Chapter 3

16. Does the assignment suggest what portions of the text are to be touched upon lightly, what to be studied for appreciation only, what to be critically studied and mastered?

17. Does the assignment include a "review" of previous work? How much?

18. Does the assignment stress dates too much?

19. Is the assignment made with enthusiasm and interest, and does it thus at once strike a responsive chord in the pupils?

XVI. _The Study Lesson._

1. Are pupils encouraged to follow a definite daily schedule in studying their lessons? Do you advise this?

2. Is there supervised study in the school?

3. What is the nature of the supervision given in such a period?

4. Judging from results, have the pupils made good use of their study periods?

5. Is there in the school a weekly period for consultation and advice?

6. If pupils are absent from school, is opportunity given for "making up work"? How is this administered so far as the study of history is concerned?

7. Is there ever provided a period for "unassigned work"?

8. If so, how is the period employed?

9. Just what is the secret of getting pupils to study their lessons?

10. Are pupils encouraged to outline the lesson?

11. Are they encouraged to make personal notes on the margin of the textbook pages? Are they shown how to annotate?

12. Are they advised to use notebooks? If so, what is the character of these?

13. Do pupils seem merely to try to "learn the text" or really to comprehend the spirit?

14. Can you suggest ways and means of making the study-lesson more beneficial?

15. Does the teacher sometimes require abstracts to be made in order to teach selection of important points?

XVII. _The Recitation Lesson._

1. Does the class enter the room in a happy, expectant state of mind, or does it appear as though it were about to undergo a disagreeable operation?

2. Does the class come to "attention" as soon as the signal is given?

3. Is the aim of the day clearly set forth? Who does it, the teacher or the pupils?

4. Does the work of the day seem to grow out of some previous discussions or conclusions?

5. Are the "five formal steps" followed?

6. Is emphasis placed on information, drill, review, testing, or historical mindedness?

7. Does the work have balance and proportion?

8. Is there interest and attention? What is the secret of it?

9. Are questions clear, concrete, and definite?

10. Is appeal made to more than one sense, i.e., audile, visual, tactile, muscular?

11. Does the teacher really guide and lead, or does she carry most of the burden?

12. Do the pupils coöperate as a team--each seeking to contribute his portion freely and all aiming to attain a definite goal?

13. Does the recitation take on the spirit of comradeship, i.e., of courteous and familiar discussion?

14. Is the lesson enlivened by means of anecdotes, illustrations, stories, dramatic postures, readings, etc.?

15. Is the history lesson correlated with geography, English, foreign language study, science, manual training, and other school studies?

16. Is it correlated with the common life experiences of the pupils, and with the important contemporary institutions and interests of to-day?

17. Are criticisms by the teacher made sufficiently frequent and direct to make pupils careful, but not so frequently and pointedly as to discourage pupils?

18. Are pupils expected to present a connected account of the topics studied and to do this in a clear, forceful, logical manner?

19. Are dates and other mere facts properly subordinated to the real ideas for which they stand?

20. Are the salient points of the lesson collected and tabulated as the lesson proceeds?

21. Is this done by the teacher, or by the pupils, or by both?

22. Do pupils show by their attitude, facial expression, and responsiveness that they are satisfied with the recitation as it progresses?

23. Are formal debates and informal discussions ever permitted in the class?

24. Is use made of the dramatic powers of pupils to interpret and assimilate history?

25. Are visits with the class made to places and institutions of historic interest?

26. Are mock elections and other civic procedures allowed?

27. Is map drawing required? If so, is the work done in class under the supervision of the teacher, or at the pleasure and convenience of the pupils?

28. Is the stress laid on artistic effects in map drawing, or on a graphic presentation of the facts in their relations?

29. Is any use made of genealogical tables or historical charts? What value is there in so doing?

30. Does the teacher demand thoroughness, completeness, and clearness in the recitation of the pupils, or does she accept vague, incomplete, and general statements?

31. Does she interrupt the pupils while they are reciting, or wait until they are through before commenting or criticizing? Does she ask other pupils to criticize?

32. Is the teacher alert, vivacious, enthusiastic?

33. Is she herself thoroughly interested in the work of the day?

34. Is there unexpected variety in the class procedure?

35. Does the teacher seem to enjoy clean, harmless jokes and amusing incidents with her pupils?

36. Is everybody "into the game" all the time?

37. Is the aim of the recitation kept constantly before the class?

38. Is there steady progress toward it?

39. Does the teacher praise discriminatingly the good efforts of the pupils?

40. Is the teacher at all times a friend of the pupils?

41. Is a definite, clear summary of the significant points of the lesson made by the teacher at the close of the period?

42. Are important generalizations formed, and valid principles deduced?

43. Is the fifth formal step (that of application) taken? If so, how is it done?

44. Has the recitation period seemed short or has it been a long, tedious hour?

45. Do pupils leave the room with faces aglow and minds keyed to earnest thought, or do they seem to go as if freed from a prison?

46. Do pupils comment on the day's work as they pass out? Are such comments favorable or unfavorable?

47. Is the pupil's judgment here of any great weight?

48. How does the teacher busy herself between the change of classes?

49. Has the work been such as to make pupils interested in pursuing the study of history for themselves?

50. Has the work been such as to help pupils to think for themselves, to be accurate, to be resourceful, to develop the historical habit of mind?

51. What was the chief weakness of the recitation period?

52. Did pupils rise and recite by topic?

53. Did pupils outline the lesson and then talk from their outlines? What value has this?

54. Were mnemonic devices used? If so, was advantage gained thereby?

XVIII. _The Review Lesson._

1. Is there a stated time for "reviews"? If so, how long is the time devoted to reviews? Is this wise?

2. Is the review lesson really a _new_ view of the subject matter, or merely a going over the material a second time?

3. Are definite unifying questions given out for guidance of pupils in preparing for the review lesson?

4. Is the review lesson conducted orally or in written form?

5. Is there interest and enthusiasm in the review lesson?

6. What seems to be the purpose of the review lesson--to drill, to test, or to organize the material in new connections?

7. Is the final review worth while, or can the same results be obtained by constant daily reviewing?

8. Do pupils make comparisons, judgments, reactions?

9. Does the teacher employ any but the large organizing questions while carrying on the review?

10. Are review questions of the kind that will confront the pupils in real life?

XIX. _The Lesson in Civics._

1. Does instruction in civics occupy a separate period or separate term in the history work?

2. Is a special textbook used?

3. How much time is devoted to civics?

4. On what phase of civics is emphasis laid--national, state, or local?

5. Is the civics instruction closely correlated with history?

6. Is it vitalized by visits to contemporary governmental institutions?

7. Are current political events employed to illustrate the course?

8. Is the class encouraged to organize as a civic or political body?

9. Are governmental forms and practices brought into the school work?

10. Is emphasis placed too much on details or is effort made to get back of practices to discover the origin, development, and purpose of such practices?

11. Are there mock elections, court trials, debates?

XX. _Some Principles of History Dogmatically Stated._

1. "A people's life of thought and feeling obeys the law of continuity and of differentiation. The law of continuity means there are no breaks or leaps in the life of a people. Development may hasten or slacken and may cease for a time, but it is always continuous; the law of differentiation means that thoughts and feelings of a people take on new forms in the process of growth."--_Mace._

2. History is an evolution--a continuous movement, and causes always precede effects.

3. The historical attitude is this: Ascertainment of facts, interpretation of actions, investigation of motives, but regarding all events as "portions of human life."

4. The notable characteristics of the 19th century are:

(_a_) Rise of nationality.

(_b_) Struggle for constitutional government.

(_c_) Enthusiasm for natural science.

(_d_) Development of the doctrine of evolution.

(_e_) Industrial changes.

(_f_) Economic theory and reform.

Hence, the study of history demands that such items shall be discovered as explain and support these elements.

5. It is desirable to develop the historic sense by working outward from the industrial activities of the community.

6. It is necessary to reduce diversity to unity.

7. "What is logically first in a subject, i.e., the law or principle, comes last into the possession of the unfolding mind."

8. "The worst possible form of education is an abortive education--one that falls back on some mysterious disciplinary claim for its justification--as if there were any true discipline in failing to master a subject."

9. "History shows that men's actions are governed by some kind of calculable law." The problem is to discover these laws.

XXI. _Some Positive Guides and Suggestions._

1. Clearly set forth the problem to be investigated.

2. Discover the facts that bear upon this problem--but only the significant facts.

3. Relate the facts to each other.

4. Formulate a mental picture of the events or scenes.

5. Seek to discover the causes that lie back of the facts--the geographical, meteorological, geological, biological, physiographic, and human.

6. Seek to discover the motives, interests, and intentions of men and societies in producing the events.

7. Seek to discover the means employed to realize or attain the ideal, motive, or purpose.

8. Seek to trace the results--both immediate and remote, and both subjective and objective--of the actions thus made.

9. Seek for principles of unity and diversity in interpreting the events.

10. Make use of time-wholes, space-wholes, and organic-wholes, but avoid making artificial divisions.

11. Guide the pupils, but do not dictate their reactions.

12. Make the study stimulate the intellect, the emotions, the will.

13. Force the pupils to think for themselves--to analyze, compare, reason, judge, and apply.

14. Show that all history,--battles, institutions, constitutions, etc.,--are the result of conflicts of ideas, emotions, ideals, and wills.

15. Correlate constantly.

16. Show that institutions of to-day strike their roots deep in the past, and are but the complex development of simpler forms.

17. Put life into the dead facts; be interested and enthusiastic.

18. Be honest with the facts and with the pupils; confess ignorance rather than endeavor to "bluff."

19. Be free from the textbook.

20. Adapt the work to the pupils' capacities.

21. Arouse, stir, stimulate the pupils and fill with a burning zeal to study history.

22. Have variety.

23. Feed the interest once it is aroused.

24. Drill--but by means of use, not by precept.

25. Do not do for pupils what they should do for themselves.

26. Multiply associations.

27. Anticipate for the pupils what is to come, i.e., stimulate interest by giving a bird's-eye view of the movement before it is analyzed.

28. Emphasize the operation of cause and effect--what a nation or a people sows, so it also reaps.

29. Avoid rote memorizing.

30. Employ recapitulation, summary, and review frequently.

31. Always have a lesson plan.

32. Have "everybody into the game."

33. Shape the work so that it presents the appearance of a real, vital, personal problem.

34. Appear to be a learner with the pupils.

35. Make much use of blackboards and concrete material.

36. Emphasize the value of written work, outlines, map study, and personal reactions.

37. Illustrate, expound, vivify.

38. Keep pupils looking for resemblances.

39. Teach with reference to applications.

40. Show pupils how to study history.

41. Keep in touch with current events and devote some time each week to such events.

42. Have frequent written work, as,

(_a_) Condensation of a few pages of notable historical works.

(_b_) Abstracts of accounts of definite events.

(_c_) Tests, examinations, written lessons.

(_d_) Notebooks.

(_e_) Outline maps.

43. Occasionally read selections of historical material before the class.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON METHODS

Allen, J. W. _Place of History in Education._

Barnes, M. S. _Studies in Historical Methods._

Bourne, H. E. _Teaching of History and Civics in the Elementary and Secondary School._

Burstall, Sara A. _Impressions of American Education._ (Chap. on Method. Edition of 1908.)

Bernheim, E. _Lehrbuch der Historischen Methode._

Committee of Ten. _Report_, pp. 162-203.

Committee of Seven. _Study of History in Schools._

Committee of Five. _Study of History in Secondary Schools._

Freeman, E. A. _Methods of Historical Study._

Hall, G. S. _Methods of Teaching History._

Hinsdale, B. A. _How to Study and Teach History._

Hartwell, E. C. _The Teaching of History._

Jäger, O. _Teaching of History._ (Tr. by H. J. Clayton.)

Keatinge, M. W. _Studies in the Teaching of History._

Langlois, C. V. and Seignobos, C. _Introduction to the Study of History._

Mace, W. H. _Methods in History._

McMurry, C. A. _Special Method in History._

Maitland, et al. _Essays on the Teaching of History._

Robinson, J. H. _The New History_; also, _Introduction to the History of Western Europe._

Seignobos, Charles. _La Méthode Historique Appliqué._

PERIODICAL ARTICLES ON METHODS

Barrows, A. C. _Teaching History._ Ed. 29:140.

Below, G. _Die neue historische Methode._ In Historische Zeitschrift, N. T. V. 45, pp. 193-273.

Cheyney, E. P. _What is History?_ History Teachers' Magazine, Dec., 1910, p. 75 ff.

Clark, L. A. _A Good Way to Teach History._ Sch. Rev. 17:255.

Davison, Ellen S. _History in German Secondary Schools._ Ed. Rev. 40:356.

Ellwood, C. A. _How History can be Taught from a Sociological Point of View._ Ed. 30:300.

Hall, G. S. _The Pedagogy of History._ Ped. Sem. 12:339.

Hart, A. B. _How to Teach History in Secondary Schools._ Syracuse Academy, II, Sept., Oct., 1887, pp. 256-265, 306-315.

Howard, G. E. _Study of History in Schools._ Ed. Rev. 19:257.

McMahon, E. _History in our Public Schools._ Ed. 23:109.

Robinson, J. H. _Relation of History to the Newer Sciences of Man._ Jr. Phil. Psych. Sc. Methods. 8:141.

Salmon, L. _The Historical Museum._ Ed. Rev., Feb. 1911.

Smith, G. _Is History a Science?_ Amer. Hist. Rev., Apr., 1905.

Thorndike, L. _Scientific Presentation of History._ Pop. Sc. Mo. 74:170.

Thompson, A. _How to Study History._ Ed. Rev. 17:167.

Tucker, M. A. _Modern Methods of Teaching History._ Ed. 20:220.

Welch, C. _Outlook in Teaching History._ Ed. 31:370.

Note: See _History Teachers' Magazine_, Philadelphia, a monthly journal devoted entirely to history study.

SOME GUIDES FOR TEACHERS

Allen, J. G. _Topical Studies in American History._

Bacheler, A. _American History--Library Method._

Baker, E. A. _A Guide to Historical Fiction._

Brigham, P. _Geographical Influences in American History._

Botsford, G. W. _Source-book of Ancient History._

Burdick, W. L. _Topical Outlines of Roman History._

Channing-Hart-Turner. _Guide to the Study of American History._ (Every teacher should own this.)

Dixon, Z. A. _Guide to Fiction._

Freeman, E. A. _Historical Geography of Europe._

Hart, A. B. _Source-book of American History._

Hart, A. B. _American History Told by Contemporaries._ 4 vols.

Hill, Mabel. _Liberty Documents._

Kendall, E. K. _Source-book of English History._

Lee, Guy C. _Source-book of English History._

Major, J. R. _Guide to the Choice of Classical Books._

Sonnenschein, W. S. _Best Books._

Stephens, H. M. _Syllabus of Modern European History._

Note: For lists of bibliography on history see Channing-Hart-Turner, _op. cit._; Bourne, _op. cit._; and Johnston and others in _High School Education_, p. 500 ff.

A SELECTED LIST OF AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION

(Copied from _Journal of Education_ for March 27, 1913)

This list attempts to cover American history from colonial times to the close of the Civil War. Not all the books are of literary merit; they have been chosen primarily with regard to their historical interest, although many of them are of the first rank as literature. As the list is not exhaustive, many good historical novels have probably been omitted:

I. COLONIAL PERIOD

Austin. _Standish of Standish; Betty Alden._

Cooper. _The Water Witch; Leatherstocking Tales._

Devereux. _From Kingdom to Colony._

Hawthorne. _The Scarlet Letter._

Johnston. _To Have and to Hold; Prisoners of Hope; Audrey._

Rayner. _Free to Serve._

II. REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD

Altsheler. _In Hostile Red; The Sun of Saratoga._

Brady. _The Grip of Honor; For Love of Country._

Chambers. _Cardigan; The Reckoning._

Churchill. _Richard Carvel._

Cooper. _The Spy; The Pilot._

Ford. _Janice Meredith._

Mitchell. _Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker._

Simms. _The Partisan._

Stephens. _The Continental Dragoon._

III. FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR

Bacheller. _D'ri and I._

Brady. _For the Freedom of the Sea._

Catherwood. _Lazarre._

Churchill. _The Crossing._

Dillon. _The Rose of Old St. Louis._

Hough. _The Mississippi Bubble._

Johnston. _Lewis Rand._

Pidgin. _Blennerhassett._

Thompson. _Alice of Old Vincennes; The King of Honey Island._

IV. CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION

Brady. _A Little Traitor to the South; The Southerners._

Cable. _The Cavalier; Kincaid's Battery._

Churchill. _The Crisis._

Dixon. _Leopard's Spots; The Clansman._

Eggleston. _Dorothy South; The Warrens of Virginia._

Fox. _The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come_.

Johnston. _The Long Roll; Cease Firing._

Page. _Red Rock._