303
the form of experiments with plants. In this regard
it is expedient to plan the
following topics:
Conservation of the native land:
а) identification of objects of the nature which is subject to protection (century
oaks, rare plants, animal, reserved parks etc.);
б) protection of birds, fishes, animals (troughs manufacturing and birds, animals
during winter time feeding - 7-8 of 10 titmouse perishes in winter);
в) work of "green" and "blue" patrols.
Enrichment of the native land nature:
а) moving of useful animals in new habitats (but only not ants, bugs and the
Colorado beetle!);
б) cultivation of low-widespread plants on the kitchen gardens and at school (a
cabbage, a Japanese radish Daikon etc.);
в) gardening of the native land (laying of gardens, squares, parks, flower beds at
school, in the country).
Studying the native land nature:
а) excursions, tourist campaigns on the native land (all circles at any time of the
year, especially during summer vacations);
б) collecting literary data on the nature of the native land and their studying;
в) school museums of local lore creating;
г) research activity in the form of making
experiments at school, on individual
gardens.
The plan of work of circles is made for a half-year or year.
Requirements to the naturalist circles work.
To make the naturalist work pedagogically effective, the teacher should
remember the requirements:
а) the begun work always should be finished, analysed and summed up.
б) naturalists are always necessary to be interested in this work purposefully.
в) heads of the naturalist circles and should always be a positive example in
everything.
Many subjects of naturalist activity are very useful for finishing socially useful
work (week of the wood and a garden, Days of birds). It is expedient to carry out
mutual visits of different schools circles to give talks, to
exchange experience, to
spend joint evenings, exhibitions, expeditions, campaigns etc. for development of
public and labour skills. Correspondence with circles of other areas, regions of the
country and an exchange of stepsons with seeds and shanks of especially new,
valuable, rare, exotic plants for this district gives interesting and valuable results.
Electives in biology
Electives, the second type of group work, are also conducted on a voluntary
basis. They differ from naturalist circles in that it is necessary to conduct them in
small groups (no more than 10-15 people) of pupils on special more complicated,
profound and expanded programmes of the Ministry of Education or according to the
programs made by the head (the teacher or the expert) of the elective. The purpose of
304
facultative preparation is to give pupils the knowledge and practical abilities
according to various sections of biological, agricultural, methodical, pedagogical
science in the volume considerably exceeding the school program. It
has also great
value for vocational guidance of pupils since only those who are going to work in
agriculture or continue education in special educational institutions (agricultural,
pedagogical, biological, medical etc.) attend electives. In other words, such electives
are the most expedient nowadays: biological, pedagogical, agronomical
(agriculturists, vegetable growers, gardeners, beekeepers, machine operators, farmers,
businessmen, managers, cattle breeders), medical, ecological.
Classes’ attendance is obligatory for the registered pupils. Electives are
conducted according to the firm schedule and work of the head-teacher is paid. It is
very expedient, that electives are conducted not only by the teachers, but also by the
invited scientists of higher education institutions and scientific research institutes,
experimental stations, highly professional practicians - agriculturists, zoo technicians,
engineers, doctors etc. The work results is not only the preparation of agriculturists,
cattle breeders, machine operators, drivers, projectionists, photographers and other
experts, but also equipment manufacturing for a biology class, nature corner, school
garden. More shortly, the forms of elective and naturalist
work are various, great and
significant from the applied and pedagogical points of view for here is present not
only deepening and expansion of knowledge and formation of abilities, but also
labour, moral, aesthetic education, and also pride for ourselves, the school etc.
Electives impose on the teacher the enhanced responsibility since the interested and
gifted pupils thirst to receive new, actual, original knowledge. It is bad and
inadmissible, if the electives turn into additional after-hour classes, for example, for
the solution of tasks, examples, exercises, preparation for tests, offsets, examinations.
Unlike usual lessons the electives should include more active forms of preparation:
lectures, seminars, business and role-playing games, independent laboratory and
practical work with literature not only educational, but also special additional, writing
papers and, at last, independent performance of practical and especially research
experimental work. All this in complex promotes development and formation of
abilities to put independently and creatively the received knowledge into practice, in
life.
It is impossible to force pupils to attend those subjects which they have not
chosen. But some teachers force pupils to attend electives. Quite often such teachers
do not put good marks (4 and 5) to those pupils who do not attend their electives. The
reason is – if he does not attend electives he is not interested in a subject, and
therefore he does not deserve more than 3. It is inadmissible, uneducationally.
The group of "assistants" is created to equip and support orderly a biological
class, a nature corner, a school garden. Undoubtedly, they should do only what is
feasible and organically connected with the process of biology training. In particular,
they make manuals, devices, tools, stock, and tables. They make handouts, cages for
small animals (rabbits, birds etc.), and shelves for houseplants (more often for
artificial flowers), help the teacher with
preparation for a lesson, their demonstration
at a lesson and cleaning. You can select heads of the class.
