A Novel School Yard by F. G.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1908

A Novel School Yard

By F. G.

The following appeared in the Chicago Daily News some time ago; it is suggestive to our teachers. They may not care to follow the ships of war in their courses and battles, but they can with advantage locate properly and illustrate the work of our missionaries in far-off lands. Few, if any, of our schools can make a map on such a large scale, but they can make similar maps on smaller lines. In this connection it might be well again to call the attention of our teachers to the “Outline of Mission Fields,” a little pamphlet prepared by our Mission Board. This outline describes our missionary operations in all lands, and is a great aid in the teaching of geography from a missionary point of view.

How Geography Is Taught on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

“John W. Gibson, principal of the public school at Fairbank, Tilghman Island, one of the veteran teachers of Talbot County, teaches geography on a big object-lesson scale, says the Baltimore Sun. On about a quarter of an acre of the school yard he has laid a map of the world on Mercator’s projection, showing continents and islands, the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers, the mountains and the valleys. The water for the gateways is mechanically conveyed from the overflow of a semi-artesian well near by. The natural lay of the land gives the plane surface, the mountains are built up with oyster shells, gravel, and earth; and sand from the river shore has been spread to show the deserts. The work is done to a scale, Mr. Gibson being a surveyor and civil engineer of no mean capacity. His pupils helped him enthusiastically in the work. The various mineral and vegetable products of the different countries are assigned to the respective places. Mr. Gibson does not claim that the idea of a school-yard map is original with him, but the work, probably, has never been done on so large a scale before, nor with such attention to accuracy of detail.

“There is large enough scope to show the progress of the naval side of the Spanish War; constructing ships of tin and the bark of the pine-tree is not difficult; every country boy living on the

salt water can whittle out a ship with his jack-knife as easily as a factory can make a match; and when the daily newspapers come, what a delight they take in changing the positions of the squadrons, according as the news warrants it. This is both constructive and applied geography, and makes the maps and letter-press of the text-book much more interesting and more easy of comprehension. Principal Gibson’s novel school yard attracts many visitors.”

Our pupils must be made to feel that the most important consideration in the study of geography is to know the world as the gospel harvest-field. F. G.