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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 10, No. 7. June 11, 1947

Introduction to NZ

Introduction to NZ

The programme began on March 4 with "What is a Fossil?"

We Quote now from the "Listener" summary of the serial:

"The teaching device will be two children, a boy of thirteen, and a girl of ten, and a grown-up interested in geology and excavation, who answers their questions about how things began. The adult's part is to give information on points which had not occurred to the children, and illustrate his remarks by pretending to be an observer who returns to the past, making a running commentary on what he sees. . . . It is suggested in the broadcast that children might keep a book of the adventures of the observer. George, the boy in the serial, being very grown-up, writes notes: the girl, Alice, illustrates her book with coloured chalk drawings.

"In the first six broadcasts the main evolutionary theme is the conquest of the land, first by early land plants, then by those fishes that acquired lungs and legs and became amphibia, some of which, in their turn, evolved into the first reptiles, with their complete adaptation to land life. And the last few broadcasts will show how some mammals surpassed the rest in skill of hand and eye, and by their power to learn by experience.

"This will be followed in the second term by an explanation of what early man did with his wits and how he made a series of discoveries which enabled him to live very differently from all other animals. Then in the third term, on Tuesdays, listeners will hear the story of the rich ancient communities and of the westward spread of civilisation, through the backwoods of forested Europe to Britain."

We wish to emphasise that no school is compelled to take the broadcasts, but each year increasing numbers do so. It is solely a matter for the teachers to decide.