264 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



The responses of the pupils to the classroom health instruction 

 resemble the patterns of behavior discernible in the public health 

 clinics. There are two well-defined groups of children in the class- 

 room. The division is made on the basis of oral recitation. Written 

 work does not necessarily reveal this distinction. 



CATEGORY 1. PASSIVE 



The children in category 1 do not, according to the teacher, perform 

 well orally. If a child is called upon to answer a question, he often 

 makes no answer at all. If he does respond, it is in such a low voice 

 that it is audible only to a few children near him. Rarely does he 

 raise his hand to volunteer an answer. 



One morning I observed a health lesson in a combined third and 

 fourth grade. The class had been divided into committees which 

 were to report on the care and function of the organs of the body. 

 The heart committee made the first presentation. Three children 

 stood up, one holding a book showing a picture of the heart. They 

 stood with their heads bowed. The teacher urged them to speak. 

 Finally her coaxing managed to elicit the recommendation, "You 

 should keep your heart clean." This concluded the report on the 

 heart! The committee on eyes was represented by a girl who read a 

 complete report, but she kept her hand over her mouth and spoke in 

 such a low voice that her speech was inaudible. 



Oral performances, such as those discussed above, suggest to the 

 observer that these children are either very low in ability or suffer 

 from a language handicap. The quality of their written work, how- 

 ever, refutes this conclusion. I collected samples of written health 

 rules from all children whom the teacher rated no lower than average 

 in abUity. The following sets of rules illustrate that the children in 

 category 1 are capable of doing satisfactory work. 



A. Girl, high ability: 



1. Brush your teeth twice a day. 



2. Drink lots of milk. 



3. Take a bath at least twice a week. 



4. Eat proper foods. 



B. Boy, average ability: 



1. Keep clean and neat. 



2. Wash real good, wash your hands good. 



3. Comb your hair. 



C. Girl, better than average ability: 



1. Keep our skin clean and look neat. 



2. Brush our teeth after every meal. 



D. Girl, barely average ability: 



1. Learn the rules and follow them. 



2. Take out germs on skin. 



3. Keep out germs. 



