New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-01

more suggested curriculum. also out
| lines OF each day, work for such a
school.
with this before me I would be able
10 better understand the various lines
Of argument. Yours very truly.
&c. t. MERRILL.
"Montclair. y. j."
This request is pertinent and we are
+ glad TO comply with it. In describing
( u Gary boys day it is important to
remember that the Gary plan is ex-
/ tremely flexible. II can be and is
adapted TO meet the needs Of children
in different cities and different locali-
ties. Here Is the way fourth grade
boy in Gary spends his day:
A Fourth Grade Boys Day In a Gary
School.
s:l5-9:15 Reading. writing. arith-
netic. A formal study and recitation
/ period in regular classroom.
9:l5-l0:l5-t First three months
/ drawing, (secOnd three months) chem
| istry. In Gary fourth grade children
attend the science and shop classes as
! helpers 10 the seventh grade children.
/ There are about one-third as many
/ helpers as seventh grade children.
| They watch the experiments, ask ques-
tions of the older boys and girls, get
materials for them, assist in the exper-
! iments as far as they are able and al
| terward write up an account Of II. For
! example, a seventh grade boy is testing
/ candy for its purity. He Is sitting at
laboratory table with his test tube,
/ Bunsen burner. etc. and two fourth
/ grade children are standing or sitting
on stools watching the experiment with
/ the greatest concentration. The ques-
tons that the fourth grader asks are
searching. as children's questions
usually are. They start young Mr..
/ Seventh Grader thinking more than any
/ teachers questions could and he takes
pride in answering them. The teacher
/ is present TO direct and guide the work.
7 but the moro the children can think
| tho problem out for themselves the
more it will develop their power to act
and think for themselves. This plan
carries over into the school the best
features of family life Children Of
different ages have always lived and
worked together. On the farm the
Younger children helped the older boys
and girls. Imagine farm where chill
dren were kept away from any contact
whatsoever with plants or animals or
dairy work or preparing the soil on
the theory that they were incapable OF
understanding these things until they
were fourteen years old A child Is
natural scientist and there is no age
limit on his capacity for observing and
drawing his own conclusions. The Gary
school believes in encouraging MS
power of observation and Judgment
and helping TO make IL as intelligent
as possible.
This helper system, however, Is not
an essential feature of the Gary plan
If New York wishes TO keep children
boxed up in grade compartments 1t can
do so. II you have forty seventh grace
children and forty fourth grade chill
dren YOU can distribute those eighty
unite as you choose.
Third three months.) shop WORK.
Our fourth grade boy may be heIping
the seventh grade boys in the foundry
moulding the sand Tor the castings,
learning the names OF the tools ana
taking in with all his eyes how the
castings are made. Naturally ne does
not do the heavy work or technical
work.
IO:15-l1.15: History and Geog-
l raDnN- anCIDtE IOlihoi 'NN'N' =
Rod in a regular classroom.
ii: l5-12:l5: Lunch-Cooked and
served by the girls in the cooking class.
12:I5E1:l5 Reading, Writing, Arlth-
metic-Another formal recitation pc
riod in a regular classroom. So,
1:15-2:l5: Reading, Writing, Arith-
metic-Or he may substitute Tor the
first three months music, second three
months botany, third three months
shon work ION same principle as see
above from 9:15-10:15). That is, II
our fourth grader is taking drawing IN
the morning during the first three
months he is taking music IN the
afternoon. In the second three months
when he takes chemistry in the morn
ing he takes botany in the afternoon.
2:l5-3:15: Play-Most OF this hour
is given to free play, although the
games are suggested and GUIDED by thI
playground teacher. The. playground
includes wading pools, skating pond,
playground apparatus, tennis courts
and baseball diamond.
3:15-4:15: Auditorium-Fifteen MIN
utes of singing, led by the singing
teacher. The rest of the time children
from different classes give in dramatic
form some Of the things they have Deeh
learning IN their classrooms. FOR eA-
amnIe half a dozen from the chemistry
lass tell our fourth grader and ms
/ friends about their visit to the candy
factory and their study OF pure and I'M
80 candies. This may be accom-
named by slides or pictures. Or the
foundry class may make casting or
4 there may be motion pictures ABOUT the
different parts of the automobile given
nv the physics and machine classes, or
motion pictures about the mix supply
Religious Instruction and the Iary
Schools.
Another letter has been received
from gentleman, signed Naive
American" He declares himself per
sonally In favor of the Gary system or
any improvements which seem Iu-
dicious TO our school authorities. IN
regard to the religious situation ne
asks that "Mr. Writ indorse or our
school board adopt some such rule lot
the Gary plan as the following, which
would relieve teachers from susplclyn
and unreasonable demands, and ought
90 emit any one who is not seeking 20
make improper use OF the schooIs ioi
religious ends:
First. The public school system
ebaU assume no responsibility ior
church classes or any activities OUTSIDE
the school premises during child
Z; g period, and no school properly
shall be loaned or used for such sct'vi-
[ ties"
This rule is carried out in Gary ana
should be adopted in New York, put IL
is for the New York Board OF kducS-
ton. not for Mr.. Writ, TO determine
the rules New York shall make III re-
gard to religious information OUTSIDE
"second. Any school class dismissed
I for free period shall be dismisseG