The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-04

mechanical drawing, which the pupil
takes with the constructive work, he
learns how to make and carry out the
ideas of a working drawing This he
has correctly lettered and dimensioned,
and it serves as his pattern.
..Freehand object drawing is one of
the most important branches of the
work, because it is capable of being
applied advantageously in so many
studies. The pupils take all kinds of
familiar objects for models, sometimes
in groups. Natural objects. such as
the many varieties of plant forms,
shells and small animals, are valuable
models because they awaken the
child's interest in nature and teach
him to see beauty and interest in COM
mon things. Plant forms are to be
found in considerable variety at nearly
every season of the year Leaves from
the different trees, wildflowers, berries,
fruits and grasses are all useful, and
the children in the crowded tenement
districts as rule know little or moth
ing about them. A visiting teacher
who found one day that the pupils in
her class had never seen a bee was
astonished, and took pains to bring
them one the next time she came. When
the pupils have advanced into the
higher grades figure sketching from the
living model is taught One of the
class is allowed TO pose for the others,
the poses being always simple. of
course, In order that nothing much be-
yond The pupils skill may be attempted.
This figure-sketching has sometimes
been ridiculed because the children
often produced drawings which were,
from an artistic point of view. very
poor. But that is not the way in which
the subject ought to be rewarded OF
course, the children are not accom-
plished artists. But by trying to draw
what they see before them they learn
far more about it than they ever would
| close observation. and they cannot fail
to gain some idea of how to express
by lines what they see
MODELLING IN CLAY.
There is a special course to train
the pupils perception of color and this
has been proved a very important part
of the work. The designing is also
made q strong feature. 1t develops
originality, and the children like it, In
fact they take very kindly to all the
manual training work The modelling
in clay is to be taught to all the classes
after the first year, and has been pro-
| ductive of excellent results. In the
early lessons the teacher has to be very
| particular to show the children the cor
rect methods of handling the clay
When this is properly mixed it should
be rather soft, yet not enough so as to
adhere to the fingers. The pupils learn
| to shape the form of a solid deftly
without unnecessary rolling or tapping,
and to trim and smooth off the surface
with the thumbs. 1t is more import ant
| that the modelling be done neatly and
| in workmanlike way than that the
form should be of geometric accuracy
and while a certain degree of finish is
desirable the main object is to produce
copy which embodies the general
salient features of the model In the
higher grades somewhat more attention
| may be given to absolute fidelity Of
reproduction. After each lesson is over
| most of the models made by the chill
dren are moistened, retempered and
swaged into brick form again. If kept
Well covered the bricks will remain
soft long time. Sometimes a few
of the best models are kept and care
fully dried as reward for the good
work shown in them.
All the subjects in the manual train
ing course are taught to both boys and
girls, with the exception that for the
latter cooking and sewing are substi-
tuted for the shop work and mechan-
ical drawing done by the boys Some
OF the subjects can be taught by the
regular class teachers, with only a lit
tie outside aid from specialists in the
various branches. We have a body of
Instructors belonging to this depart
ment who travel about among all the
schools, helping the class teachers by
suggestions, and keeping a general SUI
pervision of the w0fk They cannot
get around to each school every day
sometimes not oftener than once in a
week or so-and they are very hard
worked at that. Then, for some Of the
subjects, such as the carpenter work
and the cooking, we have special teach
ers, who give all the instruction in
those lines. They go to the different
schools at certain hours and take
charge of the classes.
Manual training in the public schools
has been growing in favor rapidly
throughout the country since we. as
the first city, started our system ten
Years ago. Now there are ninety-nine
cities in the United States which pub
lished reports of their work in the las,
year. New York Tribune.