372 APPENDIX 



eighth or one-fourth of an inch to the foot as the scale. 

 Locate accurately everything in the room. Next, make such 

 a map of the school grounds. Extend the work to the dis- 

 trict, and locate hills, valleys, streams, farms, houses, accu- 

 rately. Study all farms at first hand and put them in their 

 proper places. With all this the child will be prepared to 

 answer intelligently how these farms came to be where they 

 are and the effect their location has had on the life about them. 

 With such constructive work at home the child will have a 

 basis for comprehending the larger world. This construc- 

 tive work could not begin before the third year, probably, 

 and could not be completed before the eighth. The one 

 thing the teacher needs to do is to make an intelligent use 

 of the material at hand. 



This method places much emphasis upon the use of the 

 neighborhood for developing geographical notions. This is 

 the centre of the child's world, and the work in geography 

 should begin here instead of in some far-off place. The things 

 close at hand should become a help in the interpretation of 

 earth facts farther removed. The data at hand must suggest 

 when to begin. Select the best types and make the assign- 

 ment definite and exhaustive. Perhaps there is a good type 

 of spring at hand. Lead the pupils to see all the conditions 

 present. See if they can formulate a spring theory. See if 

 they can think of other conditions than those present from 

 which a spring might be formed. Does the spring here have 

 an outlet ? What becomes of the spring thus formed ? 

 Perhaps the spring has no visible outlet. What then ? 



The district or community may furnish other types of 

 springs. If so hunt them up with the children. The point is 

 to have these earth facts teach a complete lesson. It will take 



