Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-30

rooms about 100 boys from the seventh,
eight and ninth Grammar grades. Dur
ing the first years work in the manual
training room much attention is given to
dawing. The material used in this grade
is thin and each model is drawn to seal
before it is made in wood The boy;
, learn the names of the wood in which
they work and of course learn to dis
tinguish the different kinds when seen
together separate We like to have
our boys learn where the different kinds
of wood grow and where the lumber CEN
ters of American are Omitted States es
peciallyb. To fix these facts thoroughly
in their minds maps are drawn and the
white wood. pine. oak. ash and walnut
sections marked. Much interest in wood;
and man drawing can be gotten in thi!;
way. The knife and rule are the tool;
used mostly in tina grade and mach care
has been taken to arrange thesmodelS in
+ the course to help the boy to understand
practical arithmetic, especially fractions
| The boys in the second year use nearly
all the common tools and work on stock
of three dimensions. Assuming that tn
| pupil has acquired Il clear idea of a draw
ing, that is from it he can find dimensions
of length breadth and thickness we give
him after a few lessons drawing tina |
has been made by other hands than his
and require him to state upon a piece of
paper what is required from the drawing
and in some instances require the cost OF
| the lumber at the regular price per ION 0
| feet. We find that this works well as it
| throws the boy on his own responsibility
from the beginning and gives him an OPP
portunity to actually perform IL practical
| problem. 1t is surprising to note how un-
prepared many of our boys are to do any
actual every day calculations. If any of
| YOU believe otherwise Just ask your class
to individually find how many board feet
in one floor board or take somethin !,
easier. give them Il yard stick marked in
I al hJ n rl
or foot on ii and ask them to measure the
width of your class room.
Having learned during the first year
much about the different kinds of wood
where they grow. etc. we In the secon i
year learn all we can about the wood: its
! formation, its contentric annual layers.
the age of the tree. the porollsness OF
wood. medullary rays. cleavage. pth.
shrinkagc. how to preserve it by oils.
paints. etc. During the third and last
year in addition TO the regular models
| which are made frDm working drawings
given them to wofk from. some time is
spent ain caring for the tools. the idea
being that the boys in the last year of
| their manual training course shall keep
the tools in good condition When We
| come to consider Abe large number Of
boys that finish fhcr schooling when
they finish their grammar school cours =
we have been led ITO take a slfttle time
away from the to0isNork and give short
experimental coarsein simple physics.
costs but little to d. it, Takes some time
to be sure but Ind boys Are always
ready to work extra time 10 construct
what simple apparttus is. necessary in
the performance 0f experiments and I
feel that when ! am teaching my boys
about matter. s0nf of its changes and
properties. force. cavity center of gray
ty. falling bodies, bendulums. lever, pull
ley. atmospheric pressure. magnetism.
FRACTIONAL and -curfent electricity. light
will help kindle in }hem lively observa-
ton to see that that is about them and