The Teaching of Geography 



59 



sciences have developed and found their 

 way into the university curriculum ; 

 but the English-speaking people pro- 

 vide no place for the venerable geogra- 

 phy, notwithstanding the fact that so 

 much of their development has depended 

 upon geographic knowledge. It is not 

 because there is lack of interest in geog- 

 raphy, for there are enough who are 

 interested to form numerous societies 

 with great influence. Our geographic 

 magazines rank with the best scientific 

 periodicals, which indicates that men 

 are not merely members of the societies, 

 but also workers in geography. 



Doubtless investigation would reveal 

 reasons why geography has been ruled 

 out of the university while many really 

 less important subjects have crept in ; 

 but no investigation can offer adequate 

 reason why this condition should be 

 allowed tq continue. We need such in- 

 struction for many reasons ; but, confin- 

 ing ourselves to the single purpose of 

 this paper, we need it for the sake of 

 the advancement of geographic instruc- 

 tion in the schools. There is an ever 

 increasing demand for training in geog- 

 raphy, for which no adequate provision 

 is made. If only one of our large uni- 

 versities could set the example of estab- 

 lishing a school of geography, others 

 would soon find it necessary to follow. 

 Such a school should provide instruc- 

 tion in the various branches of geogra- 

 phy and in the pedagogical aspect of 

 the subject as well. It is quite useless 

 to hope to see such a school established 

 by the university, for the simple reason 

 that ever}' university has such demands 

 upon its resources that a large, new de- 

 partment could not be provided unless 

 it were absolutely necessary. For the 

 establishment of such a school money 

 must be specially provided. Is there 

 not some one among the many who are 

 interested in geography who will see 

 the need of a school of geography and 

 provide for its establishment ? The 

 founding of such a school will mark the 



beginning of a new era in the teaching 

 of geography, as well as in other lines 

 of geographical work. 



NEED OF A PLAN FOR GEOGRAPHY 

 STUDY IN THE SCHOOLS 



While, according to my view, im- 

 provement in the treaching staff of the 

 grades is the greatest present need of 

 the schools, and has therefore been given 

 first place in this article, I consider it 

 highly important also that there should 

 be some agreement as to what should 

 be taught and how the subject-matter 

 should be presented. By this I of course 

 do not mean that there should be abso- 

 lute uniformity, for there must always be 

 much difference in detail, according to 

 the individual and to the environment; 

 but that there is a general feeling that 

 something like a rational plan should be 

 agreed upon and followed is indicated 

 by the fact that the matter is every now 

 and then made the subject of committee 

 report and discussion at leading educa- 

 tional conferences. The diversity of 

 the reports presented proves how diffi- 

 ■ cult it is to find a plan acceptable to all, 

 and the marked differences in the lead- 

 ing text-books points to the same con- 

 clusion. 



This question is altogether too large 

 a one for full discussion within the limits 

 of a single short paper, and accordingly 

 I shall confine myself to a mere state- 

 ment of a few fundamental principles 

 which I believe should govern all courses 

 in geography in the grades. 



There should be a well-matured plan 

 so that the course should develop step 

 by step — that is to say, the earlier les- 

 sons should form a foundation on which 

 the later ones may be built. Unfor- 

 tunately in many cases there seems to 

 be no such provision, but instead, topic 

 after topic is introduced with no pre- 

 vious foundation and no vital relation- 

 ship between what precedes or follows. 

 It is a mass of description and unrelated 



