152 THE EARTH MADE READY FOR MAN 



This first lesson has been told as simply as possible. 

 Frequent appeals are made to the children's imagination- 

 A vivid imagination in the teacher, together with an en- 

 thusiastic manner, as if telling a fairy tale, will be a 

 great help. It would be advisable also for the teacher 

 to have in the class a small globe. If the children can be 

 helped to form vivid mental pictures of the world, the 

 fog, the clouds, the rain and the great universal ocean, 

 these lessons about the beginning should not lack interest 

 for them. 



The teacher should read carefully all the lessons in this 

 section (18 to 29, inclusive) before trying to teach this one. 

 If the mind has not grasped the picture of the changing 

 world as a whole, one cannot so well teach it in part. 



For further study the teacher is referred to Brigham's 

 Text Book of Geology, D. Appleton & Co. 



OPENING TALK 



We have been studying about that part of our world 

 which is close to us so that we can see it, — the clouds, 

 the trees and shrubs, grasses and ferns, seeds and flowers; 

 then about the animals that live upon the earth with 

 us. Now we are going to think back, ages and ages, and 

 try to see our world as it was in the beginning. Our 

 Bible opens with words written about that beginning by 

 people who lived very long ago. In its very first words it 

 tells us such a wonderful truth that we must be sure never 

 to forget it. I will read it to you, and then you may repeat 

 it together. (Read and repeat the memory verse impres- 

 sively and reverently.) 



Now we will start with something that you have seen, 

 something you know about, which will help you under- 

 stand our world as it was in the beginning. 



