The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-10

u0DS IN the 6Adcl -oIuSi. III UHfCH NC
finds them, and compares each an
swer with map and text to test its
correctness. The scholar points ont
! localities on an outline map, or, an
swers from memorylshoald these be
wanting. The questions being ex
hausted, another lesson is assigned,
without remark or comment. and the
class is dismissed.
On questioning the pupils, we find
none that have any broad, general
viewsOof the seIenee)they are study
ing. They may have committed many
facts to memory, but they lie in their
minds, unclassifed-useless, value
less lumber. Their study is weari-
somes eUdeaTor TO accumulate a mass
of disconnected particulars, without
any attempt whatever. at generailza-
ton. They have no vivid concep-
tions of the country whose geography
they are pretending to study. Each
little section, colored red, or green,
or yellow. in their aliases, is al
most a distinct world, in their re-
gard-having no relation to other
sections, and subjected to no great
telluric infpe nces whose origin is be-
yond its narrow boundaries. In SIX
months they will have forgotten nine
tenths of what they are now endeavor-
ing to learn. The teacher will com
plain of the poor results which have
followed his painstaking efforts at in
struction, and pupil and patron will
vote geography an exceedingly dry
and Improbable branch of study
one that can be dispensed with with
out serious. detriment to any one.
Such half-ludicrous attempts at
teaching as this. and 2 not any
inherent responsiveness in the science
itself, are the occasion of all
the want of success In geographical
instruction. The method, or rather
want of method pursued, is direct,
positive violation of the most obvious
principles of common sense. besides
being a premium offered for ignorance
and incapacity. Any one, able to
read, can PROFOUND questions already /
prepared for his use-and glance at
the map or text VIII enable him to
detect any inaccuracy in answers.
We have thought, again and again,
the recitation would be sad failure
were pupil and teacher to change
places The lessons are not learned
they are prepared for an OCCASION
and when the occasion is pass
ed, they are forgotten. The |
thousand and one facts conned |
over and repeated in half |
dozen lessons, are not clinched, |
fastened in the memory, by being pre-
scented in any true order of sequence
or import. For this reason, mainly, |
the graduates of many of our best |
schools, when tested by thorough
examinations, are found TO have a
more accurate knowledge of the
of. the Moon than of the
Earth--to know more about meta
physics than physics-to have a bet
ter acquaintance with the theories
and speculations of man than with
the sublime laws of God as evidence
in the, movements of the winds and
oceanic currents, In the disposition of
land and water areas, in the elevation
of continental masses, and in the dis
tribution of organic life, whether
animal or vegetable. 1
How can these defects in geograph-
ical instruction be remedied? Teach
ers claim that they can not teach diff
ferently so long as they are compelled
to use our present textbooks. We
admit they are faulty in the extreme
faulty in conception-faulty in the
of very crude notion of
what geographical textbook should
be- But, reformation, like charity,
should begin at home. i The teacher
must be master of a science before he
to teach Unjust be independ-
ent Of books as a necessity, before he
is able7to pass judgment upon or use
them understandingly. nxs,zost |
We will suppose that we have
found such teacher. What
sort of criticism will he make of the
half dozen series ofggeographies now
in general use? With a Single ex-
,eption, they are cramIaed with illar-
ranged facts-loaded to the muzZle
Details Instead of
making the natural features of the
earth the basis of assifeation, they
adopt the arbitrary divisions made by
nan for governmental purposesT The
surface of country, its climate, its
vegetation and animal life, the dis
ribution and occupations of man,
ire treated Of in detached PORTIONS
title or nothing being said. of the I
'auses which determine them. At ,
nosperic phenomena, aqueous, and
gneous agencies, are aim ost
,ntirely ignored = :. .he information !
,iven being so meagre that it is In a {
,reat measure valueless. TIE facts '
hosen are not those which can be s
allied fountain stones."' .whereon to
ear solid, massive, symmetrical su- c
Besides, in many
chools thereare to be- found many
iferent text books, or different edi- 7
ions of the same series, which their t