Educational film magazine; (January-December 1920)

LANTERN SLIDES STUDYING SOUTH AMERICA WITH LANTERN SLIDES Outline of Visual Method as Applied to the Teaching of South America to a Fifth Grade Class in Geography By Alfred W. Abrams Chief, Visual Inftlruction Division, New York State Department of Eriucalion, AlbaDV, >. Y. Part III. COMPARE number of transcontinental railroads in North America. What part of Argentina has no railroads? Why? Memorize latitude of Buenos Aires. Use railroad map F 43, again and again. South America is yet an undeveloped country inviting capital. A review of the map F 45 may be used as an introduction to a full study of Buenos Aires—the great size of the city, its imposing public buildings, hotels, parks, etc. The capitol suggests form of govern- ment. See if pupil recognizes the superior design of the capitol at Washington. De H13. The custom house introduces the question of exports and imports. Do not have pupils memorize a book statement of exports. Let them recall pictures of sheep and cattle. If pupils visualize, the word cattle carries with it hides, meat, horns, tallow, beef extract, etc. Fa BS and Fa BR further establish the railroad facilities of Argentina. Recall different means of transportation in Brazil. South America is yet a new continent awaiting development. Emphasize immigration. Fa BX. Every lesson through comparisons is a review; it is a means of building up ideas. The slides do not show all the facts to be pre- sented. Visualization, not looking at pictures, is the end sought. Present with due emphasis the size of the Parana river, and also the fertile country through which it runs. Show possibilities of future development. Emphasize the position of Argentina in the (southl temperate zone. Have in mind that the great nations of the earth have a temperate climate. Argentina, an agricultural country; note especially the absence of coal and iron, essentials in manufacturing. Is water power abun- dant? Compare with many swift streams of New York. Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay constitute a vast region of great latent wealth. TEAcmNG Points of Cerl-^in Slides — Illustrations Fa Y15 Significance of windmill. Are windmills common in your locality? Why? Fences and barn. Where is the scene? Why do you not expect a cattle ranch here? Oranges. Compare place with Florida as to latitude and climate. Why are oranges cheap? Supply and demand. Perishability. Transportation facilities. Uruguay and Paraguay Present Uruguay and Paraguay in connection with Argentina as a part of the study of the Plata river system. Let the aim be to have pupils think of this region as a whole. Treat state boundaries incidentally. The number of pictures available is very limited, but the main features of these two states are similar to those illustrated pictorially elsewhere and can be visualized from verbal descriptions. Always keep pictures subordinate to the end of your teaching. The ever present question is. Has the pupil visualized the thing itself? If the pupil is making progress in his habits of study, he is he- Fa Y16 Fa PoY ginning to ask himself certain kinds of questions when a new object of study is presented. What does it look like? Just where is it situated or placed? How large is it? What is its form or shape? Of what does it consist? In case of a country, how would one get to it? What sort of people live there? What do they do for a liv- ing? What language do they speak? What kind of a government do they have? What are their means of transportation? What trade do they have with their neighbor, etc.? A school that graduates pupils without developing in them an initiative in asking themselves such questions has signally failed in its mission and at best has given but meager returns for a ver>' large expenditure of time and money. The mechanic is certain to have his worked checked by a rigid standard. Is it accurate? Is it what he was expected to do? Let the teacher look over the work of any class period and ask herself. What is this period worth in real educational units? Verbal information in itself is of very little con- sequence, especially when expressed in isolated statements. Check up by the vital questions: Is the pupil mentally aggressive? Is he learning to observe? Is he putting his observations together and drawing significant conclusions? Is he developing the ability to think? Is he gaining power to express his ideas orderly, clearly, vividly? Do not be impatient for immediate evidence of results. In case of the South American countries Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia, test the value of the visual method as already used by not- ing the ability of pupils to visualize without the aid of actual pictures. Pictures have not been used educationally if, by their use, pupils have not gained in abilhy to visualize from verbal descriptions similar scenes without the aid of them. A Complete on A Roll ■yHlNK of it—you can get this roll of Touriscope weighingonly 6 ounces. You can slip it into your coat pocket or mail it by parcel post for 5 cents. Gives screen pic- tures equal to finest Slide Set of Film 100 perfect slidss on non-inflammable film, glass slides> yet costs 1-3 as much. No breakage. Write for Catalog describing advantages of Touriscope film and Touri- scope attach- ment for your stere- opticon. Address Dept. EF. UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, Inc. Touriscope Dept. 417 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY 30