WHAT SCIENCE ARTICLES DO JUNIOR HIGHSCHOOL PUPILS READ?

GLADYS M. RELYEAUniversity of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

"Radium, which was present when the earth was formed,helped to melt great masses of rock," read the science teacherto her seventh grade class. Immediately, 11-year-old Robertraised his hand. "A boy of sixteen has just invented a substancewhich is stronger and cheaper than radium," he said. Both classand teacher questioned his statement but he proved later thathe had spoken correctly by orally reading the article from apopular magazine. Whether or not the particular article hequoted was accurate is beside the point. What is important toscience teachers is the fact that most junior and senior highschool pupils these days are getting a considerable amount ofscience information from more or less reliable magazine articles.

Such reading is distinctly valuable to teen-age boys and girlsproviding that they realize the importance of the right attitudeof mind in their acceptance of the scientific information con-tained in the article. They should learn to consider such ques-tions as, "Who wrote the article? What is his scientific back-ground? What is the reputation of the magazine?"

Such an attitude of thought probably can best be built up inthe science classroom during frequent periods of free discussionof magazine articles. These discussions may vary from a fewminutes to a full class period, depending upon the subject matterof the article and upon the daily scheduling of regular class work.A "Current Science Day" every three or four weeks has provedits value at the Stewart Training School of the University ofUtah. Each member of the junior high school science classescomes to class prepared to speak for two minutes or’less on arecent science article of his own choosing. He gives the titleof the article, date and name of the magazine, and then a synop-sis of the article, illustrated with photographs or diagrams. Heis then open to questioning by members of the class. This oftenleads to a lively discussion which is frequently of greater valuethan the material of the original article.

Because these Current Science Days seemed so popular andbecause the pupil reference in regular class work to outsidereading had become so frequent, it seemed worth while to make

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a simple survey of the subject. The list which follows shows thenumber of pupils who have read at least one science article fromeach of the various magazines:NUMBER OF PUPILS READING SCIENCE ARTICLES IN CERTAIN MAGAZINES

(70) (44) (12)Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Gr. 9

Scientific American 230Aero Digest 541Popular Aviation 13 6 2Coronet 850Nature 25 11 0Popular Science 37 37 9Popular Mechanics 31 27 7Reader’s Digest 46 24 8Life 70 32 11National Geographic 61 28 9Time 28 17 6Newsweek 13 12 2Fortune 19 5 0Fur, Fish, and Game 11 3 1Outdoor Life 22 8 2Sports Afield 12 3 0Saturday Evening Post 40 22 6Collier’s 22 21 0Better Homes and Gardens 26 10 6Field and Stream 14 6 2Science Newsletter 311

Within the past five weeks, these 126 pupils have read volun-tarily, science articles in 41 different magazines. Besides thoselisted above, one or more pupils have used such magazines asScience Digest, Sportsman Pilot, Desert, Open Road for Boys,Boys Life, Model Airplane News, and Sky.When questioned as to their favorite science subject in maga-

zines, they responded as shown in the table on the followingpage.

In order to get a frank and more subjective response on thesubject of voluntary science-article reading, the children wereasked to write answers to three questions, and to return theirpapers unsigned. They were asked first, "Why do you readscience articles in the magazines?^Some of the seventh grade answers were these:"Because I like science.""They are interesting to me and I do not get bored.""To find out the interesting things in science which are new.""Because they are interesting and I like them; then I can tell different

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FAVORITE SCIENCE ARTICLE SUBJECTS

(70) (44) (12)Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Gr. 9

Chemistry � 12 0 0Rocks and Minerals 021The Earth 6 1 0Weather 1 1 0Present-Day Plants 200Present-Day Animals 210Prehistoric Plants 1.0 0Prehistoric Animals 710Photography 381Electricity 342Machines 400Aviation 12 12 2Medicine and Disease 17 14 6

facts to my father and discuss them with him and see what he says andthinks.""Some of them look interesting and I read the first line and if it is inter-

esting, I read the whole article."

Some of the eighth grade answers were these:"It is fun to know new things in the scientific world.""I read the different types of magazines for different reasons. I like best

the picture magazines and short articles.""Either because I have a hobby in the subject or because I want to

know more about a new invention."

Some of the ninth grade answers were these:"Curiosity.""I am interested in being a doctor and read articles because of this.""Because the beginning of the article was interesting.""Because I am interested in science and I was curious."

The second question asked was this: "Did the Current ScienceDays that we have had from time to time influence your volun-tary reading of science articles?" "Yes," said 48 seventh graders."Very much so," said one. "Since I heard the science reports inclass, I found them so interesting that I have kept my eyes openfor science articles and stories." "Yes, because when I hear otherpeople, I want to read them myself." "No," said 22 of theseventh graders. "I would have read the articles anyway."About tw^-thirds of the eighth grade and five-sixths of the ninthgrade answered in the affirmative.The third question asked was, Do you think you will continue

to read science articles? To this, all but four seventh gradersanswered yes, and all but one eighth grader. The ninth grade

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was one hundred per cent for future reading of articles. ^Yes,if I find something original and interesting about science, I willenjoy reading it.^ "I expect to read them even more when I amolder and understand them better.^ "Yes, it is important in thischanging worid.nAs is evident in the listing of the magazines, some are to be

found in most school and public libraries, but many are of thetype subscribed for in the home or bought at newstands. In thelatter case, frequency of magazine reading is dependent on theeducational and economic status of the home. David, for in-stance, comes from a home where eight or nine magazines suchas Sky, Desert, Popular Science, Life, Time, and Fortune areregularly present, while John sees only the Saturday EveningPost that he sells’ each week. Another factor influencing thetype of science article read is the avocational and vocationalinterests of the children. There were a good many replies to theeffect�tt! read all the articles I can find about photography/5or "medicine," or "airplanes."

Science teachers in junior and senior high schools plan andwork and hope that the science courses they teach will helptheir pupils to live better lives not only during their school daysbut during their adult years. The habit of critical reading ofscience articles in magazines is one which should prove im-mensely valuable to each individual as he goes forward in thisAge of Science.

BIGGER CROPS THROUGH HORMONE TREATMENTS

Bigger yields of a number of field crops were obtained by treating theirseed before sowing, and in some instances by spraying the plants in thefield, with plant hormones or growth-promoting substances, in large-scaletests reported by Prof. J. C. Ireland of Oklahoma A. and M. College. Ofspecial potential practical interest is the fact that the stimulant he foundmost valuable, levulinic acid, can be made cheaply from waste materials.Its most important present use is in the making of plastics."The most outstanding results with levulinic acid were obtained in the

treatment of cotton seed and cowpeas," Prof. Ireland stated. "The resultsshow that there is not only more than a 50% increase in the yields over theuntreated but that dusting with soynour and 1% levulinic acid during theflowering period aids in the setting of bolls."An acre of cotton thus treated would yield 838 pounds, worth about

$134, as compared with a yield from an acre of untreated crop of only 581pounds, worth $93. Cost of materials for treating one acre with levulinicacid is worth about $3, so that the method appears to be commerciallyprofitable.