The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-30
ASSOCIATION AOJ0URNs.
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OOVOt0 uIOU nv " OushOs
CONTINUED from Fifth Page)
never reach out and grasp progressive
things. He was opposed to the. pro-
posed summer schools. The teachers
during their vacations, should be In tne
mountains, prying around into nature $
secrets, building up supply OF health
and strength TO help them In the work
OF the coming year. He was opposed
to coping them up in a summer school
when they should be resting Nature
study can be made a union of work and
play. The providing of suitable litera-
ture is small thing in comparison
with the work of getting the teachers
together to take up the study of these
things and the procuring the use Of
laboratory paraphernalia with which TO
carry it on.
In teaching nature study regard must
be had for the child's growing organ
ism. 1t must be remembered that the
child is growing and uniformed. The
training of teachers for leaders in the
work and the enlisting of the aid of
those in the field are necessary, and the
five normal schools of California should
take up the work.
THE USE OF MINERALS.
1.-THE Use of Minerals in Nature
Study" was the theme of Superintend-
ent Edward Hyatt of Riverside County.
The teachers of his county. he said,
three years ago joined in a plan for
teaching nature study. They realized
ha 70 f hot bx 20, Qftlmnf
teach the subject it might become ink
some to the children, when, if properly
presented, it becomes a positive delight.
None of us have a full knowledge OF
botany, zoology, geology and miner
alogy, and if we had it would be I'M
possible in the few stolen moments be-
tween recitations to impart that knowi-
edge to the pupils. But the teacher and
pupil can both begin at the beginning
and take up a definite line of study,
taking one branch at a time. The
county board of his county announced
that it would furnish teachers with
weekly course Of study in minerals
which was the branch selected for the
first year. The teachers were requested
to procure few specimens of minerals.
either by collection or purchase, ana
soon all were supplied with about
twenty varieties. 1t was the beginning
of delightful experience to the chill
dren. The subject was a new one TO
them and opened up a new world 10
them. Bits of valuable knowledge
were easily absorbed without a realiza-
ton of the fact that it was study. The
practical sight and handling of the
knowledge that they are proud of. Even
the subject of cleavage of minerals
which one would think was dry, is most
interesting and gives the children much
pleasure.
His recital of things that the chill
dren had found out in this line was
most interesting. 1t could be imagined
he said, when interest of the children
was once aroused, the effect it had on
the county, when 1900 or 1900 pairs
of curious eyes were prying into all
the woods and canyons to see what
they could find. His Office contained
one of the most complete cabinets OF
minerals to be found; the children
many of them, have become expert
,i1ineralogists. and the teachers nave
found it hard to keep ahead and De
able to gain enough knowledge to pc
able to identify the specimens brought
to them The bent of many children
minds has been turned to mineralogy,
and they will never want for mental
occupation Many minerals and precious
stones not known to exist in the county
before have been discovered
THE EARTH'S SURFACE
Not
Study" was the paper read by DR.. H
w. Fairbanks of Berkeley.
In the old Biographies, he said, the
idea taught was that the earth was
a finished, completed thing. The new
geography, he said, has begun to teach,
on the contrary, that the planet on
which we live is going through a pro-
cess of continual changes and is not
a dead object. Stripped of it's shell,
it contains the hard, solid mass of
rock, superimposed by soil and vege-
tation. Upon this rock the forces of
nature are at work, silently in the
main, and by slow processes. The
mountain ranges, by the erosion of the
elements, are being gradually fiattened
down. The frost and snow disin-
tegrates them; rains carry off the de-
tritus and cut deep canyons. The de-
bris is carried to lower levels and form
low hills and plains. All these pro-
cesses are duplicated in miniature, even
in the valleys, by the transforms.
Lakes are formed, river channels are
cut, shoals and islands are formed, and
any teacher can, after a heavy rain
storm, show to the children the eff
fects of it and the processes nature
is going through on a much larger
scale. San Francisco Bay, a few thou
sand years ago, was not a bay, but a