New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-28
NOVEL OBJECT TEACHING.

A IMMATURE THEA IRE FOR An ~"
BIBLE TEACHING AND LESSONS IN AsIRoNo"i'
BOTANY AND HisTORY-CHTDREN UNpE" ioo"
YEARS OF AGE TAUGHT BY PICrUREs-FEATuREs
OF An ORDINARY Lesson.
On the East Side of the city, near the river,
in Sixthst. very expensive and curously arra"s'"
auditorium has been built adjoining the Emmanuel
Chanel for the express use of Mrs Maria L. seymour ID
her object essons-a novel system which she has beeh
teaching to thousands Of children every sunday ~" sew
era months. Latterly. having further per'e''eu nv
method she has only given Bible illustrations 10 "e
scholar- but also lessons in astronomy botany anu
history, with equal success.
The idea Of Mrs. Seymour's peculiar system was s"S
rescd to her some years by seeing her children
making plays and scenes with the broken fragments Oh
several boxes Of toys. and from year to year sue HAS
developed her theory she has carried II ll'o p'"'
part Of this theory or system Is Ihat the IS' o'
iect Of teacher Is gain the attention o. cliu Gnu
to do this something interesting must ne anu 'o''
that children are naturally ana degnt III scenes
that move and that they desire TO guess something Of
the progress and final results; in this all the powers OF
cniiI are exercised and its intelligence qnickened
The new auditorium IA a large hall. and not unlike
theatre 30 extent, with Us seats racing WIZ p
form and arranged in semcirce, ana us lhrte t''
lcrics tvo Of which are tor the smaller children and one
for visitors over The platform IS an oval biacKood'"
which turns at will On pivot and IS divided INTO t"eFe
rorts bv twelve lines running from triangular cehfe
coua PROPORTIONS On The outer edge OF the board are
I've circles winch are brilliantly colored ana the trah
gle i'm the centre bue, rel and yellow Laeh co'i
each line mas its siguihcance its neanng ana Is NJ
SEYMOUR stands on the platform in front OF the board
,i,r slowly M first then faster AMI iaster as the lesson
i ted until the coiors ~ first distinct become
bo,lcd ia, o.o--and this 700. has its meaning Beside
the revolving board is smaller stationary baoHDoarl
ON which tie teacher makes various pictures hnDoc'
SYMBOLS aud letters OF the alphabet ~ brightly Color"
chaks with the aid If these two surfaces Wlch 10 'lc
urini;ilicd appear like curious pu7ze, various pc
turos or home lessons" are eivcn' rs wei ~ e bio
c lessons and w,n such interest Tat II seems imos'
ne that they viii ever be forgotten by those who see
them.
Mrs. scvmours system includes colors, mum
hers. svrphols persons and animals IN c"ior-'
rcd means love- blue, truth; yellow, goodness
that al coors come from these three primary 'o'oS'
and mixed M proper proportions make WINE meaning
purity Hence. love- truth and goodness make tA' pure
and perfect character In numbers, twelve means yer
f.ct,oo three unity. n symbols. n hand means
.i,ar: a Triangle the trinity OF persons, the picture
NJ king means royalty 81 hc.-lI poverty I'D "u'-s
limb means innocence an OK patience, etc soma
times single word is written TO carry out sentence
sonnet ucs q s!iSie letter.
The auditorium. when Mrs Seymour IL giving csso"
in botany on what Size calls festival oyenng-i"A'''
souc evening during the week when she has called heF
scholars together TO Give them lesson Illustrated ny
flower or iwcrs-prcscuts scene IKE ihis; Sne stlnu,
souetune DO the shape NJ q cup. apd ASKS. .-.,
children what Is This Ettle object 90" Fai' Oh
flower"
Wlai snail be- done with these seeds r. Ihcy must
be put The ground, 10 make otE5t ,, ~
-" From seven to fourteen days"
g Whaf are ,hcso mn, blades Ike grass I" poutng
o., ,'c or thrre slu shrlf shlpcl objects -" Leaves
nom me seed then the stalk then the bud ana
!" Yes. Now shut your eyes" Ohe children close
their eyes 10 resi- them. aud meanwhile MI. seymour
rapidly draws the picture 81 l'an, m ,I,t 40
Won see - I.ayes. Items. hower.."
What Is the name OF this plant - The max aul
o." What made the seed grow -" The sunshine a"d
Whai color is the flower -" deep beautiful blue
'Wai n1 plant besides the parts already namcdi
- he roots. which feed the plant with water
what do the roots resemble -" Little sponge-'
which suck MP he water" ,.
Without following This lesson detail II may be men
ii med that the children were informed Of The Naou.
uses 10 which the nX plant l. put win the hn ol ,no
two blackboards how the FAX Is cured nov Tue INSIDE
OF the dark outer SKIN called lint or linen is spun
into thread from which gaimcnss an o n fr
cattle, powder Tor nvaIds, or oil c aicu , ,
pnaraon- OF Eypt used n Tor various rurIosc-; thai
tn microscope proves that t" munmies were
n linen; That the curtains oi ne hhrr irh!, %, -
salem were Of white linen. Further mt lLtIc are
ninety kinds u p.an; the hhest o "hioh grows ~
isc conclusion of this lesson OF which only The ext is
hcrc given, three vclstS were written ON Tue
/ IA B. ai
/ mont substance" being INA" '"4
rou-ider beauty while lie wd-te- none Of His material
surh a r-.n be- suitable only for thc larger pupils.
The ffIc ones under four ~ age, are taught l
another r00m where there ls a tcIiaccl hA'"l".tu w.
which Is forty Inches hi-n, very Wide aud mas u'c
shelves or terraces eight inches WIDE 10 "hich ere ''u-
gtudma grooves for the support 81 obltc's 9l1 'h",
acrer- cnt from paper and wood. and Deuutully col
ord These scenes formed out OF bou7c-, tier-'
character and animals aud Wcl they changed INC
ic once close their - To- open ihcm on iuitLcr de-
! vropIucut OF q story.
II j. charming watch the progress % the pIrtY mar
rafiX. OF Hans Egrdc the mis- ouarN who went 7" Lap
iau1 from Norway In few moments. by The scenes on
Inc terrace the blackboard, tho climate" the style 81
living ana habi- OF the people ae shown Ia oonhcc
| ton with hlt Oi history. .
Two acas are combined IN this unique - stem 10 as
Uugush 10 rom other methods ~ cctcdcliug: itn
II rnptiyacs thc attention Of child ana second nus
r,rs facts hv the OF objects Beyond these tWo
lrns many others suggcsch, such ~ love OF pic
turcs clcVeresa Of design and beauty or colorng e"
of which mean culture and getting nj facts without ht
dulnrss OF routine The closing feature OF MIS-. rcy
ms's IN struction for the day evening y e prten
taiion 10 each pup OF a small sheet Of white co0rcC
uapcr conv ucut carry, winch j. representation
OF the lesson Oi the hour, remembrance or souvenir
| which Is gerry claimed.