PRACTICAL EXERCISES IN GEOGRAPHY 75 



girl in the land a chance to emerge from the mass, where individu- 

 ality is lost, and to reach a position in which they can do the most 

 good for themselves, their homes, and their country. The cultivation 

 of intelligence is as essential to this end as the acquisition of knowl- 

 edge. The observations and correlations now in discussion may be 

 made to contribute usefully to both these attainments. 



The sun's midday altitude should be tabulated, and the change in 

 its value should be indicated graphically. Records thus kept are in 

 themselves educative, not only in forming habits of accuracy and 

 neatness, but still further in ftimiliarizing the pupils with the several 

 methods of record, each best for its own purpose. Graphic record 

 may be made on a diagram in which horizontal measures represent 

 time (dates), and vertical measures represent angular altitude. As 

 the line connecting successive points of observation is seen to be not 

 straight but curved, let expectation be aroused as to the probable 

 result of further observations, thus developing the habit of thinking 

 forward from a basis of observations in the past and present. Test 

 the expectations by comparison with later observations, and thus 

 develop the more important habit of not jumping at conclusions. 

 The frequenc}^ of sun observations should be increased as the 

 solstices are approached, in order to give good determination of those 

 important dates. Few pupils will fail to await with interest the first 

 observations after the Christmas holidays, or to continue observations 

 with unflagging interest even into the hot weather of late June. It 

 is conceivable that some children might even carry on observations 

 of this kind through the summer vacation, in order to complete their 

 curve for the year. A graphic bisection of the upper and lower cul- 

 minations of the curve, by lines drawn through the middle points of 

 horizontal chords, will give good determinations of the dates of the 

 solstices. When the upper and lower limits of the curve are well 

 determined, draw horizontal lines tangent to them, and draw a third 

 horizontal line midway between these tangents. Lead up to the dis- 

 covery that this middle line represents the sky equator ; that the 

 date of the equinoxes is given at the two intersections of the equator 

 and the sun's path, and that the angular distance (declination) 

 of the sun north or south of the equator can easil}'' be rouglily 

 tletermined for any day of the year by measuring up or down from 

 the efjuator line to the curved sun patli. Then, and not properly till 

 then, are young geographers read}' to use the noon altitude and 

 declination of the sun in determining their latitude. When this 



