The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-10-12
Geography.

the art of its teaching, than that of geog-
raplly Arithmetic has received much
attention, and the method of teaching it
has been much improved, by the intro
duction of object teaching; the once dry
subject of grammar, has been made de-
light to both teacher and pupil, by the
introduction of language work; but geog-
raply, in most of our schools, is the
same dragging, uninteresting, unpracti-
cal study that it was in eye olden time"
There are enthusiasts in history, enthusi
asts in penmanship, enthusiasts i'll draw
ing, enthusiasts in reading; but the ell
thusiasts III geography are as rare as an
arcl1ists in Paradise. We often are led to
believe that we are accomplishing great
results, because our students can readily
answer map questions, or commit to
memory the printed text. But five con-
scientiously ask ourselves, ''What is the
practical value to the pupil of the aver
age lesson in geography" the answer
will rarely be satisfactory one, In the
teaching of geography, one looks almost
i'll vain for improvements, either i'll the
matter of text books, or in the mode of
presentation by the teacher. To be sure,
this can not be said of all teachers. There
are exceptions to all rules. In some
parts of our country, step i'll the right
direction has been taken, by the intro
duction of course of study in which the
subject of geography, like all others, has
been treated to a practical and systematic
outline, which has doubtless succeeded
in making the study more attractive to
the learner, but, owing to the lack of en-
thusias1l1 for the subject, among teach
ers i'll general, it may be doubted if any
practical good has resulted.
1t may safely be assumed that great
deal of valuable time has been wasted
in teaching the arbitrary boundaries Of
states and countries and in the memoir
izing of the names OF the capitals and
principal cities, overlooking the fact,
that these are simply works of art that
man has established for his own conven-
fence, and disregarding the great natural
advantages that have guided mans judg-
ment, in selecting some particular spot
upon which to build city, Or in adopt
ing some of natures lines as the bounda-
ry of his country. Too much time is de-
voted to the study of what is termed ''po-
1itical geography" regardless s'of the phys
ica1 characteristics of the earth's surface,
that have brought political organizations
and governments into existence. To be
more explicit: Geography is generally
presented to the pupil, wrong end first.
Physical geography is sadly neglected,
and in most of our schools, is placed in
higher course to which only few pupils
have access; or as is generally the case,
the subject is overlooked entirely. AL
though we feel certain that very few
teachers will agree with the statement, t
we shall say, by the way, that the physi- |
cal features of country should be taught |
early in the beginning of study of the
subject, and give as our reason, the argu- |
ment that has been before suggested, |
that upon the physical features of coun-
try, depends nearly all of the geography |
which is taught in our schools today. |
Had the Mississippi river flowed |
north into the Great Lakes, instead of
south, into the Gulf of Mexico, the his |
torian of today, would write a different
story. Had Greece been characterised |
by different physical environment, the
story of mans development from the |
savage to high state of civilization,
would be told in different manner, or
would, possibly, never have been told.
Place the Andes mountains on the other
side of South America, and we no longer
have need of the Amazon and instead of
its productive valley, we have a burning
Sahara. Put all the mountains of east
ern Africa on its northwestern coast and
the desolate Sahara is covered with tropi-
cal verdure. .,!, .s !tt.... ....-.-} .
d, The average child who has completed
the study Of geography, has the earth
,,ictured in his mind as the ordinary map
would show it: Kansas, bright pink;
Colorado, orange co1ored; Utah, of
rr6eh ISL GU, 4$OllA
ca is to him a comparatively small part
IF his map of the world, of triangular
shape. and rcddish-brown color, and
not vast country at the north, locked
n the eternal snow of the frigid zone, its
southern extremity bathed in the lmpid
waters of the tropics, while its middle
portion, as though to accommodate the
wants of enterprising humanity, has
pushed the two great oceans nearly three
thousand miles apart, He does not see
is great plain with an area of millions OF
niles, walled on the west by mighty
:hain of mountains; its northern extrem-
ty sloping off into the ice-aboundlng
Arctic; its southern portion drained into
| great gulf with its waters tossing and
olling and heaving under tropical sun;
while its height of land embraces the
rreatest chain of fTesh-water lakes on the
globe. He does not see the flowers and
ropical fruits giving way to the more