e as important in practice that he be able to weigh
other persons' facts discriminatingly. We teach in the laboratory that
the pupil should not take his facts second hand, though we rather
insist that he do so with his conclusions. In reality it is often
much better to take our facts second hand; the stultifying thing is to
take our conclusions so.

=A normal complete mental reaction for every laboratory exercise=

4. The dependence upon outlines and manuals. This is one of the most
deadening devices that we have instituted to economize gray matter and
increase the quantity of laboratory records at the expense of real
initiative and thinking. It is easy for the reader to analyze for
himself the mental reaction, or lack of it, of the student in
following the usual detailed laboratory outline. _Every laboratory
exercise should be an educative situation calling for a complete
mental reaction from the pupil._ In the first place, no exercise
should be used which is not really vital and educative. This assured,
the full mental reaction of the student should be about as follows:

(1) The cursory survey of the situation.

(2) The raising by the student of such questions as seem to him
interesting or worthy of solution. (Here, of course, the teacher
can by skillful questioning lead the class to raise all necessary
problems, and increase the student's willingness to attack them.)

(3) The determination through class conference of the order and
method of attacking the problems, and the reasons therefor.

(4) The accumulation and record of discovered facts (sharply
eliminating all inferences).

(5) The arrangement (classification) and appraisal
(discrimination) of the discovered facts.

(6) Conclusions or inferences from the facts. (These should be
very sharply and critically examined by teacher and class, to see
to what extent they are really valid and supported by the facts.)

(7) Retesting of conclusions by new facts submitted by class, by
teacher, or from books, with an effort to diminish prejudice as a
factor in conclusions, and to increase the willingness to
approach our own conclusions with an open mind.

When laboratory outlines are used at all they should consist merely of
directions, and suggestions, and stimulating questions which will
start the pupils on the main quest,--the raising and solving of their
own problems.