, shining star is a great, blazing sun. Many of these suns have worlds like ours whirling about them. Some of these great suns appear to be double. They are made up of two suns. But, would you believe it, these two suns are millions of miles apart! They are so far away that they appear to us to be side by side.
“Great, wonderful, widespreading heavens,
How far you do reach!”
Light, you know, travels very rapidly. Even though light comes almost in a flash, it takes it eight minutes to come from the sun to our earth. It takes the light coming from the sun that is next to our sun in distance from us more than four years to reach our earth. But here is your biggest surprise of all: The light that reaches us from the North Star started for our earth fifty years ago! Fifty years, what a journey! How far, far away are the stars!
What a great universe is this, and what a great God is He who made it and filled it with unnumbered worlds!
Once when David was studying the heavens he exclaimed, “Great is our Lord, and of great power.”
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Field Study
Venus is sometimes a morning star and sometimes an evening star. Find from an almanac when it is a morning and when an evening star, and look for it.
Jupiter is the largest of the planets. It appears as a large white star. Look up its location in the almanac, and find it in the sky. It has several moons. If your eyes are very good, you may be able to see two of them at certain times of the year.
Do all stars twinkle ?
Name the constellations with which you are familiar.
Would you like to be able to locate Arcturus, the largest of all suns? Follow straight out from the end of the handle of the Big Dipper to twice its length, and you will come to Arcturus, a very beautiful, yellow star.
One constellation in the heavens has the shape of an ancient sickle. Follow in a straight line from the North Star to the pointers of the Big Dipper. Continue the straight line as far again and, if you look carefully, you will be able to discover the seven stars that form the ancient sickle.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
The sun, moon, and stars were made on the fourth day of the week by the word of the Lord.
Our sun is one of many, many suns in the universe of God.
There are eight planets with their moons traveling about our sun.
Our moon's surface is broken and ragged and barren. There is not a drop of water or a breath of air upon the moon. Our moon is our next-door neighbor. This is why it looks larger to us than other heavenly bodies. Two of the brightest stars in the heavens are Jupiter and Venus.
The planets are moving very rapidly in the heavens. They are so far away that their rapid motion is not noticeable to us.
Every bright, shining star is a blazing sun.
The stars are far, far away. Some are so far away that it takes many years for the light to come from them to our world. The North Star is a far-off sun.
Arcturus is the largest of all suns.
Be able to locate the following constellations:
Big Dipper Little Dipper Orion The Sickle
CHAPTER VIII
WATER ANIMALS
“And, whatever of life hath ebbed away Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer, Into every bare inlet and creek and bay”
—Lowell.
Lesson 29
The Creation of Water Animals
Genesis 1:20, 21
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.” “And God created great whales and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind.”
On the fifth morning of creation week the Creator spoke again. This time He spoke to the living creatures that move in the waters of the great deep. He spoke to the whales also. Again His words were all-powerful. Immediately the seas were alive with water animals of every kind and size.
Some crawled upon the sands of the seashore. Some swam gracefully upon the surface of the ocean. Some darted here and there through the midst of the waters. Some clung to the rocks on the water’s edge. Others crawled deep down upon the floor of the ocean. Their home was in readiness, and they had come. They had all come forth at the call of God.
Worldly-wise men would have us believe that it took thousands and thousands of years to make so many, many fish. But the Bible plainly says that it was the work of one day, the fifth day of creation week.
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Oh, nothing was too hard for the Creator of heaven and earth.
Tadpole, wriggling in the water, you are here because of God’s command on the fifth day of creation week. We shall study your ways and try to learn of God’s plan for all His creatures of the water. Cunning little minnow in the old familiar brook, you, too, make us think of God’s fifth-day call. Teach us of your ways, little minnow, that we may know the ways of your larger brothers and sisters in the great deep. Here is another fifth-day water animal. Come out of your shell, Mr. Turtle. We want to see you. We’ll do you no harm. Come out and tell us your story, that we may know better how to befriend you and other members of your family.
So many, many creatures, large and small, belong to the family of water animals. As we study their ways and see how wonderfully they were made, we shall understand more and more of the wisdom and power of Him who said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly.”
Field Study
Name the water animals with which you are familiar.
Name the water animals you have studied thus far.
Under flat rocks in the brook you may find some crawfish. When they swim, which way do they go, forward or backward?
What water insects have you seen this year? When do they leave the water and begin to fly ?
Look for a fresh-water clam on the muddy bottom of some pond.
What tracks does he make in the mud?
Bring some frog's eggs and some minnows to school for your aquarium, in preparation for your studies on water animals.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 30 Tadpoles
Field Study
Go to the pond and secure the frog’s eggs you will use for study. Place them in your aquarium or in a large glass jar, where you can see everything that happens. After the eggs have hatched you should observe the tadpoles every day, for the changes will come rapidly.
The Eggs
Where did you find the eggs, and on what date?
Were they attached to anything in the water, or were they floating free? Are the eggs in long strings, or in jelly like masses?
Is the jelly like substance in which the eggs are placed clear or dark? What is the shape and the size of the eggs ? Do they always remain the same?
The Tadpole
Have you ever seen a little tadpole work its way out from the jelly covering?
Describe the tadpole just after it is hatched.
How does the tail look, and how is it used ? How long is it in proportion to the body?
Which pair of legs appears first? How do they look? When they get a little larger, are they used as a help in swimming? Describe the hind legs and feet.
When do the front legs, or arms, appear? After both pairs of legs are developed, what happens to the tail ? Describe the difference in appearance between the front and hind legs of the full-grown tadpole.
When the tadpole is very young, can you see its eyes? How do they change from day to day?
What does the tadpole eat?
As the tadpole gains its legs and loses its tail, how does it change in its actions? Does it come oftener to the surface?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
THE EVOLUTION OF A FROG
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Lesson 31 Minnows
Field Study
Where do minnows live?
What is the shape of the minnow when seen from above? when seen from the side? Where is its widest part?
How many fins has the minnow?
Make a sketch of the minnow you are observing, showing the shape of its tail. Is its tail rounded, square, or notched?
Watch the minnow swim, and describe the action of its fins while it is in motion.
In what position are its fins when at rest?
Are the minnow's scales large or small?	•
Note the eyes of the minnow. Are they placed so that it can see in all directions ?
Can you locate its gills? Do the gills move? Describe its mouth. Is its mouth always in motion? Do you think that the minnow is swallowing water all the time?
What are the colors of the minnow above and below?
What does the minnow eat?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 32 The Turtle
Field Study
How much of the turtle can you see when it is walking?
If you disturb it, what does it do ?
How much of it can you see then ?
Of what advantage to the turtle is its shell? Does it have an upper and a lower shell? What is the shape of the upper shell ? What is its color? Does it have a border? Where do the lower and upper shells join? Is the edge of the shell smooth or scalloped?
How far does the turtle's head come out? What is the shape of its head? Describe its coloring. Describe its eyes. How are they protected? Describe the mouth. Does it have any teeth?
Describe the movement of the throat.
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MUD TURTLE
Describe its legs and its toes. Are any of its toes webbed ?
Describe the tail. How much can be seen from above when the turtle is walking?
How much of the turtle’s body can you see? What is its color? Is it rough or smooth ?
What is the turtle’s food?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Facts to Be Remembered
Water animals were created on the fifth day of creation week.
Describe the development of the frog, beginning with the egg stage. Describe the minnow, using the following outline:
Home
Body—fins, tail Head, eyes, gills, mouth Habits Food
Describe the turtle, using the following outline:
Shell
Head, eyes, mouth Body—legs, toes, tail Food Home
CHAPTER IX
AIR ANIMALS
“Oh, now's the hour when the air is sweet And birds are all in tune ”
— Percival.
Lesson 33
The Creation of Air Animals
Genesis 1:21
“And God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
“Every winged fowl,” from the tiny sparrow to the mighty eagle, was created by the Creator on the fifth day of creation week. After creating that great, great family of water animals, God continued on the same day to speak. The work of the fifth day was not complete until the lovely birds with their sweet songs of praise were flitting among the tree tops.
When God said “every winged fowl,” He was thinking of the robin, the song sparrow, the oriole, the meadow lark, and all the dear little birds that we love. He called them all, and they came. They came flying through the air, their colors glowing in the sunlight and their songs of praise to their Creator filling the air.
What a wonderful day’s work! It is not surprising that as He watched the creatures of the sea in their home and listened to the happy birds in the tree tops our Creator called this day’s work “good.”
Our Creator wants us to know each day that He loves us and that He wants us to be happy. He could think of no
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sweeter way to send us this message than through the birds. So He made the birds His messengers of love. Let every bird song bring to our hearts the thought that God is our loving Creator and that He cares for you and me.
Field Study
Name the “winged fowl” with which you are somewhat familiar.
Name the bird friends with which you are intimately acquainted. Name the birds in your neighborhood that have returned from the south up to this date.
What bird songs do you know? What bird nests can you describe? What insects have you seen flitting about thus far this spring?
Have you seen any butterflies or moths ?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Field Study
At what date did you see the first robin this year?
Where do you think the robin you are observing spent the winter ? Does the robin begin to sing as soon as it comes north ?
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Lesson 34 The Robin
MR. AND MRS. ROBIN
What does it find to eat when it comes in the spring?
What is the color of the top of the head? the back? the throat? the breast? the beak?
Do all robins have equally bright colors on head, back, and breast?
What is the color of the tail feathers ?
What is the color of the wing feathers?
At what time of day does the robin sing?
Where do robins build their nests?
Describe a robin's nest. Are father and mother robins colored alike?
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Have you ever seen a baby robin? Describe it. What do the parent robins feed their young? What is the food of father and mother robin?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Lesson 35
The Song Sparrow
Field Study
Where and when did you first see a song sparrow?
Describe the colors and the markings of the song sparrow on head, back, throat, breast, wings, and tail.
Where and of what material does the song sparrow build its nest? How can we protect these charming little friends and induce them to build near our houses ?
What is the food of the song sparrow?
How does the song sparrow compare in size with the robin ?
Do you like the song sparrow's song? Does it sound like “Little maid! Little maid! Little maid! Put on the teakettle, teakettle-ettle-ettle” ? Where was song sparrow when you heard him singing?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 36 The Catbird
Field Study
Have you ever heard a’catbird?
Did it sound like the mew of a cat?
Describe as well as you can the catbird's true song.
Compare the catbird's size with that of the robin.
What is the color of its head, wings, tail, breast, and under parts ? Where do catbirds build their nests?
What material is used? Is the nest completely hidden?
What is the food of the catbird?
Why is it an advantage to us to have catbirds build in our gardens?
Do you find catbirds in the deep woods or out in the open meadows?
Put a pan of water where the catbirds can use it, and then watch their actions. Describe how they take a bath.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
Facts to Be Remembered
God created air animals on the fifth day of creation week.
Describe the robin, the song sparrow, the catbird, using the following outline:
Home — nests Body — size Coloring—
Head
Wings
Breast
Tail
Throat
Back
Song
Food
CHAPTER X
LAND ANIMALS
“The bee comes sipping every eventide His dainty fill?”
Lesson 37
The Creation of Land Animals
Genesis 1:24
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
It is the sixth morning of creation week. Another day has come. God is present to continue His work. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are present also. A great work is to be done. Land animals are to be created to-day, from the tiny insect that creeps upon the ground to the mighty elephant that stalks through the forests. All is in readiness for them, and God, the Creator, calls.
Hark, and in imagination hear the Creator’s voice: “Cattle and beasts of the earth, come.”
God was speaking, and the cattle and other beasts came. Immediately in the fields that had been empty were heard the buzzing insects. Meadows that showed no signs of life were now alive with browsing animals. Forests that were quiet and still save for the songs of the birds, now resounded with the happy voices of its woodland folk. What power in those words, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature”!
“0 Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.”
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“He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.” So let each living creature that the earth brought forth on the sixth day of creation speak to our hearts of the wonderful Creator whose words are all powerful and whose story in Genesis is the only true story about the creation of this world.
Field Study
Name the classes of animals that God created on the sixth day.
Name creeping things with which you are familiar.
Name some farm animals with which you are familiar.
Name beasts of the earth with which you are familiar.
Trap a mouse in a wire mouse cage, and keep him a few days for observation and study. A mouse house can be made by tacking wire window screen over the top of a wooden box. Stripped paper should be put into the box for the mouse's comfort. By lifting the screen a little at one corner, a little water in a wide-necked bottle can be lowered into the box by a string and its food can be given in the same manner.
Find some cocoons by hunting along protected sections of old fences or brush piles. Place them in a box covered with cheesecloth, and place the box out of doors where you can observe its contents from time to time.
Place some ants in a large fruit jar that has been filled with earth. Before putting in your ants, sprinkle bread crumbs and moistened sugar on top of the soil for the ants to eat. Now put in your ants, and wrap a dark cloth around the jar. Place the jar in some quiet spot, and your ants will begin home making at once. From time to time remove the cloth and examine the jar. You will discover many interesting home habits of the ant.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 38
Woolly Bear in Spring
Wake up, woolly bear. Spring is here. The snow is gone, and the weather is warm. Woolly bear begins to move. What is he doing? See the strands of silk. Why, he is spin-
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MOTH
ning a silken house over his body! It is his cocoon. With the silk he weaves the hairs that he is shedding freely at this time. His whole cocoon seems made of felt. But what a small cocoon for such a large caterpillar! Woolly bear knows what to do. He is very busy weaving about himself the cocoon which seems to us far too small for him. This seems to us amazing. But still more amazing is the smooth little case which contains all that is left of woolly bear. This is his pupa case. It is a strong little house in which woolly bear feels safe and secure. How different this looks from our big, heavy, woolly bear! It is brown, and smooth, and oval in shape.
Woolly bear will stay in this pupa case for about a month. A wonderful thing happens in this little brown pupa case. There is nothing more wonderful in all nature. Just think, woolly bear changes from a crawler to a beautiful creature with wings. After a time he begins to breathe. This bursts his pupa covering. He comes out a gray moth with black spots on his wings. He is woolly bear no longer. He is a beautiful moth.
Field Study
The Cocoon
When does woolly bear make his cocoon ?
Of what material is it made ?
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How does the cocoon look inside and outside?
How does woolly bear get into his cocoon ?
What happens inside the cocoon ?
Describe the cocoon you are studying. Where did you find it?
The Pupa Case
Describe its coloring and its shape. Is it rough or smooth ?
About how large is it?
Can the pupa inside move at all?
Is it unable to defend itself?
Why does it not need to defend itself?
Can you see in the pupa the parts that will be the head and the mouth ? Can you see any other parts ?
Why does the pupa need to be protected by a cocoon ?
The Moth
What is the first sign by which you discover that the moth is coming out of the cocoon ? Can you hear the little scratching noise ?
How does the moth look when it first comes out ?
Can the moth fly immediately ?
Make a drawing of your moth, showing the color and markings of its wings and body.
If your moth lays eggs, describe them, noting color and size.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 39 The Ant
Field Study
Go out into your garden or into the fields and find an ant hill. Take some moistened sugar or bits of cake with you to feed the ants. Sit or lie by the ant hill for an hour or so, and find out for yourselves the answer to the following questions:
Where do you find ants' nests? If the nest is a mound, is there more than one entrance ? When the nest is disturbed, how do the ants act ? If an ant carrying a young one is hard pressed, will she drop it?
How many sizes of ants do you find living in the same nest?
What objects do you find ants carrying to their nests? How does an ant manage to carry an object larger than itself?
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What are the little white bundles that the ants carry about and care for? Are they all the same size? Look for the small, white worms. What are they? Notice the habits of the ants in feeding, cleaning, and caring for their young. If you find a procession of ants carrying food to their nest, notice if they follow the same path going and coming.
How can you tell a queen ant from a worker or a drone?
Describe the ant's body. «
How many legs does it have? Do the ants have wings? Describe its feelers. Does it always keep them in motion? Of what use are they? How does it clean them?
What does the ant eat ?
What does the Bible tell us to do concerning the ant?
The wise little ant cant teach us so many things.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
THE ANTS’ STOREROOM
ANTS CARRYING THEIR BABIES
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Lesson 40 The Ant Cows
Field Study
Bring into the schoolroom a plant covered with plant lice, place the stem in water, and let the children examine the plant lice through a magnifying glass.
Why are plant lice called ant cows ? Have you ever seen an ant milk a plant louse? Watch closely, and see the ant stroking or patting gently its little cow. See the ant sucking up at once the honey dew which comes from the ant cow's body when it feels the ant's caress.
Notice the plant lice on a leaf. What are they all doing ? Are their heads in the same direction?
Touch one, and make it move along. What does it do with its sucking tube as it walks off?
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What color is the plant louse? Why is this color a protection to it?
Describe the aphid, or plant louse, as it looks to you through the magnifying glass. Notice its legs, its feelers, its sucking tube, and the tubes on its back. Can you see its eyes? Does it have wings?
What happens to a leaf or a plant that has been covered with plant lice?
Should the plant lice be destroyed?
Plant lice may be killed by spraying them with soapsuds made in the proportion of one quarter pound of soap to one gallon of water. Try this remedy on some plant in your garden.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 41 “Mousie”
Field Study
Place a mouse in a mouse cage for study and observation.
Why is the color of the mouse of benefit to it? Can you see a mouse easily as it runs across the room?
Describe the fur of the mouse.
How long is the mouse's tail compared with its body?
Of what use to the mouse is this long, ridged tail ?
Is the mouse a good jumper? Is the tail of any aid in jumping?
How much of the legs are covered with hair? Compare the front and the hind feet. What kind of claws have they? How can a mouse climb up the side of a wall?
Describe the eyes. Do you think the mouse can see very well?
What is the shape of its ears ?
Do you think that it can hear well ?
Notice its whiskers. What is their use?
What food does the house mouse live on?
ANT MILKING ITS COW (GREATLY ENLARGED)
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How does the mouse act when reaching up to examine something ? Describe the mouse in his “cleaning up” act.
Where does the mouse build its nest? of what material? How do the baby mice look?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study. Facts to Be Remembered
What classes of animals were created on the sixth day of creation week ? Describe woolly bear’s cocoon, and tell when and how he spins it. Describe him in the pupa stage, and tell what wonderful change takes place.
Describe the moth, using the following outline:
Appearance on coming from pupa case Size
Coloring and markings on body and wings
Describe the ant, using the following outline:
Ant homes Kinds of ants Larva and pupa Ant habits
Describe the ant cow, using the following outline:
Color, size, legs, feelers, tubes Why called ant cows ?
How destroyed ?
Describe the mouse, using the following outline:
Color, fur, legs, tail, feet, claws, eyes, ears, whiskers Nests and baby mice Mouse habits
CHAPTER XI
MAN
“1 will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
—David.
Lesson 42
The Creation of Man
Genesis 1:26, 27
“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. . . . So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He-him.”
Created in the image of God! This is a wonderful thought After creating all the creatures of the sea, the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, God decided to make a being different from any that He had yet created. He said to Jesus, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” Is it not indeed wonderful to think, as we look at the hosts of worlds that shine like gems at night, that we have the same form and image as the One who upholds them all?
As man came forth from the hand of his Creator he was very tall. His face bore the ruddy tint of health, and glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men who now inhabit the earth. Eve was somewhat less in height; yet her form was noble, and full off beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear. So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to cover them.—Adapted from “Patriarchs and Prophets.”
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The Creator gave man a min'd, which makes him different from and higher than any other animal in the world. He made him upright and gave him power to choose the right from wrong. He gave him “dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
How God did love this first man! How He trusted him and honored him! He wanted him to be happy and live forever in his lovely Eden home. This is the same God who loves you and me, and wants us to be happy and live forever in our heavenly home.
Field Study
The object of Christian education is to restore what man has lost by sin. Mention the blessings of church school to our boys and girls.
Can you walk faster and farther when breathing through your nose or through your mouth? Test it out, and see. Place a lighted candle in a jar, and put on the cover. What will happen, and why ?
Light the candle again, and leave off the cover. What will happen, and why ?
Air is just as essential to the life that is in us as it is to the fire in the candle. Let us remember this, and breathe freely and deeply.
What is chest breathing? What is deep breathing? Which is better?
Which do you practice?
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 43 The Stomach
Let us study for awhile how the human body is related to the food that God has provided for man's use.
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The food passes into the body through the mouth,—a wonderful machine composed of lips, tongue, teeth, and palate.
The machine is a mill in which the food is ground before it passes to other parts of the body. Some of the teeth are used in biting the food, and others in chewing and grinding it. The tongue gives us the sense of taste.
While the food is being ground by the teeth, there are several streams of watery fluid, called saliva, flowing into the mouth.
This not only moistens the food, but also partly digests it by changing the starchy portion into sugar.
When the work is properly done in the mouth, the food passes down into a chamber called the pharynx. If it were not for a trapdoor covering the windpipe, the food would go down into this, causing coughing and choking. Many of us have experienced this when we have laughed while eating.
After passing the windpipe, the food goes down through the esophagus, or gullet, the food passage which leads to the stomach. Here the food is churned very thoroughly by the walls of the stomach. While this is going on, the walls of the stomach make a fluid called gastric juice. This changes certain foods into a milky fluid.
The food in the stomach is then passed into the intestines through a small opening, called the pylorus, or “gate
THE CHURNING MACHINE
a.	Esophagus
b.	Stomach
c.	Pylortis, or gate keeper
d.	Duodenum
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keeper,” which guards the opening at the lower end of the stomach. Here the food is acted upon by the bile, which comes from the liver, and by two other juices made by the digestive organs.
When these three juices have acted upon the food sufficiently, it is taken into the blood, and the particles are carried throughout the whole system. Thus the entire body is nourished and built up whenever it is in need of repair.
As we study the body the Lord has given us, we see that it is wonderfully constructed. No wonder David exclaimed, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Field Study
Chew a dry Graham cracker for some time, and you will notice that the longer you chew it the sweeter it becomes. Why is this ?
Did you ever have the “stomach ache”? What caused it?
Name different ways in which boys and girls abuse the stomach.
Where is your stomach? How large is it? How much will it hold?
How long does it take the food, as a rule, to digest in the stomach?
Why should the stomach rest between meals?
Why is gum chewing a bad habit?
Trace the journey of a piece of bread from the mouth to the hungry parts of the body.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 44 Proper Diet
We have already learned that the vegetable kingdom should furnish man with food. We should endeavor, as far as possible, to conform to God's original plan in this respect
19 Book of Nature
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We find, by reading the Bible, that God did, in the past, permit His people to eat flesh food; but the people who live to be translated will be living on a diet in harmony with a condition of things where sin does not exist^The wages of sin is death.” Had sin never entered the world, no animal
would ever have been killed for food. It seems as if we ought to be glad that we can find food that is palatable and wholesome without destroying the life of the creatures God has made to contribute to our happiness.
We will now consider some of the foods that are nutritious, and that can be easily obtained. Milk is the first food that sustains our bodies, and, when pure, is probably one of the best foods. Milk is especially designed to nourish the body during infancy. You will find, by observing the lower animals, that they do not eat the same food when full grown as when they are young. This is also true in the case of man.
Whole-wheat flour is a very important article of diet. It contains all the food elements necessary to sustain life, except fats. Fruits, grains, and nuts are excellent foods. These can be used together without harm. Vegetables— such as potatoes, beets, turnips, and the leafy vegetables— are also important foods. Milk from healthy cows is one of the best articles of diet for children. While fruits and grains make a good combination, fruits and vegetables make a very
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poor one. We need not resort to animal food to obtain the necessary fats, for God has provided these in the great variety of nuts, such as the hickory nut, walnut, and peanut.
We should not only be careful in selecting good foods, but should exercise great care in preparing them. Grains should be well cooked, for then they are more easily digested. Frying food is the worst possible method of preparing it, since it cannot then be so readily acted upon in the stomach, being surrounded by a coating of fat. Hot bread and hot biscuits are also very indigestible, especially when eaten with butter. Food, in order to be easily and quickly digested, should not be eaten when much warmer than the stomach.
When we are hungry, we find that we are satisfied with very plain food. If we eat when we are not hungry, we desire rich foods or those that are highly seasoned, such as pies and cakes, in order to coax our appetite. We should avoid eating anything that we know is unwholesome. The fact that a thing tastes good is not always evidence that it is good. The plainest and simplest foods are the best.
Field Study
What was the original diet provided for man?
Why should those who expect to be translated adopt this original bill of fare?
What caused man to include flesh foods as a part of his diet?
Mention some of the best foods that we find in the vegetable kingdom.
What can you say of milk as a food ? How much milk do you drink daily ?
An experiment was performed on two mice. One was fed white bread for a period of time. The other was fed whole-wheat bread for the same period of time. Which do you think fared the best, and why?
What part of the vegetable kingdom furnishes fats?
How much fruit do you eat daily ? Do you eat much candy? Why should it be eaten sparingly? Do you eat much pie and cake? Why should they be eaten sparingly?
Why should we be careful of our diet?
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Bring to class a properly balanced dinner menu in which is included at least one dish that you yourself know how to prepare.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record as many observations as possible under Field Study.
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Lesson 45 How to Eat
After learning of the wholesome diet God has provided, it will be a good plan to learn how to do our part of the work of digestion. The processes that go on in the stomach are not under the control of the will; but there are certain things which we can control, and they should be looked after very carefully. To know just how to eat our food is a very important matter.
Field Study
“TIME ENOUGH” TO EAT
If the food be properly chewed, the other organs of digestion will not need to be overworked. Not less than thirty minutes should be spent at a meal, in order that the food may be properly masticated. How much time do you spend in eating your school lunch? What do you think this means: Many people “are digging their graves with their teeth” ? How many times do you chew each morsel of food before swallowing?
THREE INJURIOUS EATING HABITS
Many children have the habit of “piecing” between meals. This is very harmful, and wili soon destroy the power of a healthy stomach. The stomach needs regular periods of work and rest, just as the muscles do. Three meals a day are sufficient; and those who are not engaged in hard physical labor are better off with but two meals. It is a bad practice to eat just before going to bed, as this prevents sound sleep. Nor is it well to eat when very tired. At such a time one should rest for half an hour before eating.
EATING TOO MUCH
One very important thing to remember is that it is possible to overeat. An overloaded stomach makes itself felt by a sense of fullness and drowsi-
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ness after the meal. Do not be surprised if you suffer of sick headache after eating too heartily, or if you feel too heavy and stupid to study. If one continues eating too much, especially of too rich or highly spiced food, the complexion becomes muddy, the face marred with pimples, and the breath often has an unpleasant odor.
IMPROPER FOOD COMBINATIONS
Much discomfort is occasioned by eating wrong food combinations. Very acid fruits should not be eaten with starchy foods, as the acid of fruits stops the digestion of starch in the stomach. It is better to make a meal almost entirely of fruits than to eat fruits with milk, eggs, or starchy vegetables. When cane sugar is used in large quantities with acid fruits, often the juice sours or ferments in the stomach, thus causing trouble.
ICE WATER AND ICE CREAM
Another bad practice that many people have with reference to their eating is that of drinking freely at mealtime. They wash down their food with cold and hot drinks. This weakens the saliva and the gastric juice, so that they do not do good work upon the foods. Ice water also lowers the temperature of the stomach, and thus stops the work of digestion for a time.
Ice cream has the same influence upon the stomach as ice water; but it tastes good, and that is the reason why people eat it. Many people live to eat, instead of eating to live.
BE HAPPY
One very important rule to observe in the matter of eating is this: “Don’t worry.” Discontent, anger, sorrow, or any other unpleasant feeling, hinders the proper work of the stomach, by calling the blood from the stomach to the brain. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6. A hearty laugh and a merry heart are the best of sauces. What does this mean? Read Proverbs 15:13, 15.
DAILY HEALTH HABITS
Check up on yourself daily to be sure you are carrying out these eating habits, which will make boys and girls strong and healthy.
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Lesson 46
Accidents“and Emergencies
A boy may cut himself with his knife or with an ax; he may burn his body severely; he may be stung by an insect;
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he may have the nosebleed; he may accidentally swallow some poison. Such things do happen every day. We will learn in this lesson a few of the simple helps for such things, —things that every boy and girl may have use for some day.
Field Study
Nosebleed. Keep the head erect, place a basin under the chin. Place ice or a cloth wrung out of cold water on the back of the neck. In most cases this will stop the bleeding.
Sunstroke. The main thing to do is to lower the temperature. Remove the clothing from the body. Apply to the head chopped ice, wrapped in flannel. Rub ice over the chest, and place pieces under the armpits and at the sides. If there is no ice, use cloths wet with cold water. The body may be sprinkled with ice water.
Stings. If a piece of the sting remains in the flesh, pull it out with the fingers or with a pair of tweezers. Apply weak ammonia water, after which a cloth moistened with sweet oil should be placed on the part.
Frostbite. The ears, the toes, the nose, and the fingers are occasionally frostbitten or frozen. Rub the parts with snow, or with ice or snow water, in a cold room. The circulation should be restored very slowly. Hot milk or other hot drinks should be taken freely.
Fainting. When a person faints, he should be laid on the back at once, with the head very low. Give plenty of fresh air, and dash cold w^ter on the head and neck if necessary. Loosen all the tight clothing.
Insect in Ehr. If an insect crawls into the ear, drop in a little sweet oil or molasses, gently raising the tip of the ear to cause the fluid to run in more readily. Wash out the substance with a little warm water.
Choking. Bits of food lodged in the throat may be removed easily by the forefinger or by sharp slaps on the back.
Cinders or Dust in Eye. Cinders or particles of dust may often be removed from the eye with the twisted corner of a handkerchief, carefully used. Do not rub the eye. The upper lid may be turned back, and the substance thus found and removed; but this requires skilled help. Really, the best way, if one has self-control enough to do it, is to shut the eye and hold it perfectly still for several minutes. The cinder or dust particle will be washed toward the inner corner of the eye by the natural eye fluid, and then can be easily removed.
Notebook Requirement
Date and record all experiences in which you have been able to use these helpful suggestions.
CHAPTER XII
THE SABBATH
“Neath cloistered houghs each floral bell that swingeth And tolls its 'perfume on the passing air Makes Sabbath in the fields and ever ringeth A call to prayer ”
Lesson 47
The Sabbath
When God gave to our first parents the Sabbath in Eden, it was that they might have time to talk with Him and to think of His power, wisdom, and love. Adam and Eve were not tired in body and mind. They did not need a day in which to rest; but they did need the holy Sabbath day in which to worship their Creator and to talk to Him in a very special way.
But sin has brought about a great change. Now the Sabbath is not only a day of worship, but a day of rest. We are tired in body and mind. We need the Sabbath rest. We need to forget our work and toil of the week. When we are free from all our labors, we can draw nearer to God than we can when our minds and hands are full of our everyday duties. So let us welcome the sweet Sabbath rest.
Jesus says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
The presence of the Holy Spirit will give us rest as the Lord said to Moses: “My presence shall go with thee, and I
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will give thee rest.” David says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”
While the Sabbath calls us to rest, yet it does not call us to idleness. The holy hours of the Sabbath should not be spent in sleep. Let us rise at the regular time and spend the best and earliest hours of the Sabbath in studying God’s word and in talking to Him. This is the surest and best way to find the sweet rest that our tired nerves need.
The Sabbath rest is not complete unless we have refreshed our hearts by helping some one else,—by visiting some one who is sick or in need, or by carrying a book, a tract, or a paper to some one who has not yet seen the light of the third angel’s message. This is true Sabbath keeping and real Sabbath resting.
On the holy rest day, above all other days, we should open the book of nature and study the love and wisdom of God, which are written upon every page. After attending the Sabbath services we should go out into the fields and groves under the open sky and among the grass and flowers. As we come close to nature, Jesus comes very close to us and speaks to our hearts of His peace and His love.
Let us learn to keep the Sabbath here, that we may have the happy privilege of attending the Sabbath meetings around the throne of God.
Questions
When was the Sabbath created?
Why was it created ?
What invitation to rest does the Saviour give to those who are weary? Matthew 11:28-30.
Name four ways of spending God's holy day that will bring rest to the weary.
What does the presence of God's Spirit give to those who allow it to dwell in them? Exodus 33:14; Isaiah 63:14.
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If we learn how to keep the Sabbath on earth, what privilege shall we have in the new earth?
After studying this lesson, let us bow our heads and ask God to help us to be true and loyal Sabbath keepers.
Notebook Requirement
Keep a little record showing how you spend your Sabbath days from week to week. Check each Sabbath with the rules for Sabbath keeping given in Isaiah 58:13, and see if you can reach God’s mark.
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Lesson 48
Enjoying the Sabbaths in Spring OPENING GOD’S WORD
Remember as you open your Bible that it is God’s voice speaking to you. God’s word in our hands will make every Sabbath day a happy one. First read your Bible selection for the day and then study your Sabbath school lesson for next Sabbath. It is a fine thing also to memorize some verses from the Bible on Sabbath keeping or on the second coming of Christ. In a short time you will possess a rich store of precious promises that will never leave you.
OPENING THE BOOK OF NATURE
Go for a walk with your parents to some grove or field near by. If you can do no better, visit some quiet park.
Note the trees and the flowers you pass, and see how many you can name.
Watch for some new bird, and study it according to the outlines you have used in studying other birds.
One of the most interesting things you can do is to sit in some quiet, secluded spot and watch a brood of quail. You will never tire of watching them, and you will discover so
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many clever little tricks they practice in order to escape danger. Spend a little time at yoyr ant hill. It will take you days to see all that your lesson on ants suggested that you observe. Also take a look at your cocoons and your tadpoles. Try to learn something new about them.
HELPING SOME ONE
Was some one missing from Sabbath school or church to-day? If so, let him know that you missed him. Carry him flowers or some little token of your interest and sympathy. A little note of sympathy is always appreciated. These little things cost so little, but how much they cheer the sick and the lonely! The people about us do not know that Jesus is coming soon. A paper or a tract given away may help to save a soul in the kingdom of God.
“Have you found the heavenly light? Pass it on;
Souls are groping in the night, Daylight gone;
Hold thy lighted lamp on high,
Be a star in some one’s sky,
He may live who else would die, Pass it on.”
AN IDEAL SUMMER PASTURE