The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-02-01

fhee Il 4 growing tenaenoy ameMe
mr. heAs elnchsnFs toward waiting hAs
sufe As@ly 4 rfpmlnehl feature ~ ne
work II she pnlsllc Aeisonle come 10
thlnk ~ IL this Il i very senalhle tlSlr9
~ a.. fur sutvly THERE IN No better type
ct uiucallon than srMlnlnn ne children
10 become lnlelllrensiy familiar with
The common things of ilfe-the things
with which they win have % 90 al
shelr ilves long This practical knOwl.
edge about common things Il withAl
one thing ID which all children are sure
10 manifest a deep interest The child
must be taught. but instead OF doing Il
wholly with books aud oral lessons why
not get closer 20 natures hidden treas.
urcs and mysteries and let them learn
from herf To Illustrate, take pri.
mary school OF thirty scholars ranging
from ak 20 twelve years OF age Lot
the teacher select days when the wealth.
er Ia suitable. say one afternoon each
week, aud Lee these be devoted 20 out
door object lesson. Say the FIRST aft.
ernoon out Is Ia April. These are rcsur-
rection days. Let the lessons these
days be on the increasing power OF the
sun, the melting SHOWS, tho rushing
rivers and where they go; tho mlgra-
tory wild fowl, their kind, where they
winter and where they nest In summer;
the south wind, the fieecy cloud pic
lures, how they como and where they
so; the birds, first harbingers OF spring
and their kind. Later the plowed field,
the sowing OF seed, where, how and Of
what kind; the budding trees. first low
ery, rain and why II falls. Show them
plow and the farmer blowing; differ.
ent soils--clay, sand, loan; the harrow.
the seeder Let the plowman take your
place as teacher and explain It all TO
them. Another day take them to the
river. Take the fishes, the aquatic
plants and the insect life, the way wa
ter runs. Tell them about eddles, cur
rents, overfiows, waterfalls and water
power. Tell them how the water pow
or Ia used and go into the mill. The
miller will explain how he makes the
water grind the wheat into -four. Lat.
err. when summer has arrived. take
them into the cool, shady woods. The
insect life, the leaves, the grasses, the
flowers, the birds, the cool spring guah-
ing from the rocks, the thunderstorms,
the electricity, the hail, the summer
winds and the birds and their nests
oil around you IL an endless variety OF
practical themes. Take them 10 a
creamery and let the creameryman
tell them how butter Is made. Talks
them TO the depot and let the engineer
tell them Of the locomotive, tender.
freight train, switches, whistles, signal
lights and power OF steam. The OPP
orator will tell them OF the telegraph.
wires, battery, the mysterious clicking
and how messages are sent Take
them 10 the brickyard and let them
see clay turn into bricks and how the
tile is made. Follow up, as the sea
son passes, the ripening grain, tho
reaper, the harvest, the thrasher. Now
are TIpened fruits and nuts, an endless
variety OF interesting and useful OBJ
ject lessons. Arithmetic, geography
and philosophy as studies may all BIO
interviewer IN these outdoor lessons
by the apt teacher. This half day
would be very beneficial, welcome
change to both those who teach and
those who are taught, and the amount
of practical information thus so pleas
antly obtained would be worth as much
Us all the other lessons Of the week put
together. Give the child an outdoor
education for one-nfth OF his school life
and we believe that II would show far
better results than the same amount Of
time devoted 10 the study OF books
s-~--
PROFITS or ORANGE GROWING.