d to come up in the
day's work in their various activities.

Considered from the practical standpoint of actual human needs, the
present almost complete neglect of elementary science is indefensible.
The minute amount of such teaching now introduced in the language
lessons for composition purposes is so small as to be almost
negligible. The topics are not chosen for their bearing upon human
needs. There is no laboratory work.

Naturally much of the elementary science to be taught should be
introduced in connection with practical situations in kitchen, school
garden, shop, sanitation, etc. Certainly the applied science should
be as full as possible. But preliminary to this there ought to be
systematic presentation of the elements of various sciences in rapid
ways for overview and perspective.

To try to teach the elements only "incidentally" as they are applied
is to fail to see them in their relations, and therefore to fail in
understanding them. Intensive studies by way of filling in the
details may well be in part incidental. But systematic superficial
introductory work is needed by way of giving pupils their bearings
in the various fields of science. The term "superficial" is used
advisedly. There is an introductory stage in the teaching of every
such subject when the work should be superficial and extensive. This
stage paves the way for depth and intensity, which must be reached
before education is accomplished.

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

Having no elementary science in the grades, one naturally expects to
find in the high school a good introductory course in general science,
similar in organization to that suggested for the elementary stage.
But nowhere is there anything that even remotely suggests such a
course. Students who take the classical course get their first glimpse
of modern science in the third or fourth high school year, when they
have an opportunity to elect a course in physics or chemistry of the
usual traditional stamp. No opportunity is given them for so much as
a glimpse of the world's biological background. Those who take the
scientific or English course have access to physical geography and to
an anemic biological course entitled, "Physiology and Botany," which
few take. Students of the High School of Commerce have their first
contacts with modern science in a required course in chemistry in the
third year, and elective physics in the fourth year. In the technical
high schools the first