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"The late Anna Botsford Comstock was the founder and first head of
the Department of Nature Study at Cornell University and the first
woman to be appointed to the Cornell faculty. Written originally
for elementary school teachers, this book is as valid and helpful
today as it was when it was first written in 1911."
A matchless handbook for decades, this classic work has been the
natural history bible for countless teachers and others who seek
information about their environment. Written originally for those
elementary school teachers who knew little of common plants and
animals, and even less about the earth beneath their feet and the
skies overhead, this book is for the most part as valid and helpful
today as it was when first written in 1911 and revised in the
spirit of its authors by a group of naturalists in 1939. After all,
dandelions, toads, robins, and constellations have changed little
since then And modern society's concern with the quality of life
and the impact of people on soil, water, and wildlife makes this
book even more relevant. Nature-study, as used in this handbook,
encompasses all living things except humans, as well as all
nonliving things such as rocks and minerals, the heavens, and
weather. Of the living things described, most are common in the
northeastern states, and many, such as the dandelion, milkweed, and
mullein, and the house mouse, muskrat, and red fox, are so
widespread that people living outside the United States will
recognize them easily.
Anna Botsford Comstock very appropriately took the view that we
should know first and best the things closest to us. Only then,
when we have an intimate knowledge of our neighbors, should we,
journey farther afield to learn about more distant things. Teachers
and children will find the material in this book invaluable in that
regard. Details of the most common, but in some ways the most
interesting, things are brought out, first by careful, nontechnical
descriptions of the things themselves and later by thoughtful
questions and study units. Because the most common things are
treated in greatest detail, materials for study are easy to find.
Whether the reader lives in the inner city or in the rural outback,
the handbook is a treasure trove of information. A teacher does not
need to know much about nature to use this handbook. The
information is there for the novice and the expert alike. All that
is needed is an inquiring mind, senses to observe, and a
willingness to think about nature on a personal level. To enter
this book in search of information about any common organism,
stone, or object in the sky is to open the door to a fresh and
lively acquaintance with one's environment."
The Comstocks of Cornell is the autobiography written by the
naturalist educator Anna Botsford Comstock about her life and that
of her husband, the entomologist John Henry Comstock—both
prominent figures in the scientific community and in Cornell
University history. A first edition was published in 1953, but it
omitted key Cornellians, historical anecdotes, and personal
insights. In this twenty-first-century edition, Karen Penders St.
Clair restores the author's voice by reconstructing the entire
manuscript as Anna Comstock wrote it—and thereby preserves
Comstock's memories of the personal and professional lives of the
couple as she originally intended. The book includes an epilogue
documenting the Comstocks' last years and fills in gaps from the
1953 edition. Described as serious legacy work, this book is an
essential part of the history of both Cornell University and its
press.
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