observe the agitation and final meltitlg of the quartz in the soda forming glass. The coloring 

 of glass may be illustrated best by making beads of borax upon the wire and adding a very 

 little of some substance containing cobalt (blue), manganese (purple), chromium (green). 

 For this work each child should have his own wire, and have access to the lamp or burner, 

 under the eye of the teacher. For illustrating the use of Portland cement, a supply of the dry 

 materials may be secured from the dealers and mixed by the children with water and sand into 

 a slush, and allowed to harden. They may find out experimentally the best proportions of 

 cement and sand by observing which gives the hardest product. If desired, a mould could be 

 made and some building blocks manufactured. To get the lead from its ore, pulverize the 

 galenite, mix with an equal volume of soda and heat on a piece of charcoal, using a regular 

 blow-pipe, or one made from a glass tube. The lead readily separates into small globules. 

 Fragments of iron ores are to be similarly heated on charcoal without any soda, when it will 

 be found that the limonite and hematite will become magnetic. The carbon of the flame and 

 charcoal withdraw oxygen from the ore, thus reducing a portion of it. This illustrates the 

 process that takes place in the blast furnace. The common toy magnet should be provided for 

 each child. Charcoal, after use, should be dipped in water to keep from taking fire. Simple 

 compasses may be made by rubbing a needle over lodestone, from end to end, running through 

 a fragment of cork to float it, and placing in a dish of water. Levers, pulleys, wheels, inclined 

 planes, etc., may be borrowed from a physical laboratory, or purchased from dealers in physi- 

 cal apparatus. A derrick could be easily manufactured by the children as part of their manual 

 training work. Similarly windmills and water-wheels. 



The purpose of the work upon bone is to show the child how to discover its most impor- 

 tant properties, and to lead him to appreciate how well it is adapted to the purpose that it is 

 to serve. The bones of some young animal that has died a natural death may be secured and 

 preserved in alcohol or brine, and used year after year. The preparation of the sheep's rib 

 should be made each year by the children. The important modern inventions for utilizing 

 energy can be simply presented by means of toys, and will strongly appeal to children of this 

 age. No gardening work is called for by the theme for the year, that of the previous grades 

 serving as a foundation for this work. If the work in agriculture has been successfully pre- 

 sented, many of the children will wish to conduct gardens at home for the supply of the fam- 

 ily, or for sale at the market. This they should be encouraged to do. Many vacant lots could 

 thus be utilized in the cities and villages, which now yield only an unsightly crop of weeds, 

 bones, and tin cans. The civic improvement spirit should be strongly fostered in the inter- 

 mediate and grammar grades. 



For the work in meteorology it is recommended that work be begun upon the U. S. 

 weather map, and that the work and importance of the weather bureau be understood by the 

 child. The daily map for the use of schools may be obtained gratuitously, and a case for its 

 display. Write to the observer at your nearest station for information. These maps should 

 be displayed where the children can conveniently study them, and the progress of the "lows" 

 and "highs" across the country followed from day to day. Isobars and isotherms are to be 

 understood by the children. The arrival of these areas may be watched for, and signs of their 

 approach noted. The work will be made more real if dispatches in the daily press are read, 

 giving accounts of specially noteworthy climatic conditions in certain sections. The general 

 eastwardly movement of the low and high areas across our country will be discovered, their 

 places of entrance and departure noted, and the general direction of the movement of the 

 winds about these areas understood. The methods of weather prediction as practiced by the 

 general government, should be explained, and the importance of these predictions to the com- 

 munity at large fully understood. 



HELPFUL LITERATURE. 



1. Elementary Lessons in Zoology Needham. American Book Co., 1895. 



2. Animal Forms Jordan & Heath. Appleton & Co., i9o2. 



3. First Book in Geology Shaler. Heath & Co., 1890. 



4. The Earth and Its Story Heilprin. Silver, Burdett & Co., 1896. 



5. Geological Excursions Winchell. Grigg & Co., 1884. 



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