The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-12-06

the girls bring a towel from home
and learn to hem upon that.
In the fifth grade the simple
stitches are taught, basting, hem
| ming, overcasting, seams, darning,
etc. In the sixth grade more advanc-
ed work is given. The fancier
stitches such as Misunderstanding and
hem stitching are taught. In this
grade the girls make the holders,
aprons, caps and sleevelets that they
will use the next year in the cooking
classes. They learn about the diff
ferent kinds of cloth, needles, thread
and various other articles used in
sewing.
| think that sewing should be
taught in every school, A great many
girls would grow up with very little
knowledge of sewing If they had to
depend upon home training. Just
the other day one little girl told me
that her mother was very glad she
was having sewing in school. She
said her mother was too busy to
teach her how to sew, and this is too
often the case. The sewing trains
the girls to accuracy, neatness and
originality. The aims of the domes-
tic art course is development
through self activity and self express
sion, the best avenues to power and
efficiency"
In the seventh grade the girls be-
gin the study of domestic science.
Let us first see just what is included
in this term domestic science. Sci
ence, we say, is systematic know
ledge" Domestic science or house
hold science is then a systematic
knowledge of things PERTAINING to
the home. 1t treats of the home and
its industries in their relations to the
welfare of the household Cookery,
one branch or domestic science
treats of the preparations of food for
eating. Cleaning and laundry work
are other branches. Have you ever
thought what an important business
home making is? The prosperity of
nation depends upon the welfare of
families and the welfare of the fam
lily depends upon its having healthy
happy home. The home makers have
always been women. The care and
management of the household indus
tries being at all times in their hands.
The school needs help from the home
in training the children, for without
right home conditions, including a
MI % III 4
we'll cooked food, boys and girls can
not have the strong bodies and clear
minds needed for doing their school
work while they are children and for
life work as men and women.
Think then how important to the
nation it is that the home makers
have knowledge of domestic science
The rapid development of cheap
labor and the conditions of modern
life have taken the industries from
the home to a certain extent The
child is deprived Of the opportunity
to observe Industrial processes.
We have to look to some other in
stitution. That one to which we most
naturally turn is the school.
These are a few reasons why do
nestle science has been introduced
into the school curriculum.
During the last decade much time
has been given by scientists to the
study of foods and their dietetic val
ues and 1t is subject which right
fully should demand consideration.
The average girl who enters
these classes is more or less familiar
with practical results of cooking but
her knowledge of the processes in
volved is inaccurate and her ideas
why certain materials are treated An
certain ways are not always definite.
She has little ability to describe sim
pie processes carried on before her
and give proper reason for them,
The aim is to cultivate this ability.
In our lessons in cooking we give a