THE PREPARATION OF HIGH SCHOOL 
 SCIENCE TEACHERS AT THE UNI- ^ 
 VERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 There is a steady, general, and growing demand 
 in this state for high school teachers who have had a 
 liberal college training together with a thorough 
 preparation in the special branches which they are to 
 teach, but there is at present no sufficient source of 
 supply of such teachers for the public high school. 
 The ordinary college graduate may know the subjects 
 which he aspires to teach, but he does not know how 
 to teach them in a high school; and the ordinary nor¬ 
 mal school graduate may know how to teach, but he 
 does not know his academic subjects broadly and 
 thoroughly enough to prepare him for high school 
 work. The high school teacher should be either a 
 college graduate with professional training and in¬ 
 struction, or a normal school graduate who to his 
 normal course has added a program of carefully se¬ 
 lected college study. 
 
 It is the fixed intention of the State University to 
 do its full part towards an amendment of this defi¬ 
 ciency in the sources of educational supply, and for 
 this purpose, in part, it maintains its Department of 
 Education, offers numerous courses intended to pre¬ 
 pare its graduates to teach the various high school 
 specialties, and facilitates in every practicable way 
 the pursuit of a college course by graduates of the 
 normal schools. 
 
 THE PREPARATION OF SCIENCE TEACHERS 
 
 The demand upon the University for high school 
 teachers of science has for several years so far outrun 
 
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 the actual supply that places might commonly be 
 found for two or three times the number of competent 
 graduates available. That school officers earnestly 
 desiring well-qualified science teachers should be 
 compelled to accept those of inferior preparation is a 
 serious misfortune, injurious at once to the schools, 
 to the University, and to the educational influence 
 of the sciences. 
 
 To the end that students and instructors may be 
 generally advised of the facts, and that a larger num¬ 
 ber of capable students may be led to prepare them¬ 
 selves thoroughly for high school science work, this 
 circular of information concerning the courses and 
 facilities offered to science teachers is now issued by 
 the University. 
 
 The preparation of a teacher for high school 
 science work must consist in part of a thorough 
 study of the sciences which he intends to teach, in 
 part of the more general study necessary to his lib¬ 
 eral education, and in part of the pedagogical studies 
 and experience essential to his immediate success as 
 a science teacher. 
 
 His special subjects should be pursued in a scien¬ 
 tific atmosphere, by scientific methods, and under 
 the instruction and personal influence of scientific 
 men; but his broader development requires that he 
 should have ample opportunity and inducement to 
 bring into his course additional studies of a various 
 character and effect. His professional work should 
 be founded on general educational principles, but 
 should be so directed that he shall be well prepared 
 in his special department of teaching. His course 
 should, consequently, be dominated by the sciences, 
 but should not be confined to them. 
 
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 In the offerings md requirements of the General 
 Science Course and the Course in Education of the 
 University College of Science, these various needs of 
 prospective teachers of mathematics, astronomy, 
 physiography, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, 
 and physiology have been fully taken into account. 
 From the offerings of these courses a variety of com¬ 
 binations may be made, all liberal in their composition 
 and leading to graduation with the degree of bachelor 
 of arts, and each preparing the student thoroughly 
 for some one or more definite lines of scientific work. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF COURSES 
 
 The General Science Course provides a liberal 
 education with a scientific substance, but with suffi¬ 
 cient elective privilege to enable the student to bring 
 into his scheme of study a large percentage of sub¬ 
 jects other than the sciences. This course is so con¬ 
 structed and arranged that approximately one-third 
 of the work is strictly prescribed and must be taken 
 by all candidates for a degree, another third consists 
 of electives to be chosen from a full list of scientific 
 subjects (usually those which the student is prepar¬ 
 ing to teach), and still another third may be taken 
 from any courses offered by the University, subject 
 only to the approval of the college dean. 
 
 The Course in Education differs from the General 
 Science Course mainly in the fact that a considerable 
 list of pedagogical subjects is added to the require¬ 
 ment for graduation. In both these courses all nec¬ 
 essary freedom of choice is afforded to enable the 
 student to shape his work according to his purposes 
 as a teacher, and at the same time to insure an amount 
 
4 
 
 of more general study and m ore varied discipline 
 such as shall entitle him to the liberal degree. 
 
 Graduates from the state normal schools are com¬ 
 monly given advance credits sufficient to enable 
 them to take the bachelor’s degree in two years, with 
 a substantial college preparation for high school 
 science work. 
 
 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS 
 
 For admission to the University College of Sci¬ 
 ence, in which these courses are offered, the student 
 must have had five terms’ work in algebra, a year of 
 plane geometry, a year of English composition, two 
 years of English literature, two years in the sciences, 
 and a sufficient amount of work additional to make 
 the whole equal to a high school course of at least 
 three and a half years. Among the elective subjects 
 it is advised (but not required) that at least two 
 years’ work in some foreign language, modern or 
 classical, be included. 
 
 STUDIES PRESCRIBED IN THE COEEEGE 
 
 Chemistry .—One year’s work, comprising a se¬ 
 mester of elementary and experimental chemistry 
 (Chemistry 1), and a semester of qualitative analysis 
 and organic chemistry (Chemistry 3b and 4). For 
 the two latter subjects a semester of qualitative anal¬ 
 ysis (Chemistry 3a) is often substituted. 
 
 German .—Two years’ work. A year of elemen¬ 
 tary German prose and prose composition (German 
 1 and 3), followed by a half year of modern German 
 prose and a half year of historical and general scien¬ 
 tific prose (German 4 and 6). It is the immediate 
 object of this course to prepare the student to read 
 
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 the German of science readily. For the last half 
 year's work a course in the German classics, with 
 additional prose composition (German 5) may be 
 substituted. 
 
 Mathematics .—Choice is offered between a se¬ 
 mester course, two exercises a week, in plane trigo¬ 
 nometry (Mathematics 4) and one of three exercises 
 a week for a semester in plane and spherical trigo¬ 
 nometry (Mathematics 3). It is one of the immedi¬ 
 ate objects of this course to prepare the student for 
 the study of college physics. 
 
 Rhetoric .—A year’s study of rhetoric and prac¬ 
 tice in writing themes, three exercises a week. 
 
 Military Science .—Drill twice a week in the 
 University cadet regiment is required for two years, 
 together with one recitation a week for one semester 
 in the infantry drill regulations. 
 
 Physical Training .—Gymnasium practice under 
 the direction of an instructor is required for two hours 
 a week during the freshman year, and a course of lec¬ 
 tures is given once a week to freshmen upon methods 
 of maintenance and improvement of the bodily health. 
 Men and women are taught in separate classes, and 
 do their gymnasium work in separate buildings. 
 
 SCIENTIFIC ELECTIVES 
 
 The scientific electives, from which about one- 
 third of the work must be chosen, include mathe¬ 
 matics, astronomy, physics, geology, physiography, 
 botany, zoology, entomology, physiology, psycholo¬ 
 gy, and household science. The requirements with 
 reference to the studies of this list are such that the 
 student may concentrate his work upon a single one 
 
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 of them or distribute it over two or more. The com¬ 
 binations most commonly acceptable as a prepara¬ 
 tion for teaching: are botany and zoology, as the two 
 principal sciences, with physics or chemistry as a 
 third; physics and chemistry with mathematics; or 
 two of the above sciences with German as an addi¬ 
 tional subject. 
 
 For women, a combination of the zoology and 
 botany with enough of household science to enable 
 the teacher to take charge of high school classes in 
 domestic economy makes a useful preparation; and 
 for men, a similar combination of zoology and botany 
 with work in horticulture, farm crops, or animal hus¬ 
 bandry would prepare for a form of high school work 
 for which there is now a rising- inquiry. 
 
 GENERAL ELECTIVES 
 
 The general elective studies may be applied to 
 broaden the course by work in philosophy, econom¬ 
 ics, literature, language, history, or art, and to 
 bring into it the study of pedagogy and psychology 
 necessary to the professional preparation of the 
 teacher. 
 
 While all departments of the University are open 
 to free election, the work chosen should have a ra¬ 
 tional bearing on the other studies of the student’s 
 course, either supporting them as kindred subjects, 
 or supplementing them as containing valuable addi¬ 
 tional elements of training or knowledge. Psychol¬ 
 ogy and logic are examples of supporting subjects in 
 a science teacher’s course, and history, economics, 
 music, and art and design are supplementary ones. 
 Their choice will also be influenced in very great 
 
measure by the student’s special tastes, aptitudes, 
 and interests; but the advice of the dean of the col¬ 
 lege should be sought, as a rule, in choosing these 
 elective elements of the course. 
 
 PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 
 
 No student should go out from the University as 
 a science teacher without a study of the fundamental 
 principles of practical education (Education 1) and 
 of general educational methods (Education 3), and 
 a course on special methods in science and mathe¬ 
 matics (Education 7). 
 
 In some of the scientific departments special 
 courses for teachers are offered, either separately or 
 in combination with more technical studies, with the 
 object of preparing more exactly for the work of the 
 class room or the laboratory. 
 
 Frequent opportunities arise for service as student 
 assistants at the University, especially in the scien¬ 
 tific laboratories. Prospective teachers of science are 
 given the preference in appointments to these places, 
 and the experience thus obtained in the actual work 
 of instruction is a valuable help to the beginner. 
 
 A catalog of the University containing additional 
 details concerning these courses and offerings may 
 be had on application to W. L. Pillsbury, Registrar 
 of the University, and letters of inquiry concerning 
 matters referred to in this circular may be addressed 
 to S. A. Forbes, Dean of the College of Science, 
 Urbana, Ill. 
 
University op Illinois 
 
 THE STATE UNIVERSITY 
 
 Colleges —Literature and Arts (Ancient and Mod¬ 
 ern Languages and Literatures, Philosophical and 
 Political Science Groups of Studies, Economics, 
 Commerce and Industry). Engineering { Architecture, 
 
 Civil Engineering, Municipal and Sanitary Engi¬ 
 neering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engi¬ 
 neering, Railway Engineering). Science (Astrono¬ 
 my, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, 
 Physics, Physiology, Zoology). Agriculture (Animal 
 Husbandry, Agronomy, Dairy Husbandry, Horti¬ 
 culture, Household Science). Law. Medicine (College 
 of Physicians and Surgeons, Chicago). Dentistry 
 (Chicago). 
 
 Schools —Music, Library Science, Pharmacy (Chi¬ 
 cago). Graduate School, Summer Session of nine 
 weeks, beginning June 13, 1904. 
 
 United States Experiment Station, State Laboratory 
 
 of Natural History, Biological Experiment Station 
 on Illinois River, State Water Survey. 
 
 Military Regiment, Military Band, Choral Society, 
 
 Glee and Mandolin Clubs; Literary, Scientific, and 
 Technical Societies and Clubs; Young Men’s and 
 Young Women’s Christian Associations. 
 
 399 members of faculty; 4000 students; 339 free 
 
 scholarships; 75,000volumes in library; 25 buildings. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE WELCOMED. SEND FOR CATALOG. 
 
 W. L. PILLSBURY, Registrar, 
 
 Urbana, Illinois. 
 
x. Men’s Gymnasium. 
 
 а. Armory. 
 
 3. Wood Shop. 
 
 4. Metal Shop. 
 
 5. Electrical and Mechan¬ 
 
 ical Laboratory. 
 
 б. Reservoir. 
 
 7. Heating Plant. 
 
 8. Pumping Plant. 
 
 9. Laboratory of Applied 
 
 Mechanics. 
 
 10. Engineering Hall, 
 xi. Greenhouse, 
 ia. President’s House. 
 
 13. Library. 
 
 14. University Hall. 
 
 15. Natural History Hall. 
 z6. College of Law. 
 
 17. Chemical Laboratory. 
 
 18. Agricultural Buildings. 
 
 19. Greenhouse, 
 ao. Observatory, 
 ax. Warehouse. 
 
 22. Veterinary Building. 
 
 23. Insectary. 
 
 24. Woman’s Building. 
 
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