Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-31
BEANS DISSECTED.
Fourth Grade School Boys
as Essayists.
Composition Writing About
Boston Strawberries.
gotany from Nine-Y Year-0ld Stand
point.
Miss McDonaId's Expert Writers, Artists
aud Geographers-They Acquit sssz-
Themselves Creditably..

equally of boys and girls, is unoer the
care of Miss Mary Mcdonald. The boys,
several of them, may be seen on the
streets crying newspapers every day.
The two little boy violinists who are
often seen on the streets. are also among
the pupils in this GLASS; together with
one or two boys whose complexion is
trifie darker than thatqsually attributed
to Caucasians. These children are
bright, however, brighter, perhaps, than
children of the same grade in schools
situated elsewhere; and they love their
teacher, as was evidenced by every look
and gesture.
Composition writing was in order
when the school reporter called on the
class. The subject was Dick Whiting
ton and His Cat. The story had been
told them, and they were to write it as
they remembered it. The compositions
were mostly very we'll written, both as
to contents and penmanship. 1t was
amusing to notice the line of facts re-
membered by the different children,
though the stories all agreed in the
essential particulars. The children had
written long compositions, covering two
and three pages Of foolscap each, other
wise it would be interesting to publish
some of them.
When the time devoted to the compo-
sitions was up, the children were re-
heved after their long sitting by going
through the ten-minute calisthenic ex-
ercise for the session. Some OF the
IL ortI IaIIi a y W
graceful in the bending exercises, while
the benefit to be derived was evidenced
by the fact that one or two girls who
had not been in the class long went
through the exercises as though their
backs contained but one or two hinges,
and those badly in need of oiling.
The warning gong sounded for recess,
and in the interval before the second
gong struck the children sat at attention
and sang a lively sailor song with voices
that evidenced good and correct train
ing.
Now, all trooped out to play in orderly
lines, and while the yards resounded
with shouts and laughter, the reporter
looked over some of the drawing lessons
executed by the scholars.
There were two very excellent maps
on the board, among others not so good,
drawn by Master Willie Stewart and e..
Slicton. These two seemed to be par
ticularly apt at map drawing; their maps
being correct in outline and very faith
full in detail. In object drawing, the
most tasteful work was circular decor
ative design, consisting of a Mariposa
lily in various positions, with full
blown flower as a center piece and a
border of ivy leaves. This was drawn
and designed from nature by Master
Frank Mes, one of the smallest boys in
the room. Excellent ornamental draw
ing was also exhibited as the work OF
Gertie Mcdonald, Edward Moreno. and
May Stills.
An interesting part of this work was
that known as observation work. This
observation work embraces the various
departments of composition, writing,
drawing and botany, and is probably
one of the most useful studies IN the re-
quired work OF the grade. A recent les
son was given on the bean, and this is
the way it was given: The children
were told to take one or two beans,
choosing the kind themselves, and to
soak them in water or plant them in
moist earth for a few days, then to
bring them to school to study about.
At school the softened beans were dis
sected, the botanical names OF the va
rious parts given, and the children told
to draw picture of the bean and write
a composition bringing in the lessons
they had learned about it. Here are
few of the compositions:
E. Levy: "The bean is good to eat.
to plant, and it has other uses. The
bean that l have is called the lima
bean, and it has white coat. When
pulled the coat off it telt like
leather. The coat is the
skin which keeps all inside
of it from being hurt. The inside is
called the kernel. Inside the bean you
will find two cotyledons. On one
of the cotyledons you will find
baby plant, which is called
the embryo. The top of the embryo is
called the pumule. The bottom of the
embryo. that looks like the stem, is
called the radicle."
The above was accompanied by some
verv neat drawings of sprouting bean.
The next youngster had noted rather a
different line of facts.
Willie Conner: 'The baby plant in
the seed is called the embryo. The be-
ginning of growth of the embryo is
called termination. The embryo will
sleep for years without water or earth.
The cotyledons are the seed leaves.
They consist OF albumen. The albu-
men is good food. The radicle grows
down into the ground and the roots
sprout out. The first bud above the
cotyledons is called the plumule. The
plumule grows up and sprouts out
leaves"
F. Sainsevain was apparently i'm
pressed with the economical idea, for he
writes: ga bean is good to eat ard to
plant. By planting the beans we get
more beans, and then we do not have to
buy them at the store. The bean has a
coat and kernel. The baby plant that
is inside the bean is called the embryo.
The stem OF the embryo is called the
radicle. and at the end of the radicle the
roots come out. The coat is pinkish
color"
Another youngster, along with the
botanical terms, inserts the information
that he has beans every Sunday and
likes them. He evidently halls from
Boston.
Master jamie Locke boldly abandons
the beaten path of composition writing,
and, giving rein to his imagination, pens
the following: II pulled off the little
white and blue coat, which has little
veins like those of leaf When Ipulled
off the coat saw the kernel, which the
embryo feeds on. When the cotyledons
49, koo+o lilo ro VIZ ,,ntotpac