The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-12-04

spirit OF investigation that comes to
every boy, and TO the girl in less de-
gree, at IL years Of age. In some
places strictly vocational schools are
being established t give those sure
to leave at the end OF two years some
preparation for economic activity. In
other schools only a change TO what
Is called the junior high school is
made. giving the pupils opportunity to
come in contact with the athletics,
studies and teachers Of the high
school. High schools for industrial
training are springing up In all our
cities and towns, as are also part time
schools, which allow the boy a chance
for actual work one week, and study
in school the next. This is meeting
two needs. 1t is keeping the boy in
school by giving him a part in the real
activities of life which he so much
I Graves at this stage of his growth, and
is meeting the economic needs OF the
family by bringing the pay envelope
home at the end of the week. This en-
velope is a far more telling proof of
practical results TO the average parent
than the record card telling every
thing Johnny ought to be, but amt.
Work along this line may be found in
Gary and Hammond, Ind, Cleveland
and Cincinnati, Ohio, Chicago and
FreepOrt, ILL.,, and Los Angeles, Cal.
These schools all have features alike,
and are typical of some other expert
ments along the line of bringing the
schools close enough to the life of the
community to prepare the child to
take an intelligent part in it.
The first step made by these schools
was in the school administration.
They have divided the elementary
schools at the sixth grade instead Of
the eighth. This has been done to
give the pupil the needed change of
association and activity which is felt
by the average child at this stage of
development. In the seventh, eighth
md ninth grades subjects full of inter-
est are taken up. Here foreign Ian
guages are begun leading to prepara-
tory courses in the high school; all
kinds Of industries and vocations are
looked into and visited, and expert
ments in a small way are tried in the
processes Of production, and the rela-
ton of these vocations to the pro-
cesses of distribution, to help the
boy find himself.
Some of these schools started with
the idea of giving immediate industrial
training along some one line. This is
intended to give the child who must
become a producer as soon as the law
will allow a better chance of success.
In this type of junior high school as
found in Freeport, ILL.,, plan the boys
are given actual shop work after the
first year of intensive study along the
various of activity. They are
given places in the shops of local in
dustry where they work for pay one
week, and study in the school the
other.
The committee has asked me to
give a description Of what we are
attempting to do at Brookings in the
way of recognizing our school system.
1t Is to be understood that the plan is
not to be dubbed the Brookings Plan.
| do not know how many cities are
doing the same things and with what
results. Two years g l obtained
consent from the board of education to
make some changes in the carricula
and the administration of these
schools. However, we made little
change from the uniform study of the
3 RS in the first four grades more
than the addition of music, drawing,
physical culture, elementary needle.
work for the girls and constructive
work for the boys.
In grades five and six we found a
field for common subject matter
which was made intensely interesting
to the boys and girls by giving them
definite information concerning a mum.
Der or industries, making a careful
study of modern industrial methods
and process together with a study of
the laws that govern the processes of
and distribution. A Ger.
tain amount Of construction and in
dustrial work plus a systematic know.
ledge OF the city, state and national
government and the simple things
about sanitation Tor the protection OF
the pupils and society are made q part
OF the uniform study Of the three Re.
We have divided the elementary
schools at the seventh grade using the
departmental plan in the seventh and
eighth grade. -Four clearly defined
have been created |. e.,
Mathematics, geography and history,
grammar and composition and litera-
Music and penmanship are given
by the special teacher in these sub.
jects. Each teacher gives instruction