Smith's New By an ingenious device the pages are so arranged that the overworked teacher can keep a complete record for each pupil for every day during a whole quarter, also weekly and monthly average (if desired), and yet have to write the pupils' names only once for the whole period. Plenty of space for attendance, deportment, scholarship, etc. Of convenient size to carry to and from school in the pocket. PREFACE. Reviews should form an important part of the work of every school. The pupil who finds himself confronted on the morrow with questions concerning his lessons of to-day, is led by that very fact to memorize more faithfully the matter in hand; but that morrow with its questions to be answered must be every to-morrow, which means simply that reviews should be frequent. They then become in truth an incentive to diligence as well as a test of memory-at once the solvent, as it were, and the precipitant of knowledge. The youthful mind must be led to recall again and again the knowledge it has acquired. It is more important that we direct our thought in part to what has been learned than that we press continually on to new fields. Far better is it for us to be able firmly to fix and practically employ a littl knowledge than to have studied all branches and forgotten the essentials. A large minority of the teachers in our schools do not weigh the importance of not only monthly and weekly reviews, but also daily reviews. Their greatest zeal appears to be to advance their pupils along the course of study. They labor to get over just so much ground, to reach a certain goal. They are proud when their classes maintain a rapid pace. There's a pace however that kills the memory. Let teachers adopt the plan of asking at the end of each recitation some questions on previous lessons and a more thorough knowledge will be imparted. Let the memory of the pupil be thus continually refreshed and facts and principles will become indelibly fixed. The author realizing that the main obstacle to this plan is lack of the requisite time to prepare the necessary questions, has attempted to collect and formulate systematically the general and essential facts and principles of the Common School studies. The object is to facilitate reviews; to make it easy for the overworked teacher, let us say, to test the classes daily, no matter how hard pressed for time. With questions on all the branches ready to hand, and with the answers quickly accessible when moments are precious, the one great bug-bear, lack of time, disappears. It is hoped that in the selection of the questions the spirit of the subject is preserved in every instance, and that the answers, though concise, will be found to be clear. Corrections of any undiscov. ered errors will be gratefully acknowledged. If through the publication of this work teachers are induced to have frequent recourse to dail review as an aid to memory, the author will feel that much good has been accomplished. QUESTIONS ON UNITED STATES HISTORY. 1. What is History? 2. By what terms are the divisions of history expressed? 3. What is Ancient History? Modern? Civil? Sacred? Profane? 4. What are the great events of Ancient History? 5. For what is Modern History distinguished? 6. How was America first settled? 7. What proofs show that America was inhabited by a race of men previous to the Indians? 8. What name have we applied to these people? 9. Why should we suppose that the Indians were a distinct race of men from those of the prehistoric times? 10. What records show that America was discovered previous to the discovery of Columbus? 11. Who were the Northmen? 12. What lands did they discover and what evidences exist of their explorations? Were they of any benefit? 13. Into how many chief epochs can the history of the United States be divided? 14. What idea led to the discovery of America by Columbus? What results were sought? 15. What land did Columbus first discover, and when? 16. Give some account of Columbus' trials and his final success? 17. How many vessels composed his fleet? 18. When and where did Columbus discover the mainland? How many voyages did he make? 19. Who discovered the continent before Columbus, and where? |