The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-07-13
TEACHING U. S. HISTORY.
G.. MONROE.

ihdl SiCot iCioi III hes '9NS"
place in teaching mathematics, dur
ing the last few years, is to every
teacher evident. The time ofruler
aud rules has given place 10 that Of
analysis and principle. The old way
was to learn'the method the new is
to know the "whys and wherefores, F"
with the shortest ways based on the
principles of numbers, for arriving at
the desired conclusions. The old
charge was tread carefully the rules"
the new keynote is, study the princi-
pie and the rules will take care of
themselves" The old method con-
sidered the memory stackyard into
which knowledge was to be dumped
mechanically; the new considers the
mind a something to be developed
into originality. The old was cram
ming the memory the new is de-
veloping the mind. The old was
memorizing and forgetting; the new
is understanding and cropping out
ahead.
So it is in teaching history. Mem
orizing,-that monstrous retarder,
that interest crushing theory, should
be driven from the methods of teach
ing history as it has been from math-
ematics. Though history is record
or interesting facts, enthusiastic
enough TO make the study one Of
the most interesting to pupils, yet
invariably it is most dreaded, and in
reality is "dryer" than any other
study in the schoolroom. And why
is it? Why not knowledge of our
country's discovery, its primeval
character, its aboriginal inhabitants,
its early sufferings, its gaping wounds
repeatedly torn open afresh, is life,
same as the eternal life of man, COM
ing through death-the death of its
noblest sons and fairest daughters
toge Their with a biographical knowl-
edge of its leading statesmen, show
ing by their lives and characters how
they improved the condition of their
country, the Nations progress in the
arts and sciences, inventions and
discoveries, and everything that has
improved the condition of the peo-
pie cause an interest in the class, a
taste for the study, and a. deeper at.
tachment for their country? Simply
because memorizing forms SO large a
part of the method of teaching it, or
in other words too much thorough
ness in minor or local matters.
What is time but continual same
ness measured by the repetition Of
seasons, and what is history but a
peoples or nations time measured
by the repetition of circumstances.
The majority of teachers are not
aware, or seem to forget that a great
deal of history is meant only TO be
read, or in other words that history
is full of local matter not 70 be men,
orized. While it may be all right for
our text books to deal thoroughly on
these minor matters, yet is all wrong
for teachers to lay such stress on
them as is common at present. What
we want is the leading events, con-
secutively, with their causes and re-
suits.
The war OF the Revolution is a lead
ing event and its causes and results
can be learned easily and with pleas
ure, but if we follow the common
method and require the pupils to
memorize and narrate with text book
exactness the names of its battles, its
generals, manuverings of the armies,
etc., etc., we make the study task,
and in great many cases blank.
SIN teaching history" says the Ger
man educator, Niemeyer, Gas the val
ue Of that science requires, we must
regard equally the memory, the un-
derstanding and the feelings" In
one sense of the word, how much do
we lack of having Ill, if we know of
the event, with its causes and results,
its linking with other events, etc.,
even though not knowing the name
Of a single general, nor the name and
date of single battle.