River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-28


carried out as heretofore published.
L. s. HISTORY IN sCHoOL-THE OBJECT
OF THE STUDY.
ByM. o. Nelson, New Richmond, Wis
If we would teach intelligently any
study we should always keep in mind
the object to be attained by that study.
If the study is for the development of
the reasoning powers or of the mem
DRY, too much aid in the one or a
slackness in the other will defeat our
end. If the study is purely for in
formation we must distinguish be-
tween valuable and worthless inform
alton. The road to complete
education is long enough without
strolling through bypaths.
What is the object OF the study of
United States History Is it because
it is in the course and must be taken!
Many a school boy and his teacher
have studied it and never gone beyond
this. They have studied or taught
it with this idea until the story
of our country's life, that should have
thrilled and ennobled them, has been
made drag, dull, monotonous grind,
while the tracing of Gods fingers
between the lines is thing never
seen nor dreamed of. The teacher
who takes up history as a dead thing
of the past, as cold array of facts to
be memorized, or as anything but the
live record of living nation of which
we are a part does injustice TO the
study, himself and his pupil.
United States history is not primari-
ly designed for memory drill, nor is it
simply compilation of useful and
valuable information; it is guide
book, without a thorough knowledge
of the spirit and letter of which no
scholar can become an Intelligent
citizen. 1t has the advantage of
foreign and ancient histories-it has
nothing of the mist of ages about it.
It has the print of living hands upon
it, and those the hands of our own
people.
From the beginning of this study
the teacher should try to make the
pupil feel that this is something in
which he is personally interested.
That his enjoyment depends largely
upon the deeds done by those who
made our history is evident. History
was made live thing to me by hear
ing, when a child, stories of the war
from neighbors and relatives. The
Revolution and early French Wars
were mine too, for my great-grand
parents had carried muskets in them.
Your history class will be an UNI
common one if some pupils parent or
uncle has not acted the part of a
solder in making the history. This
cannot fail to awaken an interest, and
once awakened it is not likely to flag
if the class is properly conducted.
The method of teaching must be
varied to suit the age of the scholar;
the story of history for children; the
philosophy of history for men; a
blending of both for the average COM
mon school scholar. The common
school histories frequently succeed in
giving the dry facts without the story
as relish, and fail as we'll in giving
the whole substance of cause and eff
feet. History thus becomes a mass
OF dry, disconnected facts and dates,
any one of which is equal in impor-
lance to any other one, and being
omitted is but one fact less.
It lies with the teacher to show
that history is a closely wrought
chain of causes and effects, develop
ment of ideas and principles worked
out in the home, in the cabinet or on
the battlefield. He should be able to
note the vital points of our history,
to trace the ideas that have given
shape to our nation, to discern be-
tween a war for principle and one for
,,I4nAn,. n Gtat nCn1un and a
politician, between facts and fiction.
TIE CLASS EXERCISE.
The plan of class work in history
that we have found the most success
full is a modification of the topical
method. To prevent desultory work
and Sinking of work a textbook is
used and regular lessons assigned up
on which all the pupils are required
to be prepared. The textbook used
may be any common school history of
the grade of Barnes Brief History.
The work in such book should be
taken in not less than two terms.
This will give about four pages per
day as advanced work, which may be
covered by topics given by two mem
bers of the class. These topics may
each include more than one head. The |
two may, if thought desirable, include
the whole ground of the advance les |
son. 1t seems better, however, to
give this special attention to the most |
important topics only, leaving the re-
mainder undeveloped farther than the
textbook treats it. The time of the
recitation may be equally divided be-
tween the two topics and the general
class recitation. The class should be
required to take notes on the topics.
PREPARATION OF THE TOPIC.
The adoption of this method neces- |
states reference books for school use.
At least one history more extended
than the textbook will be found neces-
sary, and no school is too poor to afford
this. Different school textbooks can
be collected and will prove amaterial
aid. The more suitable histories the
school has the better. 1t will be found
necessary at the beginning of the
study, and perhaps throughout the en-
tire course, for the teacher to make out
list of references to each topic in the
available histories. This saves ram
bling on the part of the scholar, habit
to be guarded against in the use of
reference books. 1t also gives no lat |
itude on the part of lazy pupil that
he was unable to find any points on his
lesson. In the preparation of the top
ic the judgment of the pupil is called
into use in selecting vital points and
rejecting unimportant ones.
FERMENTATION OF THE TOPIC.
The topic may be written entire
and read, or better given orally,
with or without notes. A habit of
thinking and speaking on ones feet is
thus acquired in the easiest manner
possible. The value of the habit can
hardly be overestimated. The topic,
if having any reference to geography
at all, should never be presented with
out map. If maps are not at hand a
few chalk marks will suffice, and as no