Drop by the OISE Library to view the newest selection of books on display from OISE’s Ontario Historical Education Collection. Gardening and nature study was once an integral part of school curriculums in North American during the Nineteenth and early Twentieth century. Understanding human connections with the wider living world was encouraged at school through activities involving direct engagement with plants and animals. Get a glimpse into these diverse practices through the library’s display of books on this fascinating topic. Some items of interest include a study and introduction to school gardens, a selection of notebooks for students to engage in ‘practical botany’ through drawing and description, several guides to wildflowers and trees, and a selection of ‘nature biographies’ detailing the lives of insects such as butterflies, moths, and grasshoppers.
These materials can be viewed in the small display case on the Ground Floor of the OISE library.