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Studying the characteristics of cells under very high magnification. Photograph courtesy National Institutes of Health, taken by Vernon E. Taylor.

"Challenge: Science Against Cancer," one of the new teaching aids, is a film telling the exciting story of cancer research. It is the first science film made by the joint efforts of two governments. Sponsors are our National Cancer Institute and the Canadian Department of National Health and Welfare. Production is by the Medical Film Institute of the Association of Ameri

FILM: "Challenge: Science Against

Cancer" Audience: High school and college students; general adult groups. Running time: 35 minutes. Specifications: 16mm black and white sound film, available in English and in French versions.

Rental: Your local film library or distributor.

Purchase: Your local film distributor

or the Medical Film Institute, Association of American Medical Colleges, 2 East 103d St., New York 29, N. Y. Price, $45.

Geneticist explaining to his nephew the role mice play in cancer research-a scene from "Challenge: Science Against Cancer." Photograph courtesy The National Film Board.

in methods of treatment. Sequences state, simply and clearly, the riddle of cancer and show the main avenues by which scientists in different disciplines seek answers.

Although the film is suitable for general or nonscientist audiences, it has primarily been directed toward students in high school and college. One important motive behind this film was the hope that it might help arouse a continued interest in science among young people and, in some cases, lead them into research or medical careers. Scenes showing laboratory, clinic, and university activities were shot in Toronto and

Studying fruitflies which are used extensively in tests to determine effects of X-ray radiation upon chromosomes. Photograph courtesy The National Film Board.

Rochester, both cities having outstanding cancer investigation facilities. The film also uses animation sequences, notably those showing in vivid detail the living microscopic universe that exists inside the cell. It does not merely present shots of scientists in their laboratories but shows just what they are doing in their experiments and why, a feature that has great appeal to the young and inquiring mind. This film does not talk down to its audience. "Challenge: Science Against Cancer" runs about a half hour. It is available with either English or French sound tracks.

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can Medical Colleges and the National Film Board of Canada, the latter being the official Government film agency and outstanding producer of documentary films.

Primary purpose of "Challenge" is to explain what cancer research is all about. To solve this major disease problem, tremendous scientific resources have been mobilized throughout the world. As the film shows, considerable progress is being made, not only in basic knowledge, but also

Students examine tumor tissue on slide. Photograph courtesy The National Film Board.

(All Canadian Government films are made in both languages because of the large French-speaking population.) The United Nations Film Board is joining the United States and Canadian Governments in sponsorship of the film, and endorsement has been received from the World Health Organization and UNESCO. Plans are being made for sound tracks in a number of other languages so that the film can be distributed outside of the English and French-speaking areas of the world.

FILMSTRIP: ': "Challenge: Science Against Cancer"

Audience: High school and college students.

Length: 30 to 50 frames.
Specifications: 35mm black and white
filmstrip, available with captions in
English or French.
Purchase: Your local film distributor

or the Medical Film Institute, Asso-
ciation of American Medical Col-
leges, 2 East 103d St., New York 29,
N. Y. Price, $2.

A filmstrip, based on this motion picture and also being produced by the National Film Board of Canada, will be available to use either with the film or by itself.

The second of these internationally sponsored cancer teaching materials is "The Challenge of Cancer." This booklet is

based on the series of articles which appeared last June in the New York Herald Tribune. It was for this series that its author, Lester Grant, received the 1949 $1,000 Westinghouse Science Writing Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Written in easy-reading style, these articles present clearly and vividly the major problems of cancer research, pointing out the various approaches by which scientists are seeking solutions. Areas covered include cell biology, genetics, viruses, proteins, enzymes, environmental factors, nutrition, and isotope research. Mr. Grant's survey is based upon dozens of interviews with scientists in leading research centers and wide reading in the research literature. All of the facts and interpretations have been carefully checked for accuracy by experts in each field. By special arrangement with the New York Herald Tribune, these articles, expanded and illustrated, have been published by the National Cancer Institute, many of whose scientists cooperated in preparing these articles. Publication is

sponsored jointly by our National Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

The third teaching aid is a manual for teachers, designed to help them use the film and booklet in classrooms. Also issued by the National Cancer Institute, this guide has been prepared by science teachers in the public schools of Prince Georges County, Md., with the cooperation of the U. S. Office of Education and the National Education Association. Copies of this guide, together with "The Challenge of Cancer," will be sent to all members of the National Science Teachers Association in April.

The guide does not assume that the teacher will put a special cancer research unit into existing courses, since, in most schools, the curricula are already crowded. The guide shows how the subject, as treated in the film and booklet, can be used in existing programs to broaden their content and give added meaning and interest. A few suggestions are included on the discussion of cancer in elementary and junior highschool classes, but it is not anticipated that much will be done with the subject below the high-school level. There, the subject can profitably be brought not only into the science classes (biology, physics, chemistry, and senior science), but also to some extent into social-science classes.

BOOKLET: "The Challenge of
Cancer"

112-page illustrated booklet, giving a vivid, authoritative, and concise summary of the principal problems and directions of cancer research and

progress to date. For high-school and college students, as well as interested adult readers. Purchase: Now in press. Write to Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for information.

For each of these senior high-school classes, suggestions are offered for correlation of teaching program topics with subject matter covered in "The Challenge of Cancer." Also provided are discussion questions, a bibliography, lists of available audio-visual aids, and suggestions for group or individual activities. In the field of cancer, a large number of interesting projects are possible and have been found to provide many stimulating challenges to young people. From such simple activities

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their careers in the research field.

A unique feature of cancer research is that it enters into almost every aspect of the life sciences and into many of its neighbors. A tremendous range of probThe more the lems must be studied. scientists delve into cancer research, the more complex they find the approach must be. Partially blocking the progress of this approach is a new obstacle: the war-born shortage of scientists. Never large, the scientist population was reduced by World War II, whose years were spent by many potential scientists in the armed forces instead of in training to be research workers. Not all scientists can be diverted to work against cancer. Plainly, more scientists are needed, and more must turn to careers in the cancer field if the complexities of cancer problems are to be untangled and understood. Interest in the disease, aroused by current adult cancer education campaigns and by the many news stories which announce each scientific advance, can be channeled into new interest in study of biology, chemistry, and physics. Fundamentally, the task of cancer research is to discover the mysterious laws which govern the growth of the cell, the fundamental unit of life. This is a challenge which can stir the imagination of almost every high school student.

New Publications of Office of Education

A NATION-WIDE STUDY on expenditures

per pupil in city school systems has recently been completed by the Office of Education. The data are based on 237 city school systems for the year 1947-48.

This report is entitled "Expenditures Per Pupil in City School Systems 1947-48" and was compiled by Lester B. Herlihy and Clarence G. Lind. "Its chief purpose," Commissioner McGrath points out, "is to provide a ready source of information on practices in the field of public school expenditures, and the trend of per pupil expenditures over the Nation."

For purposes of comparison the 237 cities are arranged in four population groups. There are 50 cities of 100,000 and more population; 55 cities between 30,000 and 99,999; 69 between 10,000 and 29,999; and 63 cities with populations of 2,500 to 9,999.

A limited number of copies of this publication (Circular No. 260) are available from the Office of Education, Federal Secùrity Agency, Washington 25, D. C.

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"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO to be a baseball coach when I grow up?"

If your son or a pupil asks you that, you can answer him after reading a publication just released by the Office of Education. Frank S. Stafford, health education specialist, is the author of a bulletin titled, "State Certification Requirements for Secondary School Teachers of Health Education, Physical Education, and for Athletic Coaches."

To obtain the desired information the Commissioner of Education wrote to all State superintendents of public instruction asking for their certification requirements. The responses from all 48 States show extremely varied practices.

All States except Massachusetts require State-wide certification of health and phy

sical education teachers. Three StatesSouth Dakota, Washington, and Nevadarequire regular secondary school certificates for all teachers, and 31 States consider a bachelor's degree a prerequisite for certification. Athletic coaches must hold teacher's certificates in 26 States.

Copies of this study (Office of Education
Bulletin 1949 No. 16) are for sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Gov-
ernment Printing Office, Washington 25,
D. C., for 15 cents.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY to start teach-
ing children international understanding,
says Delia Goetz, author of another new
publication issued by the Office of Edu-

cation.

Miss Goetz explains that "in the elementary grades international understanding is not a high-powered course in political science or international diplomacy, or a lot of sentimental sentences about the quaint customs and picturesque costumes of the Burmese or Brazilians.”

"World Understanding Begins With Children" defines international understanding as a process of learning to appreciate and respect individuals. The essential job for teachers is to help children see the similarities and differences in peoples' lives and customs, and to help them get an idea of what people in other countries think about their problems and why they think that way.

Most children are interested in stories about family life in other countries. It intrigues them to see that parent-child relationships in other countries are similar to theirs. But the writer stresses that while it's "important to have children realize that people are more alike than different, it is equally important that they develop a right attitude toward the differences."

The pamphlet includes suggestions to teachers for improving their own backgrounds and assembling materials for the class. Pen pals in other countries, good films or slides, newspaper articles, and the study of modern language are specially recommended. Organizations which provide free or inexpensive materials on other countries which are suitable for elementary grades are listed.

"World Understanding Begins With Children" (Bulletin 1949 No. 17) is for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for 15 cents.

HOW WOULD YOU like to spend a day with a group of fourth graders in a modern elementary school?

You can, by reading a recent bulletin issued by the Office of Education. Titled "The Place of Subjects in the Curriculum,” this bulletin co-authored by Effie G. Bathurst, Paul E. Blackwood, Helen K. Mackintosh, and Elsa Schneider, describes a typical day with a fourth-grade class.

Along with the story of what the children did, there is an explanation of what the experiences mean to the children, and sugges tions on why they reacted as they did.

The bulletin is intended for "those who sincerely want to understand the nature of a modern elementary school program," says Dr. Bess Goodykoontz, Associate Commissioner of Education, in her foreword.

The authors feel that "It is much more real to a child to think of a problem rather than a subject, and that is what the modern school tries to help him do through practical experiences for which he sees a need and a purpose."

Copies of this Office of Education Bulletin, 1949, No. 12, are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for 15 cents.

-Elinor B. Waters.

"Study Abroad" Handbook

UNESCO's new edition of its international handbook, "Study Abroad," reports 21,751 opportunities for foreign study, observation, and research.

Fellowships, scholarships, and grants-inaid available are listed for each of the countries represented in the United Nations. Fifty-two nations and 23 territories in addition to the United States are represented.

"Study Abroad" is available for reference at most college and university libraries. Additional copies are for sale by the Columbia University Press, 2960 Broadway, New York, N. Y., at $1.25 a copy.

107

The Elementary School Library in Today's Educational Scene

T

by Nora E. Beust, Specialist for School and Children's Libraries

HE ELEMENTARY school library has the possibility of furthering the program of the school it serves just as college and university libraries have long furthered higher education and as secondary school libraries have more recently begun to func tion in the high school. Probably the most significant reason for the increased potentialities of the library in the elementary school is the present concept of elementary education. The child of today is given an opportunity to initiate, to plan, and to execute. Children are encouraged to direct themselves, set their own goals, and then to appraise the results.

Formerly, the graduate school was the level on which students were given the privilege of developing these abilities, but today the teacher in the elementary school also uses procedures that develop the same capacities in her pupils. Educators recognize the significance of promoting the growth of desirable behavior patterns in young children as they are the basis of adolescent and adult conduct. What the child learns in his early youth is of great importance in relation to his further growth as attitudes tend to become defined.

In the present program of elementary education, it is imperative that children have the opportunity to read and study many types of learning materials dealing with a variety of problems and following a diversity of children's interests. Fortunately for the children and the teachers, publishers recognize the great need of boys and girls for readable, authentic, and up-todate books in attractive and appropriate format. These editors together with the authors and illustrators of children's books saw the possibilities of producing books for children that would reflect the interests of the children in relation to their life in the school, in the home, and in the community.

The results of this publishing program are books that serve children as tools. It is possible for children of practically every age group with their varying reading abili

ties to find books they can use to suit their needs in school and out. Almost every interest children wish to pursue may be found within the covers of a book.

In most instances young readers are able to find the subject matter treated in a live and stimulating style. For example, Let's Find Out: a First Picture Science Book, Arithmetic Can Be Fun, Picture Book of Astronomy, America's Ethan Allen, and The First Book of Bugs are titles which indicate that children will not be disappointed if they seek for information or inspiration in books. The books have improved in authenticity as well as breadth of subject matter. It is only within recent times that children interested in the topics being discussed by their parents can turn to books for clarification and amplification, such as You and the United Nations, Modern Medical Discoveries, Albert Einstein: a Biography for Young People.

The books used in the elementary school library have also undergone a great phy

sical change. Many of them are well designed and printed on a good quality of paper. The size of the books and the illustrations are selected with an eye to the age and preferences of the group for which the books are intended. There are some excellent examples of book production among children's books today. In fact, the following titles of children's books appeared on the American Institute of Graphic Arts' selection of Fifty Books of the Year, 1948: Amos and the Moon, Four Corners of the World, Golden Mother Goose, The Royal Game: Chess for Young People, and Smudge.

There is another trend that is beginning to emerge and this is the production of books for children in both attractive and substantial bindings which makes it possible for the books to be used and enjoyed for a longer time in the elementary school library. Furthermore, there is a movement under way to make some books of worth available to children at a price that many

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of them can afford. Children are following the example of the adults who purchase inexpensive editions to help build up home. libraries of their own.

Learning materials are now made readily available to both teachers and pupils through the centralized library. The reading center in every classroom in the school is a live and integral part of the service of the library. Formerly, many classroom collections functioned as isolated units. Now, the materials in the classrooms are in many instances borrowed from the central library. The children borrow what they need when they need it and return materials to the general collection when these have served their purpose. If books are acquired and used according to these principles, children will be constantly challenged by the materials in their classrooms. A fluid book collection makes possible a wider use of a greater variety of materials. It is evident that children have an opportunity to be exposed to more materials and more appropriate materials when they are centrally administered. The matter of economy in centralized purchasing is another factor for the school to consider.

The school library provides for experiences outside the regular classroom. Here again the full significance of the place of these experiences in the education of young children is just beginning to be appreciated by many. The library is a bright, cheerful, and attractive room. It is filled with materials selected to strengthen the educational program of the school and to improve the instruction in the classroom. Today one of the criteria for selecting an interest area in a major unit for study is whether or not there are materials available on the reading levels of the children so that they may be active participants in developing the project. These materials are organized to be easily located by teachers and pupils. The cataloging is adapted to the maturity level of the children.

The lighting of the library is carefully planned. The floor covering is of a noiseless type. The shelving is adequate to care for approximately five books per child. There is provision for shelves to care for picture books and other oversize books. The tables and chairs are of suitable size for the children. Round or hexagonal tables are enjoyed especially by the young children. A few informal chairs add to the inviting atmosphere. Display cases, bulletin boards, and catalog are necessary

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Books answer questions at Plandome Road School Library, Manhasset, N. Y. Phyllis R. Fenner, Librarian.

chosen with care by the individual child, are closely related to their own life in and out of school.

The trained school librarian lightens the load of the teachers and the principals. She is the resource person who is informed about teaching materials and professional literature. Her services also include the effective dissemination of this knowledge to both teachers and principals. Another important aspect of this information service to the staff is that of the evaluations of these materials by national, State, and local professional groups in relation to materials previously available.

The librarian aids in making the resources of the library more readily available to pupils and teachers. She promotes the effective use of the library through individual and group guidance and instruction. Her awareness of the activities of pupils and teachers in relation to library resources makes it possible for the librarian to carry on a program that is an integral part of the school. She serves constantly as a consultant to individuals and groups. Her work takes her into the classrooms. She is

and libraries through meaningful guidance and instruction. She assists them further by giving them opportunities to develop desirable attitudes toward their reading and studying, their library, and their peers. It is important that the librarian's personality be such that she creates an alive and stimulating library climate.

Statistical information gives some indication of the present status of the elementary school library. According to reports of the Office of Education for cities of 100,000 or more population for 1947-48 there were 2,307 centralized school libraries with 504 full-time and 331 part-time librarians employed. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with the American Library Association, reports $3,675 as the average salary for full-time elementary school librarians in cities of 100,000 or more.

Thirteen States report certification requirements for elementary school librarians. Twelve States report standards for elementary school libraries. Ten States provide State aid for school libraries. Six other States have funds which may be used.

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