GEOGRAPHY 243 



clear his thoughts by drawing, modeling, painting, and con- 

 structing. 



The work of the year includes oral lessons on distance, 

 location, and direction. The use of the compass is investi- 

 gated. The North Star is located. A 

 The Year weather record is kept during the winter 



months when the weather is changeable. A 

 plan is drawn of the schoolroom, the school block, the home 

 block. A map of the city is then drawn. 



A topic, as rivers, is placed on the board, with such ques- 

 tions as the following: What is a river? Name one near 



Stockton. Where is its source? Many 

 Topical 

 Treatment other simple questions are asked to lead the 



children to consider a river from its source 

 to its mouth, some of the work it performs in carrying soil 

 and other ways, and the change in the country through which 

 it flows from the hills or mountains to the sea. Many of 

 these questions must be subdivided into new topics. Some 

 pupils have seen the source of a river in the mountains; 

 others have seen the mouth of the San Joaquin or the 

 Sacramento river ; all know about the overflow lands. So all 

 the thoughts suggested by the above questions can be de- 

 veloped intelligently and concretely with the whole class. 

 After the oral work is completed the children write up a 

 story on the subject. Other topics, as mountains, valleys, 

 lakes, soil, air, moisture, are treated in a similar manner. 



After drawing a plan of our city Stockton is taken up 

 according to the same method. Such topical questions are 



given as : How is Stockton governed ? 

 Home City 



Who makes the laws ? Who are the princi- 

 pal city officials? What are the railroads, the street car 



