30 Prussia and the German System of Education. 



This is a continuation and completion, in a more sys- 

 tematic form, of the instruction commenced in III, 5. The 

 course begins with the family, and the first object is to 

 construct a habitation. The pupil tells what materials are 

 necessary for this purpose, where they are to be found, 

 how brought together and fitted into the several parts of 

 the building. The house must now be furnished. The 

 different articles of furniture and their uses are named in 

 systematic order, the materials of which they are made, 

 and the various trades employed in making them are enu- 

 merated. Then comes the garden, its tools aud products, 

 and whatever else is necessary for the subsistence and phy- 

 sical comfort of a family. Then the family duties and 

 virtues; parental and filial obligation and affection ; rights 

 of property: duties of neighborhoods ; the civil relations of 

 society; the religious relations of society; the state, the 

 father-land, etc. ; finally, geography, history, and travels. 

 Books of travels are compiled expressly for the use of 

 schools, and are found to be of the highest interest and 

 utility. 



3. Language, and exercises in composition. 



The object here is to give the pupils a perfect command 

 of their native tongue, and ability to use it on all occasions 

 with readiness and power. The first exercises are on 

 simple questions, such as, " Why ought children to love 

 and obey their parents?' or they are short descriptions 

 of visible objects, such as a house, a room, a garden, etc. 

 There are also exercises on the various forms of expressing 

 the same idea, as, " The sun enlightens the earth." 

 "The earth is enlightened by the sun." "The sun gives 

 light to the earth." " The earth receives light from the 

 sun." " The sun is the source of light to the earth." 

 "The sun sends out its rays to enlighten the earth." 

 " The earth is enlightened by rays sent out from the sun," 

 etc. There are exercises also of the same sort on meta- 

 phors and other figures of speech. Familiar letters are 



