f A ®Ije Imu^rstty of iMiutt^snta CURRENT PROBLEMS NUMBER BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY BY AUGUST C. KREY, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History in the University of Minnesota Price 25 Cents MINNEAPOLIS Published by the University of Minnesota October 1915 ^onagTRp^ RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA These publications contain the results of research work from various departments of the University and are offered for exchange with univer- sities, scientific societies, and other institutions. Papers will be published as separate monographs numbered in several series. There is no stated interval of publication. Application for any of these publications should be made to the University Librarian. STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 1. Thompson and Warber, A Social and Economic Survey of a Rural Township in Southern Minnesota. April. 1913. $0.50. 2. M.^TTHiAS NoRDBERG Orfield, Federal Land Grants to the States, with Special Reference to Minnesota. March, 1915. i|-1.0J. _ 3. Edward Van Dyke Robinson, Early Economic Conditions and the Development of Agriculture in Minnesota. March, 1915. $1.50. 4. L. D. H. Weld and Others, Studies in the Marketing of Farm Products. March. 1915. $0.50. 5. Ben Palmer, Swamp Land Drainage, with Special Reference to Minnesota. March, 1915. $0.50. STUDIES IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS L Frankforter and Frary, Equilil^ria in Systems containing Alcohol, Salts, and Water. December, 1912. $0.50. 2. Frankforter and Kritchevsky, A New Phase of Catalysis. Feb- ruary, 1914. $0.50. STUDIES IN ENGINEERING 1. George Alfred Maney, Secondary Stresses and Other Problems in Rigid Frames: A New Method of Solution. March, 1915. $0.25. 2. Charles Franklin Shoop, An Investigation of the Concrete Road- Making Properties of Minnesota Stone and Gravel. Marcii, 1915. $0.25. 3. Franklin R. McMillan, Shrinkage and Time Effects in Rein- forced Concrete. March, 1915. $0.25. STUDIES IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1. Herbert G. Lampson, A Study on the Spread of Tuberculosis in Families. December, 1913. $0.50. STUDIES IN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 1. Esther L. Swenson, An Inquiry into the Composition and Struc- ture of Ludus Covciitriac ; Hardin Craig, Note on the Home of Ludiis Coveniriac. October, 1914. $0.50. 2. Elmer Edgar Stole, Othello: An Historical and Comparative Study. March, 1915. 3. Colbert Searles, Les Sentiments de I'Academie Frangaise sur le Cid: Edition of the Text, with an Introduction. In press. CURRENT PROBLEMS L William Anderson, The Work of Public Service Commissions. .November, 1913. $0.15. *• * 2. Benjamin F. Pittenger, Rural Teachers' Training Departments in ^•"Kl'innesota High Schools. October, 1914. $0.15. 3. Gkrhard a. Gesell, Minnesota Public Utility Rates. October, 1914. $0.25. 4. L. D. H. Weld, Social and Economic Survey of a Community in the Red River Valley. February, 1915. $0.25. _ 5. GusTAV p. Warber, Social and Economic Survey of a Community in Northeastern Minnesota. March, 1915. $0.25. 6. Joseph B. Pike, Bulletin for Teachers of Latin. October, 1915. $0.25. 7. August C. ICrey, Bulletin for the Teachers of History. October, 1915. $0.25. ®Itr luiu^rBttg of iHtntt^snta CURRENT PROBLEMS NUMBER BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY BY AUGUST C. KREY, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History in the University of Minnesota Price 25 Cents MINNEAPOLIS Published by the University of Minnesota October 1915 Mono^ph '-s> Copyright 1915 BY THE University of Minnesota 'C(.A41fil6fi PREFACE The present bulletin is the second to be prepared at the re- quest of the College of Education for the current topic series. The aim of this bulletin, like that of the Bulletin for Latin Teachers, is to place before high-school teachers a succinct state- ment of the problems connected with a specific high-school study, and to suggest some of the more important materials and meth- ods for dealing with the same. It is hoped that in the near future, it will be possible to present a similar bulletin on each of the major high-school studies. It is desired to make these bulletins of as broad use to teachers in service as possible. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated. F. H. Swift, Secretary of College of Education CONTENTS Page Preface iii Introduction v The teacher's preparation 1 Subject-matter 1 Arrangement of the course 3 Methodology 4 The teacher's outhne -t Materials for the history course T) Text 6 Maps 7 Atlases 7 Wall maps 7 Outline maps 8 Books for reference ^) Devices for the teaching of history 10 The outline 11 The topic 11 The source method 12 Outline maps 14 Illustrative material 15 Historical fiction 17 Note-books 18 Some suggestions for the im])rovement of history teaching in Minnesota 18 INTRODUCTION This brief bulletin is designed primarily for the teachers of history who are beginning their work. It was prepared at the re- quest of the College of Education. The information is chiefly bib- liographical, tho some elementary principles of method are in- cluded. The bibliography is not complete, but most of the books mentioned also contain bibliographies so that the more advanced teachers will be able to run down practically all tlie standard lit- erature on the subject through the works listed here. Books pub- lished in this country are listed with the name of the publisher, while books published abroad are listed with the place of publi- cation only. The prices quoted are the list prices of the pub- lishers and do not include postage or express. Most of the books mentioned may be obtained through the special book department of the History Teacher's Aiagazine. Address Dr. A. E. Mc- Kinley, 1619-21 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Foreign books may be ordered through the importing firms G. E. Stechert & Co., 151-155 West Twenty-fifth Street, New York, or A. C. McClurg & Co., 330-352 East Ohio Street, Chicago. Fre- quently the local book dealers are able to obtain the books for you at a saving. BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY THE TEACHER'S PREPARATION SUBJECT-MATTER The first requisite for the successful teacher of history is thoro knowledge of the subject. In times past this require- ment was sometimes not regarded very seriously. High-school administrators frequently proceeded on the tacit assumption that everyone "knew history" with the result that athletic, forensic, or musical attainments in prospective teachers were sufficient to win them places as teachers of history. Fortunately that time is rapidly passing. Modern high-school executives are keenly aware of the correlation between the teacher's mastery of subject-matter and successful class-room work. They understand the complex- ity and importance of history and are not inclined to tolerate slip- shod, superficial work there. As a result it is becoming increas- ingly difficult for teachers not trained for the work to obtain posi- tions as teachers of history. Occasionally the situation in partic- ular schools necessitates the teaching of history by a teacher trained for other lines of work. Such a teacher has the unenvi- able task of "working up" the subject and teaching it at the same time. Probably the most helpful bibliography for such a teacher will be found in the following works : Andrews, Gambrill and Tall, A Bibliography of History for Schools and Libraries. Longmans, 1910. Price 60 cents. History Teacher's Magazine. McKinley & Co., 1909. Price $2.00 per year; $1.00 for members of Historical Association. The first work, compiled by scholars and teachers, contains a care- fully selected list of the best works in English for iiigh-school purposes. Author, date of publication, and price of every book are given. In addi- tion a brief critical estimate of each book appears so that the reader is amply guided in selecting the most useful. For books published since this little bibliography was drawn up, see the bibliographical section of the History Teacher's Magazine. This periodical is edited under the supervision of a committee of the American Historical Association and appears ten times a year. It is, for practical purposes, the official peri- odical of the history teachers, an indispensable part of the teacher's library. 2 .lUGUST C. KREV More detailed Ijibliograpliies usefid for general reference pur- poses will be found in the following works : Charming, Hart antl Turner, (Titidc to the Study and Readiiu; of American History. Kcv. cd., 1912. Ciinii & Co. Price $2.50. Cannon, H. G., .-/ (Jiiidc to the Study and Reading of English Ilis- tory. Ginn & Co., 1910. Price $2.50. These two works contain comprehensive lists of l:)ooks, arranged by topics and critically evahiated. The iirst contains also valuable sugges- tions for student and teacher. Both arc indisjicnsable for the reference lilirary. No similar lists for ancient and European history have as yet appeared. Some help in these fields, however, may be obtained from critical foreign bibliographies, e. g., Herre, Paul, Qucllenkundc zur zvelt- gcschichte. Leipzig, 1910. Price c. $1.25. I'or a bililiography of bibli- ographies the following work is still liest : Langlois, C. V., Manuel de Bildiografhie historique. 2nd cd. Paris, 1901 ; vol. 2, 1904. Price, $1.80. For the teacher wdio is anxious to obtain an independent basis for judging the value of historical writing as well as to conduct investigations of his own it is advisable to understand the laws by wdiich historians are guided. There are two works on this subject which are generally regarded as the standard: Langlois, C. \'. & Seignobos, Ch., Intmduetion to the Study of His- tory. Holt, 1909. Price $1.60. Translated fr.mi the Frencli edition, wliich may lie olitained for $1.00. Bernheim, E.. Lehrluieh der Historisehen Melhode. 6lh edition. Leipzig, 1908. This, the most comprehensive work on the sultject, lias not yet been translated. Price c. $4.00. For l)eginners. howe\'er, one of the following works will serve l)etter as an introduction : Fling, F. '\[., Outline of Historical Method. Ainswortli, Chicago, 1899. Price 75 cents. George, H. B., Historical Evidence. Oxford, 1909. Price 75 cents. Vincent. J. Af., Historical Research. Holt, 1911. Price $2.00. Teachers who have inadequate preparation for their suljject will find the double task- of repairing this deficiency and teaching the subject at the same time extremely difficult if not tjuite im- possible. It would be better for such a teacher to spend another year or two at soiue university. If this is impracticable, atten- dance at .Slimmer Sessions will be a good substitute. In the spring of each year the History Teacher's Magazine publishes the an- BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HLSTORY 3 nouncement of courses offered for the summer by the leading universities of the country. Attendance at these sessions is usu- ally of double advantage. Not only does it enable the teacher to perfect his preparation in subject-matter, but it also throws him into contact with other teachers of the same subject, an as- sociation of great value. Somewhat less satisfactory tho very helpful is enrollment in the University Extension courses. These courses are conducted by members of the regular university staff and are oft'ered throughout the year. Detailed information in regard to them may be obtained by writing to Dr. Richard R. Price, Director of University Extension of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. ARRANGEMENT OF THE COURSE The division of history into fields for the successive years of high-school study is the work of the national organization of his- tory teachers and scholars. Committees, consisting of both schol- ars and teachers, the latter representing all three types of public schools, have made carefid studies of the (juestion from time to time. Their reports and recommendations have formed the basis for the present history curriculum in the elementary and high schools and every teacher should be thoroly familiar with the more recent reports, following: Report of the Coniinittcc of Seven on History in the Secondary Schools. Macmillan, 1904. Price SO cents. Report of the Co)n)nittce of Eight on FHsfory in the F^lentcntary Schools. Scribners, 1909. Price SO cents. Report of the Committee of Five on History in the Secondary Schools. Macmillan, 1910. Price 25 cents. These reports were all presented originally to the American Historical Association. Members of the Association at the time received copies of the reports without any extra charge, but in view of the large demand for them, they have been published separately. Persons not members of the Association may obtain these reports from the publishers. The Committee of Five was appointed to consider changes in the curriculum as laid down by the Committee of Seven. Their report contains a statement of the problems which have arisen to provoke changes and offers certain suggestions as alternative solutions. Their report is only preliminary. A larger committee was appointed in 1914 to make 4 AUGUST C. KREV definite recommendations. This committee is now at work and welcomes suggestions from teachers all over the country. The question of changes in the curriculum will also be discussed by the history section of the Minnesota Educational Association at the meeting in 1*^15. METHODOLOGY Many good books have been written on the methods of teach- ing history. The best introduction to the subject will be found in the reports listed above, particularly the report of the Commit- tee of Seven. For constant aid and suggestion the History Teachers Alagarjine is indispensable. Of the many books on the subject the following will be found especially helpful: Johnson, H., The Teaching of History. Macmillan, 1915. Exceed- ingly valuable for practical suggestions and careful bibliography. Has just appeared. Price $1.40. Jaeger, Oskar, The Teaching of History. AlcClurg, 1915. Price $1.00. Bourne, H. E., The Teaching of History and Civics in the Second- ary and Elementary Schools. Rev. ed., Longmans, 1915. Price $1.50. Wayland, J. W., How to Teach .-American History. Macmillan, 1914. Price $1.10. Further references on this subject may be found in the carefully selected list drawn up by a Committee of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association. See the report of this Association for 1915. (See page 19.) THE TEACHER'S OUTLINE It has become a well-established practice among successful teachers to have ready before the year's work begins a complete outline of each course to be taught. Such outlines should not be dependent upon any single text-book but should rather be a logically arranged outline of the subject which may be used in connection with any text. It should contain a carefullv detailed analysis of the subject, topical reading references, ijrovision for the use of maps and other illustrative material. Such an out- line should be sufficiently flexible to permit its adjustment to whatever text-book is used and should enable the teacher to meet the various interruptions in the continuity of the work which are apt to occur. An outline of this kind can be revised each year as the deinands of scholarly progress and the teacher's own experience dictate. The most complete and carefully planned outline for secondary schools is that published by the New Eng- land History Teachers' Association, the title of which follows. . BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HLSTORY 5 More recent syllalM should be used to supplement it. The outline by Professor L. M. Larson and a Committee of the Illinois High School Conference is limited to three tields of history, An- cient, European, and English and is less elaborate than most similar outlines, but is unusually excellent in its choice of topics and in the elimination of non-essentials. The outline of the his- tory course contained in the bulletin of the State Department of Education, while too brief to serve as the teacher's outline, is very suggestive in its brevity. The printed outlines used in con- nection with the elementary courses in the leading universities should be consulted from time to time for suggestions as to the more recent progress in each field. A few of the more helpful outlines are listed here. A History Syllabus for Secondary Schools, compiled by a Committee of the Nezv England History Teachers' Association. Heath & Co., 1904. Price $1.20. Syllabus of History and Civics for Secondary Schools, published by the University of the State of New York. Education Department Bulle- tin. Albany, 1910. Syllabus of European History for Secondary Schools, prepared by Professor L. M. Larson and a committee of the Illinois High School Conference. Champaign, Urbana, 1909. Price c. 25 cents. Suggestive Outlines for Study Courses in Minnesota High Schools. Prepared by a special committee of High School Superintendents. Bulle- tin 47. Department of Education, St. Paul, 1913. Detailed outlines of each field of history drawn up by some of the best teachers in the country have been or are being published serially in the History Teacher's Magazine. For syllabi of college courses see the carefully selected list published on the back cover of the History Teacher's Magazine under the caption "Books for the Teachers of History." 1913. For further syllabi, both college and secondary, see the lists in the History Teacher's Magazine, December, 1909, and January, 1911 et passim. Almost all of the syllabi contain carefully selected lists of reference books. 6 AUGUST C. KRIIV MATERIALS F( )R THE HISTORY COURSE TEXT A good text-book is aliiKJSt as essential as a good teacher. It occupies so large a i)lace in the liigh-school courses th.'it it should be selected witli the greatest care. The work of tlie freshman year may easily prove a failure because of an unsatis- factory text-book, as many teachers will testify. The same state- ment is only less true of the succeeding courses. It is not until the last year, or the course in American history, that the teacher can safely dei)art from the text-book to any very considerable ex- tent. Yet even here the text should serve as the informational backljone of the course for the student. Under the circumstances it is rather necessary for the teacher to make a very careful selec- tion based upon a careful comparison of the better text-books on the market. Three leading considerations should guide the teach- er in the choice of the book: (1) Its statements both in fact and expression should meet the a])})roval of the best and most recent scholarly opinion; (2) Its method of presentation should be clear so that the meaning may be grasped by the average stu- dent without too much explanation by the teacher; (3) It should fit in easily with the teacher's own training and individual in- terests. Usually it is ])etter to have the book supplement the teacher's own interests in such a way as to widen the historical horizon for the student. In schools where the equipment of mai)s and illustrative materials is meager it may also be advisable to consider the auxiliary features of the prospective text as an es- sential element in the choice. On the first point it will be best for the teacher to consult the reviews of the books in the rec- ognized professional ])erio(licals. On the others it will be well to make a careful jKM-sonal investigation of the various l)ooks re- garded as satisfactory. An effort is being made to assemble at the University all the desirable text-books. These will be acces- sible to any teacher visiting the l^niversity and possibly arrange- ments may be made to loan them temporarily to teachers who are unable to come to Minneapolis. This collection is not vet complete but already contains most of the desirable text-liooks in each field. In view of the importance of a satisfactory text- book to the success of the teacher, the necessity of making as careful a comparison of all the desiral)le texts as possil)le l)efore deciding upon one can not be overemi^hasized. BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY 7 MAPS ATLASES Every high-school Hbrary should be provided with at least one good historical atlas. It is desirable to have a suflicient number to afford every student convenient access. This atlas should be most carefully selected for its scholarly cjualities, since it must serve as the court of last resort in questions of historical geog- raphy. Forttmately for the hurried teacher the number of good atlases is limited. For history in general the following are ac- ceptable : Shepherd, Historical Atlas. Holt, 1910. Price $2.50. Dow, E. W., Atlas of European History. Holt, 1909. Price $1.50. Of the two, the fir.st is more complete, containing maps for the four fields of history. Both are scholarly. The second is sold cheaply enough for many students to purchase. For schools which can afford additional atlases on special fields of history, the following are probably best : Longmans' Classical Atlas. Longmans. Price $2.00. Gardiner, Atlas of English History. Longmans. Price $1.50. Hart, A. B., Epoch Maps of American History. Rev. ed. Longmans. Price 60 cents. WALL MAPS It would be ideal to have in the classroom a complete and scholarly series of wall maps to illustrate every important geo- graphical change as the cottrse proceeded. Lack of funds, how- ever, makes the attainment of this ideal difficttlt and frecittently a school is fortunate if it has one or two such maps for its his- tory classroom. In the latter event the "problem of selection is extremely difiicult. There are many excellent wall maps, most of the best being of foreign make. If only two or three can be purchased the choice rapidly dwindles down to a qtiestion of a physical or contemporary political map. Probably, however, it wall be best to select the physical map, for it contains only the relatively permanent geographical feattires and can therefore be used as well with one period as with another. The political map usttally contains too many names of towns and countries, does not show physical features in relief, and shows boundary lines which are soon of valtie for onlv one point in time so that con- 8 AUGUST C. KREY fusion is apt to result in using it to illustrate other periods. Prob- ably the best physical maps are : Kiihnert, Relief-Like Series Physical Map. Price $6.40 and up. Sydow-Habenicht, Physical Maps. Price $9.00 and up. Ancient History W. & A. K. Johnston, Wall Maps in series or separate. $3.50 and up. Kiepert, Classical Wall Maps, 10 maps in series or separate. $7.50 and up. MacCoun's Historical Charts, Ancient and Classical, 18 charts. $15.00. Medieval and Modern Europe Baldamus-Schwabe Historical Map. $8.00 and up. Spruner-Bretschneider, Historical Maps, 10 maps. $6.00 per map. MacCoun's Historical Charts, Medieval and Modern, 19 charts. $15.00. English History W. & A. K. Johnston, new maps on English History— 10 maps. $2.50 and up. American History The New Sanford Series. 22 maps, separate $1.40 each ; in chart $24.00. Excellent scries are also published by Rand, McNaily & Co., Chicago. Atkinson, Mentzner & Glover and Silver, Burdette & Co., Boston. In purchasing maps, the teacher should consider accuracy of detail, clearness and effectiveness of colors, durability and cheapness in the order named. Too much detail, bad colors and fragile mounting mar the value of a map. Where funds are limited it may be well to consider the advisability of getting cheaper maps in order to illustrate more periods in preference to the slower policy of building up a supply of maps of more dur- able and excellent workmanship. OUTLINE MAPS In the absence of an adecjuate series of wall maps much may be accomplished by the teacher with the use of large outline maps. There are on the market large blackljoard outline maps on which crayon may be used to illustrate various geographical changes. These maps are mounted and can be rolled up when not in use. Large outline maps on manila paper can also be obtained very cheaply. The disadvantage of being able to use such a map for but one illustration can be somewhat lessened by keeping the map for use in the following year. Blackboard maps may be ob- tained from either of the following companies : BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY 9 A. J. Nystrom Co., Chicago, and Rand, McNallj' & Co., Chicago. McKinley Publishing Co., Philadelphia. It is usually less expensive to order directly from the pub- lishers, tho for small purchases there is a distinct advantage in placing orders with the nearest agents. Consult the catalogs. List prices are nsiiaUy subject to a 20 per cent discount for edu- cational institutions. The following firms handle maps either as publishers or as agents : North Western School Supply Co., Minneapolis, Minn, (general agents). A. J. Nystrom & Co., Chicago (publishers of the Sanford series and agents for W. & A. K. Johnston, Kiepert & Spriiner-Bretschneider). Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago (publishers and agents). Silver, Burdette & Co., Boston (publishers of MacCoun charts). McKinley Publishing Co., Philadelphia (publishers of outline maps and agents). Atkinson, Mentzncr & Glover, Chicago (pul)lishcrs of outline maps and agents). G. E. Stechert & Co., New York (importers and agents for many foreign maps). BOOKS FOR REFERENCE No less important than a good supply of maps is a carefully selected reference library for the use of the students. If the com- munity is supplied with a good public library it may be possible for the teacher by effective cooperation with the librarian to uti- lize that without necessitating the additional expense of a large school library. In one place of convenient access or another, however, there should be a carefully selected group of reference books. The number of books will be largely dependent upon the amount of money which the community supplies for the purpose and to a certain extent the selection of books will be dependent upon the same consideration. Such books should be selected not only to supply a more detailed and complete account of the whole field than is aft'orded by the text-book but also to afford practice in intensive reading for the whole class. The latter necessitates the acquisition of sufficient duplicate copies of certain books. The problem of obtaining the most eft'ective library with a very small fund has received wide attention and lists of books for each field at ten, fifteen and twenty-five or fifty dollars have been carefully drawn up. Many of the recent text-books con- tain such lists. The Universities of Wisconsin, Indiana, and 10 AUGUST C. KREY Texas also publish lists of this kind which may be procured upon request. A larger selection is afforded by the following bibli- ographies : Andrews, Gambrill & Tall, A Bibliography of History for Schools and Libraries. Longmans. Price 60 cents. History Tccnher's Magaciiic, 1909. Tliesc two works together contain lists (if the best books in English for high-school reference pnrpose, with critical estimates of each l)Ook as well as the necessary infurmation of price and publisher. The Magazine also contains notice of books published currently. The select list of the American Library Association, while not drawn up primarily for high- school purposes, is also useful. A. L. A., Cataloij of S.OOO z'oliinics. 1904. Price 50 cents. A. L. A., Siifplciiuvit of SJIOO volumes. 1911. Price ifl.50. Published by the American Library Association. Address Superin- tendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, or the American Library Asso- ciation, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. Pul)lic libraries are supplied with the first work gratis. In the hope of gaininj^- ttni fortuity throughout the state in the matter of intensive reading, a committee of the Minnesota Educational Association, History Teachers' Section, made certain definite recommendations, jjoth as to the periods which should be so studied and the books most useful for the purjiose, at the meeting last year. This report has been published as a bulletin of the Winona Normal School and can l)e ol)tained upon request. DEVICES EOR THE TEACHING OF HISTORY There is frequently confusion of what are properly the mate- rials of a history course for high-school students and what are purely devices to enable the student to digest those materials. The distinction is very im|)ortant, for overemphasis on what are merely devices tends to lead both the teacher and students astray. The teacher may find at the end of the year that the students have a siuattering of information al)out outlining, topic-writing, pic- tures, sources, or games, but have only a superficial knowledge of the history for the study of which they enrolled. Few causes have operated more drastically to impair the efficiency of his- tory teaching in the past five years than this confusion of device and matter. There is something to be said in defense of the high-school principal of a neighboring state who in answering BULLETIN LOK TILICIIHRS OF lUSrORY 11 a questionnaire regardint;- the methods of teaching history in his school wrote in a spirit of outraged dignity opposite the query, What devices do you employ, "I do not permit my teachers to use any devices." The device should be used sparingly and al- ways with the consciousness that it is but a device. The devices which have come to be regarded as essential factors in the teach- ing of history may be classified roughly as the outline, the topic, the outline map, the source book, pictured illustrations, and his- torical fiction. THE OUTLINE As in the teaching of rhetoric and English, so also in his- tory the use of the outline method with the students has become the standard device for cultivating the habit of close analysis of reading matter. The greater average "factal" content of his- torical works gives the method correspondingly greater impor- tance in history study. The chief object desired by the use of this method is to inculcate in the student the habit of carefully analyz- ing the historical works he reads. It is also used in reviewing longer or shorter periods of the course to bring out the historical perspective and the logical relationship of the various events. There is relatively slight value in furnishing the students with a complete outline of the course for that robs them of the oppor- tunity to make outlines. Equally questionable is the practice of having the students write out their own outlines of the assign- ment every day. It is nevertheless one of the most valuable of the devices in use and ordinary exercise of judgment by the teacher should prevent the danger of its overuse. Almost all the books on the pedagogy of history devote some attention to this special method. THE TOPIC The topic or essay so much in vogue with the teacher of rhet- oric and English is almost equally useful in the teaching of his- tory. Its purpose is two-fold — to give the student practice in finding information not covered, or inadequately treated, in the text-book, and also practice in assembling such information for eft'ective presentation. Subjects for topical investigation are best selected when in accord with the student's interest. Questions stirred up by class discussion, biographical investigations, mili- tary problems and social relationships are usually very interest- [Z .lUCUST C. KRHV ing. Assignnienls of such topics should 1)0 made by spccitic chaj)- ter or page references to guard against waste of time by the stu- dents. TJsts of subjects with such references should be on file in the teacher's outline. Some hel]) may be obtained from the more recent texi-l)ooks which contain suggested topics with spe- cific references. Poole's Index to Periodical Literature affords 'great assistance for recent history. The most effective method for garnering such references, however, is a private card catalog with references culled from the teacher's own reading. Topics may be presented orall\- or in writing. In tlic former case, the subjects shovdd fit in with the class assignment and should be short. If the matter is not merely interesting but also important the other memljers of the class should be required to note the essential facts. Written topics permit of a wider range both in subject matter and in length. .An effective stimu- lant for good t()])ical work is to reward the best topics in some way. Topics may vary in size from an incident m the life of one of the ancients to an ambitious essay on local history. The teacher should l)e careful to assign topics according to the matur- ity and historical training of the student. Furthermore as the topic usually represents some departure from the main-traveled roads of historw the teacher should be careful not to let topical work encroach ujxjn the more important demands of the course. THE SOURCE METHOD Source books, as such, are an integral part of the reference lil)rary, but the source method, so much discussed in the recent works on historical pedagogy, is a device. By the term source, as it is technically used, is meant material most nearly contempo- rary with the events which it describes — the material to which the historian goes for his most accurate conclusions in regard to those events. This material may be in the form of a contempo- rary narrative account or in the form of archeological remains. The effective use of such material with high-school classes is necessarily limited. It is impossible for the students to work out a whole course of history from the sources. For the first three fields of history only a small fraction of the source luaterial is written in a language wdiich the student can read, and of the material which has been translated only that done by scholars is usable. The chief use of sources therefore is as illustrative ma- BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HLSTORY 13 terial. The mere fact thai; the student is handling works which are the product of past ages lends a certain zest to the work, vivifying the past for him as can few other devices. In rare in- stances also a single source contains practically all that we know about certain historical events or matters. In such cases, for instance, Eginhard's personal description of Charlemagne, the source is to be preferred to even the best text-book. Where con- temporary histories exist, as is the case in American and Modern English history and in earlier history only with a few excellently translated chronicles, such materials belong in the reference li- brary and should be used in that w^ay. The long-sougiit aim of giving the high-school student some acquaintance with the historian's method of work can be but partially attained. Only where practically all the sources are available which the historian would use in order to ascertain a fact or series of facts can this be done. Source books which present such an opportunity to the student are few in number and have been published very recently. Some of the problems which confront the historian can be illus- trated by well-selected sources. The detection of biased opinions of various kinds can be taught much more clearly from source accounts than from the more subtle works of later investigators. Errors of other kinds also can be detected more clearly in sources so that a very valuable, tho elementary, training in the critical evaluation of written records is alTorded the student. Such re- sults, however, are not obtained automatically but require very careful guidance by the teacher and this work should not be allowed to interfere with the pupil's study of the essential matter of the course. An excellent discussion of the source method, together with a classified list of source books, will be found in the report of a select committee of the New England History Teachers' Associa- tion which is pul)Hshed under the title : Historical Sources in the Schools. Macmillan, 1902. Price 50 cents. Fling, F. M., "A New Kind of Source Book." Lfisfory Teacher's Magazine, April, 1912. For a selected list of source books for school use see the list entitled : "Books for the Teacher of History." Llislory Teacher's Maga.zine. 1913. 14 .liJCUSr C. KREV OUTLINE AIAPS The device most commonly used in order lo fix essential geographical information in the minds of the students is the out- line map of so-called desk size. Like the analytical outline and the topic, outline ma])s have gained a place among the essential elements of history teaching, hut there is still great variety in the method of using these maps. In some schools the hound outline map-hooks are still used, the teachers regarding it as a sacred duty to ha\c the students hll in each outline. In others, only selected mai)s are purchased when needed. Some teachers still have the students copy maps from atlases or other maps outside of class hours while others have their students bring blank out- line maps to class and there fill them in from memory. There are a few teachers who go to the extreme of having their stu- dents draw outline as well as detail from memory. 'Jdie object of the outline map is to fix geogra])hical informa- tion and the teacher's problem is that of gaining the desired re- sult with the smallest expenditure of time and etYort. It has been demonstrated too often to require further experiment that stu- dents are able to copy maps and color them beautifully outside the class room without seemingly acquiring any geographical knowledge. Such work further consumes much time. On the other hand, the system of drawing maps from memory in the classroom, while it does promote a real knowledge of geography, has the disadvantage of encroaching on the recitation .period. This difficulty has been met by some excellent teachers by limit- ing the number of maps to be drawn and having them all done in class. The plan of having the students draw even the out- lines from memory, tho it ailords a better knowledge of the outline, does increase the time consumed and should therefore be used only occasionally. If the teacher bears constantly in mind that geographical information and not pretty coloring is the primary object of outline map work and that geographical facts, tho essential are l)Ut a fraction of the material to be acquired by the student, there should be little danger of the aljuse of this device. Outline maps of various sizes and for diflerenl periods may b-" obtained from the following firms. It is best to order from catalogs : BULLETIN I'OR TEACHERS OF HISTORY 15 The McKinley Publishing Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Atkinson, Mentzner & Glover, Chicago, 111. Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago, 111. ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL While many other materials are used for illustration purposes this title when used in connection with history teaching refers generally to pictorial material. Statuary and models of various kinds are included in the term. Pictures have long been used in connection with history, but it is only quite recently that their pedagogical value has been extensively exploited. At the present time the chief need seems to be caution against the overuse of pictures. Photographs of historical characters, buildings, monu- ments, scenes, works of art, art reproductions of various kinds, and imaginary representations of past events are among the more commonly used materials. In size they vary all the way from large wall pictures to postal cards. They are shown framed and hung on the walls, in smaller sizes passed around the class, shown through stereopticans, or thrown upon a screen through lantern slides. Among the general principles which experienced teachers use in showing pictures the following are universally applicable. The pictures are shown, not for themselves but for the purpose of lending vividness to material treated naturally in the course. They are shown, not before or after, but at the point in the course when they illustrate the subject then under discussion. The ap- plication of the picture to the lesson is pointed out clearly and ex- plained either by the teacher or by a student. Unless this is done there is great danger that the pupil will focus his attention upon unessential elements in the picture. Pictures should be so shown that the attention of the whole class is centered upon the same picture. This can be done best with a fairly large picture exhibited before the class or by means of lantern slides or reflect- ographs. If small pictures are shown it is best to have sufficient duplicates for the whole class. A series of pictures, unless their message is unmistakably clear, should not be passed around among the students during class time. Explanation under such circumstances when the students are looking at different pictures or impatiently waiting for the pictures to reach them is largely ineffectual. Considerable time is -wasted in addition. Pictures illustrative of current events but indirectlv associated with the 16 AUGUST C. KREY subject which the class is studying or a series of pictures shown to satisfy an interest aroused by an individual reference should be posted somewhere in the rear of the room or outside the room where they will not distract the student's attention during- the progress of the recitation. Even such pictures have a value, for they usually attract attention, may arouse interest and help to give "atmosphere" to the class work. The same general prin- ciples apply to the use of models of various kinds which are used for purely illustrative purposes. One point further should be borne in mind, namely, that it is possible to obtain very satisfac- tory results in history teaching without the use of any ])ictorial material whatsoever. Some idea of the variety of illustrative materials used in con- nection with history teaching may be obtained from the collection made under the auspices of the New England History Teachers' Association at Simmons College in Boston. Several compre- hensive catalogs issued by dealers will serve the same purpose. Catalogue of Collection of Illustrative Materials at Sii:uiions Col- lege. Houghton, Mifflin Co., 1912. Price 50 cents. Bibliothcca Paedagogica, VcrzeieJinis der bezvahrlesteii mid neuestcn Lehrinittcl — A catalog issued by B. F. Koehler of Leipzig. S ehukvart-Katalog , ein illiistriertes l'er.zeieJuiis der b'^sten Lent- und Lehrinittcl. Simon Schropp'sche Landkartenhandlung, Berlin. The "A. L." List. E. J. Arnold & Sons. Leeds, England. These three foreign catalogs are the most complete lists of illus- trative materials for school purposes. Large orders are more satisfac- torily obtained directly from the firms. Smaller order can be filled by American importers, e. g., G. E. Stechert & Co., 151 West Twenty-fifth Street, N. Y. There are now a few carefully selected and accurately made series of historical views designed definitely for use in the history class room. Lehmaim, Kidturhistorisehe Bilder, 2x2 ft. Medieval and Alodern His- tory, G. E. Stechert & Co. Mounted on paper. Price 70 cents per pic- ture. Longmans' Historical Pictures — English History. 12 pictures. Price each, 80 cents; in portfolio, $10.50. McKinley's Illustrated History Topics. McKinley Publishing Co., Philadelphia. These topics contain syllabus, reading references, outline maps, source extracts and hiose leaf note-books as well as pictures. Art productions may be obtained in various sizes and at prices varying from many dollars to the more commonly used prints BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HISTORY 17 which are sold for one cent. Lantern sHdes of these and other pictures can be obtained at prices ranging from 25 cents upwards. A hst of firms deaUng with these types of illustrative materials can be found in the June number of the History Teacher's Maga- zine for 1913. It is well to remember that lantern slides can be made from pictures by many local photographers. At the present time the University of Minnesota has a collec- tion of catalogs of most of the leading makers of illustrative ma- terials. Teachers have in the past made use of this collection either on visits to the University or by borrowing particular cata- logs. Address the Department of History. As soon as possible the University will establish a collection containing types of the most useful materials. HISTORICAL FICTION It was long a debatable question whether there was any legiti- mate place in the history course for historical fiction, but recent opinion has turned to the view that under certain circumstances carefully selected historical novels can be made to serve a very helpful purpose. Some historical novels are at the same time good literature and can be employed in both departments. The better novels, based upon close study of the periods with which they deal, afl^ord a more vivid and more detailed view of the age. Students realize as they are unable to do from the reading of political histories alone the "atmosphere" of the times. They "feel" the period. Then, too, these novels are u.sually more in- teresting and therefore serve as an artificial stimulant in the pharmacopoeia of the history teacher. But it must be constantly pointed out that historical novels are not history. They can not supplant the text-book and only the best of them should be recom- mended to the students. Critical lists of such novels will be found in the following books : Baker, E. A., History in Fiction. 2 vols. E. P. Button & Co., 1907. Price 75 cents per vol. Baker, E. A., A Guide to Historical Fiction. Macmillan, 1914. Price $6.00. This is to a large extent a revised and enlarged edition of the pre- ceding work. A. L. A., Catalog of 8000 vols, (see page 10). A. L. A., Supplement. 18 AUGUST C. KRHY NOTE-BOOKS Something should he said ahoiit that much mooted adjunct of work in history, the note-hook. Some teachers ahhor it as a means of certain death to all interest in history, while others think that the suhject can not he effectively taught without a note- book in the possession of each student. That it has a place, how- ever, is now generally admitted. Matters not treated in the text- book but of sufficient value to ])e preserved until the end of the semester should be filed somewhere. Class notes, including the assignments for the next lesson ; maps, brief notes on outside reading, outlines, and olher written material which will have a value for reference ])urposes are all included in this category. Obviously the best method of jM^eserving such a miscellaneous collection of material is l)y means of some catch-all, either a large envel()]>e or a loose-leaf note-book. The great danger to he avoided is that of demanding too much note-taking. There is little reason, for example, for asking students to take as elab- orate notes on an historical novel or the text-])Ook as on an im- jiortant narrative. The same general ])rinci])le will apply to other note-taking. ( )nly essential matter useful for further ref- erence should be demanded. 1'he drudgery of writing notes will thereby be largely avoided. vSuch catch-all note holders as suggested above can be impro- vised or loose-leaf note covers can be ol)tained from dealers in stationery. In the latter case it will l)e well to study catalogs before making a selection. There are considerable differences in price as well as in durability and effectiveness. SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF HISTORY TE.ACHING IN MINNESOTA Few subjects have so many pedagogical ]M-ol:)lems still to be solved and are so constantly changing in their material content as the history course. In but a few subjects is it so vitally neces- sary to keep in touch with the changes in both matter and method wliich are constantly occurring. Fortunately we have the His- tory Teacher's Magarjiue. to which most of the teachers already subscribe. For the teacher who is just beginning it is best to subscribe immediately. Many of the past issues are still in print BULLETIN FOR TEACHERS OF HL'^TORY 19 and can be obtained from the publisher, but unfortunately some of the earlier numbers are out of print. Another publication of great value to the history teacher is the Minnesota Historical Society Bulletin. Local history is the field in which the high-school teacher and students do their most advanced work. It is the place where teacher and community come into most direct contact. The Minnesota Historical Society has recently formulated plans to engage in extensive publication of a kind valuable not only for memorial but also for historical purposes. Membership in the Society enables the holder to re- ceive all the publications without extra charge. In the proceed- ings of the Society, recently published, a three-volume history of the state by Dr. W. W. Folwell, ex-President of the University of Minnesota, is announced. For information regarding mem- bership in the Society address Dr. S. J. Buck, Superintendent, Minnesota Historical Society, State Capitol, St. Paul. The two leading scholarly periodicals, the Ainericaii Histori- cal Rei'iciv and the Mississippi Valley Historical Review, appear quarterly. Both may be obtained separately from the publishers but it is generally more profitable to obtain them by taking mem- bership in the Associations. The annual dues of each are three dollars. For this sum the member may not only take an active part in the meetings but also receive the Review. For further information address the secretaries of the Associations, Profes- sor E. B. Greene, Champaign. Illinois, Secretary of the Amer- ican Historical Association and C. S. Payne, Omaha, Nebraska, Secretary of the Mississi])j)i \"alley Historical Association. Another suggestion for which tiiere is still room in our state is the value of attending meetings of teachers. There are always some professional matters which reading does not satisfy. Ar- ticles provoke questions without afifording answers while many little practical problems which occasion difficulties for the begin- ner are not discussed at all. Such matters are most effectively treated at meetings of history teachers. The Minnesota Educa- tional Association offers one opportunity of which comparatively few teachers avail themselves. The larger associations, the Mis- sissippi Valley and the American Historical Associations, have one meeting annually. Attendance at these latter meetings is of- ten impracticable but attendance at even one such meeting is ex- tremely well worth while. However, it is possible to form local 20 AUGUST C. KREV associations which can meet four or more times each year. The teacher who has questions to ask and the teacher who by experi- 'ence has increased the efficiency of her teaching- in one way or another can meet to mutual advantage. This plan has proved very successful in the Twin City History Teachers' Club and similar organizations can be formed in other parts of the state. It may be w^ell in closing to point out some of the questions which the history teachers of the country must solve within the next few years. 1. The relation of the various social sciences in the high-school curric- ulum. 2. The relation of American History and Government. 3. Shall Modern History (since 1500 or 1648) receive a semester or a year? 4. Where shall English History he taught? In what year? Alone, or in connection with Continental History? 5. If Modern History is allotted a year what shall he done with Ancient and Medieval History? Sliall they he telescoped into a one-year course or allowed a year and a half as at present? 6. What kind of history shall be taught in connection with vocational subjects ? If you have a well-considered o{)inion on any of these ques- tions send them to the Committee of the American Historical As- sociation on the High School Curriculum or send them to a mem- ber of the History Department of the University. The members of the History Department also will be glad at all times to be of any assistance in their power to the history teachers of the state. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ilillilililjiiilliiil 018 460 414