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HISTONE

History a Practical Study.

By WILBUR F. GORDY, Prin. North School, Hartford, Conn.

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HAT the study of history may be the means of the best training in comparison and inference has long since been proven. Excellent material for such invaluable work may be found in tracing the growth of Virginia, the mother State of the South, and Massachusetts, the mother State of New England. The following topics and questions may be used to advantage in a review lesson on these two colonies.

Some differences between the settlers of Virginia and those of Massachusettes.

Comparison between the government of the two colonies in their early history.

Contrast the Cavalier and the Puritan.

How was education regarded in each colony?

Account for the plantation in Virginia in contrast to the town in Massachusetts, in early colonial times.

What differences can you find in the religious character of the two colonies? In their manner of living? In their occupation? Explain the differences in the last two cases.

In which colony was it easier in the seventeenth century to make a living, and why?

Why is Massachusetts to-day so much richer than Virginia ? Which state has to-day the higher average of intelligence ? Give reasons for your answer.

Which state is more thickly settled now, and why?

These topics and questions will help the pupil to see the relation between man and his physical surroundings. Soil and climate have always exercised potent influences upon the growth of history, and the intimate connection between geographic conditions and the evolution of human institutions, should be brought out in the higher grammar grade work in these two studies. Geography does its best work when it shows how society is moulded, in a large measure, by physiographic features. Geography describes the earth as a home for man, and shows how, in the beautiful economy of nature, man's wants may be satisfied by the activities that are conducive to his progress in civilization. In other words, geography furnishes many of the passive conditions underlying all social development, while history explains how man, in contact with these conditions, has developed strength and power in his struggle to gain the mastery over them. — Geography emphasizes nature, history, man.

Nature and man in their complementary relation and mutual influence should be of most absorbing interest to boys and girls as well as to men and women. But either nature out of relation to man, or man out of relation to nature, is lacking in interest and suggestiveness. On the pedagogical side, the study of such questions furnishes the best possible preparation for the right solution of the larger problems that must sooner or later te met in the social, moral, and practical phases of life. History is eminently a practical study.

PRATT'S AMERICAN HISTORY STORIES are without qualification the best histories of the kind I have ever seen. Not a cause of an important event has been omitted; but the author has cheerfully separated the chaff from the wheat. It is a new departure to make politics the leading feature of a primary history; but in these books the origin, policy and work of the political parties are all given.-P. F. HALLOCK, Detroit, Mich.

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Instructions on methods of dealing with the above peri d are unnecessary. Teachers familiar with the subject cannot fail to interest classes. Lively talks are given, wide reading favored, brief outlines constructed and much written work requ'red.

The tendency is to expect too much. In reviews essential facts and main events take the place of numerous details which were at first considered. To overwo k a subject with children is not helpful. The "Song of Roland" is interesting when read in connection with the story of the battle of Roncesvalles. An approved metrical translation has been recently made by a profe sor in Trinity college.

Vol IV. of Pratt's AMERICAN HISTORY STORIES contains over eighty admirable short stories covering the period of the Civil War. Several poems are included from standard authors, pertaining to the history of the time. The stories are interspersed with occasional patriotic hymns and war songs, with music. A good companion volume for classes in United States History, and very well adapted for supplementary reading in the more advanced Grammar Grades.- Intelligence, Chicago.

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On the morning of some Islands in the Pacific Ocean a River of Oregon who had been enjoying a River of Germany, put on his City of England, took his City of Pennsylvania, and made a Cape of England for a River of Germany.

On the way he met a Cape of Africa who had once been & River of Bitish America, and who carried a Cape of South America containing a River of Montana and wore a Branch of the Missouri in his Mountains of Montana.

Desiring a River of British Americo, he passed on and soon met a River (f Asia who is the River of Australia of many a River of North Dakota.

On her Mountain of British America she wore a Mountain of Oregon and her dress was of the finest Country of ▲sia.

She was cha'tering like a River of Quebec without a Cape on the Atlantic coast of North America.

This, it was a Lake in California was the River of Idaho which he sought.

Reaching his destination, he called on an Island in the Pacific Ocean to whom he presented a Gulf of Africa and was soon régal ing himself on a City of Italy and a River of Montana.

The solution to the above reads as follows:

On Sunday morning, a Rogue who had been enj ying a Spree put on his D.rby, tɔok his cane (Quesne) and made a Start for an Inn.

On the way he met a Negro who had once been a Slave, and who carried an Orange containing a Big Hole and wore a Knife in his Belt.

Desiring a Fish he passed on and soon met Lena who is the Darling of many a Heart.

On her Head she wore a Hood and her dress was of the finest Cashmere.

She was chattering like a Mag-pie without a Fear.
This, it was Clear was the Salmon he sought.

Reaching his destination, he called on Santa Barbara, to whom he presented a Guinea, and was soon regaling himself on Bologna and Milk.

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"Our lesson to-day is the New England (or any group) States. Mary may begin the recitation."

Mary.-(Rising, with topic list in hand).

POSITION." The New England States occupy the north-eastern part of our country. (Here give exact latitude and longitude.) EXTENT - They extend from Canada on the north to the Atlantic on the south, and from New Brunswick on the east to Middle States on the west."

In like manner pupils recite on each topic, naming, locating and describing different rivers, mountains, lakes, etc. Or, to vary the work, several pupils may :ecite on one topic, by raising hands, and giving as many facts as possible concerning each point.

For example, the following answers may be given in response to a call for advantages of the section.

Willie.-Facilities for commerce, as good seaports, navigable rivers, and the ocean.

Mary.- Healthful climate and beautiful scenery.

James.-The excellent cod-fisheries along the coast, and granite quarries of New Hampshire.

Willie.-Fine wool produced in Vermont, and ships built in

M-ine.

Under curio ities may be mentioned Bunker Hill Monument, and Public Gardens, at Boston; Nahant Beach, Minot's Lodge, Isles of Shoals, Mt. Desert Island, etc.

By each of the pupils naming one or two objects of interest, quite a list may be secured.

Another profitable exercise is to assign certain topics to each pupil and have them make special reports. In this way pupils will be encouraged, and taught to use encyclopædias and other useful books of reference, thereby obviating to a large extent the prevalent tendency of narrowing down into old and worn-out ruts.

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"Perhaps some of you have flowers at home and they must be watered," continued Miss Weber, "could you water the whole earth with a little water-pot like the one you use for flowers ?” "Not by a good deal!" said John, regardless of the elements of diction.

"So the rain comes," said Miss Weber, "and waters fields and farms, fills the streams and rivers furnishing drink for all animals and plants."

"Where does this rain come from?"

"The sky," triumphantly shouted John.

"Where do the clouds come from?" was Miss Weber's next question.

Various were the answers but the majority of the pupils looked perplexed and finally Robert said: "I guess they grew" and everybody laughed.

Miss Weber felt that an explanation must now come and she clearly explained to them the little drop of water in the ocean that the sun strikes, heats and makes so light that it becomes vapor and rises. Now the winds come and the clouds of vapor are carried far over the land, here a cool breeze strikes it and the vapor becomes condensed and falls as rain upon the ground. It rans down hillsides to rivers and finally after travelling many miles it reaches the ocean. "Now,

can you tell me where the clouds come from?" "The ocean!" exciaimed a chorus of voices "How?"

"The sun makes it rise" said Amy.

"What does all this vapor form?" said Miss Weber. "Clouds!" exclaimed Edith.

"What drives the clouds over the land?"

"The wind!" said John.

'What causes the rain ?"

Everybody looked as if they knew but couldn't explain it.

“Well," said Miss Weber, "if we were all sailing around up in the air in a balloon, going up higher and bigher would we notice any difference in the temperature?"

"It would be cold very high up," said Edith.

"Yes, we would need our furs and warm coats to keep us warm; now these clouds rise higher and higher till they at last get so high that the air condenses the vapor and it falls as rain."

What do you notice on the outside of pitchers of ice water in summer?"

"Little drops of water," said two or three pupils.

"Why are they there?"

"Because it's hot on one side and cold on the other," said Robert.

Miss Weber smiled and said: Now, is the water of the ocean fresh or salt f"

"It is salt, awfully salt," said Robert, "for I swallowed some in bathing at the seashore last summer."

"You won't forget it then," said Miss Weber, "but is the water in our lakes and rivers salt?"

"No; it's fresh!" came the reply.

"How is this then," said Miss Weber, "for the ocean water formed the clouds and those sent rain to fill these rivers and lakes. Why aren't our rivers salt ?"

Nobody seemed to know. So this explanation followed:

"If I should be away out at sea and there was no fresh water to drink, I would take salt water and heat it till it boiled, then I would make the steam, vapor we will call it, pass into a very cold pitcher. Now in this pitcher the water would be fresh."

The pupils were pleased and interested and decided that the sun would heat the water and make it fresh.

"What would happen to all our trees and flowers if the rain were salt?" was asked.

Everybody seemed to think some great disaster would result and John said: "They'd all die" and everybody thought so too.

"Now can people live without water?"

"Can animals or plants live without water?” "Where does the water come from ?"

"Now, how many think it would be better if the whole earth were laid out in beautiful parks, gardens and fields ?"

Not a hand was raised and each pupil looked unusually wise for he knew why it was best to have oceans.

Miss Weber then took from her desk the readily recognized book of Longfellow's Poems.

She read to them the poem "Daybreak" beginning:

"A wind came up out of the sea,

And said: 'Oh mists, make room for me.'"'

She asked them to find how many pictures there were in the little poem and as she finished she looked up and said: "Now, what are our pictures ?"

The answers came: "The wind and mists;" "Theдships sailing;" "The wind going over the land;" "The forest trees;" "The wood-birds;" "The farms;" "The fields of corn;""The belfry-tower;" "The churchyard.”

"What does it say about the wind ?" asked Miss Weber. "It said: 'Oh mists, make room for me,' " said Helen.

"You may write that on the board," said Miss Weber. What is a mariner ?" "What is a chanticleer ?"

"What is meant by leafy banners ? " "What does clarion mean?"

These were the next questions asked and discussed.

Miss Weber stepped to the board and wrote:

"It hurried landward far away
Crying awake it is the day."

"You may all write that correctly punctuated."

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T

School Scrap Books.

By MARY BERGER, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

HE most successful primary busy work, I have found, is scrap book work. Gather up all your pictures, plain prints as well as colored ones. One very prolific source is the illustrations of the advertisements in the various magazines.

For the scrap book proper take card-board eight inches by twelve inches, or some bright colored paper cambric, either sew the leaves or tie with narrow ribbon. If the children can be induced to secure their own materials permit each one to have his own book; if not, then make several large ones, assigning a number of pages to each child. Give the cards to the children to cut, thus giving them something to do.

Arrange the pictures in groups, all relating to one subject in one group, to be used in making one volume. Take one picture of one group, give a language losson from it, have the children copy the picture. Then explain that all their pictures similar to this one must be placed in one group. Do this with each group that you have arranged. Then go over those arranged by the children, to see that they have not misplaced them. This will take several days, possibly several weeks, but they will be arranged systematically.

First take the earth; arrange the cards illustrative of the forms of land and water, the hemispheres, the sun and moon, also the races. Then the different countries with their people, homes, life, costumes and customs. Next a volume on agriculture, manufactures, horticulture, forestry, commerce, with all the means of transportation and conveyance, mining - all the industries may be arranged each in its own volume. These books may be used for language work. First allow each child to see the pictures for that day. Then draw out the expressions of opinions. Have them copy the pictures, either on slate or black-board. Historical cards may be sketched in the same way.

This is one of the most systematic methods for language work to be had, as it takes in the branches of study to be pursued later, arouses interest and love for everthing around them. Cultivates a taste for science, art, literature, history, and language. In a very short time children will begin to illustrate the stories told them, and do quite well.

The imagination is cultivated, children learn to tell quite good stories, and comprehend the different ages, and countries, as they would not do otherwise in many years.

The interest aroused effects all the other work, and thus lighten the work more than enough to compensate for the extra work. Some will say that is play, they don't want their children to do it, but that is said of everything that does not conform to old methods.

This work can be adapted to very little children as I have used it with those ranging from four to nine.

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Place the model lever before the class and explain parts. The pin on which the lever is is called the fulcrum, F. The body to be raised is called the weight, W. The force applied at the other end of the lever to raise the weight is called the power, P.

The part of the lever between the fulcrum and the weight is called the weight arm, and the part between the fulcrum and the power is called the power-arm.

Experiment 41.- Attach equal weights to the lever at equal distances from the fulcrum.

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weight sixteen inches from the fulcrum (Fig. 11.) Obs. They balance.

Observe that the weight multiplied by its distance from the fulcrum equals the power multiplied by its distance from the fulcrum.

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Inform the chi'dren that a lever having its weight between the power and the fulcrum is a lever of the second class. Common examples of this kind of lever may now be reviewed:

The wheelbarrow, a boat oar, nut cracker, etc.

By using the lever as in Fig. 11, but applying the power between the fulcrum and the weight, we can illustrate the lever of the third class (Fig. 12).

Experiment 45.- Attach a four-ounce weight sixteen inches from the fulcrum, by the use of the pulley, and attach an eightounce power eight inches from the fulcrum (Fig. 12).

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explain the parts of the lever. If the weightarm be two feet, and

the power-arm ten feet,

what power would raise 200 pounds?

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Obs. They balance.

Observe that in this case also the power multiplied into its distance from the fulcrum is equal to the weight multiplied into its distance from the fulcrum.

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