National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-21
PENCIL PRACTICE.
THE ANNUAL DRAWING EXHIBITION
In the Public Schools "A Big Collection at the
Franklin School-Prizes Auarded-The
Work Of the Pupils in the
Colored Schools.


the practical and common-sense method Accord
ing to this method it is more important for child
to know that the capital of State is not kind OF
an animal than to be able rattle off glibly the
capitals of every State in the Union with the rivers
upon which they are situated. The first implies
the exercise of the higher faculties but the latter
may be simply mechanical process which some
animals are capable of in common with man. The
object of
MODERN EDUCATION
is not only to enable children to know, but makes
them capable of using their knowledge Squeers,
the Yorkshire schOolmaster strikes the idea in his
explanation of his system of teaching to Nicholas
Niekleby. 1--WE go upon the practical mode of
teaching" exclaimed that sage, when informed
that the first boy in the philosophical class was
out cleaning the parlor windows; "c-l-e-a-n,
clean, verb active, to make bright, to scour; win
aUtp, der der, 1Ci1ader, a easement" When boy
knows this out of the book, he goes and does it.
While this practical conception of educa tional
methods has not yet entirely replaced the old meth
DDS where cram is king still every year issome
change from the old to the new. 1t was but few
years ago that drawing was introduced in the pub
lie schools; but now it is taught in every grade,
from the lowest to the highest, and has become as
much part of the course of study the three Rs.
The marks for excellence in this branch are
counted in when making up the standing of the
the same basis with the others. Yesterday the
public had an opportunity of seeing what had been
done in
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
during the past year through the exhibition of the
work of the scholars at Franklin Building.
Nearly every room in that large buildingwas filled
with these specimens, and the large number of
drawings exhibited would seem to indicate that it
was not thebest only that was shown to the public
10 6rav n no scholars
white schools of the District and the county
schools. The extent of the exhibition rendered it
impossible to make more than general examina-
ton. The drawings were arranged along the sides OF
the rooms, while in the desks were the copy and
drawing books. Besides the scholars had very
prettily decorated the rooms with flowers, and
their sweet perfume and fresh appearance bright
ened up the barrennesS of the schOol-rOoms The
drawings were SO arranged that those of the be-
ginnerS were in the rooms on the first floor and
the advanced classes in the upper stories. The
visitor, in going from one room to the other, had
practical demonstrations before him of the progress
made in this branch of study. In the first grade
are
THE LITTLE TOTS
who have to be taught how to hold the pencil before
they can begin to learn. All the work is done on
states and is confined to the first principles. Here
is slate belonging to little -year-old. There
tain tracing of childhood. Then the lines are
Joined together, making squares and other figures.
But the exercise must give the child some practi-
cal idea of what square is and enables him to
give an expression of the idea. He not only knows
square, but knows how to draw one. In the sec
ond grade the of States continues and there is
the same character of work, except that the
straightlines are put into more complicated shapes
and the pupils begin to draw curved lines. In the
third grade the use of drawing books is begun and
the pupil is taught to use pencil The scholars of
the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades show steady
improvement in their work. The figures drawn
are more or less complicated and afford practice in
making light and heavy lines. Then in the seventh
and eighth grades the scholars begin to
DRAW FROM OBJECTS
placed before them. Squares and pyramids and
other objects are drawn, not only with accuracy,
but neatness. A large number of specimens of
maps drawn from memory by pupils in this grade
were shown. Several maps of North America
showed very accurately the fluctuations of the
coast line, and preserved the proportions in way
creditable to both the accuracy of the hand and the
memory. In the ninth and tenth grades, which
comprised the pupils of the High School, original
designs were exhibited and scrofl-work of COM
plicated designs. The throng of visitors that
passed from one room to the other during the day,
examining the work on exhibition, paused in the
room where the members of the special class in
drawing, under the direction of theirteacher Mrs.
Fuller, were drawing
on TIE BLACKBOARD
objects presented to them. Most OF the pupils
although under the gaze of so many strangers,
drew with facility, and their work was watched
with great interest During the day General
Birney made interesting address on the utility
and advantages of teaching drawing in the public
schools. He was followed by Mr.. Joseph NJ. Wilson,
a trustee of the Industrial Homo School, whospoke
of the system of education employed in that school
THE PRIZES.
The committee, consisting of Lieutenant Hoxie
W. C. Dodge, and AdOlph Cluss. after examining
the work of the pupils on exhibition, awarded
prizes as follows: First classGold medals for best
drawing book, Ella Sheriff; Appleton P. Clark,
honorable mention. For best original design, APP
pleton p. Clark, and honorable MENTION Ida Mem.
Crawford. For best drawing on black board from
Mary McWilliams; honorable mention,
]. A. Maher. Second class-For best object draw
ing, William A. RoSenbaum honorable mention,
E. Smith this prize consists of course of lessons
OIL model and cast drawing. For best geometrical
drawing John Poole; honorable mention, H. Stew
art; prize set of drawing instruments For best
design, William Speiden; honorable men
ton, T. like; prize, parallel of historical
In one of the lower rooms
was eSflDleu the WORK OF the young ldQ1eS IN the
Normal School. This collection of drawings
showed in very favorable light the result of the
training afforded by the course in the public
schools. There were some very fine hand sketches
exhibited, while the drawings of flowers from ma
ture were particularly noticeable. The county
schools made very fine exhibition. III the draw
ings were in one room. and as they comprised the
work in all grades there was exhibited in small
compass the entire system of drawing taught in
the public schools In the entire building there
were about
EIGHT THOUSAND SPECIMENS
Of work done by the pupils, and the exhibition
was perhaps the most complete and satisfactory of
any that has yet been made. The room where the |
work of the pupils of the industrial school ex-
hbted presented a very attractive appearance |
and reminded one of an agricultural fair The |
method employed in this school, as described by |
Trustee Wilson, is the pedagogic-so called to dis
inguish it from that which is purely mental The |
samples exhibited show what the children can do |
they have lessons in
THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS
uch as shoemaking and gardening, and their les |
ions in reading and writing. Woodwork and |
cooking are taught, and then follow lessons in |
arithmetic. The room showed how efficiently this |
blending of the mental and manual education had |
,een carried on. There were specimens of bread |
ind cake made by the boys, tin boxes, miniature
garden, showing how the lessons in landscape
were put in practice, while in one cor
Ter were two or three boys hard st work making
hoes. There were also exhibited specimens of |
lrawing and of writing by the pupils. The floral
decorations of the room showed their TASTE while
he samples of sewing and cooking gave evidence
hat the practical part of their education has not
,een neglected. The room of the Industrial
Ichool is well worth a visit. Franklin School
building will be opened to visitors to-day from
light O. IN. to twelve m.
THE CoLORED SCHOOLS
At Sumner School the drawings and penman-
hip of the pupils of the colored schools were ex-
libited. There was large attendance of visitors,