HISTORY IN GRAMMAR GRADES 



ant to an understanding of the rousing up of civilization in 

 Europe. Sixth grade pupils can see it as a matter of course, 

 in a child's way it is true, but the fact will cling to their 

 memories if it is well impressed by stories and maps; high 

 school pupils, however, often finish ancient history without 

 a thought of this strong connecting link between ancient and 

 mediaeval civilizations. What is true of this topic is equally 

 true of many others. The pupils are reading stories and 

 enjoying them, but, if properly guided, they are also laying 

 an excellent foundation for later serious studies. 



Another instance of this cultural training may be found 

 in seventh grade reading on the feudal system and the 

 Crusades. From well selected stories pupils can gain a sur- 

 prising amount of interesting knowledge concerning the 

 commercial, political, and social conditions of mediaeval days, 

 leading to a fair understanding of the reasons for the dis- 

 covery of America and for the revolt against Old World 

 customs that caused the establishment of our freer political 

 institutions. Such readings and deductions are a delightful 

 part of grammar grade history. No attempt should be made 

 to build up historical structures, but the foundation laid for 

 those of later years should be firm and true. During all this 

 period of story reading the pupils will scarcely have realized 

 that they have been working. Not that pupils should not 

 work knowingly, but they will be learning one of the first 

 important lessons in the acquisition of history, that work in 

 history is thoughtful and systematic reading. If, then, chil- 

 dren are learning to read history intelligently and with pleas- 

 ure, they are also learning to work happily. 



In the stories of Greece and Rome the pupils are now old 

 enough to distinguish between the myth and the germ of 



