The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-03
PROVIDENCE, r. |. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1892
TEACHERS IN SESSION.
To-day's Meeting Of the Rhode
Island Institute.
THE TEACHERS WERE TAUGHT.

the MOrninS sessioh.
Teachers from all parts OF the Sta te
gathered ia Music Hall to-day to attend
the ope ling session OF the forty-eighth
annual meeting of the ERODE ISLAND In
stitute of Instruction. President George
+. Weston presided. Preceding the morn
ing session an organ recital was given by
Prof Charles L. Kenyon. The exercises
were commenced with music by the pu-
pills of the State Normal School, under
direction of Prof. Hood, and readings
from the Scriptures and prayer by the
Rev. William n. Ackley.
President Weston said that it was ap
propriate for the one who SO successfully
closed the last Institute To say few
words at the opening Of the Forty eighth
Institute, and introduced the ex-presl-
dent, the Rev. Mr.. Ackley, who made a
brief address.
Gilman c. Fisher, superintendent of
the Pawtucket public schools, was intro
duced and his subject, The Essentials OF
Geography" given. Mr. Fisher said: IF
you are teaching geography out of the
textbook. you must stop IL. Think you
must use the moulding-table in every
grade. You need IL TO teach elevation as
well as longitudinal extension, to teach
the slopes and dips in the surface of the
country. Teach that every continent and
island is embraced In river basins down
to the subdivisions that may I've covered
with the palm OF the hand For mould
ing there is nothing better than sand
For "A permanent map paper pulp may be
used. The pulp may be made by soaking
old newspapers in water. The pulp can
be moulded into any shape and it will
harden.
Maps are drawn better in history
than in geography. Don't feel bound to
elaborate when drawing maps. Pupils
will be a minute or whole forenoon in
drawing a map, just as you would have
them. Teach cause and effect / will
take the Gulf Stream as an example. The
stream is the cause of the growth OF
cities. the location of the most thickly
populated b Its on the earth and its effect
may be seen in small things as well as in
great things Productions naturally
come under this head as do exports"
The lecture was illustrated by means
of maps aud sketches on n black board,
and the corn belt, the cotton belt and
other productive belts and the cause of
their location WAS shown by aid OF these
methode of illustration.
Mr. Fisher said that the work of teach
ing geography should not be thought un-
important but should be held up before
the pupils He told how the subject was
DelDR UhugDt III tue IdNluCktL SCnOOlS
and said that in studying about the diff
ferent countries pictures were drawn of
those things peculiar to the different
countries. lie advised teachers to look
into this method OF teaching geography
After few minutes internission
Lewis II. Meader, principal OF tue Acad-
envy Avenue Grammar Schto, was in
troduced. His subject was Map Work
as an Aid TO history Teaching"
and he said: 'The teaching of
history can be greatly aided by a
more general use of maps. The settle
ments of the English and French in
America may best be shown by maps, and
of the colonies. The early develop
ment of America may be shown
by the map as we'll as he text
book. One can get better III, IA Of the
Revolutionary war by following on maps
the campaigns OF the different
generals. The war of the Rebellion,
shermSns nan p,,,1a marcG n Gs,tv.h,e to ,he Sea
best be shown by maps. The peaceful
and commercial side of our history may
be shown in this way. The Erie Canal
is an interesting matter in our develop
ment, and a clearer conception of its
early Importance may be obtained by n
use of the map. SO all through our his
tory the mapl a necessary adjunct TO the
text book"
Mr.. Meader's address was illustrated
with maps and frequent reference was
made to them.
]. Milton Hall, principal OF the Doyle
Avenue Grammar School, spoke on The
Federal Constitution " as follows: I" 1t
seems to me that the teachers Of Amer
| lea have n great duty in AmericaniZing
| the pupils who are sons and daughters of
| foreigners and teaching them patriotism.
One way TO do this is to teach them the
constitution Of the United States. "A
| constitution is n written agreement. The
| United States constitution Is an agree
ment between the legislatures OF the
States that Congress, the resident ana
| the courts shall have the legislative, eX-
ecutive aud judicial authority for the
| whole country.
1t seems TO me that the causes, dura-
| ton and result of a war is all that can be
rem embered by a pupil. Ii history is
| whitfield down 10 tins then there Will be
time Tor n constitutional history. By all
means elevate the constitution.
BY it's study we find that the govern
ment has three departments, legislative,
executive and judicial. The pupil should
read the constitution and talk about 1t. y
Mr.. Hall rea an abstract of the Fed
etal Constitution, containing all OF its
| provisions, which is used by the pupils OF
the Doyle avenue grammar school.
1
| Grammar School Graduate BE Expected
| TO Know on the Subject 5' was the sub
| ject of Levi w. Russell, principal of the
| Bridgham street grammar school. Mr.
| Russell spoke as follows: 81 look upon
language as a growth. Lucky is the
boy or girl that finds the proper use oi
language at home. The home, street
| society, church, theater and lastly but
not least. the school, are the feeding
grounds for the growth OF language
| Technical grammar is the central stem
| of study of language Formerly, tech
nical grammar was not properly applied,
| but now il is different i think thai
| there is not enough of technical grammar
| in the upper grades Of the schools. Ora
| expression ~ the main branch of thi,
central stem. / think that every bo,
should make speech every day. W.
| should make great deal of this ora
speaking" In concluding Mr.. Russell
| spoke Of written language.
Hints in correcting and marking writ
ten exercises were given by Supt. Franz
| q. Draper OF Lincoln Public schools, j
X. Leslie OF Newport; .. X Cook of War
ren.
CONTINUED on PAGE g.
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