PROPERTY OF University of Michigan Libraries, ARTES SCIENTIA VERITAS SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN GRADES: KINDERGARTEN, ONE AND TWO PUBLISHED BY BOARD OF EDUCATION ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 1931 LB 1563 .AG 1921 anni All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. COPYRIGHT 1929, 1931 BY BOARD OF EDUCATION ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN REVISED EDITION, 1931 DEDICATION This book is dedicated to the children of the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the hope that it may contribute to their happiness and well- being vi SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS terials, therefore, assume an increasingly important place in such a program of work. The need for an adequate bibliography be- comes immediate and imperative. We are pleased to acknowledge the very great service which Miss Eloise Ramsey of Detroit Teachers College rendered in the preparation of the bibliography. The bibliography for the second edition has been revised and en- larged by Miss Ramsey. Miss Ruth Bristol, Supervisor of the Lower Elementary Grades of the Ann Arbor Schools, has been directly in charge of the preparation of this course of study. This course is the result of the constancy of purpose and the leadership which she has ever evidenced. The text of the second edition has been revised considerably and new material has been added. Respectfully, OTTO W. HAISLEY, Superintendent of Schools vu SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS That it should provide for the practice of the desirable per- sonal and social habits which are being built in the home and should in addition provide for the beginning of other habits of a positive social type. That while it is stimulating growth in power of social ad- justment it should also provide for growth in individuality. WE BELIEVE: That the CURRICULUM should be organized in terms of experiences. That these experiences integrate subject-matter and eliminate sharply drawn distinctions between the conventional school subjects. That such a curriculum is based upon the assumption that subjects of study as organized bodies of information should be the end point and not the beginning of an educative ex- perience. That within certain limits teachers and pupils should be given a large degree of freedom in choosing and organizing the particular unit experiences which they will enter into in any grade. That these experiences should be so chosen and arranged that participation in life on increasingly higher levels of achievement is possible. WE BELIEVE: That an INTEGRATED COURSE in the Social STUDIES in the Elementary School will further the aim of education. That it will bring about a freer, more flexible organization of the Elementary School. That it will furnish a core of rich life-experiences which will make meaningful many of the other school activities. That it will make possible a more significant and unified in- terpretation of the problems of social life which the child meets from day to day. That it will make more probable an intense and lasting learn- ing of many of the skills and facts which are considered tools for the successful solution of individual and group problems. That it will give greater opportunity for the growth in the child of the power to think independently and for mastery of the technique of problem solution. That it will give greater opportunity for the development of individuality. “There is one stage which has an automatic position in the series, and therefore dominates all the rest: the autocracy of priority. The primary school period is biologically the most important period in the development of an indi- vidual for the simple but sufficient reason that it comes first. Coming in a dynamic sequence it inevitably influences all subsequent develop- ment. These years determine character, much as the foundation and frame determine a structure.” DR. ARNOLD GESELL CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION ....... I. Educational Values in Terms of Knowledges, and Skills ...... Appreciations, Habits, ......... .................. 5 II. Progression from Grades Kindergarten through First and Second ........ 9 . .... ....... ...... ........ ......... 14 ......... ........... ou Tabits ........ .......... III. Suggestions Concerning Method ....... A. How to Plan for a Project ...... ................... B. How to Prepare a Room for Project Work ............. C. How to Launch a Project ...................... How to Carry on a Project 1. Building up Ideas .................. 2. Planning ............ 3. The Importance of Creative Thinking and Activity..... 4. Discussion Periods ....... 5. Activity Periods 6. · Building Good Habits 7. Building Skill .. 8. Building Knowledge ................ 9. Building Appreciations and Attitudes .. 10. Playing with Projects ........ 11. Length of Projects .. 12. Use of Pictures and Objects ..... 13. Culmination .......... 14. Summary of Points for Teachers ....... E. Time Allotment .... 1. Suggested Program for Grades IB and IA 2. Suggested Program for Grades IIB and IIA F. How to Evaluate Various Experiences ........ 34 1. Criteria for Appraisal of (1) Projects in General (2) Excursions (3) Discussion Periods (4) Activity Periods ....... хіі CONTENTS ..... : ......... III. Suggestions Concerning Method (Continued) G. How to Select Projects ....... ....... 1. Suggestions for Selection of Projects ................. 2. A partial List of possible Projects and Activities....... 3. A Note on the Bibliographies Accompanying Outlined Projects ........... ......... 42 4. Qutlined Projects as Developed in our Classrooms...42-90 (1) Store Project .... (2) Playhouse Project ........... (3) Train or Boat Project .. (4) Lumber Yard Project (5) Pet Project (6) Dairy Farm Project ... (7) Chicken Farm Project .. (8) Valentine Project .......... (9) Postal Service Project ............. (10) Fire Project (11) Community Project ......... (12) Work of People in and Around Ann Arbor Project ............. (13) Animal Project ............... ......... (14) Farm Project ....... (15) Nature Project ...... . (16) Flower Project ....... H. Descriptions of Projects ......91-112 .................. ......... SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS impulses are, and what they are at each particular stage of the child's development, in order to know what to appeal to and what to build upon.” This book presents some suggestions as to method. These suggestions are the result of teaching experiences which indicate these procedures as wise. The actual projects described or sug- gested are few and only indicate the activities that have developed in some of our class rooms and are of the sort that seem to us to stimulate growth in the child. This growth must recognize the fact that in order to grow in any certain way the child must have exercise, practice, experience, along that line. For example, if he is to grow in initiative he must be placed in situations where his capacity for thinking active- ly about ways of doing things, and for carrying these plans into action is called forth. If he is to grow in industry and persistence he must carry on work that makes him want to work with in- dustry and persistence. If he is to grow in power to work and play harmoniously with others he must work out ways of shar- ing, helping others, and being helped himself, with some degree of independence and freedom . It is our belief that such activities as those suggested in this book do utilize the native instincts and impulses and the capacities of boys and girls in the kindergarten, first and second grades, and that consequently they are valuable in stimulating the education of those boys and girls. “To make a good school we have merely to create a school environment that sets off the impulse to action and the tendency to self-assertion in legitimate activities. More concretely, we can place in the schoolhouse simple toys and apparatus of various kinds for physical exercise, sand, clay, wood, paper, and other material, with simple tools of various kinds, and in another room implements for drawing, paper cutting, and the like, books and paper, maps and the necessary tools for different scholastic activ- ities; and then, if we place in these rooms a teacher who can re- press his own tendency to self-assertion and act as guide and giv- er of suggestions to the children and who has the higher gift of organizing school groups so that the stimulus of the group sets off these determining tendencies in legitimate behavior, we have the essentials for a good school. In such a school, with the doing of suitable tasks, training can be given in the facing of difficulties and the taking of responsibility.” INTRODUCTION "On the other hand, the equipment for a poor school is also easily furnished. To begin with, barren school rooms, an ungraded group of children, made up of those of different physiological mental, scholastic, and social ages, as well as different chronological age; there may be added a teacher who is at once martinet and pedant, and more able to assert than to provide opportunity for the legitimate self-assertion and self-activity of his pupils, or, more concretely, a teacher who can make rules in regard to all details of the school work, of which each one is likely to be a stimulus to touch off the pupil's tendency for self-assertion in breaking the rule.” DR. WILLIAM BURNHAM “The Normal Mind.” p. 335-336. The books and periodicals listed should be available for teach- ers interested in developing activity programs. BLAISDELL, THOMAS F.: Ways to Teach English. Doubleday, 1930. BROWNE, CORINNE: Creative Drama in the Lower School. Appleton, 1929. BURKE, AGNES and others: A Conduct Curriculum for the Kindergarten and First Grade; with an introd. by Patty Smith Hill. Scribner, 1923. CHUBB, PERCIVAL: Festivals and Plays. Harper, 1912. The Teaching of English. Macmillan, rev. ed. 1929. COLEMAN, Satis N.: Creative Music in the Home; il. by drawings and photographs. Myers, 1928 Dixon, C. MADELEINE: Children Are Like That!; il. by Ruth Hambidge. Day, 1930. The Francis Parker School Studies in Education. Vols, I, II, III, IV, and V. Francis Parker School, Chicago. 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1925. GARDNER, EMELYN E. and Ramsey, Eloise: A Handbook of Children's · Literature. JENNINGS, HERBERT S. and others: Suggestions of Modern Science Con- cerning Education. Macmillan, 1917. Mathias, MARGARET : Beginnings of Art in the Elementary School. Scrib- ner, 1924. MERRILL, John and FLEMING, MARTHA: Play-Making and Plays. Macmil- lan, 1930. MITCHELL, LUCY SPRAGUE: Here and Now Story Book. Dutton, 1921. SWIFT, EDGAR: The Psychology of Childhood. Appleton, 1929. THORN, ALICE G.: Music for Young Children. Scribner, 1929. TIPPET, JAMES S., and others: Curriculum Making in the Elementary School. Ginn, 1927. The following magazines should be available for teachers : CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 1201 16th Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. EDUCATIONAL METHOD, Bureau of Publications. Teachers College, Columbia University. ELEMENTARY ENGLISH REVIEW, Official Organ of the National Council of Teachers of English, 4070 Vicksburg Avenue, De- troit, Michigan. PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION, Progressive Education Association, Wash- ington, D. C. CHAPTER I EDUCATIONAL VALUES IN TERMS OF APPRECIA- TIONS, HABITS, KNOWLEDGES, AND SKILLS. A. APPRECIATIONS AND ATTITUDES. The appreciations and attitudes which children should ac- quire as a result of experience with these projects may be sum- marized as follows: 1. A growing appreciation for the industry and work of the peo- ple who carry on the work of the world. 2. A growing appreciation for the interdependence of people. 3. A growing appreciation of the child's need for other people and their need for him. 4. A growing satisfaction in creative, industrious effort on his own part. 5. A growing appreciation of the value of careful, neat work. 6. A growing appreciation for the desirability of keeping a work room and cupboards, including tools, in good order. 7. A growing appreciation for the kindly, sympathetic help of the teacher. 8. A growing appreciation for the possibilities of materials and tools, particularly those suited for the working out of his own ideas. 9. A growing satisfaction in finding the answers to questions aroused in one's mind, which is the basis for the formation of the habit of study. B. HABITS. 1. The mental habits which these projects should help to stimu- late are: a. A growing habit of working with a clear, specific pur- pose in mind. b. A growing habit of analyzing problems or lining up the things that have to be accomplished. C. A growing habit of concentrating on a problem. EDUCATIONAL VALUES to alcoho, a glass of example, damp cloth to keep fingers clean, and to use brush or stick, keeping fingers out of paste. A growing habit in using paint, to clean box after using. f. A growing habit in using brushes, of caring for different kinds of brushes properly. For example, water color brushes should be put in a glass of water after work, shel- lac brushes into alcohol, paint brushes into turpentine. Time should be taken at each lesson to see that children remember these details and carry them out exactly. g. A growing habit of keeping all things in their places. 4. Knowledge that these projects build up. A project should give children a large amount of new infor- mation about subjects which are of interest and value to them. More care needs to be taken in choosing subject matter for children in these grades because of the lack of experience of the children and their consequent lack of understanding. Such studies as Dr. Hall's Content of Children's Minds on Entering School, indicate the limited scope of their information. One of the most glaring instances of unsuitable subject matter is the use of the so-called “First Thanksgiving.” The Pilgrims have been perhaps most sinned against when they have been thus introduced into the Kindergarten, first and second grades. All that makes the story of the Pilgrims significant is utterly outside a young child's experience. In the absence of further knowledge as to just when children are able to profit from subject-matter that deals with experiences which cannot be direct but must be made by means of books, pic- tures, descriptions and objects, we are keeping closely within the immediate environment of Ann Arbor for our subject-matter in the lower elementary grades. 5. Skills that these projects should develop. These projects stimulate the development of skills in read- ing and the other regularly recognized school skills, as well as skill in art, manual activities, and in independent planning of activities. 6. Physical and Motor development that these projects should stimulate. To say that the proper development of the child's physical and motor growth is of the utmost importance seems axiomatic. There is direct evidence of the bad effect upon emotional and social life of improper motor development. Children who use their legs, CHAPTER II PROGRESSION FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIRST AND SECOND GRADES There are four rather well defined stages in the development of projects in which progression from kindergarten through the second grades takes place, and which should be evident in the de- velopment of all projects. A. First, a gradual change from a maximum of individual in- terests and a minimum of group interests through a compara- tively equal balance of individual and group interests, to a maximum of group interests and a minimum of individual interests, generally takes place. The kindergarten, first and second grades illustrate these three stages fairly well. Second, there is an increasing interest in detail. If a kinder- garten group visits a railroad station, they will see certain outstanding activities and will talk about, illustrate, and dramatize them on their return. A first grade group will see much more detail and their expression will show this clear- ly. A second grade group will put still more detail into every form of expression attempted. Their discussion will be more detailed and intelligent and will embrace a larger vocabulary. This increasing attention to detail will usually mean that a project will occupy attention and interest for a longer time. For this reason more detail is suggested in the actual length of second grade projects than is suggested for the first grade. Third, children should gain markedly in skill as they pass along from the kindergarten through the first to the second grade. Greater skill in reading, writing, language, use of number, and use of materials and tools should be evident in all of their work. Fourth, children should be acquiring a large number of new concepts in their work and should evidence this in their play with these projects. All work should include new concepts in an increasing number and breadth. CHAPTER III SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD A. How to PLAN FOR A PROJECT. 1. How projects arise. This is a question that troubles many teachers. They have been made to feel that real projects should never come from the teacher, that they must come from the children. It is true that the teacher who secures the co- operation of the children whom she teaches is the one who is extremely sensitive to the desires and proposals of children. Undoubtedly there are cases where an activ- ity suggested by the children will be of more value to that group at that time than the one planned by the teach- er would be. The teacher needs to be on the alert for such · instances and willing to put aside for the present, a plan into which she has put real effort and thought. It is good for children to feel that school is a place in which they may carry out their own ideas. When we consider what remarkable things children do when they enjoy the freedom that results in the full expression of their own ideas, it is surprising that we do not more often place con- fidence in their thinking. However, many of the purposes of the school must orig- inate with the teacher. The teacher should be acquainted with the children's interests in a broad, sympathetic way, and should also have clear pictures in her own mind of the values and joys that any experience is likely to realize. How to select a project. If the teacher needs to select a project, she should proceed as follows: a. Ask herself the following questions: (1) Is there a worthwhile activity that would seem naturally to follow what we have been doing ? (2) Do the children need a new and quite different experience that will stimulate new interest and effort ? SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD II (3) Is a group project desirable at this time? Will small group individual creative activities be suitable? Is a combination of these activities needed at the present stage ? b. Help the children to choose a project that offers them experiences that promise the greatest satisfaction as well as growth for them. c. Prepare to make the project interesting and vital by arranging for excursions, preparing stories to tell, finding material for the children to read, finding verse asociated with the activity, and finding objects of interest. d. Read descriptions of projects and examine available lists of materials equipment, and books. B. How to PREPARE THE ROOM FOR PROJECT WORK. The room should be so arranged as to offer materials, books, and tools to children in the ways most likely to invite them to do something. It should be bright and attractive to them, which means color, variety, and things that offer op- portunity for activity. Materials, tools, and books should be easily accessible. For the sake of accessibility, open shelves are most prac- tical. There should be an exact place for each thing, so that it may be always returned to that place. Things that go to- gether should be placed together. For example, all of the materials and tools that are used for clay-modelling, all of the materials and tools used for pasting, for painting, and for other activities should be grouped. The room should pre- sent a neat, orderly appearance. For this reason it should be simple, and useless objects should be eliminated. There should be a few objects of beauty, such as brightly colored curtains, a really beautiful picture, a big, colorful vase or jar, but very little else. A small amount of children's work should be arranged in an attractive way and changed fre- quently. In general, the environment of school rooms is con- fusing because they are CLUTTERED WITH A TOO GREAT VARI- ETY OF THINGS. When necessary children should be allowed to move about, observe other children at work and view the possibil- ities. It is almost impossible for a young child to form a pur- pose in the absence of material things, for the things help to stimulate the purpose. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 13 know about? What are they like? The teacher may write the names of these animals on the board as the children mention them. If this type of ap- proach is educationally profitable, the conversation must be managed informally, so that the children talk freely. d. The approach may take the form of telling or read- ing of a story or a poem, the showing of pictures, or the reading of a story together with a proposal that it be dramatized by the group. Sometimes the pro- cess of getting ready for a dramatization may draw in all the educational activity desirable and furnish all the reasons for it. 2. Selecting the Approach that is suitable: In this curriculum several possible approaches to each subject are suggested, because individual dif- ferences require many modes of attack and many angles from which to look at a subject. Not many of them would be used by a single group in complete form. But the teacher who is familiar with the ma- terial assembled should be able to make any one of them interesting and vital, because of her own wide acquaintance with the possibilities. Any one ap- proach in itself might constitute a completely satis- fying experience for some child. Other children might enjoy several of them carefully related. Choos- ing an approach depends upon knowing the interests of a particular group. We are not recommending one approach more than another. In the light of our experience with children, we have assembled a number of various types of approach from which a teacher may gather fresh suggestions for new modes of attack. There is no one best way of approaching a subject with all children. Any one of the suggested approaches will probably fail if handled dogmatically. The best approach is the one that comes from some child or children. Frequently the problem is one of seeing an approach that already exists and consequently does not have to be brought about by the teacher. 14 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS How to Carry ON A PROJECT. 1. Building up Ideas: After the approach has been made, experiences are necessary in order to build up a background out of which ideas for the development of the project will come. If the teacher thinks of this stage as a building-up time and uses all the resources at her command to help the children get ideas, they will come more naturally into a period of expression. Impression and expression move together, but expression can only come out of genuine impressions and is ruined by over-urging. Excursions, pictures, ob- jects, talks by children who have had experience—all these help in building up ideas. 2. Planning: When purposes begin to form, children are ready to plan. Primary children can attain real growth in their ability to organize ideas, if making plans is regularly a part of their experience. It should be done in a simple way making use of their own words. If these plans are written on a large chart, which may be hung in front of the group, the plans may be referred to during the prog- ress of the activity and thus be of value in helping the child to realize the association between what he is doing and his growing power to read, as well as a means of actually learning to read certain words and sentences. As has been suggested, making plans may not only help the child to organize his thinking, but it may con- tribute to his learning to read. The first grade teacher may write a word or two or a phrase or two on the black- board in connection with the work. For example, when children are planning to make dolls and furniture, the words "doll", "bed", "chair" may be written on the board, or on a large plain sheet and referred to in the planning and in later work. In the second grade, the plans may be much longer and involve more reading. Oral or written plans preceding work are not always wise in the lower grades. Many times especially in the development of individual projects, young children can only get their ideas as they see materials and have first hand experience with them, These unifying projects offer every opportunity for individual choice of activity and hence have the advantage SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD of placing the child in situations where he voluntarily undertakes a share in group work. Most children are very serious in assuming responsibilities of this kind and therefore acquire valuable experience in interdependence when they bend their energies toward accomplishing a piece of cooperative work. Since children should feel that school is a place in which to form and carry out purposes, the materials and tools should be at hand and the teacher should offer stim- ulating encouragement so that individuals will plan and carry out activities of their own, quite apart from the room projects. Reading should be drawn into the child's activities whenever possible; first, because reading is more mean- ingful when connected with daily interests; second, be- cause frequent short practice periods in reading make for more complete learning. Children should think through assignments of work, and carry them through for specific reasons. "John should be the leader in doing this because he will do it best.” “David should manage this because he needs ex- perience in managing.” “We will all help him learn what to do." Comments and suggestions of this kind help children to get under way with the execution of plans. 3. The Importance of Creative Thinking and Activity: One of the chief motives in preparing this curricu- lum is that each child should be offered ample opportunity to express creatively the ideas which come to him dur- ing the course of his work. All children are not equally able to think and act creatively, BUT EVERY BIT OF THIS POWER WHICH EACH ONE POSSESSES SHOULD BE DEVEL- OPED. Very young children begin to express their own interpretations of the meanings that come to them and if they are encouraged and provided with materials will amaze observers with their creative power. Before the child is spoiled by the criticisms, directions, and patterns of the adult, he is willing to try to give expression to his ideas through any medium. This was true of one little four-year-old, who entered one of our kindergar- tens. The room was delightfully pleasant to her, a place where one participated in all sorts of experiences. No 16 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS fears inhibited her. When singing was suggested, she said, “I'll sing !" When stories were being told she said eagerly, “I'll tell a story!" When blocks, crayons, or clay came into sight she was eager to be at work experimenting. If one has seen the vivid characterization that will result when the child is free to express his own ideas of a man, or any other person or object it is hard to understand why adults give children stiff, in- artistic figures to copy or color. A collection of the drawings of five-year-olds is far more interesting than any collection that an average teacher could possibly produce. Children who have been forced to draw around figures made by adults may lose that power to work cre- atively which all normal children seem to have. The sensible teacher is the one who provides the child with materials with which to express ideas; paper, crayons, scissors, paint, clay, wood, cloth, needle, and blocks; pro- vides him also with constantly expanding experiences that help to illuminate life; provides him with time in which to express the ideas that his experiences have given him; and supplies him also with that freedom from crit- icism that is so necessary a condition for the realization of creative expression. Criticism begun too soon in- hibits effort through introducing that fear of being wrong which is the surest road toward being wrong. The child who loses himself in the creative expression of the ideas which his experiences have given him is unafraid, sin- cere, and self-critical, and seeks suggestions when he is ready to use them. Putting ideas and feelings into some form of one's own clarifies them, makes them more intelligible to the in- dividual, and hence makes him better able to use the knowledge and the power gained during this experience in other ways. An idea is never one's own until it is expressed in one's own way. The individual who uses his powers to create is giving expression to the best that is in him; he is realizing his potentialities, and is con- tributing to social progress as fully as he is able. The young child is forming his habits of work. If he is taught to lean,—to copy, he will learn permanently to work in that way. He will lose his power to be original. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 17 We wish to help all children grow creatively to the full- est extent of their abilities. Mrs. Cain, an artist herself and director of art at the Walden School, New York City, describes so vivid- ly a case in which fear predominated that to quote her would probably be the most helpful way of making this point clear: “An obstacle that I have met in new pupils un- accustomed to the school is fear; fear of failure so that they sometimes will not even make a trial. There was one girl who had painted her first picture, a study of a jar of flowers, and now she was sitting in front of a blank canvass evidently desirous of plunging into some- thing entirely her own. I remember sitting next to her, talking about it. She said, I can't paint.' And I said, 'What would you paint if you could paint very well?' An idea evidently came to her like a flash, for her face lit up and she began describing very rapidly a scene she had observed recently. A gray sea and sky, a sandy beach, and a little old woman on the beach all alone, looking out to sea. It must have made a strong impression upon her because the description came so clearly and with intense feeling. I said, 'Well, where would you put the edge of the beach ?' Her hand made a quick line. 'And where would the sky and sea meet?' She drew another quick line. “And the old woman?' I asked. “But I can't draw an old woman with a shawl.' So I volunteered to pose. I drew a sweater over my head and shoulders like a shawl and turned my back. She sketched it in roughly and thanked me. I left her and without further help she finished the painting. An exceedingly fine thing it was, full of the sense of sea, grayness and loneliness. It was only her second painting, but the feeling she had about the scene carried her over the problems she met on the way. She forgot her fears.” This is an example of sympathetic and rare teaching insight. It brought out the child's best in a way that was appropriate for the older child. This same way of working would not in its entirety be appropriate to the younger children. The lower grade child does not draw or paint from the object, for he draws from his mental image of the object. It would confuse him to continue 20 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS begin with a subject close to them; perhaps dogs, games, or the circus. If the children are enjoying an experience they will have a hundred things to talk over. Habits of courtesy must, of course, be maintained. See Habits, Chap. I, p. 6. Time. It is important that children in the lower grades have as much opportunity as is possible to talk about things in which they are interested. This talking should occur when they are full of something to say and the period should be adjusted accordingly. In ad- dition to the many suitable times, it is often helpful to have a discussion period early Monday morning. Usually the children have had experiences over the week end that they are eager to talk about. They need also to make plans for their work of the week. It is good training in the organization of plans to help children think through the work they wish to accomplish during any given time. A discussion period is sometimes needed in the midst of activities for the sake of securing some needed behavior or helping with work. Early in an experience frequent short discussions are helpful. For example, early in the year when the children are ready to put the room in order after the activity period, it will be very help- ful to them to sit in a group and talk over all that needs to be done. One child, or the teacher, may show just where things need to be placed. Since this period should be placed in relationship to all the other activities it should be set as needed; sometimes it may come first, sometimes it may occur after the activity period, or at another more suitable time. Subject Matter. Since the important thing for the children is to discuss those things about which they will talk easily, naturally, and enthusiastically, their own experiences furnish the best subject-matter. The fact that chil- dren need to learn how to talk well in these lower grades can scarcely be over emphasized, when one sees how very poorly children in the upper grades often express themselves. Let them talk about things d. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 21 that they are full of, and, in the beginning, do not be troubled if their subjects lack all unity and wan- der from our ride in the country in Grandmother's new. automobile, to Uncle Dan's dog, and our cat. If they are planning a trip, the important thing as in all discussions, is that the children do the greater part of the thinking and talking. This discussion should awaken interest and arouse questions. Criticism The same rules that were given under the discussion of creative development p. 16 apply here. In general criticism inhibits the expression that is the purpose of the activity. Corrections should be incidental and great care should be taken in making them. e. 5. Activity Periods. a. Activities that may occur. Individual or group activities in which there is value are: (1) Creative expression of all kinds. (2) Making things with materials and tools not necessarily creative. Making costumes, properties, and other things needed for a play, an assembly, or a festival program. Dramatizing an experience or a story. (5) Carrying on nature activities. (6) Examining objects, pictures, or books. (7) Gathering ideas in other ways. (8) Cleaning up or putting in order materials and tools. (9) Excursions of all kinds. b. Materials. Materials should be easily accessible and so far as possible plainly seen by the children. The materi- als often provoke the purpose in the young child's mind. The child's purpose may even take form after he begins work. He does not think easily in the ab- sence of materials. Children should be given time to look about and form a purpose thoughtfully. 22 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Example: Two kindergarten teachers demanded a purpose of each child as he entered the kindergarten. "What are you going to do?”—“and you?” The children glanced hastily around and each one grabbed at a purpose. “Paint !” “Draw !” “Build !" These exclamations implied lack of, rather than formation of purpose. C. Experimentation. When the child goes to work with materials it is best to let him work experimentally, manipulating things and discovering possibilities. Let him make what he will with paint, scissors, paste, blocks, cloth, clay. The teacher may move about making sug- gestions, or she may take materials and work with them herself. The big thing is to get the child to try to do something and to find joy in his own ef- fort. In this beginning stage it is, therefore, usual- ly best not to introduce any definite project, such as playing house or fire station. This should be a period for child-purposing, when the chief object is to pro duce an environment in which children will form purposes and use their own initiative and ability in carrying them out. For this reason it should be pos- sible for them to do almost anything that does not interfere with the activities of others; playing house or fire, playing a story or play with or without cos- tumes and properties; looking at books; conversa- tions with a schoolmate or with the teacher; carrying on a nature activity with animals or plants; or other worthy activity. d. Manual activities not necessary. Boys and girls in the kindergarten, first and sec- ond grades are tremendously interested in things that they can do with their hands. Consequently, the great majority of their projects include handwork of some kind. It is not necessary, however, that hand- work always be included. For example, a valuable experience with the fire department may consist of excursions, discussions, reading experiences, stories, and dramatizations. The process of making fire wag- ons, fire houses, and other equipment will not neces- sarily be included in the experience. -- -- . --- SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD e. Beauty, order and attractiveness. A grocery store, a playhouse, or any other large project may be attractive or it may look like a color- less, disorganized jumble. Teachers need to lend their efforts toward adding bright-colored awnings, flowers or color, neat arrangements, and order so that the classroom affords the child a constant stimulus toward orderly behavior and work. There is always a danger, however, in these grades of working for an adult standard of perfection and consequently los- ing in childish enthusiasm and eager work. 6. Building Good Habits. a. The teacher's part. Every effort should be made to establish good habits. The wise kindergarten-primary teacher real- izes the importance of her work in helping the young child to build up as many good habits as possible, and in helping him to form as few bad ones as possible. He is in the most plastic stage of his development when good habits are easily established, but when bad ones are just as readily formed. He is building a great foundational network of good and bad habits. The teacher needs to be thoroughly conversant with all that is known about the development of habit, and to use her knowledge with the utmost intelligence and patience. (1) Make what is meant by desirable behavior very clear, specific, and emphatic in the child's mind. (2) Secure the child's cooperation in trying to form the habit desired. (3) Allow no exceptions to occur. The schoolroom should be conducted on the first day and during the first hour as it is wise for it to continue. The teacher who never forgets the necessity for desirable habits, but works resolutely and patiently, kindly and hap- pily for them from the beginning, will have her re- ward in a schoolroom of happy, busy, orderly, con- siderate children. (4) Make unusual reminders, such as slogans, record charts, motioning or pointing, joking. Vary them constantly. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD contributed their part toward a very happy and interest- ing visit. One farmer exceeded possible expectations by presenting each child with a small pumpkin. Although the red tomatoes, bright carrots, yellow squash, rosy ap- ples and gay flowers all appealed to the children, noth- ing in the farmers' loads attracted as much attention as the Court House with its four long flights of steps and its clock with four faces standing in the middle of the market square. When the children got back to their class room, the first thing they proceeded to do was to build the Court House. Then they made trucks and wagons, vegetables, fruit and flowers. They played market that first day and their eagerness to make things for their market seemed to result directly from their play and made those of us who were observing feel quite definitely that the playing provided the impulse to further activity. From that day on we realized that play is the natural accompaniment and in fact the driving force in the de- velopment of any project, that it is wholly adult to com- plete the making of things to play with before we play and robs a project of its greatest reason for spreading and developing II. Length of Projects. Since adults have a longer span of attention and interest than children, they are likely to push projects for a longer period than is of value to the child. If the teacher's interest constitutes the sole motive force, the experience will lose the educational values which it should have. It should not be continued beyond the point of the children's enthusiasm. However, teachers should realize that the degree of interest and enthusiasm they show greatly influences the children and that frequently pupil-interest dies because of the teacher's lack of interest and effort. This is so true that it is fair to question the teacher's ability and atti- tude when she says, “My children were not interested." The teacher must be prepared to help make each pro- ject thoroughly interesting while it lasts. If the span of interest happens to be short, then it must be as rich and full as possible while it continues. If the interest of the children holds until a festival or an exhibit is the cul- 28 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS mination, then the teacher needs to command a wealth of resources in the way of background in order to satisfy alert, eager pupils. 12. Uses of Pictures and Objects. Pictures and objects are most helpful when they are used to suggest ideas and not as material to imitate. The wise teacher takes care that the children see many pictures and objects, but that when they go to work these pictures and objects are not placed in the foreground of their attention. 13. Culmination. By culmination we mean the winding-up of a pro- ject. It would be unwise to hold that a project must always close with some unified expression. Frequently, however, a dramatization, a festival, an assembly, an ex- hibit, a fair, or some other such form of activity serves to direct and give reason to much of the work and hence make it all more valuable. 14. Summary of Points for Teachers. It is the teacher's part: a. To provide and create experiences the environment should be constantly expanded and enriched by all the valuable experiences that the teacher's ingenuity can devise. b. To stimulate and encourage initiative and create ef- fort in the children. C. To help patiently and constantly in the development of worthy attitudes, habits, skills, and knowledges. d. To realize that developing child-initiative and inde- pendence requires more and not less of the teacher's attention, even though that attention be concerned with observation. e. To help children at the psychological moment, not so early as to stop creative effort, nor so late as to fail to keep them from loss of interest and effort. f. To learn how to be a partner rather than a director. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD - 29 E. TIME ALLOTMENT. . 1. Suggested Program for Grades IB and IA. First Period: Free play, work and conversation Approximately Building with blocks 20 minutes Playing store, fire, postman, or other rep- to resentative play. Talking to teacher and to each other Looking at books Making things Caring for plants or pets Other free, purposeful activity Toilet time. 8:40 help in gelees that each, that he Second Period: Approximately 15 minutes to 8:55 Discussion of plans for morning and help in getting to work. Teacher sees that each child has a num- ber of quiet activities that he may en- gage in while she is teaching other indi- viduals. 1. Making picture books-illustrated by child's own drawings or by pictures cut from magazines or books, prefer- ably about one subject—“Animals," “Pets”, “Children”, “Automobiles”, "Trains”, “Boats.” 2. Modelling, painting, cutting, sewing. 3. Making and dressing dolls. 4. Playing with puzzles. 5. Working with reading or number games. 6. Other purposeful quiet activity. Third Period: Approximately 60 minutes Reading. While the entire group are engaged in such activities as mentioned above the teacher helps children with their reading. This teaching may be both group and in- dividual. to 10:00 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Fourth Period: Approximately 30 minutes to 10:30 Physical Play. If possible a period of vigorous out-of- door play. Toilet time. Fifth Period: Approximately 35 minutes Literature and Language. Such activities as the following. Listening to stories and poems. Telling stories or repeating poems. “Making up” stories and poems. Playing stories and poems. Planning assemblies and festivals. II:00 Clean up room. Get ready to go home. Reminders! Sixth Period: Approximately 15 minutes to I1:15 AFTERNOON First Period: Approximately 60 minutes to 2:15 Discussion, Play Period, and Activities Period. Conversation and discussion of plans. Excursions Trips to other rooms to see their work. Exhibits of work for mothers or other children. Play with projects that are going on in room. Making things for projects. Creative work and play. (Reading and number games, puzzles and other quiet activities needed for reading time when children need to be quiet should not be used for activities period.) Toilet period and thorough clean up of cupboards, drawers, room in general. 32 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Drill—Words, phrases, sentences on flash cards, (work with a partner.) Drill closely associated with the reading of that day. Making books—ilustrated by child or by pictures cut from magazines. Studying spelling. Studying arithmetic. Playing arithmetic games. Painting. Clay modelling Toilet period. Vigorous Play-out-of-doors if possible. Third Period: Approximately 30 minutes to 10:10 Fourth Period: Approximately 20 minutes to 10:30 Fifth Period: Approximately 45 minutes to 11:15 Arithmetic. Concrete life problems with teacher. These problems should utilize arithme- tic experiences that are a natural part of the child's life. Probably best arrangement is for the teacher to work with one small group while others study or drill each other on combinations or other needed work. Literature, language, and dramatic activ- ities. Listening to stories and poems. Telling stories or repeating poems. “Making up” stories or poems. Reading for one's self. Playing stories or poems. Discussing experiences. Planning and preparing assemblies or fes- tivals. Last minute drills to fix learnings of morning. Clean up room. Sixth Period: Approximately 15 minutes to 11:30 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS F. How to Evaluate Various Experiences 1. Criteria for Appraisal of Projects in General. a. A project should have real meaning and specific val- ue for the children. b. A project should give children a large amount of new information about subjects which are of interest and value to them. A project should be developed by the children and the teacher in a way such as to offer each child all possible opportunity to form purposes, initiate and create, think critically, act cooperatively and develop habits, appreciations, needed skills, and knowledge needed in working effectively, joyously and intelli- gently. A project should be developed in ways that enable the child to use the skills he already possesses and to develop the new ones he needs in ways likely to in- crease the value and meaning of such skills in the child's eyes. e. A project should contribute towards a better un- derstanding, on the part of the child, of the life going on about him outside the school. A project should contribute towards a more intelli- gent appreciation of man's work, interests and in- terdependences, both past and present. g. A project should promote growth on the part of the child physically, intellectually, scientifically, aesthet- ically and morally. h. A project should awaken curiosity and act as a spur to the child's endeavor so that he will be looking for- ward to future purposes and responsibilities. 2. Criteria for Appraisal of Excursions. a. Do you have at least two excursions in a month? b. Do the children behave courteously and intelligently on excursions ? C. Do you discuss safety and courtesy rules with the children before leaving the building ? Do you work out a definite form of behavior before leaving the building ? Do you have a discussion before going, when such a discussion would awaken curiosities and help the children to see more than they otherwise would see? DEPT. OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR WOMEN BARBOUR GYMNASIUM SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 35 60s e. Do you have a discussion of what was seen, after you return, when such a conversation seems desir- able? Are the children too fatigued after the trip to talk profitably? Is the discussion started by the teacher? Why is discussion started by the children better? Are excursions looked forward to and referred back to in significant ways by the children? Do children suggest excursions ? Do you have several excursions sometimes in the working out of one project ? Do they want to make return trips to find answers to their questions? 3. Discussion Periods. a. Are the children seated close together? b. Is every child quiet and attentive to the person talk- ing ? c. Is the period short enough for children of kinder- garten-primary age? (Note. If the children grow restless, the subject does not interest them or the period is too long.) d. Do the children talk to one another? (Note. The teacher should be a member of the group and be addressed as such. The conversation or discussion should not consist of children making remarks to the teacher. In order to break this hab- it, it is sometimes necessary for the teacher to sit at the back of the group.) Do a majority of the children talk during the per- iod? Do the children show indications of genuine interest in the subject? Is this shown by eagerness to talk, to ask questions, and shown by alert expressions and absorption ? g. Is the program so arranged that children can talk when they are full of something to say? (Note. Kindergarten-primary children cannot hold ideas and interests as long as older children. It is important that they should talk in order to develop language skill, therefore, periods of talking should occur, if possible, when the children talk most spon- taneously.) n-primary older child to developa se skilat they as long ary Chil say: 36 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS h. Are the children growing in ability to talk about one subject ? (Note. It is natural for them to have short, indi- vidual, somewhat scattered thoughts. The best way to help them grow into an ability to stick to a sub- ject is not usually to crush out other ideas, but to try to give them such a vivid experience that they naturally grow in power to stick longer to the sub- ject.) 4. Activity Period. a. General Criteria. (1) Do the children play with things they have made, such as stores, post offices, churches, playhouses, and farms ? (2) Do they have freedom of movement ? (3) Do they have activity ? (4) Is joy evident in their activities? (5) Is there freedom from strain ? (6) Are the problems within the child's ability to solve? (7) Is the organization within the child's power to work out? (8) Is there conversation and discussion resulting from genuine experience and thought provok- ing situations ? (9) Do children have opportunities to act cooper- atively with leaders ? (10) Do the children have opportunities to act as leaders ? (11) Do the majority of the children use all of the materials at some time during the year? Do they develop some skill in using wood and tools, paste, crayons, and in sewing ? (12) Do you succeed in getting many of the group to express creative ideas ? Do you succeed in getting many to work creatively when a sug- gestion has been made ? (13) How many children imitate the ideas and work of others? Do many have to be directed ? (14) Are the children happy and free, laughing and talking but always controlled and never in- dulging in rude boisterous behavior ? SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOL 37 Vb. Organization of Activity Period. (1) Do groups form in the most natural manner, associated by the purposes that are absorbing them? (Note. This would seem to imply varying conditions. Sometimes an entire group may be working on a farm, playhouse, or post office project. On the second or following days, in the development of a project certain individu- als may acquire purposes or interests that they should be allowed to carry out. On these days a group may be working on the class project, a group may be interested in working with clay, and all the others may be carrying out individual interests, making boats, dolls, pic- tures, or any other objects interesting to them.) (2) Do all children get experience as leaders with increasing responsibilities, so that they are growing in power as leaders ? (3) Do all children have experience in cooperating with leaders, and is time allowed for the dis- cussion of intelligent cooperation and its val- ues to them ? : Do all children need to take turns and share materials and tools, and are these situations actually helping them toward thoughtful, un- selfish behavior ? (2) V c. Hygiene of Activity Period. (1) Are the children engaged in work and play that keeps them physically active, such as bending, walking, lifting, pounding, carrying, sawing, Standing zitting, Are the children joyously absorbed in the ac- tivity ? Are there signs of strain, worry, or fear? (4) Is the air fresh and moving ? (5) Is the floor clean and free from dust? (Note: It is natural as breathing for young children to work and play on the floor. The floors of all kindergarten-primary rooms should be cleaned carefully and often.) (3) SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS d. Subject of work in activity period. (1) Is every child either engaged in carrying out a purpose which he has undertaken, or is he engaged in activities that will probably help him to acquire a new purpose ? For example, is he looking at other children at work, looking at objects or books, or talking with children or teacher ? (2) Is every opportunity and incentive afforded each child to form and express creative ideas? Is every effort made to expose children to new objects, places, pictures, and books, likely to provoke purposes ? v e. Habits during activity period. (2) Do the children share equipment, tools and ma- another? (2) Do the children share equipment, tools and ma- terials generously and pleasantly? Do the children spontaneously take the teacher as partner, asking her help and suggestions in addition to their own judgments ? Are there suitable places for all materials and tools to let the children have access indepen- dently in getting out and returning things to their places ? (5) Do children learn to care for materials and tools? Do they clean brushes properly, put away and keep in condition clay and paste, and clean up paint boxes and other articles ? (6) Are they growing in the ability to do these things independently? Do they on the first day learn to use materials and tools in the neatest and most orderly way? Do they grow in working neatly? Do they grow from week to week in degrees of skill in their work? (Note: Since the matter of first importance in kindergarten-primary is to arouse purposes and encourage creative ideas, it is, therefore, unwise to over-emphasize skill when that in- duces fear likely to inhibit expression. Here the teacher has a difficult balance to maintain.) SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD (3) f. Reading Activities Connected with Social Studies. (1) Does the group work out a plan for any new project they are undertaking ? Do you print or write their plans in a simple way so that they can read them and hence be helped in the acquisition of reading skill? (2) Do you have either children's plans or descrip- tions of children's experiences composed by children mimeographed so that they may make illustrated booklets ? Do you make any seat work connected with social studies, such as “YES-NO" questions, riddles and “fill in right word”? Do your children make individual stories and poems as a result of their social studies ex- periences ? Do your children bring in from home or li- brary, books connected with subjects discussed in school? Do they suggest reading certain books, poems, or stories ? (7) Do they exhibit signs of interest in reading books at home that the school project has stim- ulated ? G. How to Select Projects. 1. Suggestions for Selection of Projects This curriculum is meant to be suggestive in its gen- eral character. Projects that have proved to possess value and interest for children are suggested in the following list. No teacher is expected to attempt all the projects that are described. Any teacher having a new project to propose may carry it out if it is approved by the su- pervisor. Since the enthusiasm of the teacher toward the ac- tivity is a very necessary condition, we have tried to in- clude enough projects so that the teacher may not need to repeat immediately a project she has just carried through. If the teacher is tired of a particular project its immediate repetition is not likely to be successful. We ask that the first grade teachers select none of the second grade projects for two reasons: first, the projects have been selected on the basis of suitability to SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 41 (3) Cloth For room, Curtains, shoe bags. For the playhouse Curtains, aprons, table cloths, sheets, com- forts Costumes for plays and festivals Weaving (4) Paint Stories: personal, imaginative Social studies expression Scenery (5) Books Poetry, illustrated Songs Story “My Own Book" Picture book by subjects: animals, transpor- tation, and other subjects Book of personal experience Paper cutting and tearing Stories of experience, imagination, and illus- tration Vegetables, pets, transportation or other sub- jects provoked by experience. c. Dramatization (1) Properties (2) Costumes d. Festivals and Special Days (1) Room decoration (2) Table decoration (Note: Nothing should be purchased for special occasions. These celebrations and events offer opportunities for children's activities,) Personal decoration Hats Boutonnieres Shields (6) 42 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS * 3. A Note on the Bibliographies Accompanying Outlined Pro- jects. The Bibliography is arranged in three general di- visions : I. Informational Material II. Illustrative Material III. Literature The first two of the three general divisions is or- ganized in two sections: A. For the children B. For the teacher A star (*) before a reference indicates that the material is interesting and attractive for the children but probably too difficult for them to read for themselves. Such material may be presented to them by the teacher. This may not be true with all children, but it represents what seems to be true generally concerning their read- ing abilities. Under the heading, Informational Material, are list- ed the references that are definitely factual in character. The references under B, For the Teacher, include a num- ber of books in which general information may be gath- ered as well as some books which may be used with the children. Under Illustrative Material, are listed references for material generally illustrative in character. It may be supplemented by the picture collections available for cir- culation in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Outlined Projects as Developed in Our Classrooms Project: The Store Possible Approaches 1. The teacher may ask the children what errands they do for mother. This question may bring about a discussion of stores and buying and selling. 2. The teacher may invite the class to visit a store with her to see what a grocery man has to do; what kind of a man he has to be to have a store that people like; where he secures his groceries; what he sells, and so on. *The bibliographies have been prepared by Eloise Ramsey, Detroit Teachers College 44 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The store should be made by using things that will bring a quick result: empty cartons, boxes, and cans, but it should be made to look as attractive as possible, neat, with clean papers, and perhaps a striped awning or interesting de- tails such as telephone, show cases, posters, and advertisements. C. Buying, selling and carrying on business of store. d. Re-visiting stores to find out other things we need to know. e. Discussing our store critically with an idea of im- proving it. Practicing making change and doing errands. Practicing doing things and doing errands. Prac- ticing doing the things in arithmetic that are needed to do these errands. (Note: Check over Arithmetic Course of Study to line up possibilities.) Bibliography I. Informational Material A. For Children Blaisdell, Etta Austin : Toy Town; il. by Clara Atwood Fitts. Little, 1927. *Kuh, Charlotte: The Delivery Man; il. by Kurt Wiese. (Happy Hour Books.) Macmillan, 1929. * Matthews, Florence and Coffin, Rebecca T., eds. and comps. : “At the Grocery"; in City Stories; il. by Helene Carter. Macmillan, 1928. *Miller, Olive Beaupré, ed.: “A Happy Day in the City", in My Bookhouse, v. 1. 1920. B. For Teachers Camp, Ruth-Orton: The Story of Markets; il. by El- mer Hader. Harper, 1929. II. Illustrative Material For Children Brock, Emme L.: To Market! To Market! il. by the author. Knopf, 1930. The Kate Kruse Dolly Book; with verses by Rose Fyle- man. Doubleday, 1927. 46 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Project: The Playhouse Possible Approaches 1. The mere presence of blocks in a first grade room will often stimulate the making of a house of some kind in which to play house. If there is any feel- ing of freedom to express ideas and do natural things "playing house” may appear in a corner without any “house." 2. The teacher may suggest making dolls, and help the children think through the best way of making dolls. This will naturally lead to making clothing, hats, chairs, dishes, and innumerable other things for the doll. A screen playhouse may then be made by the manual training department, by another group, or perhaps even by the teacher and class. Playing house may be started by a conversation about home: What we have in our home, what mother does and what father does. These activities may be dra- matized by the children. 4. It may be started by the teacher telling a story. Two highly appropriate stories are “The Little House”, in Picture Tales from the Russian and “Hammer, Saw, and Plane”, in Here and Now Story Book. Purposeful Activities. 1. To play house. Choosing mother, father, child, grandmother, doc- tor, milkman, postman. Deciding on phases of life to be played. Deciding on ways of organizing group. Deciding on things to make. To play house for kindergarten or other groups. The play may include serving a meal, getting the children off for school, the coming of the mail man, telephoning, radio concerts, and so on. It will be found to be of absorbing interest to the kindergarten and indeed, the second grade children. To make a doll. Draw a picture of the doll you want. Pin your picture to a piece of double cloth. Cut around the edges. Sew around the edges. Take it home to mother to stitch. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 47 Leave a hole in which to stuff the saw dust. Stuff the doll tightly with saw dust or cotton. 4. To make clothing for a doll. Lay the doll on a big piece of paper. Draw around the doll the shape of the garment you wish to make. Cut out the pattern outside the line you have made. Pin the pattern on to the cloth. Cut along the edges of the pattern. Sew up the edges. 5. To make other things for our dolls and to furnish our doll house. Plan what we want. Decide what are the best ma- terials. Try our plan. Ask help when you need it. Give help when you can! I. Informational Material A. For Children *Baruch, Dorothy: In and Out With Betty Anne; il. by Winifred Bromhall. Harper, 1928. Blaisdell, Mary Frances: Twilight Town; il. by Henri- etta Adams. Little, 1928. Ketchum, Irene A. and Rice, Anne L.: The Land of Make-believe ; il. by Kayreen Draper. Ginn, 1929. The Land of Play; il. by Kayreen Draper. Ginn, 1926. Youngquist, Livia, and Washburne, Carleton: My Own Reading Book; il. by Margaret Iannelli. Rand, 1930. B. For Teachers Beard, Patten: The Complete Playcraft Book. Stokes, 1926. Canfield, Dorothy: What Shall We Do Now? Stokes, new ed., 1922. Foster, Olive Hyde: Housekeeping, Cooking and Sew- ing for Little Girls. Duffield, 1922. Fretwell, Jean Hosford: Good Games; with an introd. by Jesse F. Williams ; il. by Keith Ward. Rand, 1930. Hall, A. Neely: Homemade Toys for Girls and Boys. Lothrop, 1915. - SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 49 B. Verse Bergengren, Ralph: “The House” “The Nicest House"; "The Seasons”, in Jane, Joseph, and John; il. by Maurice Day. Atlantic, 1918. Davies, Mary Carolyn: “Our Playhouse is so near to Fairyland”, in A Little Freckled Person. Houghton, 1919. Field, Rachel: “The Playhouse Key", in Taxis and Toadstools; il. by the author. Doubleday, 1926. Peabody, Josephine Preston : “Making a House,” in The Book of the Little Past; il. by Elizabeth Ship- pen Green. Houghton, 1919. Roberts, Elizabeth Madox: “The Butterbean Tent”, in Under the Tree. Huebsch, 1922. Viking, enl. ed. ; il. by F. D. Bedford. 1930. Wynne, Annette: “Houses”; “To Make a House"; "To Our Good House”, in For Days Days and Days. Stokes, 1919. Project: Boats and Trains Possible Approaches 1. Blocks naturally suggest trains and boats to children. 2. Telling about a trip on a train or boat. 3. Telling stories about trains and boats by the teacher or a child. 4. Suggesting playing train. Purposeful Activities. 1. To discuss boats or trains. 2. To visit a railroad yard or boat dock. 3. To build or make a train or boat out of blocks, boxes, or chairs or all three. 4. To make things needed, signs, costumes, flags, tick- ets, sleeping berths, things for dining car or dining room. Playing train or dramatizing the activities connected with boats and trains. 5. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 51 Hader, Berta and Elmer: The Picture Book of Travel; il. by the authors. Macmillan, 1928. King, Elizabeth: Today's ABC Book; il. by the au- thor. McBride, 1929. Liddell, Mary; Little Machinery; il. by the author. Doubleday, 1926. Meigs, Cornelia : The Wonderful Locomotive; il by Elmer Hader. Macmillan, 1928. Note: This book seems to interest children as a picture- book and not as a story. Hence its placement in this section. Over Land and Sea. Gabriel, n.d. The Railway Book. Gabriel. Smith, E. Boyd: The Railroad Book; il. by the author, Houghton, 1913. B. For Teachers — Coolidge, Albert S.: Building a Model Railroad; il. with photographs and diagrams made by the author. Macmillan, 1929. III. Literature A. Prose *Emerson, Caroline D.: “The Train That Would Not Stay on the Track” in A Merry-Go-Round of Modern Tales; il. by Lois Lenski. Dutton, 1927. *Hill, Violet and Maxwell, Helen : Charlie and His Coast Guards; il. by the authors. Macmillan, 1925. LaRue, Mabel G.: “The Little Tin Train”, in The F-U-N- Book; il. by Maud and Miska Peter- sham. Macmillan, 1923. *“The Little Engine That Could”, in My Bookhouse, v.1. The Bookhouse, 1920. *Mitchell, Lucy Sprague: “Boris Takes a Walk and Finds Many Kinds of Trains” “The Fog Boat Story”; “How the Engine Learned the Knowing Song"; "The Journey”, in Here and Now Story Book. il. by Hendrik Van Loon. Dutton, 1921. *Sloan, Eleanor V.: "The Big Boat"; "The Locomo- tive Who Changed His Mind”; “Peter in the 52 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Train”, in All Sorts of Good Stories; il. by Blanche Greer. Dutton, 1930. *Swift, Hildegarde H.: Little Blacknose; il. by Lynd Ward. Harcourt, 1929. Wright, Lula E.: The Magic Boat; il. by Dorothy Harewood Smedley. Ginn, 1927. B. Verse. Cheyney, Gertrude Louise: "About Boats”, in Sing- ing Youth, ed. by Mabel Mountsier, Harper, 1927.. Conkling, Hilda : "The Old Bridge”, in Poems by a Little Girl. Stokes, 1920. Davies, Mary Carolyn: “Handicapped”; “Untrained Trains”, in A Little Freckled Person; il. by Harold Cue. Houghton, 1919. Fyleman, Rose: “Jessica Goes Travelling”, in Gay Go Up; il. by Dercie Merwin. Doubleday, 1930. Lucas, E. V.: "The Shipbuilder”, in The Four and Twenty Toilers; il. by F. D. Bedford. Mc- Devitt-Wilson. Mitchell, Lucy Sprague: "A Locomotive”, in Here; and Now Story Book; il. by Hendrik Van Loon. Dutton, 1921. Peabody, Josephine Preston : "The Journey”, in The Book of the Little Past; il. by Elizabeth Ship- pen Greene. Houghton, 1908. Rossetti, Christina : “Boats Sail on the River”, in Sing- Song; il. by Marguerite Davis. (Little Li- brary). Macmillan, 1924. Tippet, James S.: 1 Go A’Traveling; il. by Elizabeth T. Wolcott. Harper, 1929. "The Mountain Lake”, in I Spend the Summer; il. by Elizabeth T. Wolcott. Harper, 1930. Project: The Lumber Yard Possible Approaches I. Discussing the building of a house. 2. Looking at pictures of carpenters at work. 3. Visiting and observing the building of a house. Visiting a lumber yard. Listening to a story about a carpenter, for example "Hammer, Saw, and Plane” in Here and Now Story Book. en SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD Projcet: Pets and Their Care FIRST GRADE. Possible Approaches. 1. Telling story, “How Spot Found a Home” in Here and Now Story Book. The entire story or the rhymes may be read by the children for reading lesson. 2. Bringing pets to school. (Note: This form of approach has worked very well in some of our schools.) 3. Conversation about pets : “Have you any pets? What do you have to do for them?” A reading lesson may be made by the teach- er and children on “How to Care for a Cat,” or “What I do for my Cat." Purposeful Activities. 1. To listen to a story. 2. To read material or stories about pets. To tell what pets I have and how I care for them. To listen to other children's accounts of pets. 5. To help make directions for care of pets. 6. To help make posters telling what care horses, dogs, cats, birds, and other animals need. 7. To draw pictures about pets. To cut pictures about pets. To paint pictures about pets. To make a play telling other children what care pets need. 9. To make costumes and properties for play. n to a story in stories about pecore for them o Bibliography I. Informational Material A. For Children Cleveland, R. P.: Cop, Chief of Police Dogs; il. by Paul Bransom. Bradley, 1927. *Dupuy, William A.: Our Animal Friends and Foes. Winston, 1925. *Johnson, Constance: When Mother Lets Us Keep Pets. Dodd, 1911. SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Macmin. B. Verse Aldis, Dorothy: "The Goldfish”; “The Reason”, in Everything and Anything; il. by Helen Jame- son. Minton, 1927. Allingham, William: “The Cat and the Dog”, in Rob- in Redbreast and Other Poems; il. (Little Li- brary), Macmillan, 1930. Asquith, Herbert: "The Hairy Dog”; “The House of Dogs”, in Pillicock Hill; il. A. H. Watson. Macmillan, 1926. Davies, Mary Carolyn: “Conversation"; "Need”; “Next-door People”; “The Uncritical Kitten”; “The Rabbit”, in A Little Freckled Person. Houghton, 1919. Field, Rachel: “The Animal Store”; “Parrots”, in Taxis and Toadstools; il. by the author. Double- day, 1926. Fyleman, Rose: “About Bingo”, in Gay Go Up; il. by Decie Merwin. Doubleday, 1930. King, Edith, comp.: "The Rabbit”, in Fifty New Poems for Children. Appleton, 1924. Lindsay, Vachel: “A Dirge for a Righteous Kitten”; “The Turtle”, in Johnny Appleseed and Other Poems. Macmillan, 1928. Lucas, E. V.: "The Nature of the Cat”, in Playtime and Company; il. by E. H. Shepard. Double- day, 1928. Miller, Mary Britton: “Canary”; “Cat”; “Dog"; “Kitten”; “Rabbit”; “Shetland Pony", in Menagerie; il. by Helen Sewell. Macmillan, 1928. Mountsier, Mabel, ed.: "Goldfish”, in Singing Youth. Harper, 1927. · Roberts, Elizabeth Madox: “The Rabbit”, Under the Tree. Huebsch, 1922. Viking, enl. ed., il. by F. D. Bedford. 1930. Rosetti, Christina: "Pussy Has a Whiskered Face,” in Sing-Song; il. by Marguerite Davis. (Little Library). Macmillan, 1924. Turner, Mancy Byrd: “The Buccaneer”; “The Ex- traordinary Dog”; “The Ordinary Dog”; in Magpie Lane ; il. by Decie Merwin. Harcourt, 1927. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 61 Project: Chicken Farm or Hatchery FIRST GRADE Approaches 1. A mother hen and her little chickens may spend a week in the school room. 2. A story may be told. Purposeful Activities 1. To discuss how little chickens are born. 2. To visit a chicken farm. 3. To find out what kind of care chickens need. 4. To discuss what we found out. To tell or show other children what we found out. 6. To express ideas stimulated by experience, in any in- telligent way. Bibliography I. Informational Material A. For Children Baruch, Dorothy: "A Visit to the Farm", in In and Out with Betty Anne; il. by Winifred Brom- hall. Harper, 1928. *Pierson, Clara D.: Tales of a Poultry Farm. Dutton, 1904. B. For Teachers See Informational Material under Bibliography for Pro- ject on the Farm, pp. 59 and 60 II. Illustrative Material A. For Children Farmyard Friends, Gabriel, 1923. Hellé, Andre: Big Beasts and Little Beasts, il. by the author. Stokes, 1924. Smith, E. Boyd: The Chicken World. Putnam, 1910. The Farm Book. Houghton, 1910. tr. Szalatnay, Rafael D.: The Cock and the Hen; il. by Rudolf Mates. Harper. White, Fletcher: The Duck and Its Friends; il. by the author. Oxford, 1930. LEPT, OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR WINIA BARBOUR GYMNASIUM SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 63 Project: Valentine Party FIRST GRADE Possible Approaches 1. Children may bring valentines to school. 2. Children may talk about Valentine's Day and of the valenitnes they have seen in shops. 3. “Let's have a Valentine Party." Purposeful Activities 1. To look at one another's Valentines. 2. To make Valentines. 3. To have a Valentine Party. a. Planning what we will have and do and whom we shall entertain at our party. It may include another group, our mothers or our small sisters and brothers. Preparing songs, stories, a play for our party. Selecting materials needed. c. Making favors. Valentines Envelopes Paper flowers to decorate self and room. Decorating paper and napkins. Making cookies for party. Making invitations. b. Bibliography I. Informational A. For Children Reilly, Bertha. M.: Signals. Reilly, 1927. See III, A. B. For Teachers Chubb, Percival: Festivals and Plays. Harper, 1912. Humphrey, Grace: Stories of the World's Holidays. Bradley, 1923. McSpadden, J. W.: Book of Holidays. Crowell, 1917. Moore, Anne Carroll: “Silhouettes and Valentines, in The Three Owls, second book. Coward-Mc- Cann, 1928. Olcott, Frances Jenkins ed.: Good Stories for Great Holidays. Houghton, 1914. SUGCESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 65 1 Project for Second Grade: Postal Service Possible Approaches 1. Conversation about what the postman does for us. 2. A visit to a post office. s. Situation may arise through sending a letter to an absent child. It may well come before Valentine's Day. "How will we send our Valentines?” “Let's have a post- office !" 5. Teacher may tell a story about a postman. Orice! Purposeful Activities 1. To discuss the postman and his work. 2. To listen to a story about the postman. 3. To discuss the experiences of a letter. To think about the mailman in the post office and what we would like to know about him. To read from the chart on which the teacher has written the things we would like to find out about the postman and the post office. 6. To visit a post office. 7. To write a letter to a friend. 8. To dramatize the activities of the postman, the mail truck, and drivers. 9. To make Valentines and envelopes. (Note: Children should be supplied with materials and tools for making Valentines. This is an excellent opportunity for developing some taste for color har- monies, design, neatness, and creative expression.) 10. To make a book telling the story of the sending and delivery of mail. II. To make a post office. a. Planning post office, windows, and signs. b. Getting orange boxes or other materials out of which to make post office. C. Making post office, mail boxes, windows, mail chutes, signs, stamps, money, tables at which people write, table for sorting mail, pigeon holes where carriers sort mail. whi SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 67 *Wynne, Annette: “A Letter is a Gypsy Elf”; “The Letter Man”; “Letters Are Small Angels”; “The Postman"; "The Postman Is a Happy Man”, in For Days and Days. Stokes, 1919. Project: Fire Protection Possible Approaches 1. The children should discuss fire, fire equipment, causes of fires, and so on in an informal, spontan- eous way. If the conversation degenerates into questions from the teacher and answers from the children, it should be abandoned until the subject has become one of live interest. 2. Pictures may provoke the discussion. 3. The passing of a fire truck may arouse interest. The visit to the fire station may come first, but is more likely to be appreciated when discussion has preceded the visit. (Before the excursion the child- ren should be asked to work out the necessary rules and suggestions for excursions in order to make the trip a pleasant and safe one for everybody con- cerned.) An outline of some of the things to be found out may help thinking and observation. a. Names of fire trucks. b. Hours of duty of firemen. 6. Questions should be asked by both teacher and pu- pils. Purposeful Activities 1. An experience of this kind is apt to provoke individ- ual expression, such as drawing, painting, and cut- ting fire trucks, firemen, and pictures of fires. 2. One child may make a book, telling all about fire. 3. The children may make a book together, each con- tributing a picture or two. 4. A group or the entire group may decide to give a fire play. a. In assembly. b. For another class. C. For mothers and fathers. 56 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS *Kent, Frances : Puppy Dogs' Tales and Other Stories. Macmillan. Tippet, James S.: The Singing Farmer; il. by Eliza- beth T. Wolcott. World Book, 1927. Watkins, D. E. and Raymond: Best Dog Stories. Rand, 1925. Young, Bess M.: Animals We Know; il. by J. Mur- ray Thompson. Nelson, 1927. B. For Teachers Bianco, Margery Williams: All About Pets; il. by photographs and drawings by Grace Gilkison. Macmillan, 1929. Comstock, Anna B.: The Pet Book. Comstock, n.d. Crandall, Lee Saunders: Pets and How to Care for Them. New York Zoological Park, 1921. Downing, Elliot R.: Our Living World. Univ. of Chicago, 1924. Fabre, Jean Marie: Animal Life in Field and Gar- den; tr. by F. C. Bicknell. Century, 1921. Illustrative A. For Children Aldin, Cecil: The White Puppy Book; il. by the au- thor. Oxford, n.d. Crawford, Helen Coale: The Blot, Little City Cat; il. by Holling C. Holling. Cape and Smith, II. 1930. Flack, Marjorie: Angus and the Ducks; il. by the au- thor. Doubleday, 1930. Francis, J. D.: A Cheerful Book of Cats. Century, 1879, new ed., 1925. Gaʼg, Wanda: Millions of Cats; il. by the author. Coward-McCann, 1928. King, Julius: Dogs; il. by Charles Wellington Wessell and Kurt Wiese. Nelson, 1927. B. For Teachers Fuertes, L. A.: The Book of Dogs; il. from paintings by the author. Nat. Geog. Soc., 1919. III. Literature A. Prose *Anderson, Robert: Seven O'clock Stories; il. by E. Boyd Smith. Putnam, 1920. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 57 P and His pe authors. ń and His *Aspinwall, Alicia: “The Iron Dog”; “The Sad Ex- perience of Poor Pomposity”; “The Shadow”, in Short Stories for Short People; il. by Marie L. Danforth. Dutton, 1896. *Bacon, Peggy: Mercy and the Mouse; il. by the au- thor. Macmillan, 1928. *Brate, Charlotte: The Pony Tree; il. by the author. Stokes, 1928. *Harper, Theodore A. and Harper, Winifred: The Janitor's Cat; il. by J. Erwin Porter. Apple- ton, 1927. *Heward, Constance: The Twins and Tabiffa; il. by Susan B. Pearse. Jacobs, 1923. *Hill, Helen and Maxwell, Violet: Charlie and His Kitten Topsy; il. by the authors. Macmillan, 1922. Charlie and His Puppy Bingo; il. by the authors. Macmillan, 1923. *Hogan, Inez: The White Kitten and the Blue Plate; il. by the author. Macmillan, 1930. LaRue, Mabel G.: The F-U-N Book; il. by Maude and Miska Petersham. Macmillan, 1923. *Lofting, Hugh: The Story of Mrs. Tubbs; il. by the author. Stokes, 1923. *McCoy, Neely: The Tale of the Good Cat Jupie; il. by the author. Macmillan, 1926. Mitchell, Lucy Sprague: "How Spot Found a Home” and “Pedro's Feet”, in Here and Now Story Book; il. by Hendrik Van Loon. Dutton, 1921. *Potter, Miriam Clark: “The Puppy Postman”, in The Giant of Apple Pie Hill; il. by Sophia T. Balcom. Dutton, 1923. *Pyle, Katharine: Tales of Two Bunnies; il. by the author. Dutton, 1913. The Black-eyed Pup- py; il. by the author. Dutton, 1923. *Sloan, Eleanor V.: "Muddy Micky”, in All Sorts of Good Stories; il. by Blanche Greer. Dutton, 1930. *Stryker, Mabel F... Little Dog Ready; il. by Hugh Spencer. Holt, 1923. *White, Eliza Orne: Sally and Her Fur Coat; il. by Lisl Hummel. Houghton, 1929. *Youmans, Eleanor: Skitter Cat; il. by Ruth Bennett. Bobbs. SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Poon B. Verse Aldis, Dorothy: “The Goldfish”; “The Reason”, in Everything and Anything; il. by Helen Jame- son. Minton, 1927. Allingham, William: “The Cat and the Dog”, in Rob- in Redbreast and Other Poems; il. (Little Li- brary), Macmillan, 1930. Asquith, Herbert: "The Hairy Dog”; “The House of Dogs”, in Pillicock Hill; il. A. H. Watson. Macmillan, 1926. Davies, Mary Carolyn: “Conversation”; “Need”; “Next-door People”; “The Uncritical Kitten”; “The Rabbit”, in A Little Freckled Person. Houghton, 1919. Field, Rachel: “The Animal Store”; “Parrots”, in Taxis and Toadstools; il. by the author. Double- day, 1926. Fyleman, Rose: “About Bingo”, in Gay Go Up; il. by Decie Merwin. Doubleday, 1930. King, Edith, comp.: “The Rabbit”, in Fifty New Poems for Children. Appleton, 1924. Lindsay, Vachel: “A Dirge for a Righteous Kitten”; "The Turtle”, in Johnny Appleseed and Other Poems. Macmillan, 1928. Lucas, E. V.: “The Nature of the Cat”, in Playtime and Company; il. by E. H. Shepard. Double- day, 1928. Miller, Mary Britton: “Canary”; “Cat”; “Dog"; “Kitten”; “Rabbit”; “Shetland Pony", in Menagerie; il. by Helen Sewell. Macmillan, 1928. Mountsier, Mabel, ed.: “Goldfish”, in Singing Youth. Harper, 1927. Roberts, Elizabeth Madox: “The Rabbit”, Under the Tree. Huebsch, 1922. Viking, enl. ed., il. by F. D. Bedford. 1930. Rosetti, Christina: "Pussy Has a Whiskered Face,” in Sing-Song; il. by Marguerite Davis. (Little Library). Macmillan, 1924. Turner, Mancy Byrd: “The Buccaneer”; “The Ex- traordinary Dog”; “The Ordinary Dog”; in Magpie Lane; il. by Decie Merwin. Harcourt, 1927. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD Project: Chicken Farm or Hatchery FIRST GRADE Approaches 1. A mother hen and her little chickens may spend a week in the school room. 2. A story may be told. Purposeful Activities 1. To discuss how little chickens are born. 2. To visit a chicken farm. 3. To find out what kind of care chickens need. To discuss what we found out. To tell or show other children what we found out. To express ideas stimulated by experience, in any in- telligent way. au CN Bibliography I. Informational Material A. For Children Baruch, Dorothy: “A Visit to the Farm", in In and Out with Betty Anne; il. by Winifred Brom- hall. Harper, 1928. *Pierson, Clara D.: Tales of a Poultry Farm. Dutton, 1904. B. For Teachers See Informational Material under Bibliography for Pro- ject on the Farm, pp. 59 and 60 II. Illustrative Material A. For Children Farmyard Friends, Gabriel, 1923. Hellé, Andre: Big Beasts and Little Beasts, il. by the author. Stokes, 1924. Smith, E. Boyd: The Chicken World. Putnam, 1910. The Farm Book. Houghton, 1910. tr. Szalatnay, Rafael D.: The Cock and the Hen; il. by Rudolf Mates. Harper. White, Fletcher: The Duck and Its Friends; il. by the author. Oxford, 1930. SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS B. For Teachers See II and also Bibliography for Project on the Farm, pp. 59 and 60 III. Literature A. Prose “The Little Red Hen and the Wheat”, in The Oak Tree Fairy Book. ed. by Clifton Johnson. Lofting, Hugh: The Story of Mrs. Tubbs; il. by the author. Stokes, 1923. Mitchell, Lucy Sprague: "The Little Hen and the Rooster,” and “The Rooster and the Hens”, in Here and Now Story Book. Stokes, 1921. Potter, Miriam Clark: "Ten Hens Go A’Travelling," in The Giant of Apple Pie Hill; il. by Sophia T. Balcom. Dutton, 1923. Pyle, Katharine: Six Little Ducklings, il. by the au- thor. Dutton, 1915. B. Verse. Bergengren, Ralph: “Egotism”, in Jane, Joseph, and John. Atlantic, 1918. Conkling, Hilda: “Chickadee" and "Red Rooster," in Poems by a Little Girl. Stokes, 1920. de la Mare, Walter : “Chicken”, in Peacock Pie; il. by W. H. Robinson. Holt, 1917. Miller, Mary Britton: “Hen and Chicks” in Men- agerie. Macmillan, 1928. Mitchell, Lucy Sprague: “The Farmer Tries to Sleep”, in Here and Now Story Book; il. by Hendrick Van Loon. Dutton, 1921. Nightingale, Madeline: “The Fowls”, in Fifty New Poems for Children. Appleton, 1924. Richards, Laura E.: "The Three Little Chickens Who Went Out to Tea”, in In My Nursery. Little, 1890. Roberts, Elizabeth Madox: “The Hens”, in Under the Tree, Huebsch, 1922. Rossetti, Christina: “Kookoorookoo-Kookoorookoo !" and “A White Hen Setting,” in Sing-Song. (Little Library) Macmillan, 1924. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 69 . Museum GN 416 oH84 B. For Teachers - Eaton, Jeanette: The Story of Light; il. by Max Schwarz. (City and Country Series). Harper, 1928. ülik TH - Hill, Charles T.: Fighting a Fire. Century, 1916. Hoy 1914 - Hough, Walter: The Story of Fire; il. by photo- - graphs. Doubleday, 1928. Keelor, Katharine L.: Working with Electricity; il. by photographs and drawings. Macmillan, 1929. - Lansing, Marion F.: "The Age of Fire;" "The Won- ders of Light,” in Great Moments in Science; il. Doubleday, 1926. II. Illustrative Material See I, A. III. Literature Related to Community Project A. Prose . See I, A. B. Verse Tippet, James S.: "The Fire Escape”, in I Live in a City; il. by Elizabeth T. Wolcott. Harper, 1927. Project: Community Life SECOND GRADE Possible Approaches 1. This should be the culmination of the kindergarten, first, and second grade community studies and should come after playing house, fire station, post office, and all of the others, thus drawing all the experiences to- gether and summing up the subject, community life. If the room were big enough the community might keep spreading. In the fall the farm might be made, then stores, fire department, and post office added, and then the teacher might suggest that the group have a complete community and carry on the life of that community. There might be a newspaper, mayor, park commission and so on. SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Purposeful Activities 1. To carry on the life of the community. 2. To choose activities. a. One child or a small group will have the grocery store; another the post office; another a dairy farm; another the florist shop; others will be house holders. 3. To plan, collect, make, and arrange things needed. 4. To dramatize activities of community. 5. To make a large map of the city and its environs. On this map, strips of paper may be streets; grass, sidewalk, houses, garages, stores, churches may be drawn, cut, and painted, and pasted on flat; fire de- partment, automobiles, stop and go signs and the farm outside the city may be put on. This is an ex- cellent first step towards understanding maps. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Informational Material A. For Children Hood, Evelyn: A Head of Police; il. by Gracia Fox. Doubleday, 1929. *Kuh, Charlotte: The Policeman; il. by Kurt Wiese. (Happy Hour Books). Macmillan, 1929. *McNamara, John: Playing Airplane; il. by Frank Dobias. Macmillan, 1930. Smalley, Janet: “Gasoline,” in Plum to Plum Pud- ding; il. by the author. Morrow, 1929. B. For Teachers Aston, W. G.: The Boy's Book of Motors. 1924. Fox, Florence C.: How the World Rides. A series of projects on vehicular transportation for elementary schools. Bulletin No. 8. Dept. of Interior Bureau of Government Printing Office, 1926. Bridges, T. C.: Young Folk's Book of Invention. Little, 1924. Darrow, Floyd: Thinkers and Doers. Silver, 1925. Fraser, Chelsa C.: Heroes of the Air. Crowell, new ed. 1927. SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 73 4. To make a large poster (across entire side of room), showing the county with its farms at one end; the road to the city; and the city. To make a border showing many kinds of workers. 6. To enumerate qualities necessary for good work. To make a play showing many kinds of work neces- sary to the well being and happiness of all of us. 8. To make a book about any individual worker or a book about many workers. 9. To make stories and write poetry about workers. 10. To listen to stories about workers. o s BIBLIOGRAPHY I. Informational Material See Bibliography for Project : Community Life I, A and B. II. Illustrative Material 1. Pictorial Map of Ann Arbor 2. See Bibliography for Project: Community Life, II, A and B. III. Literature A. Prose Rhodes, Bertha M.: Just Tom. Reilly. B. Verse Aldis, Dorothy: "Snow in the City,” in Everything and Anything. Minton, 1927. Bergengren, Ralph: "The Policeman,” in Jane, Joseph, and John. Atlantic, 1918. Wynne, Annette: “The Mayor's Children,” and “The Traffic Man,” in For Days and Days. Stokes, 1919. Project: Animal Study SECOND GRADE Possible Approaches 1. It is not difficult to present animals to children. The teacher may begin by showing some pictures and encouraging spontaneous conversation. The teacher may ask what wild animals the children know about and what domestic animals, listing all on the board or a large sheet of paper for future use. The teacher may read or tell an animal story. The question is, “How shall I present animals to children in such a way that a purposeful experience دا دب SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS will follow?” We mean experience in which the children will have intrinsic interest and sincere pur- poses. The teacher may arrange a table with animal toys, pictures, and books arranged to attract attention. Almost any of the following purposes suggested may serve as approaches. Purposeful activities 1. To discuss animals we know. Teacher lists them on the board. Telling one another what we think of when we say “elephant,” “lion.” For example, ele- phant suggests trunk, tusks, big clumsy feet, thick body. Lion suggests big mane, long slender tail with tuft on end. Camel suggests long neck, horse's head, humps, long slender legs. To cut animals for room border. (Note: Cut first the ones with the most striking characteristics). I.ook at pictures or, preferably, silhouettes because they lack detail. Look at these pictures and discuss them. It is wise, however, to separate entirely the cutting from looking at the pictures. If the child looks at the picture when he is cutting he tries to put in too many details and does not have as simple and clear an image from which to work as his memory gives him. These cut animals may serve several purposes.* 3. To listen to the teacher tell what she knows about animals; to listen to other children. This animal information must be kept simple and dramatic. If the children remember a few striking facts about each animal they will be doing well. 4. To listen to animal stories and poetry. 5. To illustrate the lives of the animals in various ways : for example, the jungle, with its lions, tigers, and elephants; the desert with its camels ; the prairie with its bison and buffaloes ; the mountains with its goats and bears, or the frozen countries with polar bears, may be worked out in the sand table, or on a large piece of beaver board. Pictures may be drawn and painted. Picture posters may be made with paper cutting. To make a world map showing the habitat of various animals. The teacher, or an upper grade group, may put in large outline, a map of the world. This ought to be mounted on a piece of beaver board so that it may be laid out on the floor, or stood up against the wall. It should be at least 12 feet by 8 feet. In the 78 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Two Funny Clowns; il. by the authors. Mac- millan, 1929. “KOS,” (pseud. of Baroness Dombrowski) : Boga the Elephant; il. by the author. Macmillan, 1929. Just Horses; il. by the author. Macmillan, 1930. Moe, Louis, il.: The Adventures of Three Little Pigs. Longmans, 1929. Raggle Taggle Bear. Long- mans, 1929. Tommy Tatters. Longmans, 1929. Petersham, Maud and Miska: The Ark of Father Noah and Mother Noah; il. by the authors, Doubleday, 1930. Smalley, Janet: The Animals Came In; il. by the author. Morrow, 1930. Smith, E. Boyd: The Circus and All About It; il. by the author. Stokes, 1909. The Story of Noah's Ark; il. by the author. Houghton, n.d. III. Literature A. Prose *Bacon, Peggy: The Lion-hearted Kitten; il. by the author. Macmillan, 1927. Berry, Erick: Penny Whistle; il. by the author. Mac- millan, 1930. Brooke, L. Leslie: Johnny Crow's Garden. Warne, n.d. Johnny Crow's Party. Warne, n.d.' *Charles, Robert H.: A Roundabout Turn; il. by L. Leslie Brooke. Warne, 1930. Clark, Margery (pseud.): Poppy Seed Cakes; il. by Maud and Miska Petersham. Doubleday, 1924. Heward, Constance: Ameliaranne and the Monkey; il. by Susan B. Pearse, McKay, 1930. Williamson, Hamilton: Baby Bear; il. by Berta and Elmer Hader. Doubleday, 1929. Little Ele- phant; il. by Berta and Elmer Hader. Double- day, 1930. A Monkey Tale; il. by Berta and Elmer Hader. Doubleday, 1929. B. Verse Asquith, Herbert: “The Elephant,” in Pillicock Hill. Macmillan, 1926. Clark, Meslie Brooke 4. Roundati. Warnen, Warne, SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING METHOD 81 Dietz, E. Ethel Cox: Good Times on the Farm; il. by H. D. Williams. Newson, 1923. Hervey, Walter L. and Hix, Melvin: Friends on the Farm; il. by Maginel Wright Enright. Long- mans, ed., 1929. *Lucia, Rose: Peter and Polly in Autumn. Amer. Bk., 1918. Peter and Polly in Summer. Amer. Bk., 1912. Meyer, Zoe: Orchard and Meadow. Little, 1919. Sunshine Farm. Little, 1927. * Pierson, Clara D.: Among the Farmyard People. Dut- ton, 1925. Read, Helen S.: Grandfather's Farm; il. by Eleanor Lee. (Social Science Readers). Scribner, 1928. *Tappan, Eva M.: The Farmer and His Friends. (In- dustrial Series, V. I) Houghton, 1916. Thompson, Mary Wolfe: Farmtown Tales. Dutton. Tippet, James S.: The Singing Farmer; il. by Eliza- beth T. Wolcott. World Bk., 1927. B. For Teachers - Davenport, Eugene: The Farm. Macmillan, 1927. Downing, Elliot R.: Our Living World. Univ. of Chicago, 1924. Hawksworth, Hallam: (pseud.): The Adventures of a Grain of Dust. Scribner, 1922. - Poulsson, Emilie: Through the Farmyard Gate. Loth- rop, 1896. Skilling, William I.: Nature Study Agriculture. Skilling, wa Bk., 1925. 1. Good T1 -Smith, Mary P. Wells: Jolly Good Times, Child Life on the Farm. Little, new ed., 1927. - Wells, Rhea: An American Farm; il. by the author. Doubleday, 1928. II. Illustrative Material A. For Children Piper, Watty: Animals' Story Book; il. by P. J. Bay- zand and others. Platt, 1927. Smith, E. Boyd: The Country Book; il. by the author. Stokes, 1926. The Farm Book; il. by the author. Houghton, 1910. See also I, A and III, A. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS Kindergarten-Primary 1. Kindergarten : Chicken project On Monday morning of the first week in May a child returned to school with "news" of her visit to her grandmother in the country over the week-end. She told of the cows and young calves, the mother sheep and baby lambs, the horses, pigs, ducks, and so on. But her greatest joy was over the little chick- ens. Some she said had mothers and a lot of them lived in a house together without any mother. The children in the group were also interested and asked many questions as to where the baby chicks came from, what nade them grow in the egg, how long the mother had to keep the eggs warm and other questions. As a result of this conversation we decided to go to the Wash- tenaw Hatchery. Cars were furnished by the mothers and on Tuesday morning we left school at nine o'clock_twenty-four children in three cars. At the hatchery we were shown the large incubators. We were taken inside of the largest one so as to experience the heat. The children saw the eggs in the racks and were shown how they were turned each day (just as the mother hen does). Finally they saw the tiny chicks breaking out of the shells. A farmer came and bought 1,200 day-old chicks. The children wanted some to bring back to school. So we purchased ten of the little chicks that had been hatched on Sunday. We also bought a bag of feed and a very convenient little brooder. The chicks cost fifteen cents each, the feed cost twenty-five cents and the brooder, which will become part of the school equipment, cost two dollars and fifty cents. The chicks were carefully carried back to school and estab- lished in the kindergarten. An electric light furnished heat in the brooder and water was kept inside in a drinking pan. We had been given a pamphlet on the care of the chicks. This was read to the children and we found out many things about their care. The most important item was that the chicks must not be fed for from sixty to seventy-two hours, as during that time the egg sub- stance inside the body must be consumed. Wednesday we were able to start feeding. The food trough was kept filled with the food, according to directions. Discussion DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS 93 sang songs. As soon, discovered, and at and run and hide. Of home for the family and friends. During the conversation I mentioned the children who were absent, and one of the children decided she would make a basket for one of the absent girls. When we came together after the work period, most of the group had made from one to three baskets for these friends. I had suggested we could take them to the children's homes. On Tuesday morning, several of the children brought flowers to be put into the baskets. The baskets were sorted, partners were chosen, and we started on our walk. We had a happy time along the way. It was a beautiful day. Each bird which we saw called forth our bird songs. The children enjoyed the tulips and other spring flowers. It gave them much pleasure to hang the baskets at their friend's houses, call “May basket,” and run and hide. Of course we were soon discovered, and at some of the places we sang songs. At Bobbie's house his mother had popped a pan of popcorn for him. She decided that there was enough for us all to have a handful, so she came out and we had a party. Betty had said when she came to kindergarten that morning, "Some- times they have parties on May Day," so that popcorn was our surprise party. The distances were to great to go to Evelyn's and Donna Jean's, so we sent their baskets by older children who lived near them. On Wednesday morning some of the children made a bus out of the floor blocks. This was used to go into the woods to gather flowers. Picnics took place, the smaller blocks becoming lunches. I played some rhythms after the picnic lunch was eaten; then games were suggested as they said we were in a meadow and “there was so much room." Thursday morning our work period was quite individual. Richard painted his aeroplane. Eugene worked on a table in the workroom. Tressa sewed on an apron. Several of the children made pictures, others played at the sand table. A group made a circus using some pasteboard clowns which we have (a form of ninepin game) and wooden animals. At the close of this period I asked if we could see the circus. We were told that we must have money and tickets. Lester and Donald said they could do that, just to wait and they'd make both for us. Donald sold the tickets, Lester having given us the money. We were then invited to ride on the bus so that we could "get to the circus in a hurry because it was a long way out.” Eugene asked for music, so I played different rhythms which suggested to them horses, high-stepping, galloping, and trotting horses, rabbits, elephants, camels, bears and so on. Some of the children played they were 94 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS clowns, others turned somersaults. Some sang songs. A grand march or parade followed. When the children had exhausted their talents, Eugene told them to sit in chairs, “like at a circus." Then he showed stunts that the animals and clowns could do. On Friday we went to the gymnasium at 9:10. At 10:00 the primary grades came to our room for the weekly sing so we were busy putting the room in readiness. We had lunch at 9:30, our rest, and then our music. Our week was a very happy one with many interests. music. readiness. We weekly sin 3. A Railroad Project The children visited the railroad station and yards. They saw taxis coming and going, men, women, and children hurrying to and fro, people inquiring about routes and purchasing tickets, men stamping and selling tickets and answering questions. They saw the magazine and candy booths. They visited the baggage rooms and saw trunks arriving and departing, men tagging and loading them. They saw trains come in, unload people and baggage, and then load again and get under way. They saw a long freight train grumble its way past. In the yards they saw men loading and unloading freight cars. They saw engineers, conductors, firemen. They saw a bridge and a tunnel. . Then they came home talking, talking about what they had seen. Some children drew or painted engines, trains, bridges, tunnels, the railroad station, taxis, hurrying people and piles of baggage. Some boys built a railroad station, a bridge, and a tunnel. They put in a large place to buy tickets with several windows, an information booth, and a magazine and candy booth. Other boys and girls helped them make things for a restaurant. Others became interested and made taxis, firemen, flags, men, women, children, and even a dog or two to wander about. The project went on expanding day after day until it occupied a large floor space in one corner of the room. The boys and girls insisted on another visit to the railroad station to see more details. On their return they built one train big enough for them to ride in. In this train they had engine, baggage car, mail car, coaches, sleeping car, and dining car. They played in their station and train every day—selling tickets, buying and selling food, loading and unloading baggage and traveling far and wide on their train, where they drove two engines, stopped and started with all the signals, collected tickets, slept, read magazines, and papers, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They made posters—travel pos- ters and large painted and paper-cutting posters showing trains 100 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS vases were made of clay and enameled blue. Picture books as well as poem and story books were made. In these we placed mimeographed copies of our original poems and stories. The children were very much interested in the library and brought many lovely books and pictures from their homes for our use. We also secured books from our city library. Such a busy, happy place it proved to be! The librarians sat at the desks, requiring a child's name to be placed on the spindle for every book taken out. Often children asked to read stories they found to the other children. One day quite unexpectedly one child said, “I wish we could have a home in our room, too.” That request was soon taken care of by the other boys and girls. It was decided that a corner of the back of the room could be used for our home, and part of the library furniture could be used in it. Therefore our library was given a smaller space and less furniture, thus leaving an attractive place which could be the home. The library now had three bookcases, one round table, three chairs, a desk and chair for the librarian, a few pictures, a waste-paper basket and a bulletin board on which all pupils placed things of interest to the room. The home had a davenport, a desk, a table, two chairs, and a few pictures. New pieces of furniture were soon added. A reading lamp was made and also a chair and a radio. One child brought a nursery victrola for us to enjoy. A happy family soon organized itself. The children went to the library to get books. Sometimes the father and mother went with them, always carrying their favorite books to the home. A very happy time they had. Not long after the completion of our home and library we became interested in dramatizing the story of “Hansel and Gretel.” This resulted in the planning and making of a puppet show of “Hansel and Gretel.” For our puppet stage, we made a large wooden frame and enameled it blue. This we placed on a long, low table and tacked wrapping paper around three sides in order to hide the feet of the children while manipulating the puppets. To the top of the frame, on three sides, we placed our background curtains. These were made of light blue paper cambric. The curtains were made of dark cambric with yellow cords and tassels. The furniture for this stage was made of wood. The puppets were made out of paper sacks stuffed with cotton. These were dressed in crepe paper and left open at the back. The slit in the back of the puppet made it possible for the child to hold the puppet and have his DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS 109 All the problems as they arose were discussed and suggestions made by children and the teacher. The teacher endeavored con- stantly to see that the children did the thinking and work as independently as was at all possible. We can very honestly say that they did almost all of the planning and work. 15. A Circus The children of the 2A had been studying wild animals with evident enjoyment. Conversation about the circus resulted very naturally and a proposal was made that they have a circus. When the boys and girls got to making up acts they felt they must have more children and decided to invite the kindergarten, first and second grades to help. The teachers made up their minds to do everything to encour- age sincere dramatic ideas and feeling and the simplest of costumes, a ruff and a tail for a lion, a cap and a tail for a monkey and wrapped up feet for seals so that the emphasis would be entirely on portraying thoroughly and truly whatever the child was being, an elephant, a kangeroo or a bear. The circus was purely a matter of dramatic feeling until the last week when the children added the simple details mentioned as a finishing touch. During the process of getting ready a real circus came to town which most of the children attended. This gave them first hand experiences on which to base their plans. There was never a time when any part was rehearsed just as it was to be. The children experimented as groups and as individuals with various stunts. Sometimes an entire group played galloping and dancing horses, or heavy lumbering elephants. The teachers played with them and emphasized important characteris- tics, as for example, clumsy, heavy elephants, jumping kangaroos, gay dancing horses, but they never suggested exact ways of walk- ing or acting or drilled the children because they wished above everything to preserve spontaneous absorption in the living of a part. The circus was gay and colorful as a circus should be. The kindergarten band in red and blue led the parade and besides all the wild animals there were cages on wagons in which pets were proudly displayed by their owners. The clowns brought a big laugh; the dancing horses with their pink, blue and yellow gowned ladies and the rough riders with their wild shooting and rope throwing added much to the reality of the scene. The tumblers in red, blue and green bathing suits showed that second graders can turn pin wheels and do many legged stunts creditably. ng horses pers with then the scene second 110 SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The snake charmer wore a tinsel crown and the children loved a little Scotch seven year old who danced a Highland Fling. The final circus was held out of doors and gave happiness to many children. The learnings involved were many. As is rather evident there was much new knowledge acquired. There was distinct gain in control over body movement and some of us feel that one of the most important of the things that should be done for children is to help them to perfect command over their bodies that has a direct bearing on success in other lines. The conversa- tion and discussion that occurred was extensive and spontaneous and hence had a real effect on language and speech development. Reading was stimulated and very interesting books were made by the children. An appreciation of music as a necessary part of the experience was felt by the children and they grew in command over rhythm and the interpretation of music. The opportunities for leadership, organization, and independent planning and execution were excep- tional; the plan was the children's own, and they carried it out with sincerity of understanding and effort. 16. Pets This activity had its beginning after a heavy snow storm during which the need of feeding birds was realized. The discussion made the children conscious of the particular birds which stay with us during the winter and what food they like. The children made feeding trays and kept them filled. Cuttings of birds were made and pasted into a room frieze. The boys and girls and the teacher searched through picture books and primers for stories or poems about birds and the teacher taught some bird songs. An assembly at which the children told about their experiences, recited poems and sang bird songs served as a culmination for the bird part of their program. Ques- tions came up about other animals that depend on us for food and care. Animals were brought to school and became the centers of interest. Cats, dogs, a rabbit with eleven babies and a pair of guinea pigs came one after another. The mother rabbit and her babies were a big responsibility, but the children managed it creditably. It is hardly necessary to say that these pets provoked much enthusiastic conversation and that vocabulary increased and the ability grew to talk pleasingly and intelligently. Very few stories simple enough for the children to read were found to exist so books had to be made. Curtains were needed THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GRADUATE LIBRARY DATE DUE