3-21-28 16942 PREFACE THIS text is an attempt to present the fundamental facts of elementary biology as clearly and briefly as a reasonable scientific accuracy will allow. Three years' use in manuscript form has dictated the topics included and the arrangement followed in order that the book may be easily taught and readily understood. The course emphasizes the fact that biology is a unit science, based on the fundamental idea of evolution rather than a forced combination of portions of botany, zoölogy and hygiene. Emphasis has been placed upon a logical arrangement within the chapters, so that it is easy for the pupil to study, outline, and remember each lesson. A larger proportion of pages is devoted to outlines, tabulations, and diagrams than in any other similar text. This means that the pupil has less text matter to cover, and more help to assist him in doing it. No laboratory work is included. Any laboratory manual can be used with the text, however, as it covers much more than the required ground. It is thought that a separate manual will allow the teacher to emphasize in the laboratory, those subjects which he considers most important. Experience has indicated that the "vocabularies" save the pupil much time and confusion. Particular care has been taken to keep the vocabulary of the text as simple as possible. Careful explanations are made where this seems advisable. The definitions in the text are not complete, but, for the sake of clearness, are purposely limited to those meanings which fit the use in the chapter concerned. In any science subject collateral reading is highly important. To facilitate this, lists of references have been placed at the ends of the chapters, covering such books as should be available in a well-equipped school. This outside reading should be encouraged. |