River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-01-29

wasted to stuff saild's mind will
dry and unwholesome facts which
that mind cannot digest. 1t effect
the mind like an overdose and un
wholesome food effects the stomach
Instead of strengthening, in weakens
We are too liable in our intercOurs,
with children to forget that theiI
minds are not like ours, and that theN
do not see and understand things a,
we see and understand them. We try
to teach them as we would teach our
selves, which evidently cannot be sue
cessfully done, with young children al
least, on account of the difference be
! tween the preceptive faculties
| And right here the teacher must tax
his Ingenuity i'll guarding against
| this.
From the many subjects that may
be taught / will give few that il
my judgment are important enough
and simple enough for consideration
| Gravitation is good subject to begin
with. The class should look up the
definition for grayitation; then study
the important facts and laws in regard
to it, and lastly the law OF weight
Nearly every child above twelve
years old can remember these things.
Everybody should know that body
weighs most at the surface of the
earth; that below the surface the
weight decreases rs the distance to the
earth s center decreases; that above the
surface the weight decreases as the
square of the distance from the
earths center increases. This is
something that is both interesting and
practical.
Perhaps something may be taught
in regard to the pendulum. AT least
the general law, that shorter pendu-
lum vibrates more rapidly than a
longer one, is something that every
one should know. The pupils can
easily make experiments at home
without cost.
Some of the principles of machin-
cry may be advantageously consider
ed. Children need not be very old to
learn the general laws of the six sim
pie Machines lever, wheel and
axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge,
and screw. The three kinds of levers
wheel, and axle are especially worthy
of notice; both on account of their be-
ing in common use, and also that ev-
cry one can make experiments with
these and verify their laws,
A knowledge of the effect Of heat
and cold on bodies is something of
practical value to every one. Exper-
iments can easily be made, yet they
are scarcely necessary. A use of the
eyes is all that is called for here.
Atmospheric phenomena are very
interesting, though not SO easily ex-
perimented with. How is the atmos-
phere effected by heat and cold! How
is it possible that it can hold moisture
or water! Under what conditions
does it, and cam it hold the most
moisture! And bow and why is this
moisture fiually forced from among
its particles in the form of dew, midst
or rain. These. are questions that
should interest everybody, and they
are almost necessary adjuncts to any
persons knowledge.
Teach the schdol how snow is form
ed and hail. TeAch them what light
ming and thuDden is. Very ignorant
persons are Ofte& terrified at the APP
proach of thuuxBr storm, and, as al"
Sc are children. Bst teach them that
lightning is pridHi pally an interchange
in the clouds of tFo kinds of electricity,
and that thundBr is but the sound
produced 10y Mlis int -change, while
it is only very rare occurrence that
this electricity passes to the earth,
and farther. that men can subdue this
same force and use it most advantage
ously, and they will watch the light
nings flash with interest and wonder,
but without fear; and the loudest
crashing of the thunder will have no
more terrors for them than the
nurse s lullaby has terrors for the in
FAINT.
The nature of sound, light and heat
are interesting topics and should be
discussed.
But lastly, will say that we cannot
teach everything, and neither can the
school learn everything. And the
great aim of science teaching, as well
as of all teaching, is not to stuff the
child's mind with facts alone, but to
induce him to observe and think for
himself. To cultivate his preceptive
and reasoning faculties. And to
make him independent and noble.
B, GILMAN.