Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-05
EDUCATIONAL.
The Object of Teaching Geography Two
fold-Gaining knowledge and Ac-
QUESTION OF Power.
Subjects for Essays Exhibition Day
Promoting Teachers With
Their Glasses.
ELEMENTARY GEoGRAPHY.

per Feau DY oupI. y. T. 8Ieleney, SOM
eryilIe, Mass, before the Connecticut
State Teachers Association on the
subject of Geography teaching:
One of the fundamental principles of
teaching is that instruction must be
adapted to the capacity, or ability,
of the pupil; that is, the matter must
be within his comprehension, and the
methods must call into activity the
faculties that are capable of being ex-
ercised. Manifestly it would be wrong
to teach a child definitions Of things he
had never seen or could not imagine
and it would be equally unwise to at
tempt to make a child reason upon
subjects when the only powers deVel-
oped are the perceptive and conceptiye
faculties
Upon these principles are based the
true order OF studies, and upon the
same principles the subject Of gcogra-
ply must be divided into departments;
thus we have the primary, the inter
mediate, and the scientific courses.
The gaining Of facts and the devel-
opment Of the faculties must go on at
the same time. and must remain con-
stantly in the teachers mind as the
end Of his teaching.
Primary geography has to Go with
things that can be seen. 1t is 4 study
of nature. These elementary ideas of
the subject can only be learned by per-
ception, consequently the instruction
must be objective.
In most places the natural scenery
affords ample study of hills, mountains,
valleys, plains, ponds, rivers, forests,
villages, and possibly coast line and
the forms of water. Within this hori-
zon can be observed the vegetation,
metals, rocks. animals, occupations,
homes, customs, habits, &c.
Some of these forms may be in minia-
ture, but they answer the same pur-
pose. Fer instance, there may be no
river vet Il little stream or brook, at
any event the rainy day, furnishes the
eubiect which will serve as an illustra-
iion. At this point in the teaching the
imagination comes into play. The
gutter stream has all the characteristics
of the river, source, banks, dams, trib-
utaries, etc. The only difference is in
the dimensions which the imagination
can supply.
Thus the correct idea of all the ele-
mentary, geographical forms is learned.
The teacher should never tell the chill
dren what they can find out for them
selves. knowledge of things cannot
be impaired to little children in Ian
9uage clear enough 20 convey the
truth; it can only be learned by the ac-
ton of the senses, and we cannot be
sure a child knows simply because he
can give back in language what he has
received iii language. There may be
kind of traffic in words without definite
ideas. Ii the child can describe aceur-
ately in wsrds what he has learned by
sense perception, we may be sure he
knows The teacher must know what
the child knows, and must know what
the child's view is of a subject.
The purpose of such teaching is the
formation Of perfect concepts.
The pupil must see and do for him
self We must remember that
The child must be taught to observe
before reasoning.
Sense knowledge comes before thought
knowledge.
We must teach concrete things before
abstract
We must deduce general principles
from specific facts.
We must teach simple things before
the difficult; the near before the re-
mote.
We must teach unknown things from
related unknown.
The representatives. power must be eX-
ercised rs much as the preventative.
Reproduction in language or descrip-
ton is the most difficult form of repre-
sentation. The child must have the
vocabulary to represent the knowledge
and he must have the power of trans
lation. When 4 child tells me he knows
a thing but can't express it, l can APP
preciate his situation. A child may
know 4 cube or any form and not be
able to express it in languages; and, on
the other hand, when the teacher has
attempted to teach bvwords thatwhich
can only be learned by sense percep-
ton, the child may be able to express
it Gin words) and yet not know it.
A very important part of instruction
in elementary geographical forms is
the reproduction in some kind of ma
terial easy to handle-sand, for in
stance. The children should represent
on the molding table the forms they
have seen. or the forms they have pic
tured in their imagination-as, Il range
of mountains. This is the most i'm
portant use of the sand molding. They
should next represent these forms by
drawings upon paper and the black
board. The teacher can then correct
any erroneous ideas.
Reproduction in language, descrip-
ton, should also be required; simple at
first, always within the power of the
child and in his own language. After
the children have learned all that is
within their range of vision, pictures
should be used to teach new objects.
The teacher should have at hand a
good scrapbook, or chart illustrating
scenes in remote places, landscapes,
cities. industries, people. These pic
lures may be found in illustrated pa
pers in great abundance.
A great deal should be taught about
the world by means of pictures and
stories before textbook is depended
upon. These pictures will represent
certain features of the earth or phe-
nomena of nature, products, natural
resources, and occupations, customs,
races of men, without locating them.
This is not undesirable, because it con-
veys more ideas than the name of q
country can.
1t is important to have acabinet con-
tanning specimens of products leaves.
grains, soil, fruits. vegetables, plants
for clothing, wood, coal. minerals, per-
haps insects and stuffed birds: at least.
good pictures of birds and animals.
Have the children make a collection OF
n,anIIfa cturad articles to illustrate 90.