GEOGRAPHY 239 



In connection with the work on the home city industries 



and commerce are studied. The government is considered 



briefly, in terms comprehensible to the chil- 



Commercial dren, correlating it with civics and the ordi- 



Ind tri nances of the city government that are ap- 



Ljf e plicable to the lives of the children. Maps 



are drawn of places studied, not as perfect 



reproductions nor as examples of painstakng efforts, but in 



order to fix general proportions in the minds of the children. 



The topics connected with the commercial and industrial 

 life of the city are more than geography. They correlate 

 so closely with local history that on many occasions there 

 is no attempt to differentiate between these two subjects. 

 Leading articles of export, as flour, combined harvesters, 

 leather, woollen goods, fruits, are made the bases of class 

 talks. During the year excursions to some local industries 

 are made, the teacher visiting the factory first in order to 

 become familiar with the processes, all or part of the class 

 going later with the teacher. It is not necessary that all 

 fourth grades should visit the same industry; the follow- 

 ing are those inspected by some class during the year : the 

 flour mills, glass works, woollen mills, briquette factory, 

 cannery, harvester works, iron works, ship yards, planing 

 mills, macaroni factory. 



The order of the study is to procure any samples possible 

 and usable in the schoolroom, to locate the works, study 

 the raw material, observe the process of manufacture, study 

 the product and its uses, review the excursion by means 

 of photographs, write it up. 



The county is studied, beginning with near-by districts 

 and any portions of the county known to any of the pupils. 



