Show HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY lecture by jos A bees before the joint Teachers 9 institute that tho study of history and geography is of preeminent importance will bo conceded without argument no student can become a thoroughly intelligent and practical citizen unless he has a knowledge of the rise and progress of his country the difficulties through which it has passed the triumphs it has achieved together with the cause and effects of all its leading events nor will any thinking mind ignore the fact that it is indispensable to good citizenship to become familiar with the general outline of the organic law the plan of our government the necessity for its formulation and adoption and the difference that characterizes it from that of any other country one of thu main objects of our common school is to prepare intelligent citizens by awakening the love of knowledge by natural methods of teaching and by bringing the pupil into vital contact with the realms of knowledge by putting him in possession of first principles history said a writer is an exhaustless fountain out of which all men may drink and be refreshed he who bends above the pellucid waters may see reflected therein a living and glorious panorama which is no lebs than the drama of humanity the pageant of the world this being true it behooves the teacher of history not to adulterate this precious stream with false interpretations but rather to divest himself of all prejudice be it political sectional or religious and present the facts as they are without bending them to any purpose whatever BO that his pupils may be fed on truth and only truth thus securing to them a proper insight into the affairs of men and nations Jn order to fasten these truths in the mind and cause them to grow and expand and at alie same time feel delighted it becomes the duty of the teacher to present the subject of history in the most attractive forms As god dresses the earth with verdant preen or snowy white interspersed with many other colors so should historical facts be clothed with the brilliant humorous humo rou pathetic and exciting incidents that cluster around the main facts what school boy can over forget the excellent character of george washington after hearing or reading the story of the hatchet where is the person if old enough to understand choso whoso condition mentally and morally is nob bettered after once familiarizing himself with the of Hul metho manners of additon the moral essays of johnson the grandeur of stilton the tenderness of chaucer or the imaginative agi native literature of sir walter scott an acquaintance with such men creates a fervid desire to become like unto them to emulate noble deeds and thus become of practical use and a blessing in society indeed it imprints in the pupil a photograph of what he may become through right action the great men of any age are representatives of their times the crystal iced embodiment of the thoughts the actions and the movements of the nations in which they live to study their lives is to study to a great extent the historical events of that period it must not be forgotten that the study of lives of noble women is often as important as the study of the lives of noble men we see reflected in thee lives that noblest impulses the loftiest loft iest sentiments the purest devotion the greatest heroism and though their bodies moulder in the grave the spirit of history speaks from their tombs with the voice of a trumpet and we feel a sacred sentiment of veneration for the undying memorials they have left behind but history gives us the lives of the bad as well tinselled tin selled heroes checkered lives lost hopes treachery and villainy right here the best powers of the reichers tei chers are called into activity to the pupils in discriminating between the good and the bad between acue and false lights between him who to elevate the race or benefit his fellows and the one who through motives of selfishness or evil ambition roused the world to hear to see and act he who leads his pupils to wisely contrast conti ast tho lives of Polon iua and cincinnatus Oin cinnatus hulls cowardice and perfidy with nathan aliens bravery and loyalty and make other contrasts equally as important builds on a sure foundation and adds culture to knowledge for what is knowledge without culture jt is as a keen bladed in the hands of tho mad mar or a bible in the mouth of an infidel self improvement is the object in view in the study of history hib tory to assist in this the teacher will profit by 1 presenting such facts of history as are appreciable and on a level with the understanding 2 aid the mind to form clear conceptions and righteous judgments and 3 the application of knowledge gained into practical utility human history says prof maeser is a great plan having a grand idea running all through it men may be compared to the threads of a carpet each acting his part according to strength of character and the whole race forming the grand fabric of humanity what a potent truth in the illustration Is it not then of vital importance to lead the pupil to discover that he is an integer in the total aggregation that his thoughts and acts to day tend to strengthen or weaken the record of life that the strength and color of his thread of life depends on the coarse of action and the powers exercised A due appreciation of these facts will stimulate to loftier thoughts to higher grounds of activity and will inspire him to bo liberal in thought compassionate in judgement jud gement and merciful in action we now come to the question how to teach history and when to teach it horace greely once said any one can dig but it takes a wise man to know how where when and what to dig but in regard to teaching history wise men differ widely in their opinions some say that it should bo studied in our common schools others that it is a subject proper only for the higher schools and still others that the facts of history can only be acquired by reading some the teaching of history should begin with the creation and continue down 0 our time while others equally ss fervid maintain that the history of self and home and surroundings should be first studied and from thence the field of investigation and inquiry should broaden upon appropriate subjects until ail that is valuable or worth knowing is mastered tn this short article I 1 will cot attempt to offer any remarks for or against the above opinions but merely state that he plan of any study should conform to the plan of the mind in other words the matter and the method should bo adopted to the capacity of the child the following principles are generally ac cepter by the teaching fraternity primary instructions should be given in the concrete and should proceed from the known to the unknown primary instruction should proceed from the practical to the theoretical first synthetic then analytic all enduring work must be in the image of natures work lasting and efficient knowledge feuds its beginning in the little acts and thoughts of the child concerning himself his associates and surroundings these expand the circle is enlarged until at fast the waves of thought circumscribe the whole area of matured reflection every mountain is climbed every desert is crossed every ocean is navigated every nook and corner is explored into the depths of earth and sea man digs and dives nor will he content himself on earth be soars among the countless worlds above and holds communion with the forces of the universe there lulled in the countless of the brain our thoughts are linked by many a hidden chain A wals e but one and lo 10 what rise each stamps bis image aa the r flies to the primary teacher I 1 would say take a lively antei esic in passing events open the abild eye arouse the curiosity awaken the interest and spur the imagination assist the child to be observing to tae in knowledge through pictures and from the bright colored lip pictures told by yourself show them those painted masterpieces the life of krobinson JR crusoe the hunting of ghory chase and for more reliable works mosea in the ark of bul rushes and in the wilderness of midian david in the of judea or in the talley of elah teach them to know the domestic animals their habits peculiarities and different breeds introduce them to the robin the sparrow and other locals lead them to discover their colors their manner of abing their food how they fly nud other find bogs the morning of school life should be hallowed not so much with primera and manuals and charts aa with telling pictures digestible stories parables moral anecdotes bright incidents and well selected extracts here plans for study were placed on black board and copied by the teacher systematic variety is the spice of life the stimulus to higher and braver pursuits gradually the child is led from one step up into another he sees all things around him tho geography and history of chiq home is known to him he has learned to study well small things he is now ready to go out into the world to form new acquaintances to see other sights to love to hate to wonder to rejoice in the dense forest ia the bleak wilderness on the mountain top in the busy mart everywhere he gains experience he sails the oceans with columbus and kane studies with homer on the shores of the archipelago with virgil in mantua is inspired with patriotism at the pillar of thermopylae and cultivates human kindness with the welsh boy stanley in the dark forests and sickly morasses of africa who of us can tell 1 he bad been bad never taught the art eliat filea into form the thought had plato never spoken from his cell or his high harp blind homer never strung who of us can tell the result of plan of system and of matter on the future life of the child while natural or artificial objects are being presented and examined while minature continents oceans riven etc are formed on paper on the modeling board or on he play while the teacher is giving explanations and illustrations who can foretell the result of present influence one thing is known impressions are made a nucleus is formed but the generating of material power that will culminate in independent thinkers cultured and refined citizens will depend on individual strength of character with the reins in the hands of a capable leacher our own mountain home affords many a theme for the little historian take for example the pioneers mormon Ba tallion the cricket and grasshopper war war with the indians stories about the chiefs walker araleen Ara peen squash head black hawk and washakie the hand cart companies utah war pony express the connor shoshone war the railroad advanced classes are expected to write a full paragraph under each of the following heads introduction settlement when by whom circumstances cum stances early difficulties kind cause position lat lon zone boundaries physical features climate occupations products imports and exports principal cities capital government by this time the pupils are anxious to tread new paths to explore new fields to win other laurels they have read sketches from the lives of pilgrims stories of the early settlements of our country the perils dangers and adventures of long ago and have seen pictures expressive of the lofty heroism of the revolution and are therefore prepared to study with a degree of system the history of our own country under the following divisions subdivisions here left out 1 discovery and exploration 2 settlement and growth 3 independence and union 4 development and prosperity 5 civil war and emancipation 6 reconstruction and peace in the above studies I 1 would rev re v commend a thorough knowledge of the geography of prominent places to be studied in connection the history of events persons etc clear explanation by the teacher reproductions by the pupil frequent review and an oral and what is better written summary of leading facts be methodical illustrative and full of the subject addition to the above an extensive diagram on cal geography was placed on the baard |