Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-11-23

But let special care be taken no, 10 crowd
too many things before the chid's mind
IN one day. The same lesson should be
repeated with such variations, improve
ments and additions as seem desirable.
till the pupil has become quite familiar
with The object of study, and can, unaiied
even by question, go through with full
and correc, account of it.
A knowledge of individual things must
precede general knowledge of class,
bat closely following upon careful OBJ
servatlon of objects, comes their classifi-
Gallon into groups possessing certain char
acteristics in common. The groups again
may be combined into classes, according
to s,ill more general characteristics. Books
are abundant furnishing excellent illus
tranons Of systemmatc classification in
natural objects, particularly in Botany ];
but the teacher will find very hule in
books to aid him in the classification Of
common manufactured objects. A text
book for the use Of teachers in this branch
OF education IS desideratum but every
teacher may and should form for himself
a syllabus comprising a skeleton classifi-
cation of objects to be studied, and some
hints indicating the order and character
of the questions to be proposed
The classification should be according
to some natural method, bat this method
will differ according TO the yeiws of the
teacher and the wants of the school, Il
should embrace such objects IS are most
( common, such as will best illustrate gene
al truths, and give the pupil the opporiu-
nifty of cultivating knowledge and ready
appreciation of color, form, size, weight,
time, and every sensible quality, and such
as will best show general relations and
lead to systematic classification. The
teachers syllabus should not be shown to
the pupils; bat they should be encouraged
to observe resembIances and form their
own classifcatious.
/ I'VE omit here too for the reason before
stated, some interesting details relative to the
mode Of drawing out from the pupil, or awaken
ing IN him, ideas Of the classification of common
objects
In connection with these lessons, and
forming an essential part OF the plan. the
pupil should be taught to DRAW. When
, we consider how far in advance of us the
/ Germans are in this art, it seems strange
that Americans should have remained so
| long satisfied with the utter neglect of
! this important branch of education. In the
! German schools of Cincinnati have seen
children of six years who could not only
draw straight lines, triangIes, poIygons
and circles, with surprising precision, but
also the more complicated forms Of tables,
chairs, houses and animals, in manner
that would pat to the blush nine out of ten
of our college graduates.
The child should be taught Drawing
along with his earliest lessons in objects
The progress will necessarily be slow II
will not be possible for him to draw all
the objects he becomes acquainted with.
nor should he attempt it; but the teacher,
so far as he can do so consistently with
thoroughness, should require the pupil to
draw the outlines of all the simple forms
he studies.
An exercise in moulding forms in clay,
wax, snow, or olher plastic substances,
may be adopted TO give skill 20 the hands
and to assist in fixing more definitely in
/ the mind precise idea of the form Of
cubes, prisms, spheres, cones, cylinders,
/ and all mathematical forms, which, as
well as other simple forms, may be
moulded in clay and then drawn upon the
/ slate or black board.
Some discipline, toe, may be given to
mechanical aud constructive skill, by fur
nishing the pupil with small wooden
/ blocks shaped like bricks, or like the
courses of an arch, also small beams,
/ boards, window and door frames, Of cor
responding dimensions, that they may ex-
ercise themselves in building walls and
arches for miniature houses, bridges and
other structures. 1t is very desirable that
children should early acquire some skill
/ in the use of tools Of various kinds. This
could, PERHAPS, be best attended TO at
! their own homes ye,, as most parents
neglect that sort Of home training, | am
not sure but that public workshops for
children, either connected with the school
system or under a special suPerintend-
! ence, might be Of as great advantage to
+ the community as any other provision for
public instruclio2,
Along with common object lessons aud
natural history, and accessory in part to