table it will be seen that the sciences more commonly listed in the earlier years, i.e., general science, physiography, and the biological sciences, are elective over a wide range of high-school years in a large proportion of schools. That is to say, although listed as courses for students in the earlier years, they are open to students from the later years of the high school. In other words, advanced students may elect courses in science that are manifestly intended

TABLE XXXIX

RANGE OF YEARS IN WHICH STUDENTS MAY TAKE THE VARIOUS HIGH-SCHOOL

by their listed place to be elementary in nature and appropriate to the mental capacity of students in the earlier years. On the other hand, the table indicates that chemistry and physics are not open to the students in a wide range of years. When with this fact is coupled the further one that in only 10 and 4 schools, respectively, may students elect chemistry and physics in the second year of the high school, we may conclude that these sciences are almost exclusively conceived of as advanced courses.

THE TIME ELEMENT

Length of the courses.-The length of the several science courses is shown in Table XL. This table indicates that, with the exception of physiology, the courses are most commonly a full year in length. Biology, chemistry, and physics never extend through less than a full school year. General science, physiography, botany, and zoology are reported as half-year courses in some schools, while the first two named extend in a very few schools through as little as

a third of the school year. The offering in chemistry and physics in a few schools extends through one and one-half or more years.

Recitation time per week.—The amount of time devoted to recitation by the schools reporting on the teaching of all the high-school courses in science excepting general science is to be found in Table XLI. The facts concerning class time in general science appear later in this chapter. The table indicates that the time spent in recitation in all courses ranges between wide extremes. For instance, in physiography, these extremes are o and 225-249 minutes, while in physics they are 100-124 and 250-274 minutes.

†Three years, "second year for domestic science girls; third year, regular high-school course; fourth year for engineers and college credit (advanced standing).'

The modal practices are fairly well marked in zoölogy, biology, chemistry, and physics. The more common practices are: physiography, 200-224 and 225-249 minutes; botany, 100-124 and 125-149 (usually 120 and 135) minutes; zoology, 125-149 (usually 135) minutes; biology, 125-149 and 150-174 (usually 135 and 160) minutes; chemistry, 100-124 and 125-149 (usually 120 and 135) minutes; physics, 100-124 and 125-149 (usually 120 and 135) minutes.

Since the length of class periods in high schools is very commonly 40 or 45 minutes, the modal practices just presented indicate that, with the exceptions of physiography, in which more time is given over to recitation, and in biology, where one of the modal

practices is 150-174 minutes, the modal recitation time in the sciences extends through three 40- or 45-minute periods. This is

in accord with what appears in Table XLII, which presents the number of recitation periods per week in the several courses in

TABLE XLII

NUMBER OF RECITATION PERIODS PER WEEK IN COURSES IN SCIENCE

science and shows that the modal practice in number of recitation periods is three, except for physiography, where it is five.

Laboratory time per week.-The amount of time devoted to laboratory work in the schools reporting on the teaching of all the several courses in science, excepting general science, is to be found in Table XLIII. It is seen that the time spent in laboratory

ranges between very wide extremes. A comparison of this table with Table XLI brings out the fact that the range is greater for laboratory than for recitation time. The more common practices are seen to be: physiography, no laboratory time; botany, 75-99 (usually 80 or 90), 150-174 and 175-199 (usually 160 or 180) minutes; zoology, 150-174 and 175-199 (usually 160 and 180) minutes; biology, 175-199 (usually 180) minutes; chemistry, 150-174 and 175-199 (usually 160 and 180) minutes; physics, 150-174 and 175-199 (usually 160 and 180) minutes.

Since the lengths of laboratory periods in high schools are very commonly 80 or 90 minutes, the modal practices just presented indicate that, with the exceptions of physiography, where the modal practice is no laboratory time, and botany, where one of the modes is 75-99 minutes, the modal laboratory time in the sciences extends

through two 80- or 90-minute periods. This is in accord with what appears in Table XLIV, which presents the number of recitation periods per week in the several courses and shows that the modal practice in the number of laboratory periods is two, except for physiography, where it is zero. Physiography is thus seen to be taught in a large proportion of schools in disregard of current recognition of laboratory work in the sciences.

TABLE XLIV

NUMBER OF LABORATORY PERIODS PER WEEK IN COURSES IN SCIENCE

Total time per week.-The total time per week devoted to courses in science is shown in Table XLV. One of the striking facts discovered by this table is the wide range in the total weekly allotment of time in these courses. For instance, in physics there is a range of from 150-174 (actually 160) minutes to 500-524 (actually 505) minutes, which means that three times as great a time allotment is made in the school reporting the latter as in the school reporting the former. The range is seen to be as great or almost as great in most of the other sciences.

The modal allotments of time per week for the several sciences with the exception of physiology are seen in the table to be as follows: general science, 225-249 (usually 225) minutes; physiography, 225-249 (usually 225) minutes; botany, 275-299 and 300324 (usually 280 and 315) minutes; zoölogy, 300-324 (usually 315)