Abstract
WE do not think that botany can be taught with advantage to children from books. No method of teaching seems so well adapted to the wants of junior students as that of demonstration. A flower pulled to pieces by the -student and the parts and their importance intelligently explained by the teacher forms a lesson far more valuable than any to be got from a text-book. With a few such demonstrations from easily-obtained flowers, taken as they present themselves, most of the elementary facts regarding flowering plants can be readily mastered, while the habits of observation and the facility of dissecting thus obtained are invaluable to the student. It is, we fear, too much the habit in teaching botany to make the student prepare a lesson from the text-book as if it were spelling or history. This is really what should be most carefully avoided, although there must be a great temptation to proceed with the book lesson when the plant is not obtainable. Mr. Henslow states in his preface: “The descriptions of flowers in this book are intended to form botanical reading-lessons, specimens of the flowers being at the same time placed in the hands of the pupils, who are required to dissect and examine them carefully, and be sure they see and understand each special part noticed in the text.” When used in accordance with the directions laid down by the author, the book seems an excellent one, and calculated to serve its purpose well, although some very important types have been omitted for want of space. As we have known children to work out the structure of flowers for themselves by means of this little book and to enjoy the exercise, we believe the work will be deservedly popular. The illustrations are rather coarse, but on the whole characteristic and often, give details of structure sometimes omitted from much larger works.
Botany for Children: an Illustrated Elementary Text-Book for Junior Classes and Young Children.
By the Rev. George Henslow, &c.(London; Edward Stanford, 1880.)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Botany for Children: an Illustrated Elementary Text-Book for Junior Classes and Young Children . Nature 23, 241 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/023241c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/023241c0