THE MARCH OF SCIENCE MY OWN SCIENCE PROBLEMS GEORGE W. HUNTER - 1935 - FOREWORD TO THE TEACHER - Education in a Changing World. Great changes in educational methods and objectives have recently taken place. The growth of the junior high school is an experiment in education brought about through a desire on the part of educators to integrate the work of the elementary school with that of the high school. The growing emphasis on secondary education has forced these changes in organization. Along with this has come a new ...
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THE MARCH OF SCIENCE MY OWN SCIENCE PROBLEMS GEORGE W. HUNTER - 1935 - FOREWORD TO THE TEACHER - Education in a Changing World. Great changes in educational methods and objectives have recently taken place. The growth of the junior high school is an experiment in education brought about through a desire on the part of educators to integrate the work of the elementary school with that of the high school. The growing emphasis on secondary education has forced these changes in organization. Along with this has come a new psychology of learning which emphasizes individual learning rather than group teaching. As a result of these changes in ideals and objectives, the curriculum has come into the limelight. Much recent work has been done in curriculum making, and while son-le has been scientifically made some is of little value. There is much evidence that the newer curricula in science are being made with objectives that are attainable. Changes in the world of today have been brought about by means of science, and some seventh grade pupils of today know more about some of the applications of science than their fathers do. There is need for interpretation of these changes in terms of the childs activities, especially in terms of his leisure-time activities. The modern science curriculum recognizes this. If we consider what has just been said, it would seem that the underlying philosophy of the course should be based on the relationship of the environment to the child first as an individual, and later as a growing citizen in the environment of school, community, and nation. Into such a course the materials of science should be integrated witoh the curricular materials of geography, history, civics, and especially health education. At the earlier levels the ultimate outcomes from the child should X the organ- ization of the integrated knowledges in such a way as will make for some first-hand experiences with the factors of his environment and an understanding of the part played by such factors in his life activities - a desire to know more about and to help in the improvement of his environment while at the highest grade level of the junior high school understanding of control and usage of the factors of the environment might well be the ultimate aim. This integration, especially of positive health materials, has been made in the pages which follow. To properly present learning elements in an integrated science curriculum at different grade levels, it is obvious that the mental age, and especially the point of view of the pupil, must be carefully considered. A terraced plan of attack must be used in which the capacities, interests, and science backgrounds of the seventh grade child must be considered as a distinct level in the development of the concepts treated in the course. Children grow much in capacity between the seventh and ninth grade levels. At the seventh grade level the teacher must use simple language. The science vocabulary should be restricted to the use of relatively simple terms. The experiments and demonstrations should be easy to understand and to perform. The teaching techniquea should all be adjusted to the levels of the immature youngster of this group...
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