Nature Study - "Study Nature, Not Books"

"Study Nature, Not Books"

Many scientists, teachers, and leaders throughout the United States agreed on the value of nature study, and the subject became an important part of how the natural world was examined in many areas of the country by the early 20th century. Scientists gave public support to the philosophy and added to the creation of a curriculum and courses. The movement was particularly popular in the Northeast, the West, and the Midwest. The South also found some use for the idea of natural science in their agriculture schools, as well as at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama (now Tuskegee University) and Hampton Institute in Virginia (now Hampton University). Nature Study could be found in both urbanized, highly populated cities and in rural school systems because of the involvement of scientists in designing and implementing curriculum. For example, Wilbur Jackman created an outline of nature study with “life and its phenomena” which examined how the study of plants and animals would consist of zoology and botany (under biology), physics, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, geography, geology, and mineralogy.

Lucretia Crocker along with women’s clubs and other help in the Boston area, created a "Teachers' School of Science" in Back Bay at the New museum of the Boston society. Along with a woman named Ellen Swallow Richards, Crocker created a mineralogy course for teachers. Teacher found such education in the Boston area because of area scientist that would teach their courses.

The American Nature Study Society was founded in 1908, and still exists today. The society was an important aspect as well in helping to bring about the Nature-Study movement. Anna Botsford Comstock is one of the societies’ past presidents. It is considered to be America’s oldest organization for environment.

Anna Botsford Comstock studied and worked as the head of the Department of Nature Study at Cornell University with her husband, John Henry Comstock. Cornell University was considered to be a major hub for the Nature Study movement. She wrote the Handbook of Nature Study, which includes sections on how to teach the subject and how to teach the courses to children, and also includes sections from different species of animals and plants to even the skies.

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