Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-25

WI = iiNN hiN hAhANllNu III M NfNN
er this year, something never before ac-
complished, we believe. They were do
ing some sums ON their states.
Their teacher said. 'if there are 236
marbles III one box, 42S in another, 3SS
in a third; how many il allF' In less
than half a minute by the watch half a
dozen hands were waved aloft and the
answer given, 1902. A sum in sub
traction was given, the names of familiar
persons being used instead of the stere-
otyped Jones and Smith. MIR. Miller
has 8, l65 bushels of potatoes and Peycke
Bros. buy 4,265 bushels, how many bush
els has Mr.. Miller leftl' The work was
performed Immediately and proved by
addition. Several little boys and girls
brought up their states to show how neat
" they had done their work. They then
gave definitions of addition and sub
traction and told what the commission
business is. Miss McCheane has four
rows of seats in her room which indi-
cate four orders of merit, the
first row being the most hon
orable, and aristocratic in its bearing to
the other rows. They are all ''bees in
the beehive" with q ''queen-bee,' and
tnc DusN uttS nave tllclT ltlicS vi tilt
blackboard. Here also are the names of
the little raindrops," or scholars who
come whether it storms or not. In the
dreadful rain and hail of last Tuesday
morning. there were thirty little rain
drops.
II OURTH GRADE.
Miss j. Wilson has a room in the base
ment, where are seated f~orty-six scholars
of the A and b classes of the fourth
grade. She had a class spelling words of
the same sound, spelled differently, and
there were frequent changes of position
made by the unlucky one who
missed. A smart-looking little Ger
man girl was at the head of
the class and kept her place
through the recitation. The tow-heads at
they usually do in that position. This
room having finished the third reader,
the board of education has loaned copies
of the Webster Franklin advanced third
reader for supplementary work. The
study of geography is commenced in this
grade, twenty-five pages being taken i'll
the first of the Eclectic series by Van An
twerp, Bragg q Co., Cincinnati.
Miss Stull has the b and G classes of
this grade, fo%rty-nine pupils.
They were reviewing for
the examinations which begin
next Monday, and we were given an op-
portunity to see the modern method of
teaching geography. On the wall hung
a large outline map of the United States,
without any printed names of localities,
all the cities being indicated by stars.
With a pointer one of the scholars would
indicate all the rivers in Illinois, for in
stance, or the towns, or the principal
places in Michigan. Being questioned
about Nebraska, they showed a very in
telligent appreciation of their wi state.
Miss Stull gives them a breath
ing exercise for invigorating them
after study, in which they rise
on their toes and inhale, holding their
hands in different positions on the wrist
and retaining the breath for a considera-
BILE interval. This very healthy exercise
is pursued in many of the lower grades.
II FIFTH GRADE.
Miss M. Wilson has the A class of the
fifth grade, about fifty scholars. She had
Just read to them a short description of
carrier pigeons, and they were writing on
their states from memory what they had
heard. Some gave a very full reproduc-
ton of the matter, others caught only at
the main ideas. Two or three wrote
enough to cover two sides Of their states,
but nearly all were without proper
punctuation and capitalization. They
study arithmetic us far as compound
numbers in this room, the geography OF
the United States, Canada and Mexico.
and read one-half of the fourth reader.
Miss Morse has about fifty scholars
who, when we entered, were doing some
blackboard work in the reduction of de.
nominate numbers, such as reducing
80, 567 inches to higher denominations,
As a test of rapid work, Miss Morse de-
sired the BEE man to give out some table
to be written on states while she counted
ten. The table of square measure was
first taken. One young man had it al
neatly written out before his teacher had
counted six, and others followed rapidly,
the count occupying II minute. The
table of avoirdupois weight was done in &
third of a minute by some, and the writ
ing was neat, the lines straight and even
} Some physical exercises were then token
but the pupils at this age do not show
the interest or animation IL
this work that is displayed in the
lower grades. The vocal exercises
!, were better, "The Two Vagabonds," ant
that beautiful selection commencing
''The golden ripple on the WALL" wer,
well rendered in unison. Portals speech
, ''The Quality of Mercy" was given, ant
) Shakespeare and this CHARACTER dis
l cussed.
Miss Andrews has forty-iive in the
l class. On the board were three larg'
maps in colored chalk, two of North ant
South America drawn by the girls, an,
one immense map of the United State
by the boys. These were drawn by al
in turn, and in sections as the work pro
crossed. Completed, they are very per
feet in outline and finish. The.
were drilled on the maps, Mis-
Andrews pointing to various part
which were named without hesitation
, rather too %nervously and quickly, per
3 haps. All the places in South Americ;
with difficult names were pronounced
glibly, and when the straits of magellan
were struck they had something to say o
the early explorer who took three year
f and twenty-eight davs to make the voy
| age around the earth, which can now b,
/ accomplished in eighty days.