River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-19
PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY.
No. Two.
BY A.EARTHMAN.

Many exercises on Direction must
be given. The relative direction of
the benches and other objects in the
school room, the course of the streets
in the neighborhood, the houses IN
which the children live, the prominent
buildings or natural features to be
seen from the school-house,- AL these
will offer abundant material for work.
Let these exercises be continued until
at least the eight principal points of
the compass are definitely fixed in the
mind of the pupil.
Distance.--Let the teacher draw up
on the board lines of different lengths;
one inch, six inches, one foot. ono
yard. After studying each of these,
let the pupil be required to draw lines
of similar length. Let each pupil be
provided with measure and test his
work as soon as done. This part of
the work must not be overlooked.
Then let the pupil judge of the length
of books, states, desk, board, room,
window, hall, etc. always applying the
measure to test his judgment.
After these indoor exercises, let the
teacher measure off a rod in some con-
yenient place in the school.yard and
exercise the pupil in the manner above
indicated. Let the street or road run
ming by the school-hOuse be duly con-
sidered, and let the pupil be exercised
on the quarter mile. half mile, mile.
Let this be done, even if the teacher
has to take the pupil block or two
from the school-house.
These exercises in Distance should
include the measurement of height as
well as that of the level surface. For
instance: Let the teacher lay a rod
stick fiat upon the ground, one end
resting against the school-house; then
let the pupil express his judgment as
to the distance from the ground to the
bottom of the window, to the top of
the window, to the caves, etc. let the
end of the rod-stick farthest from the
house be lifted SO that the stick
throughout its entire length will touch
the side of the house then let the
judgment in each case be tested. Mere
guessing should, under no circum-
stances, be allowed. Such exercises
will develop the pupils Judgment as
to the height of buildings, trees, hills.
While the work in Direction and
Distance Is being continued, the pupil
may be taught the meaning of some
convenient words, such as horizontal,
vertical, oblique, perpendicular, par
allel. angle, right anglo, oblique
angle, etc. In teaching these, the
idea shoul always be developed before
the technical term is given. For ex-
ample: let the teacher hold rule
level, incline it, hold it straight mp
and down." then represent direction
of rule by line upon board, and the
child VIII suggest definitions which
will be of more value, because more
correct than the definitions found in
the textbooks. Whenever new term
is brought out, the word should be
thoroughly mastered, pronounced,
spelled. written. A multitude of ex.
ereises combining the pupils judgment
of Distance and his knowledge of Di
rection and of technical terms, viii
suggest itself to the teacher; hence
this topic may be dismissed with thi;
caution: No superficial work should
be allowed; and the exercises should
be characterized by great promptness
and decision.