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School Department Conducted by M. E. G. Journey Geography by the Visual Route THE term "journey geography"— well understood throughout the elementary grades—usually means a levice to connect the study of the home rnvironment of the child with the other egions of the world, as a means of intro- lucing him to the type-studies of various essential industries which supply his wants, md leading him to a larger view of the vorld beyond his own horizon. In the case of the experiment herein Lescribed, a somewhat different type of "journey geography" was employed. The >roblem was one of motivation, with an xtremely backward group which had >een allowed to reach the seventh grade vith a surprising lack of knowledge of ssentials. They struggled to keep up vith the rest of their grade in the study >f European geography, until, in the nidst of a chapter on France, it was de- luded that progress was impossible with- mt a more thorough grounding in funda- nentals. Their lack of geographical mowledge was seriously retarding them n other subjects also. In history, for ocample, they could not decide which )ortion of the Atlantic Coast was settled >y the Massachusetts Colony, nor what )art belonged to Virginia, nor whether Pennsylvania was a state or a city. In English they wrote poorly, as much from i paucity of ideas as from a lack of prac- ice in the technique of writing. It would have been futile simply to urn back the pages of their geography :ext, to take the class once more over :he same ground, which w T ould lack any semblance of freshness for them. But the essentials of American geography must somehow be acquired. They therefore magined themselves a group of French children, coming to America for the first time, to discover what sort of country it was, and learn something of it at first hand. They became most practical in the problem. Ocean steamship routes had to be looked up; possible ports in France considered, and a decision reached as to the best landing place in America. The situation offered a splendid opportunity to contrast present means of ocean trans- portation with those of former times. Nor was the time on shipboard to be occupied solely with games and amuse- ments. Certain definite hours each day during the voyage (the time during which their regular geography class met) were to be given to study en route. They must discover from whatever means at hand something about the larger features of the continent they were on their way to visit. A map was made, the travel book was started which was to contain an ac- count of the journey, and the route to be followed in America planned. It was decided to land in New York— an opportunity for a study of the life of a large city, and an attack upon the prob- lem of why such a metropolis had grown up in just this particular situation, all of which called for a knowledge of New York's environment, its rivers, bays, har- bor, etc. Historical Boston was elected by popu- lar vote as the second stopping place, since by a visit to that city, the class might see some of the famous spots so intimately connected with events about which they had heard. The travel ac- count of Boston dealt with it largely from the historical angle. From Boston, it was a logical step to the St. Lawrence and its cities, so closely bound up with yet another period of 227