6 TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 C. Developing reflective thinking and the scientific atti-
tude. A democracy is not static but is changed gradually by
the people who compose it. There is a special need for members
of a democracy to have ability to evaluate critically the forces
which are bearing upon it. It is essential for instance, to be
able to judge printed matter and determine whether statements
are backed by proof. The citizen needs to be able to recognize
a problem, gather facts patiently and carefully, evaluate hon-
estly without personal bias, look for inconsistencies, and be ever
ready to modify former conclusions in the light of new evidence.
He needs to respect differences in opinion and at the same time
seek for understandings that are held in common. These are
the same characteristics as those needed by the student of
science, and growth in one should mean growth for the other.
 D. Developing self-control. An educated person is one who
can foresee the consequences of actions. He is therefore in a
position to judge his own responsibility for action. Science
makes a contribution in this area in two ways. First, through
his knowledge of science a person can anticipate consequences.
He knows why milk is important in the diet, why a sneeze is
harmful to others, why a rake left upturned is dangerous, and
he can regulate his conduct accordingly. Second, as he is freed
from superstition, he sees where responsibility for conduct falls
squarely on his own shoulders. This is especially important
since in a democracy, more than in any other way of living, it
is necessary for persons to recognize and assume responsibility
for the direction of their own conduct.
 E. Developing enjoyment of the processes and products
of creative effort. Science offers a wide field for creativeness
on the elementary school level. In addition to the creativeness
demanded by problem solving, a child, in one sense, is being
creative when he sees a relationship for the first time or when
he actually shares an idea by recreating for his classmates a
vivid experience of his own. In another sense, children are crea-
tive and their imaginations aroused as they realize that all
knowledge is not yet complete and that they themselves may
eventually contribute to scientific invention and discovery. Also,
as children become aware of the effort and sacrifice men and
women have made in the past to create what we have today,
they become more appreciative of our present way of living.
Their appreciation for the dignity and worth of work is in-
creased.
 F. Developing life interests. Many life long interests may
be developed by the child as a result of his work in science. Some
of these interests will be represented by hobbies, while others
may actually lead to vocational pursuits. Certainly the habit