Relating the Out-of-Doors to the Indoors in Teaching Biology

Knowing the names of plants and animals and their phylogenetic relationship to each other is highly essential for success in any field of biological study. In spite of the immense numbers of species of plants and animals, it is surprising how much can be accomplished in learning to recognize the common species of a region, by giving it some consistent attention. It would seem that plant and animal recognition should have a fairly large place in nature study work in the grades and m biology classes in high school. Such work is easily within the ability of students of that age and provides a foundation to support the later and more advanced work. There seems to be a natural tendency for inexperienced high school teachers to begin teaching their students at the place these young teachers left off their own work in biology in college. That leaves their students rather helpless with a load of poorly related information, which is often lacking in significance or apparent value to them. Certain rather simple and highly basic facts and skills are essential as, a foundation for later work