The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-23
Teachers Department.
How to Teach History.

sSchools.]
Tn, study Of history proper belongs
really to the grammar or high school,
and has no place in the primary depart
ment. Still there is much preliminary
work that may and should be done be-
fore the pupil is prepared to appreciate
and enter upon this most fascinating Of
all studies. ''The active Imagination Of
the child is shown in his ardent love for
stories, and may be developed into q still
greater love for history. Every teacher
should cultivate the art Of telling stories
we'll" in simple language. suitable to the
comprehension Of children. "Short,
carefully selected, and well-told stories
make a good beginning for the clemcn-
tary study Of history" After the story
IS told the children should be closely
questioned to sec if it is coinprehended,
and then encouraged to tell it in their
own words, thus ut the same time giving
them 4 good exercise in language.
Which one Of US cannot recall, the de-
4AlSuS IL Y dilOI uCo ~ AK lCo
of Pocahontas and Capt. Smith. George
Washington and the Ratchet, the British
general and the Boston boys, and mum
berless others which We placed even
above Cinderella and Red Riding Hood,
because VIC were assured they were
".'true, true Stories"
History and geography are so closely
connected that it is almost impossible 10
separate them. Indeed, the structure
and situation of a country determine, to
agreat extent its history. The map of
the place should therefore always accom-
Pany the history lesson, and no attempt
be made to teach a fact in history with
out ''the stage, upon which the scenes
were enacted being clearly fixed in the
Z mind"
It is superfuous here to speak Of the
important place which the history of
South Carolina occupies in the history
of America. We all know that no State
in the Union, with the exception Of
Massachusetts,. and possibly Virginia.
has exercised such an influence in de-
termining the fortunes Of our country.
How important, then, it is that South
Carolina children should be taught at
least some Of the most prominent Of
these facts, and not be allowed to say in
after years, as I, myself, have often
heard, they do not know these things,
because they were never required to
study them at school. l am aware that
the objection is often raised that We
have no suitable textbook for teaching
children u history. Parker says that
history cannot be we'll taught from one
book. If we must have a thing and
cannot get the best, then the only thing
we can do under the circumstances is to
take the best we can get. Davidson.s
History of South Carolina has been
adopted and recommended for our use.
and though the facts and outlines it
gives are very meagre, they are, / be-
lleve, IN the main. correct. DR.. Ram
scy's and Gilmore Simrns', while enter
tanning and generally considered anthem
tic. stop at very important points and
are, as they stand, entirely unsuitable
for school-room use. But surely we
have enough love for, and pride in, our
State to make an effort to cultivate the
same sentiments in the minds and hearts
~ those committed to u care: and
surely we have sufficient ingenuity and
originality to modify and make fit for
our own use such books as are within
our reach. No textbook is good in the
hands of a poor teacher, while a seem.
ingly worthless one can sometimes be
used to advantage by a careful teacher
who knows how to use, not abuse, it.
A well known author says "the kind
OF information which, in our schools.
usurps the name history, the mere ~tissure
OF names and dates and dead, unmean-
ing events-has q conventional va,ua
only ; it has not the remotest hearing
upon any Of our actions, and is of use
only any the avoidance of those un-
pleasant criticisms which current opin.
ION passes upon it's absence" 10 pre-
vent in o certain measure such a result
as this, the topics of a lesson should be
carefully chosen; causes and conse-
lquences of certain actions particularly
noticed n less attention paid to unim
:portAnt details. 1t is almost impossible 10
teach the detached history OF any conn