﻿HISTORY STUDY IX THE ELE^^IEXTARY SCHOOLS 



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book series for the grades V. YI. YII. and YIII (1) ; course satis- 

 factory^, texts not amount of matter too g'reat, texts too bur- 

 densome (1) ; good text in fourth grade (1). Total, 9. 



11. What to eniphasize : 'Move attention to industrial phase, 

 less on war and politics (2) ; less stress on battles, more on spirit^ 

 cause and effect (3) ; adjust course to child and community (2) ; 

 more attention to historical setting (1) ; make history more insti- 

 tutional (2) ; more time for supplementary work on pivotal points 

 (1) : make more definite, leave less optional (3) ; fewer biographies,, 

 told in simple language, will get better results in fifth and sixth 

 grades (1) : shift emphasis from hero worship to instruments of 

 peace (1). Total, 16. 



12. Eliminations: Eliminate isolated facts (2) ; have no his- 

 tory below fifth grade (2) ; have no history below sixth grade (1) : 

 narrow the field and do more thoroughly (1) ; omit some parts (2) ; 

 fewer points required (1). Total. 9. 



13. Teachers and Methods: More detailed helps should be 

 supplied teachers (1) ; most trouble with unprepared teachers (2) ; 

 teachers can not do grades I. II, III. and lY in Indiana State 

 course (1) ; needs chiefly those of method (1) ; must have better 

 teachers (1) ; give quite a free rein to a good teacher (1) ; less re- 

 quired work and more freedom to the teacher in selecting material 

 (1). Total, 8. 



The above tabulations indicate the direction in which change is 

 desired. ]\Iore civics, more history material, or more time for 

 history, and a change of emphasis in presenting the material now 

 used, are the chief lines on which one may expect future develop- < 

 ments. There is also a slight indication that local history will re- 

 ceive more time in future courses of study. 



The desire to shift the emphasis to phases of history work other 

 than those which many courses at present emphasize is brought out 

 by the following: 'Omit much detail', 'center attention on great 

 movements', 'teach less about the heroes of war and more about 

 the heroes of peace', 'make history less a study of man and more 

 the study of the development of the institutional life of the people'. 

 The outside pressure back of some phases of history work is sug- 

 gested by the teacher who said : 'Omitting campaigns in war would 

 certainly not meet the approval of the members of the Grand Army 

 of the Republic'. This pressure is offset largely by the economic 

 ideals of the present age, which are acting to throw the emphasis 

 upon the commercial and industrial phases of history. 



