nature's sand table. 227 



Nature's Sand Table. 



BY WILLIAM H. HUSE. 



The modern teacher of geography has a sand table and 

 uses it to ilhistrate land features. Its relief shows better 

 than any flat engraving the various forms that can be mod- 

 eled on it. Aside from this the experience of the child in 

 producing for himself the different forms will fix the facts 

 in his memory better than any other way that can be de- 

 vised. This last feature of the work can be improved upon 

 onl}^ at the edge of brook or pool where real and not imag- 

 inary water is at hand, but this is attended by some mcon- 

 veniences. There is, however, an advantage in studjang 

 land and water features and all physical geography facts in 

 the open air that cannot be found elsewhere. The pupils 

 of cit}^ schools are mostly denied the rare privilege of field 

 lessons, but the country scholar lives in the midst of oppor- 

 tunites abundant and valuable. 



To be able to rattle off, parrot-like the definition of a 

 land or water form without the ability to recognize that 

 form on the wa^- to school should be regarded as prima 

 facie evidence of crime on the part of the teacher, yet this 

 is done. In the country schools where the opportunities 

 are the most abundant are the worst offences committed. 

 This is not to be wondered at when in too many towns the 

 teachers are paid less than they could earn doing house 

 work in the city. It is little wonder that there the book 

 fetich clings most to school work. The world moves, how- 

 ever, and it behooves us to join the procession. 



Now is the time to work at nature's sand table and water 

 tank as well. The vegetation that has slept so long is 

 awaking, suggestive of many things that are mentioned in 

 textbooks the words of whose mentioning are so ignorant- 

 ly committed to memory. The life of distant lands is rep- 

 resented by kindred forms at our feet. 



