Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-03-02
BRIEF MOTIFS.
Educational.
The Study Of Geography : NJ. 3.

Inc oludy OF topography = NC. 5.
The outdoor lessons in Geography.
which have indicated. can be varied and
the knowledge 10 be gained in this man
ner, though OF primary Importance, j. Of
limited extent. The pupil needs 10 Know
more Of the world than he can learn from
study books.
50 much time and brain power have been
wasted in the study OF geography from
text books. that n reform is needed
In text books and methods of teaching
great progress, has been made during the
past ten years, bat too many of our teach
ers and schools are in the old way The
pupil needs TO know the definitions and
principles Of Mathematical Geography
the natural divisions OF land aud water on
the oarth's surface. the boundaric, OF the
.a'iun-. The location OF places Of impor-
lance. and the fundamental principle, OF
physical geography
A. the child Gan see but small part or
the world. he must study maps. and in or
der to do this intelligently, lie must learn
70 draw maps.
The first lesson In map-drawins- Begin
with the class that has taken the outdoor
lesson. Children. take the pencils and pa
per which have placed upon your desks,
Now give me your attention. How many
sides has this schoo-ruomy Ans. Four
two long sides, Two short sides. How
many corners Ans. Four. Now We will
examine the floor; it is long aud wide. and
bounded BY the walls OF The room. Now
Will draw upon the black board a figure
shaped like this floor. How many sides
and corners mus: | have: Now draw
We Will examine this figure 10 see II il
l)ok> like the tloo-. 1t is long and not so
wide, has four corners.
Now you Will draw similar figure up
on your papers. Teacher examines each
one-praising as much as is possible. no.
jirg that some are too long or short TOO
WIDE or narrow. or the corners are not
square. Try again. TINS ma, be contin-
ued tor the next lesson. Then have black
board, window, walls and top OF the room
drawn until the pupils draw quite straight
lines aLd good corners, and preserve the
proportion OF the sides and ends.
At the next lesson. the teacher NAV
draw the al>les and desks upon his floor
plan, showing how the proportion between
aisles and desks is to be observed The
pupils copy and the teacher crltlcises.
Tomorrow the class will bring draw
ings to the teacher, which he will examine
and criticise. When the pupils can draw
the schooI-room well they may take les
son out doors. First draw the school
yard, position of road, fences and build
ings 10 be carefully noted. The teacher
will give careful attention to the work of
every pupil. and have much practice 10
drawing.
The next step may be to require the pu.
pills to draw maps of their door-yards and
farms; the teacher should see that points
Of the compass are observed in the direc-
ton of roads and other boundaries and
that proportions are retained with regard
TO length and breadth OF diagrams as COM
pared with originals.
The pupils viii: learn by experience that
large farms are represented by small maps
understanding from this fact how the
small maps in the biographies represent
large States. They may combine their
maps TO form one of the negaoorhood.
thus learning how County and State maps
are made. There must be q limit to this
map drawing, which the teacher will
make
We now come to the study of the geug-
raphy OF the world beyond the range of
observation. and we must use the works
OF others. From the study of geography
one needs 10 gain such a mental picture of
the world as will enable him to see in his
minds eye" the configuration of land aud
water, and the location of States and towns
of which it is dt sirable to have knowledge
All pupils should be familiar with the ge-
ography Of the United States and Europe.
and it is well to begin at home. Let the
drawing At first DE free hand copy
Of the State of Maine, boundaries, -princi-
pal lakes. rivers and towns. Omit minor
details. When a good map in outline can
by made from copy, let maps be drawn
from memory. The teacher will insist up
on due proportions, and see that the rivers,
towns, &C., are properly located. What