Natural Philosophy for Common and High Schools

The main purpose of this small book is to present the most elementary facts of natural philosophy in such a way as to teach a child to constantly observe phenomena and draw conclusions from what he is observing. When the child is old enough to ask questions such as "What causes the thunder?" Either "Where is the rain coming from," or he exclaims, "What beautiful clouds tonight," he is old enough to start studying natural philosophy. The aim of primary education should be to train the senses to become accustomed to quick and accurate observation, and the mind to the habit of forming correct judgments on the basis of facts detected by the senses. Natural philosophy provides many materials of the highest quality with which these goals can be achieved. Another feature of this little book that will please both student and teacher is the system of questions that runs through it. Each important topic in the discussion of each subject is introduced by a question, and not by a formal heading, as is the case. These questions will be excellent guidance and are really very important for a young learner. The teacher will also find them useful for the exercises in the classroom to which they are especially suited, as they are directly related to the text and are in bold, easy-to-catch type, rather than at the bottom of the page. or the reverse side of the book in small print and compact lists. Their gaze is not limited to the book; therefore, their use will not sacrifice the vitality and strength of the exercise.