40 TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 an insight into the conditions necessary for plant
 growth. Some children may never have much experi-
 ences with growing things unless the school provides it.
 In the planning of a school garden there may arise such
 questions as whether the ground available shall be used
 entirely as a group garden or be divided into smaller
 plots? In some localities there may not be suitable
 ground available near the school for such a garden.
 Here is one good place to keep in mind that gardening
 can be done on a small scale. If a large barrel is filled
 with the proper soil, planted and cared for as any other
 garden plot, many of the same values will be attained.
 It may be advisable, if a garden plot is to be used, for
 a beginning group to divide the plot allowed to the
 group into smaller plots-approximately 6 feet by 6
 feet, each plot to be shared by two persons. The ad-
 vantage of having the small plots is that each child
 gets a greater variety of activities and feels increased
 responsibility.
 The values of a school garden may be unlimited. It is
 one of the best activities to observe the various stages
 of growth of different plants, to give the pupils some
 conception of the use of a prepared garden plan and
 teach them how to lay out a simple garden according
 to a given plan, and to develop responsibility and
 show the value of "teamwork". It should also teach
 them how to use effectively the simple garden tools
 (spade, hoe, and rake) in preparing the soil for gar-
 dening.
 One important phase of the various types of garden
 activity is that it can be correlated with nearly every
 part of classroom work. It will offer leads into the
 field of social studies, problems will arise involving
 the use of arithmetic, and a unit on health will evolve
 on likes and dislikes of foods. The children will enjoy
 the feasts taken from their own garden and will often
 eat foods that have previously been pushed aside.

Ways of Studying the Community to Locate Science
 Learning Opportunities
 The preceding paragraphs have indicated the limitless pos-
 sibilities throughout the state for citing examples of science
 principles at work. The local community also abounds in illus-
 trations of applied science. In order to use these opportunities,
 however, faculties must be not only conscious of them but also
 equipped with the necessary specific information to make their