Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-10
OUTDOOR ARITHMETIC
Interest TOCHILDREN

And birch, you know, has tough
used it for their canoes and tents. and
the wood of the beech is made into
ali kinds of things because it is so
hard and tough-why, shouldn't Won
der if the handle to the can opener
was made of beech-and We saw 1t
growing with it's silky green leaves
says an exchange. And say. father
can you tell hoy far it is from here
- that telegraph pole across the
street? ! can, And oh, yes, we saw
a goldfinch and it flew so close could
see under it's wings, and, -and-oh,
can't talk fast enough to tell you all
we saw 8
Albert stopped suddenly in his tor
rent of talk ovecomer by the appar-
emit hopelessness of getting it all out,
and then plunged in again, impelled
by the interest of his experiences. His
father and mother, looking into his
glowing face, were made glad by the
enthusiastic onrush of his words.
which showed them that he had had
one of the happiest, busiest and most
ing bone with him a wealth Of treas
IRE that he would use and enjoy all
through the coming years.
What if we had had such lessons
Wien we went to SCHOOL," asked the
father of the mother when Albert had
gone to tell his chum about it, and
have you any idea how far 1t is to the
telegraph pole?" Albert's mother had
rot, but she was glad that her sor
was receiving an education more Valu
able and practical than hers had been.
Arithmetic does not arouse ordinari-
" much enthusiasm in boys and girls.
but those who had that particular les
son on that particular day, and les
sons like it before or since. are i'm
bred with similar mathematical zeal:
Work Made important.
Outdoor arithmetic is an idea of
Charles NJ Lamprey, head of the de-
partment of history. and the history
Of education at the Boston Normal
School and also the director of the
Martin model school. where students
at the Normal get their first training
with the children. He believes in mo-
tivating school work. contending that
instead of giving the pupils some I'M
interesting lesson to learn, or problem
to solve, because it is neces sary TO
them as educated beings and may be
useful to them at some future Time al
though they can see no possible use
for if now. their work should be made
of vital Importance to them now. That
is why he sends them out IN the rem
wav to learn arithmetic, and down 10
Winthrop to study geography. Win
throp Beach is big enough to give
concept of the sea with bays and IN
lets. islands and isthmuses: it has 3
high tide and low tide and there IS
plenty of opportunity to study e1ectS
of the glacial ages. An island IS an
island, but it NAV be number or oth'
er things as we'll
In the schoolbook it is stupid den
milton that is hard to get right out
out there in the bay, its sandy bea"h
elttering in the sunshine, trees "aV-
ing and birds lowering over the'r
branches, while all around the sea rip
lies and sparkles, it is quite a differ
ent thing, An added interest is &C
n,,ired when it is learned that once
tnore were no green trees and SINGING
BIRDS and no vegetation in the vicinity.
The story of the formation of the
rocks and smooth round pebbles seems
like romance when the very object de-
scribed is before their eyes. The
books that were so dry and heavy are
returned to eagerly. for they put into
definite words and brief form ALI the
wonders of the afternoon. Straits and
rromontories, CULTS and bays. river
courses. mountain torrents. rocks and
soil deposits have attained new signi-
fcan"e, the textbook is vibrant with
live topics. 1t puts known facts N1to
disable form and opens the doorway
tc nrontor l.nou-lodon A LOGON of this