The nature study movement is an education reform and science popularization movement that emerged in the United States at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The advocates of this movement opposed the division of teaching, and advocated that children’s science education should “put down the textbooks and walk into nature”, believed that children should face scientific knowledge and the natural world as a whole, and tried to achieve the unity of children’s science popularization, humanistic education, and natural aesthetic education through the nature study. Although the nature study was gradually shelved due to lack of effectiveness, the teaching methods advocated by it, such as object teaching and outdoor practice, were preserved. In addition, the nature study focuses on establishing the emotional connection between children and nature, which is also in line with the current concept of green development in China. Reviewing the development process of nature study, combined with domestic research achievements in natural history, ecological linguistics and other fields, can provide some reference for the innovation of current children’s science popularization work.

children’s science  /  nature study  /  science education for children