Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-02-09
How to teach intermediate Geography

County Teachers Meeting held at Muscoda,
Jan. q, 1885.
In beginning Geography strive to
make the pupil familiar with the local
geography of the place where they live.
First lay some kind of basis for con-
ception by calling attention to whatever
natural features of land and water are
within the limited field of the pupils
observation, such as a hill, mountain,
valley, plain, brook, river, lake, etc.
The main object in teaching geography
is to have facts known, because those
facts, however learned, have value of
their own. We do not want to teach
geography so that scholars may be able
to give few names of places and point
them out on the map, as that is the
easiest of lessons, and what is more to
the purpose, makes great show when
it is learned. Such information may
also have been impaired to the pupil
without any exertion on the educating
power of the teacher. Still we had
better teach this subject wrongly than
not at all, for even information as to
the position of places on the globe is use
full to everybody.
With the younger pupils, that is those
who have not attained sufficient infor-
nation to take up the book, we should
begin with oral lessons on familiar OBJ
iects, as, first, the physical features of
land, then the composition of land,
vegetation, animals, occupations of men
etc. Since all classes of geographical
facts can be represented on maps, and
since one map may record the results
reached by many explorers and investi-
gators, it follows that the study of the
map must occupy chief place in geog-
raphicaI teaching. Let beginners draw
first map of the school room, then the
school house and grounds. Then as
they advance, let them draw the map
of the town in which they live, then
perhaps the general outline of the coun-
ty, and lastly the state. Finally after
getting the idea of what map means
fixed in their minds, take an outline
map and teach the way in which high
lands and lowlands are represented, the
different bodies of water, direction, dis
lance etc.
In drawing map of the school room
and grounds, let the pupils help as much
as possible, and in fact, in all work en-
courage pupils to converse and tell
what they know so that we may be bet
ter able to instruct them. Next give
oral lessons with the globe, teaching the
shape of the earth, direction upon it,
and its motions. If not provided with
a globe, take an apple and as each
succeeding subject is spoken of, illus
trate the same with the apple, Tell
them which motion causes day and
night and which the change of seasons.
Then placing a pencil through the cen
ire of the apple and moving the whole
around some object which represents
the sun and at the same time turning
the apple on the pencil, we may easily
illustrate and fix in their minds, both
motions and their effects.
After taking up this work in connec-
ton with a limited number of definitions,
they are then ready to begin the book
| work. In the use of the text books, let
| the advance lesson be read aloud in
class, and then direct the pupils to mark
with pencil, few leading points to be
committed to memory, to be recited at
the next lesson. Supplement these
lessons by short oral descriptions of
some of the places mentioned, or by
| some interesting facts connected with
them, so that they may be remembered
by the aid of association. Train them
in detail on the geography of our own
state; then in a more general way on
our immediate section of the state; and
| finally on a few main points on the
United States as a whole. Do not at
| tempt to overload their memories with
the local geography of all the states, as
given in most text books, but principal
| ly take our own state. Let us not eX-
pect our pupils to know more of a les
son than we can remember without re-
fcrring to the text book, for if we forget
de tails, it is sure sign that our pupils
will, and therefore it is best not to re-
quire such details to be learned at all.
Having once fixed on the main out
lines to be learned, take frequent reviews
of them, in order to fix them firmly in
the memory. 1t will be q pleasant
variation from routine work to let your
pupils write compositions about the
countries and different places of interest
IN their lessons; also stimulate and
amuse them by showing pictures from
Illustrated magazines or papers of
beautiful or grand scenery, or of great
natural curiosities. and read any short
vivid description Of them by travellers,
We, therefore, see that even in the low
Ell departments the claims of the know
ledge of geography ought to be distinct
ly recognized and that they are best
recognized by planning out regular
series, conversational and pictorial les
sons on useful and interesting facts.