EXPERIMENTS IN ZOOLOGY 107

Since education deals with the growth and development ofman�an animal�the methods of investigation used must ofnecessity be closely related to those which are familiar to biolo-gists. This is peculiarly true of those investigations in whichvariation plays a part. Teachers of biology should thereforeenter this new field with peculiar interest.The assistance of everyone interested is invited in order that

the bibliography may be comprehensive.As another department of its work the committee is very anx-

ious to get into communication with anyone who is engagedupon a problem or with those who desire to take up investiga-tion of this sort. The committee is charged with the duty-ofcooperation, but can do so only as it learns what is being doneor projected. Please write to the chairman or to any memberof the committee if you know of anything which is of interest.

TWO EXPERIMENTS IN ZOOLOGY TEACHING.1

BY FREDERIC C. LUCAS^Englewood High School, Chicago.

I. AN EXPERIMENT IN TEACHING ZOOLOGY TO SEGREGATED

CLASSES.

Owing to the general policy of the Englewood High SchoolChicago, it has been possible to have my boys and girls in separateclasses for the past three years, with results that have been verysatisfactory. During this time I have been gradually differenti-ating the two courses, until now the boys’ course is quite differ-ent from that of the girls, which latter is more like the originalcourse. This differentiation has been made because of and aftera close study of the characteristics of both the boys and girlsand is an attempt to adapt the courses to the needs of the pupilsin each case. A few of these characteristics as I have observedthem may be of interest. Among the boys we have found agreater previous zoological experience, a keener curiosity, agreater independence, a desire to tabulate results rather thanwrite long descriptions, a tendency to work rapidly, and in gen-eral, a desire to do things, rather than write about them. - Thegirls on the other hand have had less field experience, have muchless zoological curiosity, are more easily handled "en masse,^and follow general class directions, work more slowly but produce

iRead before Biology Section, C. A. S. and M. T., at Cleveland meeting.

108 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

neater work, often spending extra time on title pages, etc. Ingeneral girls are more faithful in the preparation of outside work,but boys seem to get more out of their laboratory work.The most striking results have been the increase in the num-

ber of boys taking the subject and the better grades obtained bythe boys, who seem to be willing to strive with each other wherethey would be unwilling to compete with the girls. The pupilsthemselves prefer the segregated classes. If I had more time Iwould like to give you some of their reasons. As a teacher ofzoology I would be very sorry to go back to the old plan ofmixed classes.

II. AN EXPERIMENT IN PRESENTATION OF SUBJECT MATTER IN

ZOOLOGY.

For the past year and a half, instead of following the old^type plan,^ I have been trying what might be called the "topicplan," these topics being some of the general laws or principlesto be learned from a study of the animal kingdom. I cannot takethe time to elaborate the idea at this meeting, but will simplygive one or two examples. For instance, we do not study Pro-tozoa; we take up the topic: "The cell and what it can do," illus-trating it by means of such cells and Protozoa as may best bringout the idea. Again, we do not study Mollusca; we take up thetopic, "Adaptations for Protection" studying Mollusca for ex-oskeleton; insects, for protective coloration; other invertebratesfor other methods of protection. And so with other topics.When the pupil finishes his course, he has a broader idea thanthat "Zoology is the study of Animals’ (we might say "of eightanimals").

POWER SITES WITHDRAWN.Four new power site withdrawals were made, covering 6,670 acres, and

five restorations were recommended, covering 40,432 acres, which field ex-amination or other information showed to be not available as power sites.Up to December 1, 1,418,047 acres had been withdrawn for power purposes.

COAL RESOURCES OF OEOROIA.According to the estimates of M. R. Campbell, of the United States Geo-

logical Survey, the total original coal supply of Georgia was 933,000,000short tons, from which there had been mined to the close of 1909, 8,599,714short tons, representing (including loss in mining) an exhaustion of about12,750,000 short tons. This would leave still in the ground a total of about920,250,000 short tons, of which about 600,000,000 tons may probably beminable-