New-York tribune., 1902-06-23


SCHOOL. BY Henry F. Bourne. american
Teachers Series. 12mo, PIP. viii. 5eo N1ohg1ndIlS'
Green & Coz
The increasing demands in the curriculum of
schools make the comprehensive teaching OF
history matter that may well cause dismay to
the stoutest hearted teacher Professor Bournes
tool IS an admirable essay in the suggestion Of
ideals TO be pursued and the best methods Of
pursuing them get the bost results with
pupils in the preparatory schools. To give an
intelligent understanding Of history and to i'm
plant taste for historical reading should be
the teachers aims; and how TO accomplish this
with young pupils it IS Professor Bourne's OBJ
feet to show. His book is full Of suggestiveness
and practical detail
After discussing the various programmes that
have been presented for elementary schools, the
author suggests this as a way so to map out
the field OF study that the pupil viii be intro
duced into this larger world to which he really
though unconsciously belongs with the idea of
treating the field a whole. and not giving
here a little and there a little: Fifth grade, at
the age Of eleven, biographical treatment Of
American history, to take up first that with
which the child IS familiar. demanding only the
feeblest efforts of the historical imagination.
Then come selected periods of European history
for the sixth grade. and for the seventh, Ameri-
can colonial history taught part of the
treating everything in bold. simple lines; in
the latter aiming to give the point OF view OF
the colonist and not looking at everything from
the standpoint of achieved independence For
She eighth, American history since 1873. civics
and the growth Of the great States Of Europe
since 1915 are recommended.
In the secondary schools the first year should
be devoted to Greek and Roman history. with
their Oriental connections, and the last 10
I'll, of
the second and third years has been much de
bated; but preponderance Of opinion is in favor
of giving them to medieval and modern his
tory and 10 English history. respectively, or
else in the reverse order.
The question OF method is lucidly discussed by
Professor Bourne With younger pupils the
teacher can only emphasize the simpler rela-
tions OF historical fact yet only when he Is able
10 interpret an event a part of a process OF
DEVELOPMENT is he leading his pupils into the
historical attitude of mind and really teaching
them history. The use Of textbook is still re-
rarded as necessary, though chiefly to preserve
,be ,,,i+, of work and as a basis for collateral
readings The source method is one that has
reen recently much developed. There have been
g. number of selections from original sources
published for the use of more or less elementary
students. Professor Bourne favors their use,
with reservations:
A judicious use of sources will undoubtedly
give pupils a more vivid impression Of certain
classes Of facts than they could OBTAIN from
even a skilfuy written secondary narrative II
will be easier for them TO realize the meola7NdI
notion Of the shape of the earth ana us poSiuoh
tn the universe when they reaG echoes OF II IN
ToscanellTs famous letter. The liary OF CoIQn-
grIs gives the discovery the nearESss ana reallly
OF an occurrence within their oSn experience
when one reads in n letter OF the crusaders 10
4be Pore If YOU wish know what was done
1I-Ith the enemy who were found there, know
that in Solornon's porch and in his temple cur
men rode in the blood Of the Saracens UP 10 the
knees OF their horses the form IN Whlch Oie
esser+ioy1 is made seems tc add actualltE II -
also rrle that so far pupils can succeSS4u!4S
reach facts by drawing inferences from the
statements which they may hnd IN Original
docrroents they know these facts IN dlIiefehI
80 +bsn they can by the listless reading OF a
textbook But the method has limitations WIl!cH
,,7,,e+ he understood in order more clearly 70 de-
fine its practical uses
Most of the second part OF the book Is ue-
voted to a discussion in detail Of the best
methods for teaching the different epochs OF
history. what facts should be brought out, how
they should be expounded, in what relations
-bev should 5e brought. Whatever may be
the measure of agreement that is given TO Pro
fessor Bourne's views, they are the product OF
q highly intelligent and thoughtful and con-
sistent consideration of the subject Ihey seem
10 enbody some Of the most enlightened views
of modern pedagogy