The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-19
STUDY OF THE TRADES.
Work OF the wheeIwright Consid-
cred by Miss Backus' Class.

cred by Miss Backus' Glass.
A very interesting meeting of the
class in Froebel's Mother Play took
place yesterday at the Philbrick Kin
dergarter. The first study of the
trades was begun With the play of the
Wheelwright. No.XNXvII of the series.
Before beginning the usual analysis OF
the picture MISS Baekus' said she would
follow Sthes example of we'll known
Kindergarten and ask the class to
answer the question contained in the
first two lines of the motto,
Why will a child desert his play
The craftsrnan's work to see?"
1t cannot be denied, Miss Backus said,
that a child win at any time lay aside
his playthings and forget his games to
watch an older person at work Why
is this? 1t was suggested that the Sc
cret lay in the instinct OF imitation
which the previous classes have shown
to be so strong in the young. This is
one very excellent. reason, Miss Backus
admitted but she argued the existence
of principle even stronger. BY those
who have made a study of animal life,
she said, it is observed that the baby
hood OF all animals is a preparation
for their future state of existence, and
that their games, animal-plays, are
lnstinctiVely those that will best fit
them for the circumstances of their
mature hours. The kittens play, for
instance, is running, jumping, catching
and its delight in chasing the escaping
ball is mimic anticipation of its
mouse catching age. So with the
child When he sees man at work,
f,.aaxr how .rY h e,.t. IL,
stinct that suggests to him the value
of the artificer's skill and, mirrors,
however dimly, his own future?
This is the idea expressed by the
motto:
why will a child desert his play,
The craftsman's work to see?
Something within him, latent still,
Stirs at each stroke of strength or skill,
whispering, Work waits for mel I"
This introduction was followed by The
study of the picture, which represented
the various uses of the wheel. The
most striking division was that which
showed the wheelwright at work in his
shop, boring the hole in the hub OF the
nearly completed wheel About him lie
the implements of his work and vari-
Gus sections of the wheel. In the back
ground may be seen the young appren-
tice, wearing the leathern apron of his
trade: One of the most interesting de-
tails of the picture was a cylindrical
section of tree, which Froebel in
serted, Miss Backus explained, to sug-
gest the primitive wheel. The figure
of the wheelwright, Miss Backus said,
is an especially powerful one, and she
asked the class for adjectives that
would express his most striking char
acteristies, Strong" mighty, y
"brawny," muscular" were all Of
fered. controlled strength or skill,
and "a giant among men,"
The smaller pictures represented a
body of soldiers mounting a hill, the
heavy gun carriages moving easily on
their smooth wheels; a country wagon
stopping before an inn, where the sign
hung in the shape of wreath, to con-
tinue the idea of the circle, two chill
dren rolling their hoops around circle
in opposite directions, sugges ting, as
Miss Backus explained, Froebeps idea
of the circle as the symbol of unity;
a boy, evidently a wheelwright's APP
prentice, rolling a. completed wheel
down HILL and in the topmost picture
the chariot races of the age of gods
and heroes.
The commentary was thSn read and
explained, and followed by the Study
questions on the mother play book, as
arranged by Miss Blow.
These questions, which gave rise to
much interesting discussion, were as
follows;
Who was the author of the saying,
Thou art a man, therefore let notn-
ing which concerns men be indifferent
to thee?" This, Miss Backus said, had
been attributed to Terence on what she
believed to be excellent authority.
What does this saying mean to you
The. class devoted much time to the
consideration of these two questions.
How is its spirit illustrated by the
child?
Why do the activities of handicrafts-
men in particular attract his atten-
ton?
For what development does this in
terest supply point of departure?
What is the chief education value
of productive activity?
Does productive, activity imply per-
ception of an ideal possibility?
80 Does it teach the. producer to real
ize his own ideals?
In this bower of realizing ideals does
he find a pledge of his own freedom
Which are more real things or ener-
gies2
In what sense is the wheel a typical
fact?-
of it's spiritual significance?
Do you believe in the analogy be-
tween the development Of the individ-
ual and the, race2
Must the child repeat all race ex-
periences? --------------.--.
:. Can you suggest any way of re-living
the mythical period which does not
involve the telling of mythical tales
At the ne2e ipheeting Saturday morn
ing the play will be No. III. THE
Weathervane :" 1t was decided that
the last two classes should be devoted
to the study of Mother Goose, and the
explanation of its Immortality as a
nursery book The members of the
class were each asked to bring copy
of the book to the Saturday morning
meeting, so that certain Of the rhymes
and stories might be selected for par
ticular attention.
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