Methods in Primary Schools by A TEACHER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 1, 1906

Methods in Primary Schools

By A TEACHER

Geography

Few studies present such possibilities to the church-school teacher as does geography. The Bible is the inspired guide-book, the written history of the Father's dealing with his children, now erring, now repentant; the life story of his Son, a declaration of his warnings, and counsels, and promises, the medium through which we see a new earth, “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Geography, seen in the light of inspired revelation, is a guide-book of this present home of ours, the science that shows in souls the effect of heeding or rejecting God; the history of our world, written in stones and plants, and human lives.

The little child begins by studying the things that he sees about him, the simple geography of the school yard and farm, the simple forms of land and water. And at the same time he may learn how all the great world is a home that God made for his children, and into which he put our first parents.

As the child grows older, he will be interested in following through the story of the peopling of the earth, in seeing how people were affected by climate, and all the fauna and flora that depend on it. From that he will be interested in slope and position in the mountains, realizing that climate depends largely on that. Show him how from the time of Lot and Abraham until now, people have been influenced by their environment.

Try in your work, as far as you can, to interest the child in the people, their characteristics and customs, not simply for curiosity's sake, but to awaken sympathy, possibly pity, and love, a desire to have them see and accept our Saviour and message.

Children have an idea, perhaps most of their elders have, that those people are very queer, very inferior to us, with hearts and heads that are not at all like ours. Read the children the story of those black heroes who brought Livingstone back from the heart of Africa, of the faithful, loving hearts in China, and India, and Japan. Get the letters of our foreign workers for them in as large number as possible, and let them see that all those poor, dark hearts need is the converting, transforming power of God; and we need that as much as they. They are no queerer to us than we are to them, and God loves them just as he does us.

As far as possible, weave location in by tracing mission stations and routes. Keep the children interested in the latest reports from the mission fields. Study a continent or a country with its evangelization in view, and hang the facts on that.

The teacher who tries to do this finds difficulty in the text-book question. There is none that covers this ground, yet. Still the work can be done by using a good text, preferably Morton's, and filling in from the reports in the Review and Missionary Magazine, old numbers of which may be found in many homes. The work would have to be outlined carefully from the beginning, and the outline faithfully carried out.

The children would do well to keep full notes on these fields. If they write slowly, the teacher would probably save time by copying them herself on a hektograph, and letting the children paste the sheets in their books.

Much interesting literature can be found to help in this work, by looking up the lives of pioneer missionaries, and in the reading-matter published by the Student Volunteers. A TEACHER.