Women Artists in America II by J. L. Collins (review)

Books 259 New Trends in Integrated ScienceTeaching: 1 7 0 (Vol. I). P. E. Richmond, ed. 1971. 381 pp., illus. Paper, $7.00; E2.10 FF28,00. New TrendsinIntegratedS e i eTeaching(Vol. II). P. E. Richmond, ed. 1973. 239 pp.. illus. Paper, $7.65; E2.20; FF24,OO. New Trendsin Integrated Science Teaching: Education of Teacherspol. III). P. E. Richmond, ed. 1974. 227 pp., illus. Paper. Unesco Press, Paris. Reviewed by Constance E. Wegar* I have been convinced on the basis of my interests in scienceand art and of my art teaching experiencesthat scienceand art can be combined profitably in an integrated program at the secondary school level. Naturally, my interest was aroused when I received the Unesco series New Trendr in Integrated Science Teaching. I was most impressed by the world-wide representation of the contributors. Secondly, I was enthused, perhaps because of my artistic interest, by the number of lucid diagrams. Thirdly, I felt that the volumes are a rich source for science teachers. Part I of Vol. I (in English and French) deals chiefly, I think excessively, with the problem of defining Integrated Science Teaching. Part I1listspossible projects and Part 111is concerned with the psychologicaland social factors that must be considered in planning curriculum changes. In answer to the question ‘How do you integrate the separate sciences without producing a collection of “snippets”?, two points are suggested: ( I) the formation of secondary schools devoted almost entirely to the study of science and mathematics and (2) the preparation of programmes and science kits to be used in the new schools. Vol. I1 ‘is composed of commissioned manuscripts and examples of integrated science teaching drawn from projects or teaching schemesranging from elementary to university level’ (p. 5). It is perhaps the volume most in demand by busy science teachers. Vol. I11 is based ‘on the proceedings of the international conference on “The Education of Teachers for Integrated Science” held at the University of Maryland, U.S.A., in April 1973’.The findingsof the conference have been arranged in four sections:(I) general questions relating to teacher training, (2)the problems of pre-serviceand in-servicetraining, (3) the methods of improving scienceprogrammes and evaluating the results and (4) the possibilities of integrating science teaching with ‘wider issues in society’. The three volumes are well-illustrated with photographs, figures and diagrams, and are provided with extensive bibliographies. I myselfwould have preferred a conciselist of the more useful books. When I began reading the series,1fully realized that the scope of integration did not include subjects outside of science and mathematics. However, to my joy, I did find some references to departures from this limitation. ‘I would go even further than you, and propose integrating not only various disciplines of science. hut integrating it with history. and the whole of human culture’. said D. Gabor (Vol. II, p. 9). I was further encouraged when 1 read in the article ‘The Place of Technology in an integrated curriculum’ by C. 8. Scott of Rossington Secondary *Naparima Girls’ High School, San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies. School, near Doncaster, England: ‘Thestaffengaged in this work cover a wide field of specialist subjects including history, geography, English, music, arts and crafts, archaeology, geology, rural science, drama, but all consider themselves teachers of children, not subjects.’ These volumes have stimulated me to devise an integrated program (as yet untested) for the lower forms of secondary school. Entitled ‘France-irca 1791’, it would include the followingsubjects:(1) Science: the lifeand work of Louis Pasteur and its impact on science today: (2) Arr: the impressionists. their precursors and their followers.and the impact of Impressionism on English painters; (3) Geography: the physical features of France and how these affect the economic and social life of the people; (4) History: the causes and results of the French Revolution, compared with revolutions in the world today; (5) Mathematics: the metric system,whichoriginated in France after the Revolution in 1791,the gradualchange to this systemin other countries and the reasons for its increased use and the problems in its adoption; (6) Language and Literature: Rousseau’s Confessions and Hugo’s Les Miserables in French. Without reservation I would recommend these three volumes...