Chapter VIII: THINKING AND ANSWERING. 1. With two or three of your classmates,

play telephone;--one must be "Central" and one "Information" at the central office, and one must receive your message and answer it. A number of the other children may join hands to make a long "wire" on each side of "Central"; they will repeat the message softly from one to another all down their "wire." 2. Now, suppose that you all represent the telephone system in the body. Could you act out this "Body-Telephone" call:--The eye sees a burning match on the floor, and sends the message to its center in the brain; this center consults the memory ("Information") as to what to do. Memory recalls that burning matches are likely to set fire to other things and ought to be put out. So the brain sends a message to the muscles of the foot to get to work and stamp out the flame. In this play, what will you each call yourselves? 3. Make up some other "Body-Telephone" plays. 4. What are some of the messages that are being carried by your nerves, that you know nothing about? 5. Think how many messages a baby stores away before he is ready to answer them; what are some of these? Why can he not answer them at once? What makes his brain and nerves and muscles grow? How can you take the best care of yours? 6. In the picture on p. 96, point to the brain; to the spinal cord. How near the surface of your back is your spinal cord? What keeps it from being easily injured?

"ABSENT TO-DAY?"

I. KEEPING WELL. 1. Why do our bodies need "housecleaning"? How do we get rid of the waste part that is a gas? Of the part that is water? What carries the carbon dioxid to the lungs? What carries the waste water to the sweat tubes and the kidneys? What other waste is there to be gotten rid of? 2. Suppose that you and your chum each have an equal chance to take a bad cold from someone else; your chum catches it, and you don't. What might be one reason why you don't? Place your hand over your liver. How can you keep it in good working order? 3. What is the bladder? Why is it so very necessary to empty the bladder regularly? When you perspire freely, how does that help the kidneys?