GEIKIE ON THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY. 93 



bring before us at least the more striking features in the general as- 

 semblage of plants and animals. 



For the effective instruction of the young in that wide and impor- 

 tant department of knowledge commonly but not very happily called 

 political geography, the school locality forms an admirable center and 

 starting-point. Such matters as the partitioning of the earth's surface 

 into countries and parts of countries, the local names assigned to these 

 subdivisions and to the natural features that diversify them, the posi- 

 tion and growth of cities, towns, and villages, the distribution of popu- 

 lation, the opening of communications by roads, canals, and railways, 

 the distribution and increase of trades, manufactures, and commerce — 

 these and other topics embraced within the same extensive subject can 

 obviously be made at once intelligible and interesting if they are first 

 considered with reference to the illustrations of them which the sur- 

 roundings of school may supply. 



The subjects treated of continuously and in logical sequence in the 

 foregoing chapters need not, of course, be presented in such formal 

 and methodical order to the pupils. As I have already insisted, they 

 should be taught in a natural and spontaneous way. It is not, in the 

 first instance, of such moment that any definite order should be fol- 

 lowed, as that the subjects should be made attractive, and the interest 

 of the pupils in them should be awakened and sustained. Whether 

 the instruction has been given in a methodical or more desultory fash- 

 ion, much varied information about the home locality will have been 

 brought together. Before proceeding further, and enlarging the circle 

 of vision by entering upon a wider geographical area beyond the per- 

 sonal acquaintance of the pupils, it will be found of great advantage 

 to arrange and summarize this information. By so doing the teacher 

 connects the scattered data, and illustrates in a memorable way the 

 value of a principle of classification in helping us to deal intelligently 

 with a multiplicity of facts. He, as it were, takes stock of the prog- 

 ress of his scholars at the end of the first stage of their geographical 

 education, and makes an important forward step in the direction of 

 more advanced teaching. 



If I have succeeded in making clear my conception of the plan of 

 education, it will be seen that the same practical method of instruc- 

 tion, so advantageous with regard to the home environment, should 

 be continued when the horizon of vision widens. Already, before the 

 lessons are begun that deal with the geography of the fatherland, al- 

 lusions and suggestions have been made that have prepared the way 

 for the fuller treatment of that subject, which, therefore, when at last 

 reached, is not by any means unfamiliar. Though actual journeys be- 

 yond the limits of the parish or immediately surrounding district may 

 not be possible, much advantage will be found in making imaginary 

 ones, the teacher acting as leader, and guiding the scholars in traverses 

 across the map. In the course of a series of traverses in various di- 



