ordinary perception are spoken of as
immediate, or presentative, elements of knowledge.

CLASSIFICATION OF SENSATIONS

Our various sensations are usually divided into three classes as
follows:

1. Sensations of the special senses, including: sight, sound, touch
(including temperature), taste, and smell.

2. Motor, or muscular, sensations.

3. Organic sensations.

=Sensations of the Special Senses.=--As a study of the five special
senses has been made by the student-teacher under the heading of
physiology, no attempt will be made to explain the structure of these
organs. It must be noted, however, that not all senses are equally
capable of distinguishing differences in quality. For example, it seems
quite beyond our power to recall the tastes and odours of the various
dishes of which we may have partaken at a banquet, while on the other
hand we may recall distinctly the visual appearance of the room and the
table. It is worthy of note, also, that in the case of smell, animals
are usually much more discriminative than man. Certain of our senses
are, therefore, much more intellectual than others. By this is meant
that for purposes of distinguishing the objects themselves, and for
providing the mind with available images as materials for further
thought, our senses are by no means equally effective. Under this
heading the special senses are classified as follows:

Higher Intellectual Senses: sight, hearing, touch.

Lower Intellectual Senses: taste and smell.

=Muscular Sensations.=--Under motor, or muscular, sensations are
included the feelings which accompany consciousness of muscular
exertion, or movement. In distinction from the other sense organs, the
muscles are stimulated by having nervous energy pass outward over the
motor nerves to the muscles. As the muscles are thus stimulated to
movement, sensory nerves in turn convey inward from the muscles sensory
impressions resulting from these movements. The important sensations
connected with muscular action are those of strain, force, and
resistance, as in lifting or pushing. By means of these motor
sensations, joined with the sense of touch, the individual is able to
distinguish especially weight, position, and change of position. In
connection with the muscular sense, may be recalled that portion of the
Montessori apparatus known as the weight tablets. These wooden tablets,
it will be noted, are designed to educate the muscular sense to
distinguish slight