Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-03-04
o. 90 o--o-O-o--o
D MATTERS PERTAINING TO B
G. EDUCATION. o


Mrs. M. -. Brockman at the teachers
meeting of the Westminster Graded
School.
Geography.
So great is the world and so linn
tied is the area that may be studied
first hand, Geography Is that study
In our school curriculum the most
abstract, the hardest to teach and
the easiest to forget" says Prof. 70.
l.. Hughes, one or our eminent educa-
tors of South Carolina. This truth
exists In spite OF the fact that geog-
raphy is one of the most important
and interesting branches In our com
mon school course. It. deals with all
places, all people. all things.
Without knowledge Of the earth
on which we live, history loses much
or it's value, ana much that is read
in books, magazines and newspapers
becomes vague and meaningless.
Even in our Sunday school lessons
that are studied from Sunday to
Sunday, "place where" is very i'm
portant factor. -,
Facts, cleaned from any source
Whatever, add interest to places. The
location of places fixes facts In our
minds. So much for the Importance
OF geography and its relation to other
studies.
The object in pursuing this subject
Is two-fold: CD 1t leads to knowl-
edge Of the earth, as the home of
man; (2) 1t cultivates the memory,
imagination, judgment, language and
observation. 1t Is evident that
knowledge Of the earth as our home
cannot be obtained by reciting facts
from text book on geography The
lessons may be perfectly recited from
day to day, yet at the completion Of
the study, the teacher finds that the
child's ideas are vague and indefi-
mite. There Is SO little that the
child has digested and assimilated.
Text books alone with the ques-
ton and answer method are made
quate to comprehension Of the
earth as whole. The problem Of
the teacher is to bring the world
into the school room. This problem
can best be solved by the use Of a
globe, one that grows from day to
day under the pupils eye. The use
OF such a globe should begin in the
primary grades and continue through
the high school course.
In the first grade there are certain
preparatory steps that must necessa-
rily be taken. The pupils power of
observation must be strengthened.
Mr.. Prince, In his Courses of Stud
les and Methods Of Teaching" sug-
gests observation lessons on Cd
form, (2) place, 60 plants, ca an
imals. For further preparation, To-
cal geography may be taught in the
second and third years, giving pupils
the terms used in geography as we'll
as facts that will make the subject
Ineligible. Clay-modeling, pici res
end plan-drawing all have lneir
place in liking facts already acquired.
Forms of water and land can best
be Taught by observing the physical
features in the vicinity of the school.
You could tell the pupil that an is
land is a small body Of land sur
rounded by water. Whenever prac-
ticable, let him see a miniature is
ian. In stream or show him the
representation on a map or globe
The child's idea Of an island is clear
and definite. net him represent it
on chart and you have made Il
triple appeal through the ear, eye
and hand.
After such preparatory work the
pupils are ready for Xt book.
When books are placed in their
hands each lesson should be taught
before it is assigned.
Suppose that the lesson is on the
position and shape Of North America.
By means Of globe locate this con-
tinent with reference to the others.
1t Is supposed that the continent has
been drawn on chart. From this
can be taught the capes, peninsulas,
bays, CULTS, seas, oceans touching,
and adjacent lands.
AS the physical features, political
divisions, are taught from day to day
they should be indicated on the chart.
When North America has been
taught in this way, a general Enowl-
edge Of this particular continent has
been obtained
Following the directions of his in
structor, the pupil should draw an
outline with parallels and meridians
as the basis Of representation. In
no case should maps be copied. To
obtain the best results in map draw
ing, some schools have adopted the
plan OF assigning certain maps to
certain grades for special study.
have been made: Grade 1, A map Of
town or city; grade Q, May Of town
ship; grade 8, Outline map OF South
Carolina; grade 4, South Carolina
map with counties; grade 8, Out
line OF United States; grade 6, Uni
ted States with States; grade z,
Western Hemisphere; grade 8, East
ern Hemisphere. The work OF the
preceding years ought frequently to
be reviewed. Pupils in the highest
grade, who have gone through the
eight grades, are ready for construct
I've work. This constructive work is
a summing up of what has been
learned throughout the entire grad
ed school course. ....
The following Is a brief summary
OF this paper: Illustrations by means