ON TE.VCHING CHEMISTRY. 231 



Stage T. — Lessons on common and familiar objects. 



The first stage of instruction mnst be one of simple object lessons, but 

 these should have an intimate relation to the child's surroundings, and 

 should be made the pegs on which to hang many a tale. Probably the 

 most satisfactory and practical mode of commencing is to get children 

 to draw up lists of familiar and common objects under various heads, 

 such as 



Natural objects. 



Things used in building construction. 



Things fi'om which household furniture is made or which are in daily 

 use. 



Things used as clothing. 



Food materials. 



The children should be induced to describe these from observation as 

 far as possible ; to classify them according to their origin into mineral 

 and animal and vegetable or organic ; and occasion should be taken at this 

 stage to give by means of reading lessons and demonstrations as much 

 information as possible about the different things, their origin, how 

 made, and their uses. It is obvious that in this way a great deal of 

 geography and natural history (NaturJcunde) might be taught in an attrac- 

 tive manner. Geikie's ' Science Primer on Physical Geography ' is the 

 type of book which may be worked through with great advantage at this 

 stage. 



Stage II. — Lessons in measurement. 



This stage should be entered upon as soon as children have learnt 

 the simple rules of arithmetic, and are able to add, subtract, multiply and 

 divide — and to use decimals. 



Lineal measurements may be first made, using both an English foot- 

 rule with the inch subdivided in various ways and a metric rule sub- 

 divided into millimetres. In this way the relation of the two scales is 

 soon insensibly learnt. 



Measurements of rectangular figures and the calculation of their areas 

 may then be made. 



After this 1)he use of the balance may be taught, and the relation 

 between the English and French systems may bo learnt by weighing the 

 same objects with the two kinds of weights. Use may then be made of 

 the balance in determining the areas of irregular figures by cutting out 

 rectangular and irregular figures from the same cardboai'd or thin sheet 

 metal, and weighing these, &c. 



Solid figures are next studied : a number of cubes made from the 

 same wood having been measured, their volumes are then calculated, and 

 the results thus obtained are compared with those which are obtained on 

 weighing the cubes. The dimensions and weights of cubes made from 

 different woods or other materials are then ascertained, and thus it is 

 observed that different materials differ in density. The study of the 

 relative density of things generally is then entered upon. The ordinary 

 method is easily learnt and used by children, a suitable bottle being pro- 

 vided by filing a nick down the stopper of a common two-ounce narrow 

 mouth bottle ; it may then be shown that the same results are obtained 



