LB 1571 V.2 CO"n,l George -- The plan book for Inter rie dilate gr' cies 1 i ^^^ Southern Branch If of the University of California Los Angeles SIAT2H0KMALSCn&U UOS fiJiGElil-ii, GPi!,... LB 1571 Cr29± V.2 Cor),l QQo rgQ - J Tho plan hook for Intermeciiiate gvcies I Southern Branch of the University of California Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. DEC 6 i92g MAR 4 1924 JUN j^ ip?^ 1921 I94t 5m-8,'21 December. THE PLAN BOOK FOR INTERMEDIATE GRADES i- BY 1 5 I ^ I PRICE, TWENTY-FIVE CENTS PER COPY. Full set, September to June $2.2^. CHICAGO. A. FlyANAGAN CO., PUBLISHERS, Copyright laW A. FLANAGAN. L \u ■'. -^^sl /i In English homes 'neath Mistletoe They sing the Christmas song, While o'er the yiile log's rugged side The bright flames creep along, And scarlet holly berries glow. rr GLAD CHRISTMAS BELLS. t—t^ 4=it: T Glad Christinas bells, your mu-sic tells No pal -ace hall, its ceiling tall. In skies a - far, a splendid star Where, on the hill, all safe and still, » » \ -^ •*■ m m :g=rJ=*— ' — * — ri — ^=g= Christmas Hymn. The sweet and pleasant sto - rv: His king - ly head spread o - ver; The wise men westward trav'lint;. The fold - ed flocks were ly - ing. How came to earth, in low-ly birth, The Lord of life and glo - ry. There on - ly stood a sta-blerude The heav'n-ly Babe to cov er. The live-long night saw pure and bright, A - bove His birth-place burning. Down thro' the air an an - gel fair On swift - est wing came fly - ing. 5 "Glad news I bring, the prdmised King Lies in :\ stable yonder: A manger His rude dwelling is, There lies He, the world's wonder." 6 "Glory to Thee forever be, God in the highest, glory! Good- will \9 men. and peace again, O earth, i.' beaming o'er thee!" WATCHING THE FLOCKS. "Shepherds were watching their sheep thru the night, When from the heavens there came a great hght. Angels said, 'Fear not, glad tidings we bring, Jesus is born to you. Savior and King.' ^'Chorus — Softly and tenderly over the plain Came from the angels the sweetest refrain, 'Glory to God! Peace on earth now we bring, Jesus is born to you, Savior and King.' " 'Joy to all people, oh be not afraid,' So in a manger the Baby is laid. Heavenly hosts help the tidings to bring, 'Glory to God in the highest,' they sing; 'Glory to God in the highest,' they sing. — Chorus'. "Wise men were shown by a star where He lay; Faith is the star that will show us the way, Words that the angels sang, sing we again, 'Peace upon earth and good will unto men;' 'Peace upon earth and good will unto men.' " (Music in "Child Garden," December, 1894.) SHINE OUT, O BLESSED STAR. C. A. D. Caro a. Dug an. ^^^i ^ 1. Shine out, O bless - ed star, Prom-ise of the dawn! 2. Far thro' the shin - ing sky, An -gel voi-ces call, 3. Hail to the Ho - ly Child! Hail our L/ord and King! 4. Sing, all in earth and heav'n! This is Christmas morn! Glad ti-dings "Glo - ry to Wise men and Joy to the % —\ « « 1 — 4 -J 1 \ — I — ^—5 — m — ^- * 5: ^^^-^ i Chorus, ^ ^^ ^ t :t -•— ^ l^' — ^ send a - far; Christ the Lord is born! \ God on high! Peace, good-will to all!" ( ,-,. . , i, n 1 tt =■ . ' *= V Ring, ring, happy bells! Happy shepherds mild Ea - ger tribute bring. I world is given, Christ the Lord is born. , ' bells, i 1=^ ^^ -^ — p- t^ -«—r ■-V '/- bells of Christmas! Ring, ring, liap-py bells! Christ the Lord is born! i ^=Ht-i :iE ^ • -••-•■ ^=^=±=1 S^I3t J: a :3 ^ :^ From 'Songs in Season.' MERRY CHRISTMAS BELLS. D. BaTCHELW)»^ *N — ^— ^ — ^- ^ — ^-^-^ ^ < g -^-g— ^ Merry , merry , merry , merry Christmas bells, Oh, sweet - ly , sweet - ly chime ! 1^^— >-s ^— ^— ^ — > — ^ — ^— ts — s — V- Mtt»»s» ti* ~r ^— ^ — s — ^- JS.— N S. s„ X s — s^ XT ■» — m — « — •- 3^ r — w — — # — # — ^ Let the happy voices on the breez-es swell, This mer-ry, nier ry Christmas time. 1r=tr=^=tj=ir:tj=^r=^:^ ms^s» ~ . i »as i Dolce 1. Peace on earth, good -will to men, Oh, an - gel sing-ers, sing a -gain, While 2. Ban - ish ev - 'ry tho't of care, Let mirth and mu-sic fill the air, While ^ ^ ^ ^S -#-^ f hearts and voi - ces here be - low Join in the sweet re - frain! Oh, hearts and voi -ces here a - gain Re -peat the sweet re- frain! Oh, J J .1 . ■,-^-^- • . , J -^ A tempo. I — # — c — s- ^zxzit: mer-ry, mer-rj-,nKr-ry, mer-ry Christmas bells, Oh, sweet-ly, sweetly chime! MERRY CHRISTMAS BELLS— Concluded. Let the happy voi-ces on the breezes swell, This merry, merry Christmas time. N N s ^ --N V ^=H E. B. S. CHRISTMAS CAROL. 4r-^ ^=t :^5Efe: .j^s: E. B. Smith. ='=f 5=1=}=-' 1. A star shone in the heav-ens On Christmas morn, Above the place where 2. The wise men saw its brightness, And came from far; They found the way to 3. Oh, may this star of beaut- y Still point the way. To lead us all to P^ 3=f: H-^ -V- Chorus. it 1 I i*^ 1 1 N — a 1 -!■ — ^ — 1 -if-rl — U — • — ^— ^^T-^ -- » -f- "s=P=?H ^=T=i= — « — w—^ -il^—V.-^-^ -^g- L-^Lu_ y \ Je - sus The Lord was born, -v Je - sus, Led by the star. > ho - ly, ho - ly Christ-mas, Je - sus, This Christmas da)'. J ■#- -0- ■tL ^ ^ ^' ^ 4L c\'n • • \m p K 1* K ' ^ * K u ^-r- J ^— -#-- #-T- '^'^ 1 — "~7 — r ^ "' r- -^ — : 1 _' I.J > blessed, blessed Christmas. O joyful, joyful Christmas, When Christ was born! m w 1 ^ I ^ :fc± Copyright by D. C. Cook Pub. Co. By per ^.i# S r-r WE BRING OUR GIFTS. E^'ELINE Smith. Solo or School in Unison. Schumann. Arr. by Alfrkd Bexrly. 1 4 ~FT 1. We bring our gifts that oth - ers, too, may share The 2. We bring our gifts to Christ, our Sav - ior dear, Our $ _^_! bless-ings glad that fill this day so full of joy, And with each one the hap - py hearts and happy thanks for all His love. And pledge to Him our w wish that this may be A mer-ry, mer-ry Christmas sea-son ev - 'ry-where. first, best Christmas gift, Our willing serv-ice for the com-ing glad New Year. Refrain. V CHORrs. x 1 /i^T — -i — iM- — ^r- — ;^ — ^ — \- ■ 1 1 1 . I' >-' A Christmas glad, - A glad New Year, . J. / J — v4-!? — —a hap - a hap - ^ py py. ^ • • Christmas hap - py ^ N time. We'll do our best, and year, Of heart - y cheer, and ^:- > 1 • » • — -g 1 ' ^ : — — * — •- «• ^—0 — ^ — t — £± • '^^ — ^ — .^- — i *— H > — \ — ^ ^ iT ""^ 1 s. N V' « J \- "r 1^ ^ s. ^ 1 1 1 1 X -7 • 1 1 *^ • ~ii"' '^ i~ ' > J ' '1 Q^ m m J J Z . - •— ^ —9— N- -8- 5 — ^ — N i-^* 1 1 =f -i — — jT" ^ -? f- -5— f ^ L ^:fl 1 ? 1 '<^ • ~7~ ""■/ ~y~ 'V ?■ —^ =^4-f-^ Copyright, by Joshua Smith. From "Christmas Greetings.' CHRISTMAS BELLS. Schubert. _ _A H^ N h- Arr. by G. S. WII.KINS. -A 1 i m-i ' — ^ —0 — — 1 P 1 ^— -0 , ^— 1 -• %j a 1. Ring, joyous bells! 'tis now the Christmas-tide; Chime forth the 2. Now is the sea - son full of love and gifts; Now is the 3. Out on the night, then, ring your nier ry chimes; Ring, lust - y :*sr r -=- p \^- — 4—1 — h- Rit. J J # : >.-- A tempo. -0—^ \{0- S= y i^ glad news, fling it far and wide;. .... Peace and good-will clang time when lav - ish-ness up -lifts, Taught by a Gift, be - mu - sic, ring the sea - son's rhymes; Make glad the wea - ry -m. :i r r * r Rit. T^T r T r A tempo. §m ^F^ J I :|= -N N- -N— *- out to all the earth; Tell ev-'ry na-tion of the won - drous Birth, yond all price the best; Of all sweet ef-forts, giv-ing is most blest, with your cheery song; Pa-tience and courage give; the weak make strong. iEB i ^E^S I ^9^$- r -f*^ V 9« a=i»itd r I From "School Education," by courtesy of the publishers. n Allegro mf a- it a— = : r- THE FAIRY ARTIST Mart Spencer Coxrade -A — ^- :ii ^-.^=t- '^-^- 1. Tliere is a lit - tie art - ist, Who paints in the cold night hours 2. Pic-ture-iof rush-ing riv - ers, Bj' fair - y bridg-es spanned; P J :^i: A±: T=^ -^- =4= V ^:M: i^ 'w^ ^=r -A-A ^ Pic Bits tures for lit - tie cliil - dren. Of wondrous trees and flow'rs; of beau- ti-ful land -scape. Cop- ied from el - fin land: The -^^^- j- -*=^ -^ — r^ -9 — \-^ — ■ ^i=^ 'Ht •- » » mz Pic moon tures of snow -white mountains, Touching the snow-white sky; is the lamp he paints bj', His can - vas the win - dow pane; His ^ ^ lEE J» — • — •- -S*- tt=: )S=^ :.2 .?-- fc -^ -#- -V — •- -^-^ Pic - tures of dis - tant o - ceans, Where pret-ty ships sail by; brush is a froz - en snow - flake; Jack Frost the art - ist's name. i rJt- ^ '^ Copyright, 1899, by A. Flanagan, Pub. The Hill W<5rds by Amos Upton. Air from Beethoven's Sonata, op. go. Arranged by 6. S. Wllklns. J#3 ^^-r-iT . J* >- > ■ . ^ ir-r-*r ^- 1. Be - low the hill the old stone mill Stands close be - side the 2. The heavy wheels go round and round.The wa - ter turns to :^^: I -s-i y| 7! T ! r^jr-f-] T \ T \ T L Zl p dolce. T iite 3^fe :^ ¥=^ -s-i' • ^ ^ — |'^^l::^— p H— i> ^ s — ^— F?— »-— = — » — —I 1 # ^ 1 1-2 1 hid F • 1 stream, The spacious bins the farmers fill With grain of gold-en spray. And through the rushing, rumbling sound The mill stones grind a- ^^^^1=^^^ The old stone The mill - wheel mill, turns, -A m^i^^^^^^^^^ mm^ stream, The spacious bins the farmers fill With grain of gold-en gleam, play. And through the rushing, rumbling sound The mill stones grind away. -I- ,-^U-tt • 1 i i i — W™ W -i--!^"^^ -^ [ i i-i • # • •-I— 1 n From "The Helper." Used by courtesy of the publishers of School Education, Minneapolis, Minn> 414 THE PLAN BOOK. DECEMBER SONGS. A Christmas Welcome, Songs in Season. To Santa Claus, Christmas Song, The First Christmas, Holy Night, Christmas Song, Merry Christmas Bells, The First Christmas, Old Carol (English), God Rest Ye, Children, As Joseph was a- Walking, Shine Out, O Star, Note. The above songs may all be found in the teachers' aid called Christmas in Other Lands." Price 25 cents. Hark the Herald Angels Sing, from Songs of the Nation. Brightest and Best, from Songs of the Nation. O Little Town of Bethlehem, from Songs of the Nation. Christmas Tree, Cheerful Echoes. Good News on Christmas, Cheerful Echoes. Peace On Earth, Fountain Song Book No. 1. A Christmas Carol, Eleanor Smith No. 1. Christmas at the Door, Eleanor Smith No ] . Christmas Hymn, Eleanor Smith No 1. Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Eleanor Smith No. 2. The Child and the Star, " Bells are Ringing Everywhere, Eleanor Smith No. 2. Christmas Eve, Hanson's Primary Songs. Santa Claus, Hanson's Primary Songs. Smta Claus' New Outfit, Hanson's Primary Songs. Gather Round the Tree, Songs of Life and Nature. Note. A number of Christmas Songs may also be found in a book called vSong Echoes from Child Land, and in 'A Christmas Festival Service," arranged by Nora Smith and Miss Wiggin. I THE PLAN BOOK. 415 MUSIC. December's Famous Musician, Beethoven. A Music Day, December 17. The Patroness of Music, Saint Cecilia. Story of Ludwig Van Beethoven. BORN DECEMBER 17, 1770. Suppose we take a little trip this afternoon away back into the past and to another town and country We must cross the Atlantic to reach it and then sail down the most beautiful river of all Europe. Can you tell me what and where it is? Find it on the map. If you have taken a trip on our Hudson you will know something of the beauty of this country, and river. It is not so beautiful as our own river, but it has many interesting features that the Hudson lacks. We are going to the city of Bonn to visit the birth-place of one of the greatest musical composers the world has ever known. His name was Ludwig Van Beethoven, and he was born just one hundred and twenty years ago to-day. On the way we will pass the mouse tower, of which Long- fellow speaks in his poem "The Children's Hour.'' We will not find Beethoven's home a very attractive one, for Ludwig's parents were poor, and his father a harsh disagree- able man. He also indulged in drink, and you can imagine how unhappy the life of a drunkard's family can be. Beethoven's father was a singer, and he wished his boy to be a musician also, so Ludwig's music lessons began while he was yet a baby. The poor little fellow was compelled to sit at the piano for hours at a time until his fingers grew numb and his little 416 THE PLAN BOOK back ached. Before he was four years old he was made to practice at the harpsichord, music which would have been difficult for much older pupils. If it had not been for Lud wig's good old Grandfather, he would have had a very unhappy childhood, Ludwig showed such talent that he soon attracted the attention of famous musicians and was placed in their care that he might receive the best of instruction. The first time the great Mozart heard him play he said, "Take care of this youth; some day he will make a stir in the world." Beethoven began to compose at a very early age, and while still a boy taught music to support himself and his younger brothers and sisters. He became distinguished as a pianist and at the age of fif- teen was appointed assistant court organist in Bonn. His mother died when he was seventeen, and as his father contin- ued to drink, poor Ludwig had a heavy load to bear. When he was twenty-two he went to Vienna to study with the master musicians and at once was ranked among the best pianists and composers. While here he became acquainted with a prince wlio was very much interested in him. He was invited to make his boras in the palace of the prince, and here he lived for three years. At the age of twenty five he was considered the greatest composer of the da\'. What happy years these must have been! But to this gifted musician a great sorrow now came. His hearing began to fail, and before he was thirty he became quite deaf. Can you think of a greater misfortune that could have come to one who appreciated melody as he did ? His music was his very life, and to be deprived of the power of hearing all music mv^ant a thousand times more to him than to most persons. The joy with which he was greeted, when he played in public, and the thundering applause were lost to him. Some of his best works he never heard. But though Beethoven became very sad he did not give up his work in despair. He could still hear the voice of his own BESTHOVKN. (417) THE PLAN BOOK. 419 soul and the melodies it sang to him, and these he wrote and played for others. There is scarcely a branch of musical composition which is not represented in his works. Among these are songs, an opera, a cantata, two masses, sonatas, symphonies, minor pieces for the piano, and works for the full orchestra. The tendency of Beethoven's works was to make music a means of expression of feeling and sentiment. Others had perfected \n form the symphony and sonata, but into them he put a new soul. He not only painted character in music but made it a means of communicating his own feelings. You have heard people play who made you feel this differ- ence in music. The composition might be the same, and cor- rectly played by different people, but some will succeed in put- ting into it feeling which others can not. Beethoven's education was a very meagre one, and his writing an undecipherable scrawl. His letters had sometimes to be returned to him by the postmaster, in order to find out where they were to be sent. He was a rugged faced man, untrained in his manners, and totally absorbed in his work. He was what we sometimes term a rough unpolished diamond. But Viennese people courted and made much of him, for they liked to be counted among his friends and to have him dedicate his music to them, and to enjoy it in their own homes. He is a favorite with Americans also, and very few of our concerts are complete without one of his symphonies, overtures or sonatas. Beethoven died in Vienna in 1827, at the age of fifty-seven. Over twenty-five thousand persons followed him to his last resting place — kings, poets, artists and statesmen — all anxious to show him honor. If we go to his grave near Vienna we will find it marked with a simple stone, with only a name upon it — Beethoven. When this monument has fallen to decay, Beethoven will still be remembered for his sweet music. 420 THE PLAN BOOK. A MUSIC DAY— DECEMBER 17. Tell the story of Beethoven's life, and also the story of St. Cecilia, Patroness of Music, during the periods devoted to the morning talk, language or literature. At conclusion of stories hang copies of Beethoven's portrait and St. Cecilia, simpl}^ framed, upon the wall to remain dur- ing December, or mount these pictures and place them in the month's picture gallery. Drawing. Study of the picture " St. Cecilia." This picture without the story and explanation means little to man}^ pupils. Com- pare Raphael's conception of this Saint and Patroness of Music with others. In what way do they differ? Which picture or conception do pupils like best? Why? How many have seen these pictures man}' times before without knowing that it was of especial interest to musicians and people who love and study music. Draw musical instruments, loaned by pupils, as mandolins harps, guitar, violin or the school organ or piano. Illustrate the story of the " ]\Ioonlight Sonata." Spelling. Make a list of musical instruments, spell, define and picture them. Spell and define the following terms used in music The pupils see and hear these constantly and should be made familiar with their meaning and use. Opera, orchestra, over- ture, cantata, sonata, symphony, chants, masses, minor, dedi- cated, etc. Geography. Take a trip to the birthplace of Beethoven — Bonn. De. scribe the journe3\ Find his burial place. Find the country and city where St. Cecilia lived. The city where her portrait- hangs in a chapel dedicated to her. the plan book. 421 Reading Lesson. "The Moonlight Sonata." Read from Appleton's Fifth Reader, the story of the Moonlight Sonata. It may also be found in Baldwin's Sixth Year Reader, published by the American Book Company. A brief extract from the story is given for the teacher to tell the pupils, in case these readers cannot be secured for a reading lesson. The Moonlight Sonata. The Moonlight Sonata is said to have been composed be- fore Beethoven became deaf, under the following circumstan- ces. One evening as Beethoven and a friend were hurrying through the streets of Bonn, they heard the familiar notes of the "Sonata in F." Something in the musician's touch at- tracted the attention of Beethoven and he stopped to listen. Suddenly the music ceased, and the despairing words of the player came to them through the open window. "O, if I could but hear some really good musician play this wonderful piece!" and the words ended in a sob. "Let us go in*' said Beethoven. They entered and found the player a young girl, poor and blind. Beethoven sat down at the poor old harpsichord and played as he had never played before; he seemed inspired. His listeners were spellbound. "Tell us," they begged, "who are you?" For answer he played the opening bars of the "Sonata in F." "It is Bee- thoven," they exclaimed in awe and admiration. Suddenly the candle flickered and went out. Beethoven ceased playing and bowed his head upon his hand. His friend threw open the shutters; a flood of beautiful moonlight entered the room. Its transfiguring light touched the poor old instru- ment and rested on the noble figure bowed before it. The profound silence was at last broken by the musician, who said, "Listen, I will improvise a sonata to the moonlight." Then was created this wonderful Sonata, beginning in a sad, tender 422 THE PLAN BOOK. movement, the enbodiment in sound of the gentle moonlight transfiguring and glorifj'ing the dark earth. Suddenly the music ceased, and with a brief word of fare- well, Beethoven hurried home to put on paper this composi- tion, which delights and entrances all who hear it. Music. As a special treat invite one of your musical friends to play for the pupils, the "Moonlight Sonata" and the "Sonata in F." Ask one or more of your pupils who are taking piano lessons to play selections from Beethoven. Teach one or more of his songs, as "The ]\Iill" in January '99 School Edu- cation or "The Creation" in Popular Educator, September 97. ST. CECILIA, PATRONESS OF MUSIC. St. Cecilia was a noble Roman lady who was a devoted christian. As she excelled in music, she devoted her gift to the church and composed hymns which she sang herself with such sweetness that even the angels descended from heaven to listen. She played on all instruments, but none of these was able to produce the music which she desired; therefore she invented the organ. The Prefect of Rome was a pagan, and when he heard that St. Cecilia and her husband were christians, he ordered them to give up their religion and worship the idols of the pagans. This they refused to do, and for this refusal were condemned to death. Her husband was put to death first, but still she refused to yield. While suffering tortures she distributed to the poor her j;rcat riches and gave her palace to be used as a church or place of worship for other christians. She then died, singing with her sweet voice praises and li}' mns to the verj' last breath. Since that time many artists have tried to picture this beau- tiful woman as a saint and as a patroness of music. These ST. CBCILIA, — RAPHAEIv. (423) r THE PLAN BOOK. 425 pictures usually are accompanied by musical attributes. Some- times she has a scroll of music in her hand, sometimes an or- gan or other musical instrument is placed near her. Some-' times she is playing the organ or viol and singing to her own accompaniment. St. Cecilia, as the patroness of music, is a frequent and ap- propriate decoration on the doors of organs. The most cele- brated picture of St. Cecilia as patroness of music is by Raph- ael. It was painted by him for the altar piece of her chapel in a church near Bologna. There is a story in regard to this chapel which I will tell you. A noble lady of Bologna wished to build a chapel to St. Cecilia and sent to Raphael for a picture of St. Cecilia with which to adorn it. She had had a dream or vision in which she had heard angels telling her to do this. When the picture arrived the people of Bologna were much excited and proud to possess such a work of art, St. Cecilia is represented as listening to the music of six angels. A musical instrument is slipping from her hand while she listens, entranced to this playing so much more won- derful than her own. Other instruments of music lie scattered about at her feet. On her right are St. Paul leaning on his sword, and St. John. On her left are Mary Magdalen with St. Augustine. (Show pupils copy of Raphael's painting as well as photographs and plastejr bas reliefs of others. These plaster casts may be secured for from ten to thirty-five cents ) Can you see more in this picture and enjoy it better, now that you know its story? Kvery good picture tells or illus- trates a story, but sometimes the story or meaning is not clear to us because of our lack of reading and knowledge. When I went to school I used to see many pictures, stat- ues and bas reliefs without really enjoying them, because 1 did not know what they were intended to represent, I used to look at them over and over again and wonder why the artist or sculptor created them. I had not read the stories which 426 THE PLAN HOOK. these works of art were intended to illustrate. In fact no one ever thought to tell wondering small girls and boj^s in school then about these wonderful myths and legends, which these artists knew and tried to picture for us, in plaster and marble, with brush and pencil. When I finally discovered that these interesting stories could all be found in books in libraries, and that they were for children to read as well as for grown up people, I was the hap- piest little mortal that ever lived. And so I am sure some of you will be when you discover this, if you have not alrcad}^ done so. How many of the boys here have ever seen pictures of St. George and the Dragon? Do you know what the pictures mean? Why do you suppose so many artists have tried to paint this picture? They first heard the story and then tried to picture the brave deed, that the story might seem more real to others. But we should have the story with the picture, and not be left to puzzle over it for years until one is grown up and able to find out for oneself. So tonight go to the library or ask your father to tell you the story of St. George and the Dragon, and tomorrow we will study some of the illustrations which Raphael and other art- ists have made of this legend for us. A bright and blessed Christinas day, With echoes of the angels' 5ong, And peace that cannot pass away, And holy gladness, calm and strong, And sweetheart carols, flowing free. This is my Christmas wish to thea Hark to the joyous chiming bells! Encircling all the earth; Each lo his own the story tells Of Christ the Savior's birth. — Old English Ballad, ^^ THE PLAN BOOK. 427 PICTURES. I A Famous Artist — Raphael. Famous Pictures and THEIR Stories. Picture Talks. RAPHAEL. Most of us know and love that most beautiful and famous of all the madonnas "The Sistine" Madonna, and the "Ma- donna of the Chair," but how many of us know anything of the artist who produced these masterpieces? He is said to have lived the most perfect life and to have been the most generally praised and loved of all the painters in the world. It is easy to believe this when we look at his pictures and see his thoughts pictured on canvas. He was born on Good Friday, 1483, in a little town called Urbino nestled among the Apennine mountains. It is in a division of beautiful Italy called Umbria, a section noted for its landscape. The house where he was born still stands, and looking from its windows you can see the Adriatic Sea. (Show map and let pupils find Italy, the Adriatic Sea, the Apennine mountains. What noted city is near this place? Florence.) The father was an artist and a poet, and the mother a woman of unusual sweetness of disposition "and beauty of character. His home was an ideal one, and little Raphael led a happy life for a number of years. The surroundings of his home were ideal and it is not to be wondered at that the beauty which he saw everywhere around him, in the sea, in the sky, so impressed itself upon the child. He became a worshipper of beauty, and in later years put upon canvas these pictures so vividly impressed upon his mind as a cliild. 428 THE PLAN BOOK. Raphael's mother died while he was a very little child, and for awhile he spent much of his time with his father in his studio. He served as a model for his father and assisted him in other ways by cleaning the brushes, grinding colors and sweeping and dusting the studio. When Raphael was twelve years old, his father died, and then, as Raphael had shown talent in painting, he was sent as a pupil to a painter by the name of Perugino. He had a studio in Perugia, a town not far distant from Urbino. He had one of the largest schools of Ital}', and was the most noted of all the Umbrian painters. When this artist saw the work Raphael did he was much pleased, and exclaimed "Let him be my pupil; he will soon be- come my master." While here Raphael made friends of both master and fellow pupils. He was bright, generous and gentle. His attractive man- ners and winning modesty caused him to be generally beloved. Raphael remained nine years in this studio, and while here painted several remarkable pictures, the first being painted when he was seventeen. When about twenty-one he left the studio of his master and painted the "Marriage of the Virgin." Next to the Sistine Madonna this is considered his most popular work. (Show copy of the picture and tell the legend connected with it). Raphael now returned home, where he made many friends among the noted people. While here he painted a number of pictures, among which was St. George Slaying the Dragon. Who was Saint George? What is a dragon? Why did artists choose this subject for a picture do you think? (^Tell the stor}' if pupils have uot heard it). Raphael had heard much of the wonderful city of Florence, with its n.arble palaces, fine churches, its art and artists, and there he longed to go. At last this wish was realized. A lady who was interested in the young painter gave him a letter of introduction to the governor of Florence, asking that he be allowed to see the art treasures of the city. RAPHA^I,. (429) THE PLAN BOOK. 431 While here Raphael was never idle. He received many orders, and when not busy with these, copied famous pictures which he admired and wished to study. Most of Raphael's paintings were religious ones, many of them being Madonnas, for which he is especially noted. He loved this subject and seemed never to tire of it, for he painted a hundred of these. Among these are the Madonna of the Goldfinch, the Madonna of the Meadow, the Madonna of the Garden, the Madonna of the Fish, the Madonna Faligno, the Madonna of the Chair or Madonna della Sedia and last and best of all, the Sistine Madonna (show copies of these pictures.) There are stories about each of these pictures which I hope we may hear later on in the study of these pictures. While Raphael was painting Madonnas in Florence a great honor came to him. The Pope called him to the capital of Italy (Rome) to decorate some ofthe apartments of the Vatican. Do you know what a Pope is? Explain. Did you ever hear of the Vatican? Explain and show pictures. The Vatican is a wonderful palace in Rome said to contain eleven thousand rooms, halls and chapels. It is the chief residence of the Pope and contains the celebrated Sistine Chapel. The Pope was anxious to do honor to the church and so when he heard of a great architect, painter or sculptor, he tried to secure him to do work for this most wonderful church, St. Peters. (Show picture and describe the church.) Raphael was given the commission to decorate the buildings which belonged to the church, in fresco. Fresco is painting on wet plaster so that the colors dry in with the mortar. The paint- ing of these walls kept Raphael and his pupils busy during the remainder of his short life. In this work religious and historc subjects were most often used, and here his best work was done. Thousands of people go to see these pictures every year. Here are the paintings known as Raphael's Bible, forty- eight of these scenes are taken from the Old Testament and others from the New Testament. In this work Raphael was assisted by his pupils, a number of whom lived with him. 432 THE PLAN BOOK. Many other pictures were painted for friends and patrons during the time when the decorations were being carried on in the Vatican. He made cartoons for the Sistine Chapel, the most beautiful apartment in the Vaticau. These cartoons were drawings made to serve as patterns in manufacturing tapestries. When done the tapestries were made of gold, wool and silk and hung in the chapel. Raphael was now at the age of thirty-one a wealthy man. He had built for himself and pupils an elegant home near the \''atican, and here he lived the life of a prince. He had friends in every class of people from prince to peasant, and was universally beloved. He was modest in his manner, never monopolizing the time or conversation of others. He made the best of things overlooking the petty matters which some people allow to spoil their dispositions- He worked hard, performing an amount of labor that astonished the world after his death. He was appreciative, tender, sympathetic and gracious. Is it any wonder he was so popu- lar? 1 he Kings of France and England wished him to come to their courts and become court painter. Many other honors were heaped upon him. The Pope appointed him architect in chief of St. Peters, and also gave him over-sight of the excava- tions of the Ancient city of Rome, that the pieces of antique statuary which were found might be preserved from injury. Do you understand what is meant by excavations? (Ex- plain to pupils. Show pictures of ruined temples. Many have soen the Forum and will be interested in knowing more about it.) He had also to make drawings of the ancient cit}', that the workmen might carry on the digging for ruined remains more carefully. He was very much interested in this work and spent hours walking among the ruins of these grand temples and wonderful pieces of statuary. The last picture he painted was the "Transfiguration." THE PLAN BOOK. 433 It was ordered for the Cathedral of Narbonne, in France, and on this Raphael was working at the time of his death. He died on his thirty-seventh birthday, April 6th, 1520, from a fever contracted during his work among the ruins of Rome. All the city was in mourning for its best loved artist, and great crowds followed his body to its last resting place in the the Pantheon at Rome. (Show picture.) Raphael accomplished in his short life a wonderful amount of work. He left two hundred and eighty-seven pictures and five hundred and seventy-six drawings and studies. Another famous artist has said that Raphael owed more to his industry than to his genius. When once asked by a pupil how he accomplished so much, Raphael replied, "From my earliest childhood I have made it a principle never to neglect anything." It might help us in our work to remember these words spoken by the world's greatest painter. He had what every living person may have, a spirit that did not find fault; lips that spoke no censure of anybody, but praise where praise was possible, and such self control that not an enemy was ever made by his temper or lack of consideration for others. READING. In connection with the story of Raphael, pupils might read lessons which relate to the ruins of Ancient Rome, among which he worked. Destruction of Pompeii, Baldwin's Fifth Reader. The Last Fight at the Coliseum, Baldwin's Sixth Reader. I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men. — Longfellow, 434 the plan book. The Sistine Madonna. Raphael's "Sistine Madonna" is always mentioned among the greatest pictures of the world and some place it at the head of the list. The Mother with the beautiful Christ Child in her arms stands upon the clouds. On one side is Saint Barbara; on the other, Saint Sixtus. At her feet are two liitl j cherubs with uplifted eyes. The legends regarding thcs2 lovely cherubs will probably interest my young readers more than those relating to Saint Sixtus or Saint Barbara. The legends disagree; each can choose for himself which to accept as the origin of the beautiful little faces. According to one legend, when the great artist was paint- ing this picture two pretty boys watched him as he worked, in the attitudes of the cherubs, and so the thought came to him to place them at the feet of the Madonna and Christ Child. Another legend tells us that when Raphael was lying in bed one night with his thoughts dwelling on his work, he fell asleep, and in a dream seemed to see these cherubs leaning on the footboard before him. When he awoke, this lovely dream haunted him, and at last became a part of his great painting. Another legend shows us the picture finished without the cherubs, and hung up for exhibition with a railing before it to protect it from injury. It tells us that two pretty boys got behind this railing and leaned upon it; that Raphael came in, and seeing them, afterward added them to his picture, as ador- ing cherubs. But this painting was designed by the artist for a standard or banner to be carried in procession and was used by the monks as an altar-piece; so its history does not harmon- ize very well with that legend. The story I like best to associate with the cherub is this: that when R.aphael was traveling over the country, longing for some models to represent the beautiful thoughts he had in his mind, he saw a lovely mother with sweet twin boys look- ing up into her face with the rapt expression of the cherubs, while she told them the story of the Christ Child. MADONNA DI SAN SISTO.— RAPHABl.. (435) ^ ;7 THE PLAN BOOK. 4.^/ The artist won the love and confidence of these boys, in- vited them to his studio, and they gladly became models for his famous picture. Several reasons are given for the name of the painting, — "Sistine Madonna." Some say it comes from the six figures. Others say it is so called because it was painted for the con- vent of Saint Sixtus at Piaceuza. Some think the name re- fers to one of the figures, Saint Sixtus. This painting is now one of the treasures of the Art Gal- lery at Dresden, having been bought by Augustus III., Elec- tor of Saxony, of the monks of Piacenza for nearly thirty thousand dollars. Its value has recently been estimated at over seven hundred thousand dollars. The little tower behind Saint Barbara refers to her impris- onment, the punishmeut she received for her steadfastness to the Christian Religion. Do you know St. Barbara's story? The halo about the Madonna and the little Child come from many angel faces. The curtains drawn aside suggest a vision. An admirer of this painting de:lares with enthusiasm that one might study it every day for a year, and on the last day of the year find in it a new beauty and a new joy. — From Every Other Sunday^ by Evelyn Foster in her ''''Famous Ma- donnas^ This paint'ng has a room to itself in the Dresden Gallery. (Where is Dresden?) When people come into this room they speak in whispers, and sit for hours in silent adoration of this wonderful creation. Many a poor and lonely woman, bent with years, has been seen to weep before it. This was the last picture painted wholly by Raphael's hand^ for the "Transfiguration," which was the last picture that he worked upon, was finished by his pupils. Note. The legends of Saint Barbara as Patron Saint and Potroness of Fire-arms, may be found in Sacred and Legendary Art by Mrs. Jameson. Here also may be found the L,egends of St. George and the Dragon, St, Christopher. St. Jerome. i38 THE PLAN BOOK. The Madonna Della Sedia. THE MADONNA OF THE CHAIR. This picture has been copied oftener than any other pict- ure in the world, or at least so say the artists, and to it is attached a story. In Italy, many years ago, there lived a Hermit who was greatly beloved by the people around him for his good deeds. The Hermit had two friends of whom he was very fond, one that could talk and one that was mute. One was a vine dresser's daughter who lived near by. The other was a giant oak that sheltered him from the sun of summer and the cold of winter. Once when a great storm arose he found that his hut was unsafe and he climbed up into the tree, where his life was saved. At another time he was ready to die of hunger, when Mary, the daughter of the vine dresser, came and ministered unto him, and brought him back to health in her own home. The hermit was very grateful for these kindnesses and prayed that his two friends might be rewarded together, and it came about later on in this way. After the Hermit died the oak was cut down and made into wine casks. Mary married in time and became the mother of two beautiful children. One day as she sat outside her home with her children Raphael came by. He was siezed with a desire to picture this lovely group but he had no paint, brush or canvas. He found the clean cover of an oaken wine cask near by and with his pencil drew upon it a picture of the mother and her child- ren. He painted the picture in colors when he reached home, and this picture became the "Madonna of the Chair," (Sedia, chair.) So the Hermit's prayer was answered. The two friends, the woman and the oak, were glorified together. MADONNA OF THH CHAIR.— RAPHA^I,. (439) THE PLAN BOOK. 441 In the picture Mary is painted as the Virgin. She has an uncommonly sweet face, seated in a chair, her arms encirrle the infant Savior, his baby head resting against her own. Reference is made to several pictures not shown in the Plan Book — The publisher carries the PERRY PICTURES, also the Fine Art Series, most of them will be found in the former at 1 cent each — also THE TABER-PRANG Platino Madonnas, 15x 18 inches, are works of art. Price, $1.25 each. PICTURES FOR DECEMBER. Pictures which have an unlimited power for good and are of unending charm to children of all ages are those of Christ and of the Madonna, The picture of the Infant Christ in the manger, of the adoration of the Wise Men, of the shepherds, of the Boy in the temple and in the carpenter shop, and of the Man Christ blessing little children are beautiful and inspir- ing. There are so many beautiful and exquisite Madonnas that it is difficult to suggest any one more than another which would attract the eyes of childhood. Raphael's Sistine Madonna, with its background of angel children's faces and with the famous adoring cherubs below, should, however, have a place in every primary school-room and in every child's own particular little room for his very own. — Sel. Picture Lessons. — Devote the period for one morning talk a week, to looking at and talking about some good picture. Let the children learn to read the pictures, and love them because they are pictures of meaning. Find out which Ma- donna they like best, and why. Use as many pictures as pos- sible in connection with the story of the Christ Child. Secure a good picture of the "Shepherd and the Sheep," "The Three Wise Men Seeking the Child," etc. In the study of history and geography we have an excellent opportunity this month to cultivate the tastes of pupils through the use of pictures. 442 THE PLAN BOOK. Show pictures of buildings whicli are works of art, as tliat superb buildings, the Boston Library, the temples of Egypt, Greece, Rome; also the great masterpieces of ancient and modem sculpture and painting. In regard to the use of pictures in the school and home, President Eliot, of Harvard, says, "There ought to be a lantern with thousands of slides in every school, summer and winter, and they should be used abundantl}'. There should be pleasure to the eye, as well as pleasure in the reading. Oliver Wendell Holmes says, "What is seen cannot be un- seen, but what is heard is often unheard." Children learn more quickly by the eye than by the abstract reading of the words. A picture of a thing makes the object doubly real, besides incurring a correct conception. "We're made so that we love First, when we see them painted, things we have passed Perhaps a hundred time, nor cared to see; And so they are better painted — better to us, Which is the same thing. Art was given for that — God uses us to help each other, so Lending our minds out." Make collection of pictures of the children of other lands. The Primary School has had a number of very good ones and large enough to be seen plainly across the school-room. Paper dolls showing costumes of sixteen countries may be bought in sets of four, in colors, at ten cents a card. The set of sixteen will cost you forty cents and after using with your Christmas work may be sent to some little friend who will en- joy cutting them out. Have pupils bring dolls of other na- tions as well. Pictures of the children of ten countries may be found in the teacher's aid, "Christmas in Other lands." A. Flanagan. Price of book 25 cents. Large and excellent photographs of the ^Madonnas and other subjects may be bought for small amounts. Get a set of these and place them about the room where the children THE PLAN BOOK. 443 may examine them. A number of the magazines have given good prints of the Madonnas, which may be removed and mounted on stiff card-board. The Easter number of Munsey's for 1896, the McClure magazine for December, 1895, and for the year ]900 have a number of very good pictures for December. A list of the Madonnas and Christ Child pictures is given to guide teachers who wish to order by mail. The more desirable have been mentioned first on the list. "The Sistine Madonna," by Raphael; "The Bodenhausen Madonna;" "The Madonna of the Chair;" "The Christmas Baby," by Frascht; Muller's "Holy Family;" "The Nativity," by Corregio, Fuerstine or Muller; "Mother and Child," Murillo; "Christ Blessing Little Children," Plockharst's; "The Boy Jesus in the Temple," by Hoffmann or Hunt; "The Guardian Angel," Murillo; "St. Anthony and the Child," Murillo. In the McClure magazine for December, 1899, and for the year 1900 will be found a series of beautiful colored pictures of the life of Christ. There are to be two hundred of these presented in chronological order, and full of the reality of life of Palestine. These pictures alone are worth more than the price of the magazine, and every teacher should have them. Bring the magazine to school and let the pupils see the pictures. If they like let them contribute five cents apiece, buy the magazines containing these pictures, beginning with December, 1899. The pictures may then be cut from the magazines and arranged in a border around the room. Give these pictures a background or mats of dark green or red felt paper, or of common golden brown manila paste- board. After the pictures have been used in connection with the study of the life of Christ during December, and to decorate the room during Christmas exercises, they may be divided among the pupils to be taken home. In this way each pupil may secure four or five beautiful pictures. 444 THE PLAN BOOK. On page 448 suggestions are given for other uses to which these pictures may be put. Pupils may wish to passepartout them and for this directions are given. A Picture Language Lesson. Study and comparison of the Madonnas. Stlect several Madonnas, some ancient and others modern, and place them before the pupils. If it is possible to secure enough pictures place a pair on every desk. Ask pupils to look closely at each and tell you which ones they prefer. Then talk the pictures over, discuss the favorable an J unfavorable points of each. Tell something of the artists wli ) produced the pictures. Each pupil may then paste or pin the favorite picture to a sheet of paper. Tell why it is selected and write a story describing the picture, or tell the story which the picture illustrates. IDEAS FOR GIFTS. An idea of one teacher whose birthday comes on Christmas day is to present to each of her friends a picture or photo of the Christ Child or Madonna and Child. She suits the picture to the condition of her pocket book or to the friend. For the friend whose fad it is to make collections, she presents a set of six of the large photographs at fifteen cents each. These en- closed in a portfolio either bought or made by her own hands make a present that pleases as well as anything the giver has eyer found. To the friends to whom she can only give a small remembrance she sends one handsome photograph framed or unframed. And what could one get for that sum for a friend's desk or mantel-piece that would be so acceptable or mean so much? FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS. To the number of little people whom she is so fortunate as to count as her friends, she gives a small print of the Madonna. These may be bought in sets of a dozen or more, at a penny or r THE PLAN BOOK. 447 nickel apiece. The penny ones she frames by cutting a place for in a heavy cream envelope. The edges are penciled with gilt and a little gold cord attached to hang it up by; the result — a dainty little picture for her tiny friend's bedside. Man}' teachers are now using the Madonnas and other subjects found in the Perry collection for gifts to pupils, and are teaching pupils how to frame these pictures in inexpensive ways, as gifts to parents and others. Suggest to those pupils who wish to save their pennies for these pictures and framing material that they begin to do this early in the year, as it will be necessary to order the pictures weeks before they are needed. Many teachers who had planned to do this work last year were disappointed in not being able to secure the pictures in time to have them framed. Now for the framing; this may be done during the period devoted to construction work. It would be a good idea to teach several of the more capable pupils how to do this work, out- side class hours. These pupils will then be able to assist the pupils who are not deft handed. There are many ways of framing these pictures, but the most popular just now is the passepartout. Passepartout Framing. Materials. Felt paper or mat-board in dijBferent shades of grays and browns, card-board, rings, passepartout paper (glued) and dark paper for lining the back, and glass. Tools. Scissors, glue, sponge, brush, a knife and a thick bevel edged ruler. Directions. If framing a small print or picture, cut the white margin from the picture, leaving a margin one-half inch all around. Lay the picture on the matting and mark the opening to be cut in the matting. This may be done with a pin and the dots connected with a very light line. 448 THE PLAN BOOK. Place the mat under the ruler and cut on the lines with a sharp knife. Keep the knife against the beveled edge, in such a way as to bevel the mat as you cut. Width of the mat may vary from one and one-half to two and a half inches. Fasten the mat to the picture with glue. Cut your card-board the same size as your mat. On one side of the cardboard paste the dark paper and insert two rings one and one-half inches from the upper edge and one- half inch from the sides. Lay the mat and the cardboard together, and over the mat place the glass. The passepartout paper must now be used to bind these together. If the Perry pictures are used or other pictures four by five inches, cut two strips of passepartout paper one inch longer than the short edges of the picture, and two pieces exactly the length of the other two edges. These strips should be one inch wide, or wider. Moisten the strips, or apply paste or glue and fold them carefully over the edges of the glass covered mat and picture. It should overlap one-eighth or one-fourth of an inch on the glass. Begin and fiui.^h within one-half inch on its adjoining long edges. Fasten the margin first on the glass front side, and then place the picture face downward on a larger paper and with this fold the n^argin back. Press the mat and back firmly together and then fasten the passepartout strips. BEAUTIFUL PICTURE GIFTS. The McClure pictures, illustrating the life of Christ, may be arranged with mats of white, dark green or red felt paper and given as gifts. They may also be made into booklets, each book containing a half dozen or a dozen pictures accom- panied by a written description of the picture or the pupil's story of the life of Christ. CHRIvST CHILD, BOUGUEREAU. (449) r HEAD OF CHRIST AT TWKLVE. — HOFFMAN. (45. THE PLAN BOOK. 45.: DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS. Albert Barnes, Dec. 1, 1798. Geo. B. McClellan, Dec. 3, 1826. Thos. Carlyle, Dec. 4, 1795. John Kitto, Dec. 4, 1804. Martin Van Buren, Dec. 5, 1782. Caroline B. Southey, Dec. 6, 1786. Allan Cunningham, Dec. 7, 1784. Eli Whitney, Dec. 8, 1765. Joel Chandler Harris, Dec. 8, 1848. Elihu Burritt, Dec. 8, 1811. John Milton, Dec. 9, 1608. Gustavus Adolphus, Dec. 9, 1594. Edw. Eggleston, Dec. 10, 1837. Ihos. Holcroft, Dec. 10, 1745. David Brewster, Dec. 11, 1781. John Jay, Dec. 12, 1745. Wm. Lloyd Garrison, Dec. 12, 1804. Phillips Brooks, Dec. 12, 1835. A. P. Stanley, Dec. 13, 1815. Henry IV of France, Dec. 13, 1553. James Bruce, Dec. 14, 1730. Noah Porter, Dec. 14, 1811. Izaak Walton, Dec. 15, 1683. Mary May, Dec. 15, 1788. Geo. Whitefield, Dec. 16, 1714. Jane Austen, Dec. 16, 1775. Ludwig Beethoven, Dec. 17, 1770. J. G. Whittier, Dec. 17, 1807. Alexander Agassiz, Dec. 17, 1835. Alfred B. Street, Dec. 18, 1811. Charles Wesley, Dec. 18, 1708. Geo. D. Prentice, Dec. 18, 1802. Ed. M. Stanton, Dec. 19, 1814. John W. Crocker, Dec. 20, 1780. 45 ^ THE PLAN BOOK. Benj. Disraeli, Dec. 21, 1804. Jean Racine, Dec. 21, 1639. Laura Bridgman, Dec. 22, 1829. Robert Barclay, Dec. 23, 1648. Kit Carson, (C. Carson), Dec. 24, 1809. Mathew Arnold, Dec. 24, 1822. Jesus Christ, Dec. 25, . Sir Isaac Newton, Dec. 25, 1642. Thos. Gray, Dec. 26, 1716. Oliver Johnson, Dec. 27, 1809. Cath. Sedgwick, Dec. 28, 1789. Andrew Johnson, Dec. 29, 1808. Wm. E. Gladstone, Dec. 29, 1809. Rudyard Kipling, Dec. 30, 1865. Geo. G. Meade, Dec. 30, 1815. Chas. Cornwallis, Dec. 31, 1738. Jas. T. Fields, Dec. 31, 1817. Special Days. Illinois Day, Dec. 3, 1818. Whittier's Birthday, Dec. 17. Forefather's Da}^, Dec. 22. Christmas Day, Dec. 25. WHAT AND HOW. By Laura Hooker. What is the thought of Christmas? Giving. What is the hea'rt of Christmas? Love. What is the hope of Christmas ? Living. What is the joy of Christmas? Love. No silver or gold is needed for giving, If the heart is filled with Christmas love, For the hope of the world is kindly living. Learned from the joy of God above. — Housekeeper. THE PLAN BOOK. 455 The Story Hour. Stories of famous men, whose birthdays come in December. The Musician, Beethoven. The Artist, Raphael. The Minister, Phillips Brooks. The Poet, Whittier. The Inventor, Eli Whitney. Authors, Edward Eggleston, Joel Chandler Harris, Rud- yard Kipling and others. A book which teachers will find especially helpful in the teaching of literature, is Miss Ella Ware's ''Talks About Au- thors." It may be secured of the publisher of the Plan Books for the very small sum of twenty-five cents, and is worth many times this to every teacher. JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. DECEMBER 8TH, 1848. In the southern part of our country there lives a man, who has been writing stories for children many, many years. His name is Harris — ^Joel Chandler Harris. He is the man who writes "Br'er Rabbit" and "Uncle Remus" stories. This is how it came about. When he was a boy about _i --ar'^ of age, he made up his mind that he would like to be a printer and work for an editor. He secured employ- ment with an editor, Mr. Turner by name, who lived on a large plantation. Joel went to live with Mr, Turner and soon became a favorite with those around him because of his kind heart and faithfulness to his work. 456 THE PLAN BOOK. On this plantation there were many slaves, and Joel spent all his spare time, after office hours, listening to the wonder- ful tales they would tell. He had a warm heart, and when he heard of the cruel treatment received by the slaves on the other plantations, of their wanderings and hunger in the forests while hiding from slave-hunters, he was very deeply impressed. He remembered these stories for many years, and when he grew to manhood he told us the story of one of these run- awa3^s called ''Aaron in the Wilderness.'' The story of his own boyhood Mr. Harris Las tc'd us in his book "On the Plantation." In the south one hears a great deal about rabbits, and the negroes are very superstitious about them. One old negro, called Uncle Remus, told many wonderful stories of the rab- bit's power over other animals. These stories took such a deep hold on the boy's imagination that he never forgot them. When he grew older, he wondered whether other children would not like to hear about these animals that talked to each other and acted like people, and so he wrote of these "Nights with Uncle Remus." After Sherman's marjh through Georgia, life at the planta- tion was changed. The slaves were set free, and Joel had also to leave and try to find work elsewhere. He got work in an- other newspaper office. After a time he began to write some of the plantation stor- ies he had heard, and publish them in newspapers. The peo- ple liked them and asked for more. So Mr. Harris is still writing these stories, in his beautiful Georgia home. He also writes stories for papers and magazines, and if you have an opportunity to see and read the Atlanta Consti- tution you will be very sure to find something from his pen. Among the books which you would enjoy are, "Uncle Remus and His Friends," "Little Mr. Thimblcfinger and His Queer Country," "Mr. Rabbit at Home," "Dady Jake the Runaway," "Free Joe," and "At League Poteets." THE PLAN BOOK. 457 EDWARD EGGLESTON. DEC. 10th, 1837, How many of us have read or know anything about the man who wrote "Stories of American Life and Adventure'' and "Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans"? How many have read these books? Then let me tell you that there is a treat in store for you. I have these books here which I shall lend to you, and they may also be found in the public library, with others quite as interesting. All our reading lessons and our stories to-day shall be from his books, because this is his birthday. Tell me what you can of him and then I will add what I know. The vStory. Bdward Eggleston's parents were pioneers of the west and his boyhood was full of hard work. Do you know what the work of a pioneer is? He must make clearings in the forest, cut timber with which to build his log cabin, hunt, fish, and do a great deal of hard outdoor work. Bdward was not a strong boy, but he was ambitious and his strong will helped him to accomplish great things. There were few schools in those days, before the country was thickly settled, and it was hard to get a good education. There were no training schools, no colleges or normal schools to fit teachers for their work, and so many of them were extremely ignorant. Teachers in those days received very small salaries and boarded around in the homes of their pupils, staying a few days in each place. The terms were not long, for the boys and girls had to help out of doors until cold weather in the fall, and as soon as warm weather came in the spring. Edward's parents were well educated people and assisted him somewhat in his studies, but the father died when Edward was young and he was obliged to go to work on the farm. He spent just two years in school but he read so much that he educated himself in this way. He longed to go to a college 458 THE PLAN BOOK. in another part of the connt}', but he was so weak that he could not stand the indoor work and gave up this idea. When he became a young man he determined to be a minister, since ministers were much needed in this country. In those da3'S people lived so far from each other they could not afford to build churches and a minister would have a circuit of many miles as his district. Sometimes he would preach at the homes of the people or the school houses. When Edward began to preach he had many places to visit and preach, and spent much of his time on horseback. As he rode he read and studied. He studied the people, and observed very carefully the appearance of the country over which he rode, and later in his life, he wrote about these ex- periences in a book he called ''The Circuit Rider." This life was too trying and his health soon broke down, and he was obliged to give this work up. Then he found a place to preach where he had but one congregation, and here he soon made a name for himself. He wrote stories also for the religious papers, and described the life he had lived in the west. He told about the "husking bees," and the "quilting bees," and the singing schools, and he made these tales so interesting that every one wanted to read them. After a time he devoted all his time to writing, and to-day he is still at this work. One of his popular books is called, "The Hoosier School Master," but the books which you would most enjoy are those called "The School Master's Series" and "Queer Stories for Bo3's and Girls." He has written many histories also, which boys and girls like, because they are written like story books. He is writing a book now called, "Life in the Thirteen Colonies," which you will have an opportunity to read some day. All his life this man has been fighting sickness, but he never gives up. He sticks to his task like a soldier, and his will helps him when his strength fails. THE PLAN BOOK. 459 PHILLIPS BROOKS. Read from the sermons of Phillips Brooks, a short inter- esting selection during the morning exercises. Place the picture of this wonderful minister before the pupils, and tell^ them something of his beautiful, helpful life. Ask one of the pupils, who has come prepared to recite, and another to sing his "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and teach it to the other pupils. Memorize also ''Christmas Every Where," and any other suitable selection from his poems. Place a picture of the Town of Bethlehem before pupils and take this time to teach them something of the history and geography of the place. GLADSTONE AND KIPLING. December is so rich in material, it is difficult to decide what to choose and what to leave out. The birthdays of these famous men will find most of us out of school enjoying the holidays, and it will not be possible to celebrate the birthdays in any manner at school. But much of the time during the holidays will be spent in reading story books, and it might be a good plan to ask to see whe library cards of the pupils before the holidays, and look over their reading list. Tell them that December 29th is the birthday of one of England's greatest men, and ask pupils to make a note of it and on that day find out as much as possible about Gladstone. Ask pupils to find out why he is called a great man, and re- port to you after the holidays. Suggest that December the 30th be given to finding out as much as possible about Kipling, who wrote the famous Jungle Books. Give them the names of Kipling's books and chil- dren's stories, which they are to ask for at the public library 460 THE PLAN BOOK. that day, and suggest that they come together that afternoon and read aloud to each other, or pass these along to school mates when finished, that all may have a chance to read one book or story before school begius again. The following list of books, stories and other matter per- taining to Christmas is given for the use of teacher and pupil in preparing for Christmas. READING LIST FOR CHRISTMAS. Observance, Pla3^s, Gifts. Children's Christmas Club. St. Nicholas. Vol.11, page 174. Vol. 15, page 146. Christmas at Bethlehem. School Journal. Vol. 53, page 565. Christmas in Bethlehem. St. Nicholas. Vol. 24, page 92. Christmas at Byland. Littells. Vol. 211, page 865. Christmas Decorations. School Journal. Vol. 53, page 57. Christmas Eve in a Sicilian Abbey. Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 30, page 143. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at an English Country House. Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 74, page 729. An Indian Christmas Time, (by Arnold), in Wandering World. Vol. 78. Page 161. Christmas Festivities and Home Made Gifts, in American Girls' Handy book. Page 317, vol. 45. (Beard). Chambers' Book of Days. Vol. 2. Christmas in Hamburg, Germany. Harper's Magazine. Vol. 18, page 359. Christmas Play at Cornwall. Atlantic IMonthly. Vol. 55, pages 275-8. Christmas Throughout Christendom. Harper's Magazine. Vol. 46, pages 241-57. Coleridge Christmas in Germany. Watson's Independent Fifth Reader. Pages 328-9. Christmas in Art. (Cook). Chautauquan. Vol. 16, pages 321-30. o THE PLAN BOOK. 461 SELECTIONS FOR READING. The Brownies' Xmas. By Mary E. Wilkins. An Arctic Christmas. Youth's Companion, Dec. 20, 1894. The Christmas Tree (poem). Youth's Companion, Dec. 0, 1894. Christmas Carol. Youth's Companion, Dec. 21, 1893. Christmas in the Past. Youth's Companion, Dec. 21, 1893. Christmas in '64. Youth's Companion, Dec. 21, 1893. The Christmas Goose. St. Nicholas, Jan., 1885. London Christmas Pantomimes. St. Nicholas, Jan., 1888. The Bird's Xmas Carol. Mrs. Wiggin. The Xmas Monks. Wide-Awake, Jan., 1883. How Santa Clans found the Poorhouse. St. Nicholas, March, 1885. First Xmas Tree in New England. St. Nicholas, Dec, 1887. How Dickens Came by His Name. Youth's Companion, Dec. 1892, Chapter IV. O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Christmas Everywhere To-night. By Phillips Brooks. The Night Before Christmas. In Whittier's Child Life and Elliot's Poetry for Children. Old Christmas. Mary Howell. Piccola and the Shoe, and The Bird's Christmas. Celia Thaxter. In the Child's World. Jest 'Fore Christmas and Other Poems. By Eugene Field. A Jewish Legend. Elizabeth Stuait Phelps. Little Gottlieb. Gary. Christmas Carol. Kingsley. The Vision of Sir Launfal. Lowell. The Little Match Girl, The Fir Tree, Snow White and Rose Red, and The Old Oak's Christmas. By Hans Ander- sen. The Bible Story of the First Christmas, Legend of the First Christmas Tree, Where the Christmas Tree Grew, Legend of the Holly Tree, Poet's Bazaar. Andersen. «B 462 THE PLAN BOOK. Michael and Feodosia. St. Nicholas, Feb., 1888. Howell's Christmas All the Year Round. St. Nicholas. Standish of Standish, Keeping Christmas, A Land With- out Christmas, American Teacher. Youth's Companion, Sept. 5, 1895. A Hospital Christmas. Louisa Alcott. Dicken's Christmas Carol, Tiny Tim, The Letter Cake. St. Nicholas, Jan., 1888. St. Nicholas and His Gifts, Mrs. Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art. Vol. II. Harper's Vols. 46, 78. Legend of St. Christopher. In Christ Child Tales, by Andrea Hofer, and in Kindergarten Talks, by Margaret Wiltse. Book of Days. Atlantic, Vol. 70. Christmas Poems and Stories. The following will be found suitable for memorizing, or to be used in preparing Christmas exercises. Legend of the Chrysanthemum. — Stories in Season. Legend of the Christmas Bells. " " " Story of Babouseka. " " " Hurll's Madonna in Art. For reference and description read Ben Hur. Madonna in the School Room, November 27, 1897 School Journal. THE CHRIST CHILD. E. B. Browning. Poems. Christmas Legend. St. Nicholas, Vol. 2, page 141. Farrar's Life of Christ in Art. Guerber's Legends of the Christ and Virgin. Hofer's Christ Child Tales. Hurll's Child Life in Art. THE PLAN BOOK. 461^ MANNERS AND MORALS. TTfgrjw^^ggm r |ip»iiiiii »T»t tiiinii TT»Tji«ti|iji ■ i Tinrtif 1/ i i^iu |HpU',|''||;i^JU',lUlJXULU lUtfUMtf JL Kindness^ Unselfishness. The blessedness of giving. GEMS. Not what we give but what we share, For the gift without the giver is bare. — Lowell. "The giver makes the gift more precious." Gifts from the hand are silver and gold, but the heart gives thai which neither silver nor gold can buy. — Beecher. The only gift is a portion of thyself. — Emerson. It is more blessed to give than to receive. — Bible. Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. — Shakespeare. A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. — Cicero. In the same measure in which you wish to receive you must give. If you wish for a whole heart you must give a whole life. — Ruckhert. There is no happiness in the whole world into which love does not enter. — A. Smith. "There is one thing better than having all you wish or desire, and that is the giving another the whole of his heart's desire." "A messenger came from the world above, To bring the glad tidings of love." Whatever is given to the poor is laid up in Heaven. 'Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of charity in the heart. — Washington Irving. It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christ- mas, when its mighty founder was a child Himself. — Dickens. There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving; but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking. — Sir Philip Sidney. 46-^ THE PLAN BOOK. You are made to be kind, boys, generous, magnanimous. If there is a boy in school who has a club foot, don't let him know you ever saw it. If there is a poor boy with ragged clothes, don't talk about rags in his hearing. If there is a lame boy; assign him some part of the game which does not require running. If there is a hungry one, give him part of your dinner. If there is a dull one, help him to get his lesson. If there is a bright one, be not envious of him. — Horace Mann. That best portion of a good man's life, his little, nameless, unre- merabered acts of kindness and of love. — Wordsworth . Write your name in kindness, love and mercy on the hearts you come in contact with, and you will never be forgotten. — Chalmers. Swift kindnesses are best; a long delay in kindness takes the kind- ness all away. Kindness is infectious. No kind action ever stopped with itself. One kind action leads to another, our example is followed. — F. W. Faber. Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple faith than Xorman blood. — Tennyson. They serve God well who serve his creatures. — Mrs. Norton. Kindness is wisdom. There is none in life but needs it and may learn. — Bailey. Teach us to love and give like Thee; Not narrowly men's claims to measure, But daily question all our powers, "To whose cup can we add a pleasure. Whose path can we make bright with flowers?" — Mrs. Charles. "An arm of aid to the weak, A friendly hand to the friendless, Kind words so short to speak But whose echo is endless, — The world is wide, these things are small. They may be nothing — but they are all!" It was only a glad ''Good morning," As she passed along the way, But it shed a glory like sunshine Over the live-long day. THE PLAN BOOK. 465 She doeth little kindnesses Which most leave undone, or despise, For nought that sets one heart at ease, And giveth happiness or peace, Is low-esteemed in her eyes. — Lowell. POEMS TO IvEARN. ''Abou Ben Adhem." Leigh Hunt. The old song, "Kindness at Home." "Who is my Neighbor?" BOOKS TO READ. "Black Beauty." Miss Sewell. "Sir Launfal." Lowell. "Ben Hur." Lew Wallace. "The Life of the Master." McClure's Mag., 1900. EXAMPLE. Look up the lives of the founders of settlements in poor parts of the cities, for instance, for living workers. Read the lives of noted philanthropists for stories of reforms. Lincoln's history is full of deeds prornpted by a kind heart. Tell stories illustrating kindness and unselfishness. A book of stories, which will be useful to use in connection with lessons on manners and morals is, "Opening Exercises for Schools," compiled by George Bass, and published by A. Flanagan. A reading list for teachers and pupils to use in connection with Christmas, is given. Out of the bosom of the Air, Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest fields forsaken, Silent and soft and slow Descends the sncw. — Longfellow. 4i>0 THE PLAN BOOK. t -*7*'n < r^>-:*n l rn l rnri^^ ^ILLINOIS DAY.^ December 3ru. fy^yp^ypy^pf^f^pp^yfryf^^f^pf^yfcyfrypyfc^ftjpzy^^^^^^^^^^^^^s^s^^ Preparations. Make your preparations for Illinois Day, December the 2d. When pupils go home in the afternoon of that day hand them slips of paper on which are written topics and questions to be looked up before the next morning. Tell them that the next day is to be an Illinois Day and that everything of interest relating to that day will be in order. Each pupil is to do a certain amount of individual work as well as class work. This home or outside work is indicated by the slip of paper given each pupil the evening before Illinois Day. Any other state may be substituted for Illinois. To one pupil assign the topic Lincoln as a Boy; to another, Lincoln as a Man and as President; to another, stories about Lincoln which illustrate kindness; to another, Grant's boy- hood; Grant's career as a soldier; Grant as president; another, monuments erected to these men iu Illinois; the story of Logan; the story of the Illinois Indians; the story of Starved Rock (to be lead); the Illinois universities; the Normal schools; the hospitals and state homes; the prisons; the Illinois river; Illinois railroads; Illinois mines; Illinois crops; the capital of Illinois, etc. If Illinois has been studied as a state this will afford an excellent review. King's Handbook of the United States will be of use to teacher and pupils in this special Illinois work, or in other states. So much for preparations on the part of pupils, now for your own. Prepare your blackboard work early on the morn- ing of Illinois Day, before pupils get to school. THE PLAN BOOK. 467 With, colored crayons, write or print in large letters, in a &^v>.9ll, on the board, Illinois Day, Dec, 3, 1818. With this may be the state arms, an American eagle, perched upon a boulder on the prairie, with a rising sun in the background, the motto is: "State Sovereignty — National Union." Now fasten pictures of Lincoln, Grant and Logan over the blackboard, giving to Lincoln the most conspicuous place. Drape flags over and around these. Distribute pictures of views from Illinois about the room. A week previous to Illinois Day ask one or more pupils to learn the song "Illinois," but not to sing it in the presence of the other pupils until Illinois Day. One of the pupils might be selected to play it and a half dozen of the pupils who sing best to sing it. Have a number of copies of the song mimeographed and at the conclusion of the song by the quartette or chorus let the whole school practice the song and take it home with them to keep for other occasions. Require this song to be memorized at some time during the day. If mimeograph copies are not easily secured write the song on the board and let pupils copy in their note books. Song. (Sung to the air "Baby Mine.") II.LINOIS. By the rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois; O'er thy prairies verdant glowing, Illinois, Illinois; Comes an echo on the breeze, Rustling through the leafy trees, And its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois; And its mellow tones are these, Illinois. Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois; Can be writ a nation's glory, lUinois, Illinois; 408 THE PLAN BOOK. On the record of thy years, Abraham Lincoln's name appears; Grant and Logan call for cheers, Illinois, Illinois; Grant and Logan call for cheers, Illinois. — The Pw7ieer. Drawing. Map of Illinois. Discussion of pictures relating to tlie history or geography of the state. Geography. The state of Illinois, review. Topics which have been assigned pupils, presented and discussed. Language and Geography. Compositions on the Rivers^ Prairies and Forests of Ill- inois. Divide the class into three divisions and assign one of these topics to each, or let pupils choose for themselves. Place before them pictures of prairies or the plains, (these may be found in Wheeler's Graded English Studies); of ruins or of the forest. Let pupils study them until they can give a good oral de- scription of them. Answer the following questions. In what way do the rivers, plains and forests contribute to the welfare, happiness or riches of the state of Illinois? Illinois plains or prairies? What is a prairie? A plain? Draw a map of Illinois show- ing the plains. Make a relief map, or one in sand table. Why do people generally prefer to live on prairies or plains? What animals may be found on our Illinois prairies? What are the products, vegetable and mineral? Indicate these on map. Which cities or towns are on the prairies? the plan book. 469 Illinois River. What is a river? Draw a map showing principal rivers of Illinois. What are the sources of these rivers? Describe them. What towns are built on the banks of these rivers? Why? Why do people generally prefer to live near a river or in a river valley? Tell about the animal life in Illinois rivers. What kinds of fish may be found there? What is the most important river in this state? The largest? The most beautiful? Where is Starved Rock? Illinois Forests. Picture study. What is a forest? Draw a map showing forests of Illinois. Describe these forests. What animals are found in these forests? What are the products of these forests? Are any towns built in these forests? History. Where did Illinois get its name? What Indians made our prairies their hunting grounds? What can you tell of these Indians? Exploration of Illinois; when, where, by whom? Settlement of Illinois; when, where, by whom? Tell about the early settlers. Tell about George Rogers Clarke. Story of Tonty. In what way has the story of Illinois contributed to the glory of the nation, as referred to in second stanza? What is meant by "the record of thy years?" What is the length of this record? When admitted as a state? How old is Illinois? What other famous names appear on the Illinois record? 470 THE PLAN BOOK. Books of Reference. Parkiiiau's Works. Making of the Great West. Drake. Pioneers of Illinois. W. Matson. History of Illinois. Ford. History of Cook County. Andreas. Story of Tonty. Catherwood. Pioneer Stories. M':Murr3\ Reading Lessons for Pupils. Starved Rock. New Era Third Reader, also in Appleton's Fifth Reader. Cavalier de La Salle. First Step in the History of Our Country. Silver, Burdette & Co. George Rogers Clark. First Steps in the History of Our Country. Silver, Burdette & Co. How Our Forefathers Lived, in Stories from American History. By E. S. Ellis. Lincoln. W^ilson's Histor}^ Reader. By MacMillan Company. Grant. Wilson's History Reader. By MacMillan Company. CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CHILDREN. What would Christmas be without the children ? This of late has been my constant thought, As on tiny hoods and scarfs and mittenJ Ceaselessly my willing fingers wrought. What would Christmas be, again I ask you, Should you miss that loving, warm embrace, When a white-robed figure breaks your slumbers. Shouting " Merry Christmas " in your face? Let us, then, bring smiles to their dear faces; Let us see their laps with treasures piled ; Let us think of one who, loving others, Was on earth and dwelt a li.tle child. — Isabelle H. Fitz^ in ''Every Oilier Sunday.'* THE PLAN BOOK. 471 1 DECEMBER. i 1 _____ S WINTER. Old winter comes forth in his robe of white; He sends the sweet flowers far out of sight; He robs the trees of their green leaves bright, And freezes the pond and river. He has spoiled the butterfly's pretty vest, And ordered the birds not to build their nests, And banished the frog to a four months' rest, And makes all the children shiver. Yet he does some good with his icy tread, For he keeps the corn seeds warm in their bed; He dries up the damp which the rain has spread, And renders the air more healthy. We like the spring with its fine fresh air; We like the summer with flowers so fair; We like the fruits we in autumn share, And we like, too, old Winter's greeting. — SeL Poems. December, Longfellow. December, Lowell. Winter, Tennyson. Approach of Winter, W. B. Proctor. Winter, Whittier's Child Life. Woods in Winter, Longfellow. Songs. Winter, Tomlins' Child Garden of Song. A Winter Night, Mabel Pray's Motion Songs. Old Winter Is Here, Silvery Notes. Winter, Child's Song Book. Happy Winter Days, Fountain Songs No. 4. Winter Glee, " " " 472 THE PLAN BOOK. DECEMBER OBSERVATIONS. When does winter begin? End? How many winter months are there? What conies before winter? After? What wind blows most frequently in winter? Are the days in December as long as those in November? What time does the sun rise now? Set? What time does the moon rise? Set? Can you see the evening or any other stars as you walk home at sunset? What change do you notice in the clothing of people? In occupation of people? In games and amusements of children? What change in the w^eather? In appearance of sky, «artli and water. Drawing. Draw or paint a winter landscape. Use chalk to give effect of snow. Pictures study, Winter, by Castan. Winter, L. Munthe, in Around the Year in Myth and Song, Miss Holbrook. A Winter Evening, by Kinsley. Winter (bas relief), Thorwaldsen. Language. Place before the pupils a picture of Winter. Let them study it until they can give a good oral description of it. Memorize a winter poem. Write a composition on Winter or December, using the following outline. Winter or December. 1. 'Appearance of sky, earth and water. 2. Change in weather and cause. 3. Change in occupation of people. Winter employ- ments. THE PLAN BOOK. 473 4. Winter games, amusements, enjoyments. 5. Winter clothing. 6. Winter holidays. WHAT THE WINTER BRINGS. What does the winter bring? Berries red on the holly spray, Gems of ice in the clear, cold day, That gleam on the tall fir trees; Over the world with its leaden skies Dainty snow like a blessing lies, But it bringeth more than these. Time for the busy hands to rest, For cozy seats in the dear home nest, With blazing logs piled high, Happy hearts for the Christmas cheer. And no regret for the parting year As you bid its hours good-by. — Mary R. Corky. MEMORY GEMS FOR CHRISTMAS-TIDE. COLLATED BY M. W. A. What cheer! What cheer! Christmas has come again, His voice I hear: Then let the bells ring out a merry lay, There is no day for me like Christmas day. — Mary W. Allen, Be merry all, be merry all. With holly dress and festive hall; Prepare the song, the feast, the ball. To welcome Merry Christmas. — W. R Spencer. Merry, merry Christmas, everywhere, Cheerily it ringeth through the air; Christmas bells, Christmas trees, Christmas odors on the breeze. Merry, merry Christmas everywhere. — Selected. 474 THE PI.AN BOOK. DECEMBER. . . . With snow-white hair, I come, the last of all. This crown of mine Is the holly; in my hand I bear The thyrsus, tipped with fragrant cones of pine I celebrate the birth of the Divine. My songs are carols sung at every shrine, Proclaiming. "Peace on earth, good will to men." — Longfelloii' , The Poef s Calendar. Thought for the Month. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The story of Christmas. Christmas Emblems. Through the Thanksgiving and nature work, the children have expressed themselves as grateful for the gifts of earth, and now it is oxAy a step to the gift of the Christ Child, the greatest manifestation of unselfish love ever revealed to man. First comes the historic setting of the sweet old story; and the children journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, not- ing the characteristics of the countr}^, the modes of travel, the dress, and the customs of the people. Through pictures and descriptions, they know the little town of Bethlehem with its lowl}^ cattle shed, of the star. Wise men, their visit, of caravans, camels, deserts, oriental splendor, etc. THE PLAN BOOK. 475 Mrs. Kellogg, in Primary Education^ says: — "It is a mine of descriptive material in itself. Why should not children learn of Jadea and Bethlehem, with the same eagerness with which they hear of the Esquimaux country and tropical islands? Why not give them the whole setting of that story exactly, as that of any other? "A child never wearies of hearing about camels and their travels across deserts. Will they care less about it, because 'three wise men' were riding these camels to go and find the Christ Child? "What will not their marvelous imagination do with the scene of the shepherds watching their flocks by night? They will see every hill and valley, feel the peace and beauty of that wonderful night when shepherd and sheep slept together under the starry sky; they will thrill under the splendor of light that 'shone round about,' and be as eager to follow the 'star' as the shepherds themselves. Will they have less inter- est because they were seeking the Babe of Bethlehem?" The tender, trustful beauty of the young mother of Christ will arouse their imagination, and the story of the famous artists of all countries, who have striven to paint her picture for hundreds and hundreds of years, will prepare them for a taste of the best and highest in art. When we consider the literature pertaining to Christmas we do not find it a difficult matter to plan a series of lessons which shall enter into close and vital relationship with other parts of the school program. Through such a series of les- sons, something deeper than mere pleasure is given the child- ren. They are lead to recognize beautiful thoughts clothed in beautiful language. Their appreciation of the spiritual ele- ment in real literature is awakened. Habits of attentive listening, and careful reproduction are strengthened. If the correlation of this work with the other parts of the day's pro- gram is first in the teacher's mind, unconsciously the children will see the relation of the great spirit of giving^ as empha- sized in Christmas song and story, to other subjects. 476 the plan book. First Week. MORNING TALKS. 1 . General idea of the state institution at the beginning of the Christian Era. Roman empire: condition; ruler; relation of Judea to Roman empire; governor of Judea; idea of tribute. 2. Birth of Christ. Decree for taxation; gathering of the people for enrollment; why some go to Bethlehem; distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem; description of journey; emphasize principal characters; the crowded inns; use of stables for lodging; birth of Christ. 3. Appearance of Angels to shepherds; shepherd life; angel host; visit of the shepherds to Christ. Learn verses from St. Luke, Chapter II, verses 8 to 16 and 20. Use pic- tures. Second Week. 1. Visitof the Wise Men. See "Ben Hur." Their country; the meeting; mode of travel; guiding star; entrance to Jerusa- lem and visit to Herod; following star to Bethlehem; worship of the Holy Babe; presentation of gifts; significance of gifts. 2. Flight into Egypt. Review causes: describe journey; practical help of one of the "gifts;" slaughter of the innocents; return from Egypt; Nazareth chosen as home. Why ? 3. Boyhood of Christ. Occtipation; the visit to Jerusalem; the boy Christ in the temple. Third Week. CHRIST'S MINISTRY. 1 . Emphasize simplicity of life; kind of people taught; those who followed him; place of ministry; the new commandment; love one another; be kind, thoughtful of others; bring out idea of unselfishness; read portions of Sermon on the Mount; signi- ficance of Christmas; best way of celebrating. Suggested by Jessie B. Tvlontgomery in The Primary School. THE PLAN BOOK. 477 The third week may be devoted to a study of Christmas in other lands if teacher prefers. The Christmas of to-day. The Christmas spirit and how shown. Instances of kindness and helpfulness observed and told by pupils. MEMORY GEMS AND PICTURES. Learn a memory gem each day during the month. Have this placed upon the board where all can see to copy it in a note book. These may be recited as a part of the Christmas programme. Pictures in McClure Magazine (1900), may be used in this way. With each picture of a Madonna, Shepherd, or Bethlehem picture hung up, give a verse appropriate to it for a memory gem. For instance, in hanging upon the walls Blashfield's Christmas Bells or New Year's Bells, teach the poem by Long- fellow, or Tennyson's "The Old Year." "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, Their old familiar carols play And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good- will to men." "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; 'God is not dead; nor doth he sleep ! The wrong shall fall, The right prevail. With peace on earth, good-will to men." — Longfellow. THE CHRISTMAS BElvLS. The time draws near the birth of Christ; The moon is hid; the night is still: The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist. Four voices of four hamlets round, From far and near, on mead and moor, Swell out and fail, as if a door Were shut between me and the sound. 478 THE PLAN BOOK. Each voice four changes on the wind, That now dilate, and now decrease, Peace and good-will, good-will and peace Peace and good- will, to all mankind. Rise, happy morn, rise, holy morn, Draw forth the cheerful day from night; O Father, touch the East, and light The light that shone when Hope was born. — From Tennyson' s In Memoriam, O happy bells! through coming years, We hear in your glad sending The message still of peace, good will,—' All jarring discords blending. — Sel, With the presentation of a picture of "The Apparition," by Plockhorst, or another Shepherd picture, give the poem, "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks,'' by Margaret De- land. lyike small curled feathers, white and soft, The little clouds went by, Across the moon, and past the stars, And down the western sky; In upland pastures, where the grass With frosted dew was white, Like snowy clouds the young sheep lay, That first, best Christmas night. The shepherds slept; and glimmering faint. With twist of thin, blue smoke. Only their fire's crackling flames The tender silence broke — Save when a young lamb raised his head, Or, when the night wind blew, A nestling bird would softly stir, Where dusky olives grew. With finger on her solemn lip, Night hushed the shadowy earth, And only stars and angels saw The little Savior's birth; THE PLAN BOOK. 479 Then came such flash of silver light • Across the bending skies, The wondering shepherds woke and hid Their frightened, dazzled eyes! Only three verses are here given. Find the others and memorize them all, or these verses given below. The music of this song may be found in Miss Howlitson's Child's Song Book. "It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold; 'Peace to the earth, good- will to men, From heaven's all-gracious King'; The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing." "Still through the cloven skies they come, With peaceful wings unfurled; And still their heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing, And even o'er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing." Give this gem with the picture of the Nativity. THE NATIVITY. Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Savior's birth is celebrated: This bird of dawning singeth all night long; And then they say no spirit dares stir abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallowed and so gracious is the time, — Shakespeare. With Correggio's "Holy Night," teach the song, ''Holy Night, Silent Night." 480 THE PLAN BOOK. O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! • Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight. O, morning stars together Proclaim the holy birth! And praises sing to God the king, And peace to men on earth. For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above, While mortals sleep the angels keep, Their watch of wondering love. How silentl}^, how silently The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming. But in this world of sin. Where meek souls will receive him still, The dear Christ enters still. Where children pure and happy Pray to the blessed child; Where misery cries out to thee, Son of the mother mild; Where Charity stands watching, And Faith holds wide the door. The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, And Christmas comes once more. O, holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us. Our Lor/J Emmanuel. — Phillips Brooks. THE PLAN BOOK. 181 With the presentation of pictures of Bethlehem and de- scription of that city, teach the whole of that beautiful Christ- mas hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Try to do this on Phillips Brooks' birthday, or at least make a beginning then and learn a verse each day. The music may be found in the Revised Episcopal Hym- nal. READING AND LANGUAGE. Select reading matter for the facts, showing the manner of celebrating Christmas in other countries. A list for this pur- pose has been given in the front part of the book, and sugges- tions as to pictures and their use also. Stories of the children of other lands may be found in "Christmas in Other Lands," which contains the stories in the form of poems as well as in prose. Price of book, 25 cents. A. Flanagan, publisher. These stories will provide material for a number of oral and written language lessons. After a story has been read or told the pupils, and has been reproduced orally, let pupils write the stories, following outlines or questions placed on the black-board. These stories may be illustrated with drawings, paintings or pictures cut from magazines or papers. When a story has been reproduced and illustrated, lay it away in a portfolio pro- vided for Christmas work, and write others. When all are finished, or those pupils like best, let pupils bind them together into a booklet for a present for father or mother. Let pupils select their own designs for the cover. This may be made of heavy white bristol board, drawing or water color paper. Let decorations be drawn with pencil, or pen, or painted with water colors. Some may wish to secure one of the Perry pictures and paste on the cover. 482 the plan book. Reading Lessons. A Pilgrim Christmas, Wilson's History Reader for Third Grade, by MacMillan & Co. A Dutch Christmas, Wilson's History Reader for Third Grade, by MacMillan & Co. A Christmas in Virginia, Wilson's History Reader for Third Grade, by MacMillan & Co. Christmas Carol, Heart of Oak, Vol. 3. Christmas at the Cratchits, Baldwin's Fifth Reader. Destruction of Pompeii, Baldwin's Fifth Reader. The Last Fight at the Coliseum, Sixth. Legends of the Christmas Tree, Through the Year, Book I. Christmas Tree, Through the Year, Book I. First Christmas in America, by Mary C. Judd in Dec. 1898 School Education. Books to Read to the Children. The Bird's Christmas Carol, Wiggin. Dicken's Christmas Carol, a lesson in generosity> Hofer's Tales of the Christ Child, Ben Hur, selections from book. Poems. In addition to those given elsewhere are; The Three Kings, Longfellow. The Coming of the Prince, Eugene Field. The Symbol and the Saint, Eugene Field. The First Christmas Tree, Eugene Field. The Christmas Candle, H. Butterworth. The Child of the Black Forest, Whitney. Christmas, Poetry of the Seasons. The Tree, Merry Christmas " " Holly, Poetry of the Seasons is published by Silver & Burdette. THE PLAN BOOK. 483 THE SCENE OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS. The place is Bethlehem, but the Holy Family are no longer at the inn, in which ''there is no room" for them. They are now in a house and by themselves. The dwellings of the poorer classes of that land and time were of primitive simplicity. The walls were of stone, often without cement or plaster; the roofs were of boughs or poles laid side by side and covered with mud or straw; the floors were of earth. They contained few rooms, if, indeed, there were more than one, and no windows such as are to be found in modern houses. The best of these buildings were hardly more sumptuous than the dog-outs of the American prairies or the crofters' cottages of Scotland and Skye, but because of the dryness of the climate they were not uncomfortable. Neither walls nor floors were damp. Jesus and Mary were in such a house, and were as well provided for as most other peasant people of their time and their means. The strangers who appeared in the streets of that little town were wise men from the Hast. They were guided by a mysterious star. They sought one who was "born King of the Jews." When they found Him, in true Oriental fashion they first bowed their heads to the ground in salutation, and then presented to Him, gold, frankincense and myrrh. The phrase, "wise men," or Magi, indicates that they came from Persia or Arabia; that probably they were followers of Zoroaster, and therefore that they were fire-worshipers. This is all that the Gospels teach us, either directly or by inference, concerning them. First Gifts. Frankincense was a perfectly white resin which was ob- tained from the bark of a tree found chiefly in Arabia and India. An incision about five inches in length was made in the trunk, and from that flowed a white liquid which hardened into "a kind of vegetable material, brittle, glittering, and of a 484 THE PLAN BOOK. bitter taste." This delicate and odorous substance, made of the life-blood of rare trees, from the earliest ages was a symbol of purity and holiness. It was used for perfume and in sacri- fices. It represented the holiness of God, and its burning was a celebration of that holiness. In prayer the worshiper in- voked the Deity, and thus incense came to be an emblem of prayer. It was an inseparable accompaniment of worship in sanctuaries other than Hebrew. :•: :■: Ht * Myrrh also was the congealed life-blood of a rare tree. It has been likened to the tears which a tree sheds when it is bruised. "It is a brittle substance, translucent, of a rich brown color, or reddish yellow, with a strong odor and a warm, bitter taste." It was found in the same countries as frankin- cense, but not in the same trees, nor was it extracted by the same process. The latter follows incision, and as it hardens it becomes white and is easily broken; but the former ''exudes in small tearlike drops, at first oily, but drying and hardening of the bark, and its flow is increased by wounding the tree." It was well know to the ancients. With Egyptians and Jews, as well as with Greeks and Romans, it was an article of merchandise. It is frequently mentioned both in the Old Testament and in the New. ;:; ^ :^ :)c The visitors also chose objects representative of the lands in which they dwelt. Gold was found in Persia and Arabia; the trees which yielded frankincense grew on the barren up- lands of Arabia, or more probably in India; while myrrh dropped its rich brown tears probably about Saba or Adramyti. — From Ladies Home Journal. With mittened hands and caps drawn low, We cut the solid whiteness through, And where the drift was deepest, made A tunnel walled and overlaid With dazzling crystal. — ■/. G. IVhittier. THE PLAN BOOK. 485 BETHLEHEM TODAY. "The modern town is beautifully situated on the sides and summit of a semicircle of hills. All about it are olive groves and vineyards, pasture lands and grain fields. It is in truth a "House of Bread" — and, indeed, of water, for, although it has but one spring, and that a poor one, the so-called Fountain of David, the aqueduct carrying water from Solomon's Pool, is tapped at the foot of the hill, and there are also reservoirs. Indeed, there is no more prosperous looking town and region in all Southern Palestine. The town itself, with its eight thousand inhabitants, lies a little off the fine carriage-road from Jerusalem to Hebron, and to reach it one has to drive up a rather steep and rough road running between garden walls and ubiquitous buildings. As one gets :*nto the town the road grows narrower, until at last its width would not permit two carriages' passing each other. For this reason the authorities compel all vehicles to enter the town by one street and leave it by another. In some ways Bethlehem is a disappointing place to visit. Although it is almost exclusively a Christian town, its inhab- itants live by the trade they carry on with visitors, and no sooner does the traveler dismount in the square before the Church of the Nativity than he is surrounded by a shouting crowd of men — there are said to be nineteen different establish- ments manufacturing souvenirs — each endeavoring to force his victim within his little shop. The olive wood candle-sticks and necklaces, the carved mother of pearl, the cups from the black stone of the Dead Sea — all these are forced upon one at prices fully twice those for which the same articles can be pur- chased in Jerusalem. Such disagreeable features, however, one must train one's self to overlook, if a journey in the Holy Land is to yield any- thing but disenchantment and disappointment. For, after all, such matters are but incidents. The chief object in visiting Bethlehem is not to patronize peddlers, but to see the spot, 486 THR PLAN BOOK. where, according to the traditions of centuries, Jesus was bom." — Shailer Mathews. "As one approaches Bethlehem, the most conspicuous building we see is the monastery, connected with the Church of the Nativity. It stands at the east of the village and looks like an old fortress. The houses of the town are low and the roofs almost invar- iably flat. The Church of the Nativity is not of itself a large build- ing; but the convents connected with it cover a broad area. The church measures about a hundred and twenty feet in length, by a little less in breadth. It is one of the oldest churches in the world, as it was erected in the beginning of the fourth century. The grotto of the Nativity, directly beneath the church, is about forty feet by twelve, and the ceiling ten or twelve feet high. At the entrance to the grotto stand two Turkish sold- iers to maintain order. There are two stairways, one used ex- clusively by the Greeks and Armenians, and the other belongs to the Latins. Near the foot of the stairway, there is a niche in the wall of rock, and in front of it a marble slab set in the floor, with a silver star in the center; on the star is this inscription: "Hie De Virgine Maria Jesus Christus Natus Est." ("Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.") Over the star sixteen lamps of silver are burning and they burn here from year to year. The Chapel of the Manger is a little to the right of the place of the Nativity and is a recess cut in the rock. The tradition is that Christ was once laid in this manger; a few feet away from it is the Chapel of the Magi, where the three wise men came to adore him, and offer their gifts. The walls of the grotto are covered with richly embroid- ered cloth and many lamps hang from the ceiling, the gifts of kings and princes. The great festival of Bethlehem begins on Christmas Eve. THE PI.AN BOOK. 487 At ten o'clock there is a solemn mass at tlie church of the Franciscans. Toward midnight a long procession starts from this church for the grotto of the Nativity led by the monks and clergy with the patriarch following. After him comes the consul of France who protects the sacred places of the Holy Land. The people follow next, with a band of Turkish sold- iers closing up the rear. Each one in the procession carries a wax candle except the patriarch, who holds a waxen baby to represent the child Jesus. The Divine Child lies in a manger, on cushions of red silk with a layer of straw underneath in remembrance of his humble birth. On reaching the grotto the patriarch sings the story of Christ's birth as given in the gospel of Luke, and the celebra- tion ends shortly after two o'clock in the morning, with a sol- emn Te Deuui. The whole population has been scattered meanwhile about the outside of the grotto. The people con- tinue singing merry songs and feasting about the brilliantly lighted porches until their vigils are ended by the rising sun. GEOGRAPHY. Appropriate geography lessons for one week of this month might be on the Holy Land. Familiarize the children with the land of Jesus, as it is today, and was at the time of Christ's birth. Talk about the people living in Palestine today; their occupation, productions, seaports. Compare with olden times. In what way changed? Take the children also to Norway, Sweden, Germany, Hol- land and other countries and let them watch the preparations being made there for Christmas. Use the pictures in McClure's Magazine (for 1900), men- tioned elsewhere. Along with portrayals of incidents, in the life of Christ there will ba pictures of the most important places, scenes and types in the Palastine of to-day. In addi- tion there will be a series of maps based on the latest knowledge and showing the localities mentioned in the gospels. 488 THE PLAN BOOK. THE SAND TABLE. Third and Fourth Grades. (To be used in connection with historj-, geography and literature lessons.) "Take a low table, about three feet long, two feet wide, and sixteen inches high, cover the top with cheap mirror — the wavier the better — to represent water where not covered with sand, and glue a strip of wood about two inches high upon or around its edges. A large metal waiter or tra}'', or a tight wooden sand-board supported at the right height, will of course answer. And, instead of the mirror, the inner surface may be painted blue to make it impervious to moisture when damp sand is used, and to represent water when exposed. Any kind of sand may be used, from pure white to black molders' sand, but brown makes the most natural pictures, ordinarily. It may be used dry, but gives better results damp. Vox grass use real moss, or coat sheets of pasteboard with paste or mucilage and cover them with the fine green shavings from which toy trees are made, or dyed moss, which can be readil}'- bought. It ma}' then be cut or torn in any shape and size desired, or whole large fields laid on at once. For zcater^ if the sand-table is not covered with mirror, which is the best representative, sheets of tin-foil may be used. If rolled up loosely, indented here and there, and unrolled, they have a wavy appearance, heightening the effect. Or they can b2 pressed over sheets of corrugated pasteboard used for packing. For n'z'frs and brooks, in a map or scene on a small scale, roll up long, narrow strips of tin-foil and curve them back and forth, to suit the curvature of the stream. For green hills and mountains heap up the sand and cover with mo£S or artificial grass. For barren or rock}^ 7nonntain peaks^ use natural pieces of rock. THE PLAN BOOK. 489 For trees natural evergreen twigs, or artificial trees. Vox flowers small natural or artificial flowers, or tiny bits of bright colored paper or clotb sprinkled upon the grass. For wheat fields take an old broom and cut up the broom- straws into lengths of about two inches, and stick them in the sand — leaving diagonal paths here and there. For Bible animals — sheep, camels, donkeys, cows, dogs, horses, pigs, fish, birds, etc. — use real toys, the most life-like and proportionate in size obtainable; or pictures — especially those excellent German colored ones that come cut out and joined in sheets. By pasting short strips of pasteboard to their backs and spreading them at the bottom, the pictures will stand up better, and will even stand on a table. For me7i and women^ children's toy clothespins are very serviceable — the women having little dresses fastened around the neck and tied at the waist with a pretty ribbon, and little shawls folded over their heads and caught under the chin — some dressed in bright colors, and some in somber, to suit their characters; and the men, or such as are to be individual- ized, wrapped in different colored cloth to designate them — us- ing white for priests, purple for kings, red for fervent Paul, etc. Or, pictures of men and women may be used — especially cut from Bible Picture Cards. For children use the smaller size of toy clothes-pins. For a king crown a purple man with one of those pretty little gilt crowns that are used for stoppers of perfumery bot- tles, etc. — whittling the "man's" head a little if necessar3^ If the king is an old man, as David or Solomon in old age, some raw cotton can be stuffed in the crown and allowed to hang down for his white hair. For the Apostles^ in order to move them readily all at once, make twelve holes in two rows in a board, and insert toy clothes-pins — or squeeze them over the opposite sides of the upturned lid of a narrow pasteboard box. For the Savior^ cut out the best picture of him you can find, from a Bible picture-card or fine engraving about two 490 THE PLAN BOOK. inches high. Or use a lit, white Christmas tree candle, to stand for the light of the world. Or gild a toy clothes-pin, to convey the same idea. Or use a little cross. For a multitude of people, stick matches (previously lit and blown out to make them safe) in holes punched irregu- larly in a strip of paste-board. For soldiers^ use colored (dyed or painted or inked) matches, say red for one army and blue for the other, similarly stuck in paste-board, but in two regular rows. If modern in- stead of ancient soldiers are wanted, to illustrate some Bible truth — as guarding our hearts against its enemies, as a picket line guards a camp, or fighting against evil, or following our captain, or any military simile — use those printed soldiers that can be bought on strips of card-board containing ten for a cent. Strips of Indians^ to stand for various sly enemies, can be similarly purchased. Tents can be made by simply bending in two pieces of card-board about twice as long as wide. And a7icient houses of square wooden or paste-board boxes with a parapet pasted around the top, a doorway cut out, and outside steps, formed by bending a strip of paste-board back and forth, pasted on. One might have an "upper chamber" — a little block or box pasted on its top. For city walls^ strips of white paste-board will answer, which may be cut out on top to represent embattlements. Beautiful ^^/^ii/<2/.y may be cut from little photographs of L' Arc de Triomphe or simply cut from white card-board. Cities in a sand-map of Palestine may be represented by little cards or blocks of wood about an inch square, and indi- cated by drawing upon them or sticking in the sand beside them, little symbols to stand for events connected with them in the minds of the children, as a cross for Jerusalem, a jar for Cana, a hammer for Nazareth, a boat for Capernaum, etc. A toy boat^ with the bottom cut off so it w 11 stand upright and appear sunk in the water, will be of frequent use. So will a child's toy hammock^ for a fishing net. THE PLAN BOOK. 491 And a strip of paste-board about three inches wide and a foot long, bent in three parts for the back and two sides of a rooju, in which to set interior scenes. And a little box about half an inch high and an inch and a naif long, filled with sand, for a raised dais or platform on which to set rulers or speakers. The children's own ingenuity will suggest how to repre- sent such utensils or other things as they may need; and should also be employed in making such of the above objects as possible; while older brothers or parents should assist them at first. They should be given some special place to keep their sand-board objects in." — By Frank L. Hamilton^ in D. C. Cooky's Sabbath School Quarterly. DRAWING AND CONSTRUCTION WORK. FIFTH GRADE. Make architecture the subject of several drawing lessons. Study the forms employed by the Greeks and Romans. Show pupils pictures of temples and cathedrals. Recall the story of Raphael and the enjoyment he derived from this study. Tell the pupils about the part the Parthenon had played in history, and compare it with other temples. Talk to them about the use of the different parts of the building. Why were the pillars necessary ? Used as a means of support, and for the winding in and out of the long proces- sions which were a feature of the religious services of the Greeks and Romans. The pillars may be made by roll- ing and pasting together slips of stiff white paper. Let dif- ferent pupils make different parts, and the pupil who shows himself most clever in the work may fit the parts together. Dress dolls to represent Greeks and Romans. Let the pupils build the Parthenon out of models furnished by the drawing department. Next draw the temple and then Cjustruct one from cardboard and paper. 492 THE PLAN BOOK. ft i»?*T*T i )r* i *r»ri>7v i rr i ^^ 1 DECEMBER SQENCE LESSONS, i The Weather. The atmosphere, temperature, weather record, action and direction of winds, kinds and names of clouds likely to occur, action of the frost, decrease in natural heat and necessity of artificial heat, the use of the thermometer. The Sun. Sun and its changes, sun-light, sun-glass, prism colors, light and heat. The Moon. The moon and its phases, reflected light. The Stars. The North Star, compare position with others. The Big Dipper, its movement. The Bear. Light and the human eye, reflection and refraction. Mir- rors, lenses, telescopes and microscopes. Plant Life. The evergreen. Tea and Coffee. Vegetable foods and drink in connection with physiology lessons. Vegetable products, timber. Animal Life. The sheep, deer, moose, rabbit and camel. The snow bird, goose. Animal food in connection with the physiology lessons. Animal products. THE PLAN BOOK. 493 MlNKKALS. Limestone, granite, marble. Magnetism. Related Topics. The building, lighting and heating of houses. Materials used. A Carpenter's Work. Books of Reference for Science Lessons. A Year with the Trees, by Wilson, Flag Educational Pub. Co., Boston. Among the Trees, Mrs. Dyson. How to Study Plants, by A. Wood, A. S. Barnes & Co. The Succession of Forest Trees, by Thoreau, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Animal Memoirs; Part I., Mammals; Part II., Birds; by Lockwood, American Book Co. My Saturday with a Bird Class, by Mary Miller, D. C. Heath & Co. Outline Lessons in Botany, Part II. A Reader in Botany, Part I., by Newell, Ginn & Co. Guides for Science Teaching. First Lessons in Minerals, VIII., D. C. Heath & Co. The Great World's Farm, by Gage, Seeley & Co. (Mac- millan.) The Beauties of Nature, by Gage, Seeley & Co. (Macmil- lan.) Coal and Coal Mines, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Madam How and Lady Why, by Kingsley, Macmillan Co. Directions for Teaching Geology (pamphlet), Shaler, D. C. Heath & Co. First Book in Geology, D. C. Heath & Co. Winchell's Geological Excursions. Seaside and Wayside, D. C. Heath & Co. 404 THE PLAN BOOK. * i l n l r*n>-*- < rr < m > ', s-Hn»-t'Hr;^^ THE STARS. The story of the Star which led the wise men to the Christ Child leads naturally to a study of the eternal stars and the beauty of the heavens. During the weeks following Christmas the heavens are ablaze with glory and the stud}^ of the stars begun this month, may be continued in January. There are few periods which rival in the delight they give in these weeks of observation of the heavenly b. dies. Mar- velous explanations of their nature and origin are contributed, for child mythology abounds and the accompanying careful observation is a constant joy. Light has from time immemorial been the symbol of holi- ness and truth, and worship of light marks the growth into aspiration after goodness. Star Lessons. MORNING EXERCISES. "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" — Psalm. "He tellelh the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names." — Psalm i^j; 4.. MATERIALS FOR LESSONS. Note books, pencils, compass, magnet, copies of American Almanacs and a star atlas or chart. This last will be necessary in order to teach the shape of each group. A star chart and key may be found in Frye's Brooks and Basins, by Ginn & Co. THE PLAN BOOK. 495 REVIEW WORK. Before beginning lessons on the stars, review lessons on the sun and moon. Find from the almanac the date for the new moon and the time of rising; the time and place of the rising and setting of the sun. "On December 22, the sun reaches the limit of his jour- ney southward, and the place of sunset seems to be the same for a few days. When the northward journey begins the days lengthen. In reality the earth has journeyed northeast for six months, as we know from the zodiac, which extends north- east from the western horizon. This aspect of the zodiac at sunset December 22 may be observed about 7 p. m. during the first week in December, when Pisces is on the meridian, about halfway between the zenith and the southern horizon." — From School Education^ by Catherine Brown. Which gives the most light, the sun or the moon ? The moon or the stars ? Why is the sun brighter than the moon ? Why is the moon brighter than the stars? Are the stars farther away than the moon ? Which is the larger, the moon or stars ? What are the stars ? The stars that shine with a steady light are planets like our own earth. The stars that twinkle are suns. They seem small because they are so far away. What do the stars seem to do on cold nights? To what is the twinkling appearance due ? To atmosphere con- ditions. Which is the brightest planet ? Venus, the brightest planet, may sometimes be seen in the day and always in the east or west. What is the largest star ? Jupiter is the largest star and may be found in the south. What stars or constella- tions are most easily found? The Evening Star, the Great Bear or Dipper, the North Star, Casseopeia and the Dragon. Of what use are the stars ? For light, for guidance, as the North Star. What helped to guide Columbus over the ocean to our country? What was the name of that star? 'i96 THE PLAN BOOK. Literature. Stars are of mighty use; the night Is dark and long; The road foul, and where one goes right, Six may go wrong. One twinkling ray Shot o'er some cloud May clear much way, And guide a crowd. — H. Vaughan. Memorize this gem. Tell the story of two astronomers, Copericus and Galileo, and the story of lo. Copernicus and Galileo. Copernicus was an astronomer who lived in the year 1473. He believed that the sun was the center of the system of plan- ets and that the earth was one of its family, making a yearly journey around it in three hundred and sixty-five days. He published a book shortly before his death giving reasons for his theory, which he doubtless had feared to publish earlier as it was generally believed that the earth was stationnry, the sun, moon and planets moving around it. Galileo learned of the new theory from an astronomer who had read the little book of Copernicus, and he thought it must be right, but wished to prove it. While Galileo was studying and watching, an important discovery was made by a child. A little boy, the son of an optician in Holland, while playing in his father's shop with some glasses, put two of them together in such a way that looking through them made distant objects appear near. Galileo heard of the glasses made by the optician and wished earnestly that he might find a way to make the stars appear nearer. After much thought he constructed a telescope, and looking up to the milky-way found it contained hundreds of stars. He then looked at Jupiter and saw a wonderful sight. The great planet had four moons traveling round it, just in the same way that the earth and planets travel round the sun. THE PLAN BOOK. 497 He was delighted with this important discovery, and many people went to look at Jupiter through his telescope. He wrote a book, but as the most powerful people at that time did not believe in his theories he was made a prisoner. A.S his life was in danger unless he denied that the earth moved, the poor old ma^ was obliged to say he might be wrong. He was set at liberty, but his sight began to fail, and for five years before his death he was blind. He lived to be nearly eighty years of age. — From School Education. LESSON II. The Evening Star. How many people have noticed a star in the sky while walking home from school in the evening? What is the name of that star? Where was it? Ask pupils to notice the star that rises higher and higher and passes to the west. Show pupils how to find the star on the map, chart or atlas. Mercury will be the evening star December 20, and Venus and Jupiter morning stars. Call pupils' attention to Venus or Jupiter, and notice that it changes its position among the other stars. They rise after midnight this month. Literature. The Star of Bethlehem. The Evening Star, Hiawatha. The Moon and One Star. Songs. The Evening Star. Tomlins' Child Garden of Song. Shine Out, O Blessed Star. Plan Book. The Evening Star. Fifty Children's Songs. LESSON III. The North Star and Dipper. Show the North, or Pole, star, and let pupils see a com- pass or magnetized needle point toward it. What use is this to sailors? Teach the use of the magnet and compass. 498 THE PLAN ROOK. Dipper. — From the North Star lead to the "pointers" and the rest of the Dipper and the Great Bear. The first bright star in a line with the two pointers of the Dipper is the North Star. This is the outermost star of the handle of the Little Dipper. The two bright stars in the bowl are the "Guardians of the Pole." The Great Dipper is part of the constellation of the Great Bear, and when pupils can find the Pole Star they can find the Little Bear. In olden times the Pole Star was sometimes called the Star of Arcady, because Callisto's son was named Areas and their home was Arcadia. Do j^ou know this story ? The Great Bear and the Little Bear. Callisto was a beautiful princess who spent her time hunt- ing. One day she offended Juno, who changed her into a bear. She had now to prowl round in the woods, afraid of the dogs by day and of wild beasts b}' night, for she often forgot she was a bear. After some years her little son had grown to be a noble prince, and hunted in the woods. One day the poor bear saw him and stood up on her hind feet to embrace him, but he raised his spear to kill her, not knowing it was his mother. Then Jupiter, feeling sorry for Callisto, changed her son into a bear and set them both in the sky. Juno was still angry and begged Old Ocean not to let them bathe in his waters, but to compel them to prowl round and round in the sky. There you may still see all three on a clear moonlight night. Drawing. Draw and cut five and six pointed stars and crescents to be used in making Christmas cards. Draw constellations, connecting the stars with lines to give form to the clusters of stars called The Long Handled Dipper, The Lady's Chair, and others. Drav/ or paint a moonlight scene. Illustrate the Diamond Dipper, the Star of Bethlehem, or one of the star legends. the plan book. 499 Language. Memorizing of poems. Reproduction of myths and stories. Be strong to hope, O heart! Though day is bright, The stars can only shine In the dark night. Be strong, O heart! lyook to the light. — Adelaide Proctor, Reading Lessons. About The Stars. Rand-McNally Fourth Reader. The Planets. Harper's Fourth Reader. A Child's Dream of a Star. New Era Fifth Reader. Daisies and Stars. Normal Third Reader. Todd & Powell. The Little Match Girl. Wynken, Blynken and Nod. (Star lessons to be continued.) Songs. The Evening Star. Tomlins' Child Garden of Song. Stars. Tomlins' Child Garden of Song. The Child and the Star. Smith No. 2. Stars and Daisies. Smith No. 2. Can You Count the Stars? Smith No. L Stars of Light. Song Treasures. Shine Out O Star. Songs in Season. Star of the Evening. New Silver Carols. The Evening Star. Songs of Life and Nature. Literature — Poems. Starlight. Lucy Larcom. A Naughty Comet. Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. A Star's Ball. Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. Light of Stars. Longfellow. Eyes of Angels. Rhymes and Tales, by Kriege. Can you Count the Stars? Nature in Verse, Lovejoy's, Stars. In Around the Year, by Miss Holbrook. 500 the plan book. Stories. Hiawatha's Evening and Morning Star. Wynken, Blynken and Nod. Stories and jMyths. Callisto. Child's Dream of a Star. Dickens. The Little Match Girl. Will O^ the Wisp. Mrs. Gayley. Parables from Nature. Story of Galileo. Story of Newton. Story of lo, in Stories of Long Ago. D. C. Heath & Co. Reference Books. Among the Stars. Agnes Giberne. (May be read to the younger pupils and by the older pupils.) Astronomy by Observation. By Eliza A. Bowen. Proctor's Works. Ball's Works. The Age of Fable. By Bulfinch or Gayley, and Classic Myths in English Ltterature. (These last two books contain most of the myths in regard to the stars.) SIR ISAAC NEWTON. On Christmas day, two hundred and fifty-seven years ago. was born one of the world's great helpers, Isaac Newton. He gave to the world in so many ways that it seemed to me his story would be a good one to use in connection with our lessons on kindness and helpfulness this morth. When Isaac was a child he was not a particularly bright boy, but showed remarkable ingenuity in all mechanical occupations. Isaac lived with his grandmother, who was very proud of his skill with tools. He had no tools, such as we buy and use THE PLAN BOOK. 501 now-a days, so made a set of tools and saws of different sizes for himself. With the aid of these he managed to make many curious articles and made them well. His grandmother used to show these things to his play- mates and the neighbors, and together they wondered over Isaac's future. They predicted that he would become a great architect and would build splendid palaces and churches, or perhaps a clock maker, and make beautiful and curious clocks. This was because of his inventing a kind of clock that no one had ever used before. It was set going by the dropping of water, instead of wheels and weights like the other clocks made at that time. Then Isaac made a sun-dial for his grandmother. The water clock would tell the time in the shade and the dial in the sunshine. This sun-dial is said to be in existence yet, in his old home at Woolsthorpe, Bngland, where he was born. Isaac had a way also of finding out things for himself. When he wanted to find out the strength of the wind, he made the wind itself tell him what he wished to know. He jumped against the wind, and by the length of his jump he could calculate the force of a light breeze, a brisk wind, or a tempest. Can you do this ? Did you ever try it ? Then Isaac won the admiration of all his playmates by building a windmill. Near his grandmother's home was a new kind of windmill. Isaac did not understand it, and would spend hours iu watching it and examining its machinery. After he had found out all about its construction and man- ner of working, he built a mill of his own, exactly like it. Its sails were made of linen and its machinery was com- plete. If Isaac put in a handful of grain it would soon be changed to flour. He could not make a miller so he caught a mouse and appointed him to that position. As Isaac grew older he liked to read books of mathematics or natural philosophy. He saw about him on every hand 502 THE PLAN BOOK. wonders which he did not understand and which no one could explain to him. He wondered if the stars were worlds like our own, or only lamps set in the sk5^ If they were worlds what kept them in their course, and how far away from the world were they? Years afterwards he found out all these things, and gave his knowledge to the world, but it took many long years of hard study and woik. No one could tell him what the sunshine was composed of. He was the first to find out and explain the composition of light. He divided light into seven colors, by means of a glass prism, and with a second prism united the colors again. From such a simple action as the falling of an apple on his head he was led to discover the force of gravitation, which keeps the heavenly bodies in their course. He reasoned that there must be some power in the earth to attract the apple. Then he proved that the earth attracts the moon and the moon attracts the ocean, the sun attracts the earth and other planets. In this way he explained the tides and the laws by which the planets are guided through the sky, each helping the others to travel in their appointed paths. This he did by spending night after night in a high tower, gazing at these heavenly bodies through a telescope. A -story which illustrates his kindness of heart is that of his little dog. Diamond. He had been working for twenty years studying the theory of light and had written out the dis- coveries which he had made during that time. The manuscript was lying upon a table in his room. He went out one day leaving his little dog asleep before the fire. During his absence the dog jumped upon the table and over- turned the lighted candle. The papers caught fire and were reduced to ashes before Sir Isaac Newton returned. Just think of twenty years of work being destroyed in twenty minutes! Sir Isaac showed no anger, however. He patted the dog's head with his usual kindness, and said : '^ O, Diamond, thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done." THE PLAN BOOK. 503 But he grieved over his loss for many years, and his health and spirits were affected for some time afterward. Newton was knighted by the King and made a member of parliament in his later years, but he cared little for these honors. He lived to be a very old man, and died honored and loved by many nations. HEAT. Necessity op Artificial Heat in Winter. Ways of Heating Homes. "The lamps are lit, the fires burn bright, the house is full of life and light." Call attention to the difference in clothing worn by pupils in summer and winter. What necessitates this change? What supplies heat in the summer? What sup- plies us now? Why does the sun not give us sufficent heat now? Do we have as many hours of sunshine now as in Sep- tember days? The days are not so long and we do not see the sun so late and the air does not become heated as in summer. The children have already observed that the sun does not seem so high at noon, as the days pass, so we do not get direct rays. What ways have we of heating? Let pupils explain the manner of obtaining heat by use of fireplaces, stoves, furnaces, hot water pipes, etc. What means had the Indians, Pilgrims and Bsquimo of securing warmth? How was fire discov- ered? Fire was discovered and made by rubbing pieces of wood or stone together. Grass, dried substances or wood were burned on the ground. Later fires were built upon a hearth of bricks, over which a chimney was built to carry off the smoke. By and by a better way of heating was found and we used stoves until the fur- naces and hot water pipes and steam were made use of. Tell about primitive ways of keeping warm, shown by the Eskimos and Laplanders of to-day. In olden times foot stoves 504 THE PLAN BOOK. were used in halls and churches. Savage tribes build fires and lie down by them to rest. Show pupils pictures of primi- tive fire places and explain fully. Tell pupils about the Goddess of the hearth, Vesta. Show a picture of the Temple of Vesta. Story and picture may be found in Miss Holbrook's "Around the Year in Myth and Song." "Heap on more wood! the wind is chill, But let it whistle as it will, We'll keep our Christmas merry still." Tell the children of the yule log that is being prepared about this time for the Christmas-fire in England. The yule log, that Christmas emblem of hospitality and good cheer, has not yet come to sparkle and burn on our hearth- stones. It remains distinctively an English custom. This yule log is always cut the year before so that it may be well seasoned and dried to send out its sparkle and cheer when placed in the great wide fire-place on Christmas eve. For the good cheer it represents is greeted with bared heads by the laborers as it is dragged from its place in the woods. They sing as they place the burning brands beneath it, and then the children dance about, shouting with glee underneath the overhanging mistletoe. A part of the yule log is kept to light the log the following year, and a song accompanies the lighting of this brand: Kindle the Christmas brand and then Till sunset let it burne; Which quenched, then lay it up agen, Till Christmas next returne. Part must be kept wherewith to tend The Christmas log next yeare; And where it is safely kept the fiend Can do no mischief there. The last two lines refer to a popular superstition that where this brand is placed to remain till the next year no harm can come, and in France it is even believed that it keeps away the pestilence. THE PLAN BOOK. 505 Are tlie poor glad to have winter come? Lead children to see the other side of the Christmas picture. Tell them the Story of the Little Match Girl, by Hans Andersen, in Plan Book, December, 1897. Literature. Stories of Prometheus and the Secret of Fire. How Beaver Stole Fire from the Pines, Alice Krackowizer. How the Robin Got His Red Breast, by Whittier, or Flora Cooke. The Secret of Fire, by Flora Cooke. To illustrate how man can live in cold countries by using fire, tell the story of "The North Wind and Shingebis, the Diver," from Hiawatha. Vesta. Vesta is the goddess of the hearth. Fire is the emblem of hospitality and friendship. Hundreds of years ago the Romans erected buildings and temples dedicated to the Goddess Vesta. One of these temples still remains in Rome and it is a beautiful little shrine. In this temple of Vesta the fire was kept burning day and night, for the people believed that if the fire was allowed to die, great trouble would come upon the people. Tiny girls were chosen to guard the fire and honor the goddess, and these little maidens were called vestal virgins. These little six-year-old girls served ten years at the altar fires of the goddess, and after that they became teachers of the children. It was considered a great honor to be chosen for this position and in the great celebrations which the Romans gave the vestal virgins had an honored place in the procession. Show picture of the Temple of Vesta. One may be found in Miss Holbrook's Around the Year in Myth and Song. 506 THE PLAN BOOK. • . iVn ^ r i WT^ i ANIMAL LIFE. ;l ACL^^I»LV.J i ^MW^M f .^^ What animals supply us with food and clothing necessary for the winter months ? Talk about the necessity of clothing which will prevent the escape of heat from the bod3\ Talk about the necessity of heat-giving foods and the animals that supply them. Talk about the animals that furnish fur, as rabbit, squirrel, beaver, bear, mink, seal and deer. The other animals that gives us food and bedding. (Fowls.) The animals that give us wool for yarn, cloth and blankets. Speak of our dependence upon animal life for comfort, and the work of the shepherd, the hunter, and trapper who provides us with these necessities. THE GOOSE. What bird or fowl is sometimes called the Christmas bird ? Why ? What fowls wall you use for food at the Christmas dinner? What fowl is ofteuest used for the Ihanksgiving dinner? Are the goose and turkey alike? How different? How many have ever seen a flock of geese ? Who leads the flock? How do they walk? What do we call the leader and the largest goose of all ? What do we call a young goose? OUTLINK FOR StUDY. Boat shaped body; soft, oily white or gray feathers; wings of medium size and very strong; legs placed far apart and far back; webbed feet; bill broad and pointed; long neck; eats grass and grain and small animals which it obtains in the water and mud; swims; likes cold water; lays eggs in nest on ground; eggs twice the size of hen's eggs. Language of the goose — hisses, says "th." Use; flesh used for food; feathers for making pillows and feather beds; quills of feathers used as pens and paint brushes. the plan book. 507 Drawing. Draw a flock of geese walking and flying; cut and mount a flock of geese. Singing. "The Wild Geese are Flying," in Child Garden of Song, by Tomlins. Literature. Story of the Geese that Saved a City; the Goose that led a Woman to Church, in Feathers and Fur, by Johonnot; the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg. THE SHEEP. Materials for Lesson. Sheep leather (ordinary chamois skin), wool, mutton, fat, pictures of sheep, wool products. Description — Size and Shape. Covering. Thick wool. Color. White or brown. Characteristics. Lambs, playful; love their master; tame sneep, timid. In character the sheep is the type of patience, meeknesS) and gentleness. It has another trait — that of following a leader or companions. It often goes astray when not watched. Why is it necessary to watch them? What enemies do sheep have? What means of defence? Wild sheep, bold, pugnacious; crowd together when fright- ened; defend with horns; rams defend flocks; stamp foot to show anger; adapted for steep hills; lie down to chew cud. Teeth. No teeth on upper jaw; callous pad instead. Nose. Pointed; nostrils close together. Horns.' Form a curl; rough (many sheep have none) Means of defence. 508 THE PLAN BOOK. Limbs. Small; frail. Toes. Walk on toe-nails; two on each foot (cloven). Food. (Chews cud.) Grass, hay, clover, beans, turnips carrots, beets, corn, salt. Care. Shepherds and dogs. Use. Wool; skin — for gloves, book-covers, pelts, rugs, lin- ings for coats and gloves, flesh to eat (mutton); fat (mutton tallow) for candles, soap, healing ointments; tongue — for food. Winter home. Sheep house or fold. Summer home. Fields. General talk on mountainous home in cold climate. Shep- herds and their relation to sheep. The dogs and their work. Sheep raising in western country. Reading. Sagacity of Sheep, Carpenter's Mental Physiology, pp. 102- 103. Sheep on the Russian Steppes. Merino sheep. Reference Books. Stories of Industry, Vol. 11, (woolens). Lydekker's Encyclopedia (good pictures). Cyclopedia Britannica, Vol. XXI. Familiar Animals and their Kindred, James Monteith. Howe's Systematic Science. Geography. Locate districts where sheep are raised. Make rough map. More sheep are raised in Ohio, California, Michigan, Texas, than any other states. Drawing. With brush and ink make silhouettes of " Bo Peep " and Sheep. Draw sheep and sheep fold. Study of the picture " The Shepherdess " by Millet, or by Lerolle. Illustrate a sheep story. " the plan book. 509 Literature. The Bible story of the Shepherd and the Sheep. Story of Kablu (Shepherd Life), Jane Andrews, Ten Boys who Lived Long Ago. The story of the Boy Who Played a Joke and Lost His Sheep. Arachne and the Spider. Mary and Her Lamb. New Work for Pense, Each and All, Jane Andrews. Songs. I Am the Shepherd, Fountain Song No. 4. The Shepherd Girl, Gems of School Song. The Children and Sheep, Song Stories. Spelling. Make list of all the kinds of cloth manufactured of wool and articles made of wool. Spell and define them. Take the word shoddy^ for instance. As applied here, it refers to a kind of coarse goods used for carpets, rugs and rough cloth used for overcoats. History. Used during and before Bible times. The Romans, Greeks, Hebrews and Egyptians all used it. Show pictures of these people, showing how their garments were made and worn. Find the countries where these people lived. "And never more the blessing Shall from the year depart, If only we, dear children, Keep Christmas in the heart. Its love, its thoughts for others. Are beautiful as flowers, And we may sow their beauty In other hearts than ours." 510 THE PLAN BOOK. WOOL. Materials. Sheep pelt, wool, pieces of woolen cloth, as broadcloth, felt, flannel, yarn, goat's hair, cashmere shawl, alpaca, and pic- tures of the llama, cashmere goat and alpaca. Examine fibres of wool and note properties; elastic, oily, minutely curling, fine, mat together. Compare with the stiff, coarse straight hair of the goat, a cousin of the sheep. The term wool is applied to the covering of the llama and alpaca and the hair of the goat as well as to the fleece of the common sheep. Where must we go to find the llama and alpaca? (Peru.) The goat? (Thibet and Tartary.) Speak of the use of this covering to animals — protects from rain and cold. Use to man, ways in which it is used. \Vhy we use woolen clothes in winter. Air lies in the little spaces between the fine crinkled fibres of the wool. Air is a poor conductor — hence this wooly cover- ing does not let the heat of the body escape. Examine the wool fibres through the microscope. You notice that the hair of the wool is of different lengths, having uneven edges. This irregularity of the edges of the fibres is one of the chief reasons why wool is an important manufactur- ing material. The little projections on the wool fibres, which you see by the aid of the microscope, cause these fibres to attach themselves to each other firmly. How is the wool changed into cloth and yarn? Who can give the different steps ? Place the topics upon the board as given, let pupils discuss each topic. 1st. Washing. Why is it necessary to wash sheep ? To rid the fleece of thorns, thistles and dust. In our grandfather's time this was done by driving the sheep into a shallow stream during the warm days of summer. Nowadays new processes of cleaning by machinery are THE PLAN BOOK. 511 employed, and it is not necessary to wasli the wool on the animals. The process of cleansing determines the value of the wool. Shearing. Large shears are used for this purpose. Lamb's wool is sheared from the sheep when he is about eight months old. This is worth more than the wool clipped later. Sorting. Hairs of various lengths are found on a single sheep, and the long hairs are now separated from the short. The Combing. A wool-comber now takes charge and with an iron comb containing sharp pointed teeth combs the wool. The hairs are straightened and laid out in the same direction. The Factory. The raw wool is now converted into cloth, yarn or worsted. The same kind of machinery is used as in the manufacture of cotton cloth. Visit a factory if possible and learn something of the process. Articles Manufactured. Yarn and worsted. In making yarn the wool is first spun into threads and several threads twisted together to make yarn. This is later woven into stockings. Worsted is made by twisting the threads very firmly. Worsted is used in making fancy articles. Common wool is used for uphostering railway cushions, blankets, shawls, and army suits. Cloth. Is sometime dyed before being woven, but usually after. Cloth is given different names owing to difference in texture. Mention all the kinds sold. For what is broad- cloth used? Flannel? Merino? Felt? Cashmere? Alpaca? Felt is not woven cloth. It is made of layers, wool and hair spread on top of each other and then dampened and pressed together. Let pupils ravel out the coarse cloth to see how the weaving is done. Let them then try to separate the fibres of felt. The rough edges of the wool fibres make this difficult or impossible, for the little projections interlace and take hold of each other so firmly. The Cashmere Goat. Show pupils the cashmere shawl, and tell them something of its history. The journey it took before reaching its present home. Where is India? Locate 512 THE PLAN BOOK. the city of Cashmere. Show picture of the goat that gives the wool. The Alpaca. Let pupils examine pieces of cashmere and tell them of the animal that bears that name. Show picture. Drawing. Talk about the colors employed in the wool materials. How applied? Who designs the patterns? How is this done? Could you design a pattern for a piece of dress goods ? Let each pupil make and color design for a piece of dress goods. Plaids may be employed. Draw Spinning Wheel. Geography. Draw map locating the principal wool factories of the United States. The finest grades of wool are produced in New England. What river here turns more factory wheels than any other in the world ? France and England manufac- ture a great deal of woolen cloth also. London is the greatest woolen market in the world. Philadelphia is the great Ameri- can center for wool manufactures. Lowell is second. What woolen factories are found in our own state ? Bloomington, Rockford and Springfield. Ohio ranks first among the states in producing wool. Arithmetic. Find out the different prices of diflferent kinds of woolen goods and tell what determines the price of each. Give exam- ples. The price of a pound of wool, of yarn and worsted. Language. Description of a spinning wheel. Description of a visit to the woolen mill or weaver's. What little animals gave us our first lessons in spinning? Spider and silkworm. Memorize the poem, "The Weaver," by Beth Day. What is a loom ? A fabric ? THE PLAN BOOK. 513 A shuttle? Tell of the invention of the spinning jenny by James Har- graves. Literature. Penelope (a weaving myth). Bulfinch. Age of Fable. The Weaver's Dream. Alice Gary. Arachne and the Spider. Bulfinch. A Visit to the Weaver. The Blind Weaver. Beth Day. Reference books: Our Industries and Fabrics, by Win- ship; New England Publishing Company. Talks About Com- mon Things; A. Flanagan, Publisher. Song. Spinning Song. Eleanor Smith. No. 2. Spinning the Yarn. Songs of Child World. Song of the Shearer. " " Grandma's Knitting Song. " " HOLIvY. A CHRISTMAS RIDDLE. "What is as green as the pine, red as the sunset, and sharp as ice?" Holly. "This crown of mine is of the holly, My songs are carols sung at every shrine, Proclaiming 'Peace on earth, good will to men.' " What's the meaning of the cedar, Holly wreaths, and mistletoe That to-day are beautifying Many places that we know ? The children will be sure to bring holly to school the weeks preceding Christmas. Improve the opportunity to give a little lesson on it. Do they know what it is used for? Where it came from? Have they seen it growing? Where? 514 THE PLAN BOOK. Our holly comes from Maryland and Delaware, where the shrub becomes a tree. The branches are used to decorate homes and churches at Christmas. The leaves and fruit are used by man as medicine. The leaves are stiff, glossy and grow alternately on stems. The leaves are always green, as the shrub is an evergreen. The wood is fine grained and white. The flowers are white, the fruit or berries scarlet or yellow; seeds or stones six or eight in each berry. Fruit fur- nishes food for birds. Did you ever think, as you put up the holly and mistletoe, that 3'ou were following the custom of the Romans and the ancient Druids? And do 3'ou know what was its meaning? Hundreds of years ago the old Romans used to celebrate the Saturnalia, a feast in honor of Saturn, and during the feast green boughs were hung upon the walls of their homes. Hundreds of years ago, too, over in England, when it was inhabited only by savages, our ancestors, too! — there were heathen priests called Druids, who lived alone in the "sacred groves" of oak; for the oak, in their religion, was a divine tree. In these groves the}^ offered their sacrifices, and somehow, we do not know just how, the mistletoe was used. But only the mistletoe which grew on the oaks could be used. None other was sacred. By and by the priests from Rome came over and taught Christianity, and Roman ceremonies took the place of the Druid rites. All that is left of them is this custom of trimming with the Christmas greens. The Druids had used them at their winter Solstice because they believed that the spirits of the woods would gather on the greens and stay there safely, unharmed by the frost and cold, till warmer weather. And, later, the holly was used because its sharp-tipped leaves were supposed to symbolize "the crown of thorns the Sa\'iour wore, and the scarlet berries the drops of blood he shed." 1Kf'< THE PLAN BOOK. 515 And the Persians said that the holly tree casl 7io shadow^ and that it would protect from lightning a house and its in- mates, if it was planted near the house. Literature. Legend of the Holly Tree. Baldur, a myth, Bullfinch's Age of Fable. Holly, Susan Hartley, Nature in Verse. Drawing. Draw and paint holly twigs, leaves and berries, UNDER THE HOLLY BOUGH. Ye, who have scorned each other, Or injured friend or brother, In this fast-fading year; Ye who by word or deed Have made a kind heart bleed, Come, gather here! Let sinned against and sinning Forget their strife's beginning, And join in friendship now; Be links no longer broken, Be sweet forgiveness spoken, Under the holly bough. — Charley Mackc^, SCIENCE WORK OMITTED. It has been necessary to omit some of the lessons outlined for this month's work, owing to lack of space. This material will be given in the January Plan Book. i")16 THE PLAN BOOK. ' ' n l rin l 'Hnr^ffl i ftil ll m^ CHRISTMAS EXERCISES. Brief mention only will be made of these, as so many sug- gestions will be found in the teacher's magazines and much of the material prepared for this month must be omitted owing to lack of space. If teachers are tired of the regulation Christmas exercises, consisting of recitations, songs and dialogues about Santa Claus, a programme might be arranged which would consist of a review of lessons in language, history and literature, which pupils have had during the month of December. We will call the exercises. Christmas in History. Opening Carol^ "God Rest Ye, Little Children," from Songs in Season. Reading or recitation^ " The First Christmas," Luke ii: 8-21. Carol. " While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night," or "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." Readings or a talk on Bethlehem. This may be selected from the best reproduction stories in the language lessons of the preceding week. Recitation. " Little Town of Bethlehem." Showing picture of the town. Song. Little Town of Bethlehem. Pupil, (recites): " But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth, he that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from ever- lasting."— Micah v: 2; or, if preferred, Matt, li: 5. Reading. The First Christmas Presents. Described in article on Bethlehem in Plan Book. IT"' - -H SISTINB MADONNA. — RAPHAEL, (517) THE PLAN BOOK. 519 Reading from " Ben Hur," selected from chapters 10 and 11. Topic. '' The Magi." Pupil (reads or recites). Matt, ii: 1-12. Song, " Shine Out O Blessed Star.'' Reading from '' Ben Hur," selected from chapters 13 and 14. Song. "O Come All Ye Faithful " Tune, Hymns Old and New. Readi7ig. A Journey to Bethlehem of To-Day. Recitations^ selelected from the " Gems and Pictures," given elsewhere. Christmas in England. Illustrated by recitations, carols and tableaux. Readings from Irving and Dickens. Pupils may tell of the carolers who went from house to house singing the news under the windows on Christmas morn- ing, this talk may be followed by a tableau and song. Tableau, the curtain may be drawn away from the platform disclosing at the back a casement window with a dim light behind it. A door at the side of the stage or platfrom may be opened to allow the voices of the carolers to be heard, singing "Carol Brothers Carol," or "On this Happy Birthday." Then a number of boys enter the door, walk to the platform and pause directly under the improvised window. As they pause under the window the lights should burn brighter and a number of children's heads may appear and look out. At the conclusion of the song the children throw pennies and candies to the carolers, who scramble for them and then sing another carol, at the conclusion of which they slowly leave stage and disappear through the door by which they en- tered. The final verse should be finished after carolers have left the room, their voices dying away softly. The caroler should be dressed in full knee breeches, low- shoes with bright buckles, tunic or doublet, with white frills at throat and wrist. A full cape may hang from the shoulders, and soft caps with plumes. Old garments may be re-arranged to give a picturesque effect. 520 THE PLAN BOOK. A Puritan Christmas. Let a pupil describe a Puritan Christmas and let this be followed by a tableau, showing a room fitted up in Puritan fashion. This may be done with the aid of screens and a spin- ning wheel. Two or three children may be seated around a burning candle and may tell two or three Christmas riddles before the curtain is drawn. A Dutch Christmas. A Dutch Christmas may be represented as suggested in the November Thanksgiving Plan Book or in Christmas in Other Lands, published by A. Flanagan. This book contains an account of the Christmas of almost every nation, written both in poetry and prose; the poems are to be used as recitations; the stories for reproduction work in language. The stories and poems are illustrated with pictures showing the costumes of the nations, and descriptions of the costumes given. Thirteen pages of music for the Christmas exercises are also given. Price, 25 cents. "The whole world is a Christmas tree, And stars its many candles be. Oh! sing a carol joyfully, The world's great feast in keeping. For once, on a December night An angel held a candle bright. And led three wise men by its light To where a child was sleeping. ' ' — Sf. Nicholas. Merry Christmas ! Merry Christmas ! Is echoed from hill and plain; As year by year, with heart of cheer. We welcome glad Christmas again. Of all the merry days of old When merry days did most abound. The best was Christmas, all the rest But ushers to this royal guest ! THE PLAN BOOK. 521 WHITTIER DAY OR WEEK. JOHN GREENLKAF WHITTIER. BORN DEC. 17, 1807. DIED 1892. 1. Let December ITtli be marked by exercises devoted to the life and work of this loved "Quaker Poet." Encourage your pupils to bring photographs of Whittier and his different homes. Many of these may be found in our monthly maga- zines. One of the best ones is given in the Plan Book, this month. It may be removed and mounted for class use. 2. Draw upon the board an appropriate scene from some poem, as in ''Snow Bound." The picture of the old farm house at Haverhill may be used. Let the children draw, sew and paint it, sprinkle with salt and diamond dust to make it truly ■'Snow Bound.'' A picture of the old fire-place with apples "simmering in a row" and the old school house with its "battered desks" and ''charcoal frescoes" may also be placed on the board. 3. Tell the children the story of Mr. Whittier's boyhood, life, and work, a little each day, during the week in which his birthday occurs, and conclude the lessons and study with exer- cises or special programme on his birthday. The conversational lessons and material given may be used for composition lessons. The nature of these talks will depend somewhat on the age and grade of pupils, and the suggestions here given must be adapted. Have pupils copy the stories given and reproduced in blank books. These stories may be illustrated with drawings made by the pupils or by pictures cut from magazines and pasted in their appropriate places. Small pictures to be used for this purpose may be secured at a penny apiece from the publisher of the Plan Book. 522 THE PLAN BOOK. Material for these lessons on Whittier's life may be found in so many teacher's magazines that it will not be given space in this month's Plan Book, but a list of helpful articies will be given for those teachers who do not know where to find them. ''Talks With Authors," Ella Reeve Ware; "A Term's Work on Whittier," by Anna L. Sitler, A. Flanagan, Pub.; "Whittier and the Children," by the Author of Five Little Peppers, will be found helpful books. Chapters on Quaker Life in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and articles on Quaker Children found in January '98 and October '97 Primary School, will be found interesting and instructive. In addition to these are articles in the December '98 Teacher's World; Teacher's Institute December '97; School Education December '98; Teacher's Programme September '97. John Greenleaf Whittier, Francis Underwood. John Greenleaf Whittier, W. Sloan Kennedy. ;; Poets of America, C. E. Stedman. Home and Haunts of Poets, Stoddard. Riverside Literature No. 5, Whittier Leaflets. Personal Recollections of Whittier, bj^ Mary Claflin, and Mrs. James Field's Notes. Taylor's Literary Work in School, published by A. Flanagan. Other books will be found in the school and public library. Borrow copies of Miss Cyr's Second Readers from the Second Grade and let pupils use the lessons on Whittier for a series of language lessons. Place these books in the hands of the pupils and let them combine the short simple sentences into longer statements. The statements may then be arranged into paragraphs. This w 11 prove a valuable series of lessons in any intermediate or grammar grade. Wliiltier's life may be divided into periods and one period studied each day during the week preceding his birthda3\ Relate the language, literature, reading and science lessons as far as possible. JOHN G. WHITTIER. the plan book. 525 Monday — Morning Talk or Literature Lesson. The parentage and boyhood of Whittier. Let your pupils roam over the hills and the farm with the bare footed boy, hunt for strawberries, listen to the laughing brook until they learn to love him as a happy hearted child like one of themselves. Reading. The poem "Bare Footed Boy." Give pupils hectographed copies of the poem, and ask them to underline all difficult words and spell and define them for the lessson period following. Language. Whittier's early home. This house is described in "Snow- bound." A visit to the home of Whittier is described in the School Education for December '98. Parts of this may be read to the pupils. Let pupils describe the house with its old fashioned furnishings. Geography. A journey to the home of Whittier in Haverhill, Mass. Tuesday — Morning Talk. Habits, customs and dress of the Quakers. Why Whittier was called the Quaker poet. Read or let pupils read some chapters from Uncle Tom's Cabin which describe Quaker life. Reading. If pupils are old enough to understand and appreciate them, let them read "The Quaker of the Olden Times," "The Meeting," and "First Day Thoughts," by Whittier. What is the meaning of "republican" as used here? Of "habitude of tenants of the wood?" "Gray hornet artisans?" "Eschewing books?" "Brief Moon?" "Apples of Hesper- ides?" (Golden fruit.) What are "festal dainties?" What is the meaning of the "pied frogs' orchestra?" "Stubble speared ?" "Prison cells of pride ?" "Mills of toil ?" "Cease- less moil?" WHITTIER'S HOME. WHITTIER'S BIRTH PLACE. (526) the plan book. 527 Drawing. Illustrate the poem. Draw pictures of all the animals spoken of in the poem ; the insects ; plants, fruits. Spelling. Divide all the objects spoken of in this poem into lists, placing in one list all those that belong to the animal king- dom, others to the vegetable and mineral kingdoms. Spell these words. Science. Select from these lists one object belonging to the animal or vegetable kingdom, and write and be able to tell ten facts in relation to it. Poems which tell of the persecution of the Quakers are: The Exiles, Cassandra Southwick, and Barclay of Troy. Geography. Pennsylvania, the home of the Quakers. History. History of the Quakers, and their Persecution. William Penn. Language. Oral and written description of the Quakers, or of a pic- ture illustrating some phase of Quaker life. Drawing. Picture study. Illustrate the story of the Quakers. Show good pictures from various histories and magazines. Wednesday — Morning Talk. Whittier's School Life and Youth. Describe the olden time schools. Tell how Whittier made the money to attend the academy at Haverhill. 528 the plan book. Reading. In School Days. Drawing, the old school house. Illustrate the poem, In School Days. Thursday — Morning Talk. Whittier, the Man, and Poet. Tell of Mr. Whittier's kindness to animals and fondness for pets. To the children who lived near his home he was known as "The Man with the Parrot." Reading. Story of Mr. Whittier's Mocking Bird ; Little Red Riding Hood; The Common Question. Drawing. Illustrate Whittier's ''Little Red Riding Hood" with paint- ings and drawings. Pose child in red hood and cloak for this. Friday. Other topics which may be substituted for Thursday's les- son and for other days are Whittier's Literary Career, Wl it- tier the Reformer, Whittier's Homes, Whittier's Old Age, etc. Reading. Poems to be read in connection with these lessons are The Fr /SI Spirit, Barbara Frietchie, The Hill Top, The Home- stead, Telling the Bees, My Old School Master, Snow Bound. Poems in connection with Whittier's work as a reformer are The Christian Slave, Stanzas for the Times, The Slave Ships, The Curse of the Charter Breakers. Other poems which describe harvest scenes have been suggested in autumn Plan Books. THE PROGRAMME. Whittier's Portrait should be framed or decorated with evergreen for these exercises. If teacher presents one to the school, let the presentation be a part of the exercise, and at its THE PLAN BOOK. . 529 conclusion one of the pupils may step forward and place a breath of holly or pine over the picture. Views of Whittier's birthplace at East Haverhill; his homes at Amesbury and Danvers, and his study may be mounted on white or gray card board and placed in a conspicuous place on the walls. A plaster of paris bust may be given a place on the mantel, and over it a flag. Opening Song. "Whittier," from Songs in Season. Roll Call. Pupils respond with memory gems from Whittier's poems. These have been copied from the board and memorized the preceding week. Reading. Whittier's Early Home and Parents. This is selected from the reproduction stories written by pupils the week before. At conclusion, pupil may hold before the school a mounted picture of the home at Haverhill, and recite the few lines from "Telling the Bees" which describe the home. Here is the place; right over the hill Runs the path I took; You can see the gap in the old wall still, And the stepping-stones in the shallow brook. There is the house, with the gate red-barred, And the poplars tall; And the barn's brown length, and the cattle yard, And the white horns tossing above the wall. Reading, Story of the Quaker, selected from the reproduc- tion stories. Recitation, The Quaker, by Whittier. This may be sung also to the air, Auld Lang Syne. Song, The Quaker of Olden Times, by pupil in Quaker costume. 530 THE PLAN BOOK. Reading, Story of Whittier's Boyhood, written by a pupil. Recitation, Whittier's Barefoot Boy, followed by a tableau. The poem suggests the costume. Reading, Story of Whittier's School Days. Recitation, "In School Days." Reading, "To My Old Schoolmaster." The Pumpkin. Pupil tells the story of Mr. Whittier's boyhood sport with the pumpkins and the buskers. Another pupil recites what he wrote about the pumpkin or a part of it, as the picture or tableau is presented. Two boys with pumpkins appear, one pumpkin carved as described in poem, then they seat them- selves on pumpkins and remain during recitation. Recitation, The Common Question. Song, Lady Moon, by Whittier, in Leslie's Day School Gems. Recitation, Little Red Riding Hood. Tableau shows little girl dressed in red cloak and hood with basket. Another child tells of Mr. Whittier's fondness for pets and of his mock- ing bird and squirrels, and his little friend "Red Riding Hood." A third child recites the poem. Reading, Whittier the Poet and Reformer. Recitation, Barbara Frietchie. Song, America. Recitation, How the Robin Came, abridged from Whittier- Reading, Whittier's Homes and Friends. Recitation, Snow Bound. Parts referring to his home. Recitation, The Frost Spirit. Centennial Hymn, (Music.) The Spacious Firmament. January THE PLAN BOOK FOR INTERMEDIATE GRADES 3d, 4th, ^th BY MARIAN M. QEORQE PRICE, TWENTY-FIVE CENTS PER COPY. Full set, September to June $2,2^. CHICAGO: A. FI.ANAGAN CO., PUBLISHERS. Copyright 1899, BY A. Flanagan. NEW YEAR BElvLS.-BLASHFIELD. RING OUT, WILD BELLS. • Tennyson. ' Mendelssohn. ,'=72. 1. Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The fly - ing clcnd, the 2. Ring out the old, ring in the new^ Ring, hap- py bells, a- 3. Ring out tlie grief that saps the mind, For those that here we ^ia 6=S=EJ Z- t- =3= n - ^__ K ^ H^ -, 1 ^ 1 ^ L/ 1 1-* 1 1 1' ' 1 -N # # — m fi-H — " ^ />-h^— J— ^- — « — \ — n- — N- tH —•— — :-! 1 -*— ^&«- W\ ^ Ijct' • # s J s ^ - • • 1 frost - cross see -«- y the no m light; snow; more; m The The Ring year year out is is the 1 dy - go - feud • ing i"g. of in the let him rich and night, go. poor, Ring Ring Ring -•- /m\* S m « ^ 5 d ^ 1 lvy»| / 1 r .. M -1 # « « 1* ^ ^U 1 L, '— , ' 1 ij^ 1 -^[7 t7 • .*■ 1 1 I J J ^^ k' « 1 1/ ' out, wild bells, and let him die; The year is dy - ing in the night, out the false, ring in the true; The year is go - ing, let him go, in rt' dress to all man-kind; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, s Ring out. (ring out, ) wild bells, and let him die. (and let him die.) P.ing out {ring out) the false, ring in the true, (ring in the true.) Ring in (ring. in) re - dress to all man-kind (to all man-kind.) ■;=E-t: :&z=s :^=fc -i* — !q- X- 1 4 Ring out the want, the care, the sin, Tlie faithless coldness of the times; ||:Ring out, ring cut my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in.:|| 5 Ring in the valiant man and free. The larger heart and kindlier hand; ||:Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.:!l From The Children's Hour, by courte.sy of the New Jersey Song Book Company. An excel- lent book for Intermediate and Upper Grades. 538 THE PLAN BOOK. SIR GALAHAD. My good blade carves the casques of men^ My tough lance thrusteth sure, My strength is as the strength of ten, Because my heart is pure. The shattering trumpet shrilleth high, The hard brands shiver on the steel, The splintered spear-shafts crack and fiy, The horse and rider reel; They reel, they roll in clanging lists, And when the tide of combat stands. Perfume and flowers fall in showers, That lightly rain from ladies' hands. When on my goodly charger borne, Through dreaming towns I go. The cock crows ere the Christmas mom, The streets are dumb with snow. The tempest crackles on the leads. And, ringing, spins from brand and mail; But o'er the dark a glory spreads, And gilds the driving hail — I leave the plain, I climb the height; No branchy thicket shelter yields; But blessed forms in whistling storms Fly o'er waste fens and windy fields. The clouds are broken in the sky, And thro' the mountain walls A rolling organ harmony Swells up, and shakes and falls. Then move the trees, the copses nod, Wings flutter, voices hover clear; "O just and faithful knight of God! Ride on! the prize is near. " So pass I hostel, hall and grange, By bridge and ford, by park and pale, All armed I ride, whate'er betide, Until I find the holy grail. —Tennyson. SIR GAI^AHAD, — WATTS. (5.3<5) 540 THE PLAN BOOK. A NEW YEAR. Why do we greet thee, oh, bhthe New Year? What are thy pledges of mirth and cheer? Comest, knight-erraut, the wrong to right? Comest to scatter our gloom with light? Wherefore the thrill, the sparkle and shine, In heart and eyes at a word of thine? The Old was buoyant, the Old was true; The Old was brave when the Old was new. He crowned us often with grace and gift; His sternest skies had a deep blue rift: Straight and swift when his hand unclasped, With welcome and joyance thine we grasped. Oh, tell us, Year — we are fain to know — What is thy charm that we hail thee so? There comes a voice, and I hear it call Like a bugle note from a mountain wall; The pines uplift it with mighty sound, The billows bear it the green earth round; A voice that rolls in a jubilant song, A conqueror's ring in its echo strong; Through the ether clear, from the solemn sky, The New Year beckons, and makes reply — "I bring you, friends, what the years have brough? Since ever man toiled, aspired or thought: Days for labor, and nights for rest; And I bring you Love, a heaven-born guest, Space to work in, and work to do. And faith in that which is pure and true. Hold me in honor, and greet me dear. And sooth you'll find me a Happy Year." — Margaret E. Sangster. THE NEW YEAR. Lively. H. GIPE. 1. I am the lit - tie New Year, ho, ho ! 2. Bless-ings I bring for each and all, 3. Some shall have sil - ver, and some shall liave gold ; 4. Some shall have wa -ter, and some shall have milk ; • ^ ft ^ ft 1»_^^__^ ft Here I come trip - ping it o - ver the sn'ow, Big folk and lit - tie folk, short and tall. Some shall have new clothes, and some shall have old. Some shall have sat - in, and some shall have silk. 9'i^=^=^=P: -^ i=t V N- -H- -«- 1- Shak - ing my bells with Each one from me Some shall have brass, But each one from me a mer - ry din, a trea - sure may win, and some shall have tin, a bless- ing may win. ^^S -I — ]J -I ' — h- ltH2-z^r r-^ -^ V^ W o - pen your doors and let o - pen your -doors and let o - pen your doors and let o - pen your doors and let me in. me in. me in. me in. 1 — ill From Fountain Song Book, No. 1, A. Flanagan, Pi/l> WINTER SONG. Emily Huntington Miller. Vivace. mf G. W. Chadwick. IP izr?: -*—i- 1. Hur - rah for the jol - ly old Win 2. Hur - rah for the jol - ly old Win ter! The terl He jLii . V — ^^ r 1-' \ N -- ^ s- -S ~^ — t\^\ g — * — — * Tl ough \r- — -^ king shouts n ^ of at the ' the sea - door sons is by he- his night;. . . . Come -J*— *^ — i — •> • — ' — s — 1 5 w n^K ^ ^ 2 2 1 2 f ' i/ • r-v.i> • » —.^^^^^^ 1 • ^"-i— f *> ^^ 1 ^ •> — — 1 1 ; * 1 =d : -#—5*: # . breath is cold and i - - cy. His heart is full of out where the ice is gleam - ing Like steel in the cold moon tf^**- 3S=3f: Copyrighted by Scott, Foresman & Co. From "A First Book in Vocal Music," by Scott, Foresman & Co., Chicago. Used by permission of the Publishers. WINTER SONG— Concluded. glee;, light, « 9 — He piles up the beau - ti - ful snow - flakes Ou the Like swal - lows o - ver the wa - ter The 5--^: r r— :^ — r ^ r=^^^ K — P"! h /l tempo. -N ^-^ 4 * :J — *^- 4^ H« '0- -b \ ^ y- ap - pie-trees bare and brown, ... And laughs when the north - wind skat - ers mer-ri-ly go; There's health in the blus-ter-ing i ^ f r- -#-— shakes them, i^ike a show - er of bios - soms, down, breez - es, And joy in the beau - ti - ful snow. FROST WORK. H. F. Gould. M.vRY Spenceu Conrade. 1. The Frost looked forth one still, clear night, .And whispered, "I shall be 2. Then he went to the mountain and powdered its crest; Heclinied up the trees.and their .4-- EEi r^' ^J^-^ —4- i -#— *- -^— B=Z^ -/ — ^- out of sight: So thro' the val ley and o- ver the height. In si lence 111 take my boughs he dressed With diamonds and pearls,and o - ver the breast Of the quivering lake he m -•-T-» -*^— N way. I will not go like that blusfring train, The wind, the snow. the hail and rain, spread A coat of mail, that it need not fear The downward poiot of many a spear tii:^:^. im a S-^-^ ZMUMZ -0—^ -^— ^ d • -^-^ Which makes so much bustle and noise in vain. But I'll be as busy as they." That he hung on its mar -gin, far and near, Where a rock could rear its head. I. T -i^ -X 1] t: 5f 5f- §ii ImI CAN YOU TELL? ^^.->, — ^ — ^- ■n -N- Gernian. ^^J Can you tell how inan-y stars are glowing, When the blue sky is unfurled.'' Can you tell how nian-y motes are playing In the bright, warm sun-beams? Can you tell how inan-y, man -y children, Dai-ly from their beds arise? m y Can you tell how man-y clouds are go-ing, Fly-ing o - ver all the world? Can you tell how man-y fish are straying, In the o-cean and the streams? Can you tell whose great and gen'rous bounty Ev-'ry dai - ly want sup-plies? N . . !^ N_ ^ :fi^; -^- ::a: Si=r f 4~J- --1- • 5 ^ God the Lord, their great Cre-a- tor. Were their number millions greater. In the air, and in the o-cean, God has giv'n them all their mo-tion, God has made them, God doth see them. And His kindne.'^s nev-er leaves them, Still could all their That they now so Yes, He knows and num-bers tell, hap - py are. loves us all. Still could all their numbers tell. That they now so hap-py are. Yes, He knows and loves us all. From "Public School Music Course, Book II." Per. of Pub., D. C. Heath & Co. SNOWFLAKES. Mary S. Conrade. :fi=±: -^ 1. Wheneverasnowflake leaves thesky, It turns and turns to say "good-bye! Good- 2. And when asnowflakeleavesa tree. "Good-day," it says, "Good-day to thee? Thou 3. But when a snowflake, brave and meek, Lights on a maid-en's ro - sy cheek. It :=i: ->- -8--*- £& 9^S=¥ ^- bye, dear cloud, so cool and gray," Then light - ly trav - els on his way. art so bare and lone- ly, dear, I'll rest and call my play-mates here." starts "How warm and soft the day," 'Tis sum - mer. and it melts a - way. THE HUSBAxXDMAX JoHx Sterling. Air from Mozart's "Don Giovanni," Arr. bv Mary S. Conrade. -N— #- 1. Earth of man the bounteous moth - er, Feeds him still with corn and 2. These to swell with strength and beau tv Is the rov - al task of wine; He who best would aid a broth-er Shares with him these gifts di - man; Man's a king, his throne is du - ty Since his work on earth be - i i' — #- -•*^— #- vine; Many a sower with-in her bosom. Noiseless, hid-den, works be gan; Bud and har-vest, bloom and vint-age, These, like man, are fruits of (P^^^ ^=^^ '^^^^ fe^s^ r: a ^. — ^ neath; Hence areseeds. and leaf, and blos-som. Golden ear and clustered wreath, earth; Stamped in clay, a heavnly mint - age, All from dust re-ceive their birth. THE PLAN BOOK. 547 JANUARY BIRTHDAYS. Anthony Wayne, January 1, 1745. Paul Revere, January 1, 1735. Maria Edgeworth, January 1, 1767. Gen. Wolfe, January 2, 1727. Lucretia Mott, January 3, 1793. Cicero, January 3, 106 B. C. Benedict Arnold, January 3, 1740. Tom Thumb (C. H. Stratton), January 4, 1836. Stephen Decatur, January 5, 1779. Chas. Sumner, January 6, 1811. Joan of Arc, January 6, 1411. Millard Fillmore, January 7, 1800. Israel Putnam, January 7, 1718. Lowell Mason, January 8, 1792. Lemuel Shaw, January 9, 1781. Ethan Allen, January 10, 1737. Alex. Hamilton, January 11, 1757. Bayard Taylor, January 11, 1825. John Hancock, January 11, 1737. Alfred Tennyson, January 12, 1809. S. Woodworth, January 13, 1785. Salmon P. Chase, January 13, 1808. Philip Livingston, January 15, 1716. Benj. Franklin, January 17, 1706. Daniel Webster, January 18, 1782. Edgar Allan Poe, January 19, 1809. Robert E. Lee, January 19, 1807. Richard H. Lee, January 20, 1702. John C. Fremont, January 21, 1813. "Stonewall" T. J. Jackson, January 21, 1824. Francis Bacon, January 22, 1561. Lord Byron, January 22, 1788. Wm. Page, January 23, 1511. R. C. Haydon, January 23, 1786. S48 THE PLAN BOOK. Frederick the Great, January 24, 1712. Robert Burns, Januar}' 25, 1759. T. N. Talfourd, January 26, 1795. Alozart, January 27, 1756. Mathew Carey, January 28, 1760. James Tallmadge, S. S. D., January 28, 177^ Thomas Paine, January 29, 1737. Gen. Henry Lee, January 29, 1756. Chas. Rollins, January 30, 1661. James G. Blaine, January 31, 1830. Franz Schubert, January 31, 1797. Ben. Jonson, January 31, 1574. William ^IcKinley, January 29, 184 L843. Speciat, Days. "The sixth of January is called Twelfth day, as it is the twelfth after Christmas, and with this da}^ the Christmas holi- daj'S cease. This is sometimes chosen as the day for children's parties and presents, as it is the da}- kept by the church in memory of the visit of the wise men bringing gifts to the Infant Chri.-t. All these are general holidays, for they are observed in many different nations and races; but there are local holidays, — days which are especially dear to persons of certain places. Many of the southern states of our Union keep the ninteenth of January as a festival, — the birthday of a brave confederate officer. General Robert Edward Lee. He was a native of \'ir- ginia and belonged to a race of heroes, some of his family hav- ing been famous in the M'ar of the Revolution. The twenty-fifth of the month is the birthday of the poet Burns, and in every part of the world where Scottish people are to be found it is celebrated with a supper of Scottish dishes and the singing of the sonQs of their country." — Teachers' World. THE PLAN BOOK. 549 I MUSIC AND MUSICIANS. The Musicians' Corner. January Songs. Mozart's Birthday. 1. The Musicians' Corner. Decide this month, or on Mozart's birthday, where your Musicians' Corner is to be. Give the wall space nearest the organ or piano to this, if possible. Secure a picture or photograph of St. Cecilia, a St. Cecilia in bas-relief (a conception differing from the photo- graph), pictures of Beethoven and Mozart and small busts of these musicians. These small plaster of paris busts and bas- relief may be bought for ten or fifteen cents. The larger casts cost from twenty-five cents to a dollar. These pictures may be grouped with the bas-relief upon the wall. A bracket may be arranged for the busts or they may be placed upon the piano, organ or mantel-piece. Pic- tures or photographs of the homes of these musicians may be added to those on the wall or mantel. Ask pupils to begin the preparation of a portfolio or scrap- book, in which all newspaper clippings and pictures of famous musicians may be preserved. The Chicago Record of '98 con- taihed a number of these. Let this scrap-book always be found on the piano, together with one or more school or library books which treat in an interesting way of the lives of famous musicians. Pupils with library cards may take turns in draw- ing out these books and bringing them to the school-room. Allow pupils to use these books after lessons are learned. A rocking-chair and a rug for the floor will add attractiveness to this corner, and pupils enjoy bringing both and loaning to the school for a certain period of time. 550 THE PLAN BOOK. Try to add some new feature to this corner each week. Ask some friend to loan her collection of foreign -post cards with pictures of musicians or artists and their homes. Ask pupils to borrow photographs from parents to be kept a few days. As other musicians are studied, add their pictures to the collection. January Music. In our literature work this month we take up the lives and work of two of the world's sweetest singers, Tenn3'son and Burns. Many of their songs have been set to music and should be given this mouth in connection with the literature and bio- graphies of these poets. Suggestions in regard to these songs are given elsewhere, in their biographies. How many of the pupils can give the name of the man who wrote that popular old song "Old Oaken Bucket"? Celebrate the birthday of the author, S. Woodworth, (Jan. 13) by teach- ing the song. Let pupils illustrate it with drawings. In connection with the morning talks on manners and morals teach "Work, for the night is coming," or some song having a similar subject. Mozart's Birthday, Jan. 27. Arrange your Musicians' corner as a surprise to the pupils for this day and explain 3'our plan of making this one of the attractive features of the room. Ask pupils if they wish to help, and suggest that some one who has chairs and rugs to spare at home, bring these to remain for a month at a time, to be replaced at the end of the period by others. Another may bring a book to serve as a musician's scrap book, others clippings, and pictures. Some may wish to save pennies to bu}' busts or casts of musicians. Tell pupils the story of the musician whose face looks out from this corner upon them, and whose birthday comes on this day. Teach them the song which has been given for this pur- pose in this Plan Book. Let another song be sung by some pupil who has come pre- THE PLAN BOOK. 551 pared, and as a special treat ask some musicial friend to come in and play one or more of Mozart's compositions for tlie pupils. The children will come to look forward to their afternoons with WOI,FGANG MOZART, musicians with pleasure and will oftentimes be able to contri- bute to the pleasure of the others by rendering selections them- selves. Schubert, whose birthday comes in this month also, will be taken up at another time. j52 the plan book. WOLFGANG MOZART. BORN JANUARY 27, 1756; DIED 179L Wolfgang Mozart was a little German boy who lived in the town of Salzburg over a hundred and forty years ago. His father was a musician, and from him, little Wolfgang inherited a genius that gave to him in later years the reputa- tion of being the most wonderful musician that ever lived. When he was three years old, he would play on the harpsi- chord. At four he began to play on the piano and to compose music. His father was very proud of him, and assisted him by writing down his music for him. He was given a violin when still a very young child, and soon mastered it. Wolfgang was trained to habits of systematic work. He was not allowed to neglect his lessons, and was obliged to give an account of the work accomplished at the close of each day. Mozart's father realized that his little son was a great genius, and he thought all the princes and great people ought to hear him, so he started out on a journey, when Wolf- gang was six years old, in order to let him play for these people. There was a little sister, who was also a fine musician, and she accompanied them on this concert tour. Everyone was delighted with the little boy's playing, and at the age of seven he was the wonder of all Europe. Presents of useless jewelry were showered upon the chil- dren, who needed instead, money, and when, after three or four years' traveling, they returned to their home, they had enough jewelry to stock a shop, but were still very poor. Wolfgang was not spoiled by all the flattery and attention he received, but remained the same lovable boy, full of spirits and fun. After this concert tour Mozart remained home for one year, and in that time he composed sonatas, cantatas, masses and other musical compositions so beautiful that they are still en- joyed by people all over the world. When Mozart was twelve, the family started out on another concert tour, and, while in Vienna, he composed an opera, which THE PLAN BOOK. 553 was performed at the house of a friend, and this was followed by many concerts in other cities and countries. These were happy years for the boy. He was beloved by all, on account of his beautiful character, as well as his genius, and every concert was a triumph for him. But though Mozart gained fame, he remained very poor, because it was not considered right to sell the presents given to him by royal persons. Wlien he returned to his home he was made Concert Master by the Archbishop, but while he was in the family of the Archbishop, he was compelled to eat with the kitchen servants. He made the best of everything, however, and into his music put the sunshine of a brave and cheerful spirit. At the age of twenty-one, Mozart started to seek his fortune. He worked very hard and received honors everywhere. He was knighted in Rome, in the order of the Golden Spur; he made friends of artists, poets and musicians in many countries, but he made little money. He did not receive what his compo- sitions were worth and other musicians who were jealous of him caused him much trouble. Mozart was especially fond of writing operas, and one of them, "Figaro," was given every night during one whole win- ter in Prague. So popular did it become that parts of it were sung in almost every home where music was loved. Hand organs ground out the airs, and boys on the streets whistled the airs from this beautiful opera. Are you familiar with it? During his short life Mozart wrote over six hundred fin- ished pieces and two hundred unfinished ones. It is no won- der that such close application broke him down,' and that he died of overwork at thirty-five years of age. "One day a strange messenger dressed in gloomy gray called upon Mozart. He bore a letter which requested that the great musician write a requiem for the dead as quickly as possible. Mozart agreed to do this and asked where the music should be sent when finished. The messenger would not tell 554 THE PLAN BOOK. hiiti for whom the requiem was intended, but said that he would call for it when the music was ready." Mozart began the requiem and as he worked on, fighting bravel}^ with weakness and pain, he felt that the requiem would be his own and that death would come soon to him. He worked on it as long as he could, and when he could no longer hold a pen, one of his pupils finished the piece for him. On his death bed he asked to have the piece sung to him, and with his feeble voice, sang the alto while friends took the other parts. He died on the same day, and at his funeral this requiem, which is now known as Mozart's Requiem, was sung. Mozart's body was laid to rest in the burial ground of the poor. No stone marked the place, and now the exact spot is unknown. After his death, however, people began to realize their neglect of this greatest of composers aud many monu- ments have since been erected to his memory. THE KIND VIOLIN PLAYER. A poor old blind soldier used to earn a scanty living by playing his violin every night in one of the public gardens in Vienna. His little dog sat beside him, holding its master's hat for the few coppers that passers-by occasional!}^ dropped in. One night the old man was in trouble. No one stopped to listen to his music, and he had not received a single coin that day. Hungry and weary and grieved, the poor old soldier at last sat down and wept. A stranger, seeing his distress, cai le up to him, put a coin in the hat, and said kindly, "Lend me your violin, and I will play while you collect." He tuned the violin carefully, and then played so magnificently that a great crowd gathered to listen. The hat quickl}^ filled, not with cop- pers only, but with silver too. The stranger who so nobly thus came to the help of a poor broken-down soldier, was one of the finest violin players in the world. The old man wept tears of joy as he blessed his benefactor, and the crowd enthusi- astically cheered him for his kindness as he walked away — Reprodtiction Story ^ Pri}na?y Education. THE PLAN BOOK. 555 PICTURES AND ARTISTS. I Picture Talks. January Pictures. Michael Angelo. Use of Pictures in Literature. 'The heroic idea finds its most captivating illustration in the great soldier or in the knight. That the imagination of the children is stirred with a sense of the moral ideal and their hearts won to a love of and a desire to be that ideal, no one can doubt. Beginning with these stories we pass to the consideration of our nation's great heroes and the nation's worth. From the ideal hero in the poetic conception of the ideal knight we pass to the actual hero. Captivating the imagination with the revelation of the ideal and stirring in the children a sense of their relation to it, works wonders in their development. " Sir Galahad. Use this picture in connection with your literature work this month. Tell them the story of this noble religious knight, and let them make a careful study of Tennyson's Sir Galahad. Interest your pupils in making collections of pictures and reading matter pertaining to castles, moats, costumes of knights, armor, etc. Stories of crusades by the knights, bat- tles, tournaments, dungeons and stories of the brave knights themselves, and stories of the days of chivalry. If a study has been made of Lowell's Vision of Sir Laun- fal it will help them to understand this poem, picture and story. Ask pupils to look up all they can find concerning the Holy Grail. Interest pupils in a plan to make or save money to buy a large photograph or picture to be framed for school room use. Let pupils read that charming story of Miss Har- rison's, "How Little Cedric Became a Knight," in Stepping Stones to Literature, Fourth Reader, and the Red Cross Knight 556 THE PLAN BOOK. and the Saracen, by Walter Scott, in the New Era Fifth Reader. Travel. Suppose 3'ou are taking for a series of language lessons the subject of travel, the different modes of travel employed by the people of different countries, and the improvements made in recent years. Ask pupils to find old histories, geographies, magazines, newspapers, old unused school books of any kind which every garret will 3'ield, and bring them to school. From these, clip all the pictures of animals and conve3'ances used in travel. These may be put in envelopes until needed to illustrate the written language papers, or they ma}^ be pinned on the picture screen which is kept for class use. The larger pictures may be mounted on stiff card board and used to decorate the room by pinning them around the top of the black board, or pasting them in the scrap book de- voted to travel. Across one part of the board arrange a procession of ani- mals used in traveling. Another space may be devoted to the conveyances or carriages used, beginning with the earliest or most primitive kinds known. In arranging these pictures in Travel Scrap-book, arrange according to periods or centuries, and find how many inven- tions in this line have been made this last centur3\ The pupils will be intensely interested in making this col lection, and their efforts will result in a desire to copy some of these themselves. Let them make some of these during the period of construction work. To one class assign conveyances used on water by different nations. Pupils can easily con- struct canoes, boats, gondolas, miniature ships, etc. Another class may make sleds and sleighs employed by Eskimos, Lapps, Russians, Alaskans and our own people. "Beauty Spots." In grouping your pictures, arrange one "beauty spot," which shall be called "Poets' Corner," another for authors, a MICHEL ANGELO AT WORK ON HIS MOSIiS. (557) THE PLAN BOOK. 559 third for artists, and a fourth for musicians. The details of this plan are explained under the head "January Music." These pictures will need to be changed from month to month and, as Perry pictures are almost too small for framing for the wall, I will suggest each month ways and means of securing large pictures. A picture of Burns and his birthplace, twelve and one-half by sixteen inches, may be secured with the American Primary Teacher for September, 1899; a picture of Franklin, same size, with May, 1898. The magazine costs ten cents a copy, and the picture alone is worth that. MICHAEL ANGEIvO. BORN MARCH 6, 1474. This most celebrated of the great sculptors of modern times was born in Florence, Italy, the "Smokeless City" of which Shelly writes. Michael Angelo was noble by birth, but his father was not a man of wealth and so the son was sent to a school in Florence. He made little progress in his studies, for most of his time he spent in drawing and visiting the studios of the different artists of the city. For this he was beaten by his father, but the beatings did no good. As a child he had been given to the care of a nurse, who was a stone mason's wife, and for a time lived among the quarrymen and sculptors of the picturesque region three miles from Florence. While here he began to draw as soon as he could use his hands. He made charcoal sketches on the walls of the stone mason's house, and his foster parents encouraged him in his work. His father however was determined that the boy should not become an artist, but that he should become a dealer in silks and woolens. He tried in every way to discourage the son, and it was only after years of struggle that Michael Angelo was permitted to study art. When at the age of fourteen he finally secured his father's 50U THE PLAN BOOK. permission to study art; lie entered the studio of one of the best painters of the day, and remained three years. Here he showed such marked talent that he aroused the jeal- ous}^ of his teacher, who found his own work surpassed by that of a mere lad. He received very little instruction here, but among the other pupils he found congenial companionship, and while in this studio availed himself of permission given to the pupils of that painter by Lorenzo de Medici to study in an academy which that generous nobleman had established for the advance- ment of sculpture. While here he attracted the attention of Lorenzo by his beautiful drawings. The academy was in a garden which was Supplied with beautiful sculpture, and here the nobleman liked to walk and amuse himself by watching the progress of the young artists whom he had invited to study in his grounds. One day ]\Iichael Augelo saw one of the students modeling in clay, and wished to try his own hand at it. The result was so good that he determined to try his skill in marble. He begged a piece of marble and a tool from some workmen who were ornamenting the palace and made a mask of a "Laughing Faun." Do j-ou know what a faun is ? Have you ever seen a picture of one ? Where ? Show picture and explain. The faun among the Romans was a kindof demigod or ruial diety. It was called, also, sylvan and differing little from sat\r. They were represented as half goat and half man. Michael Angelo found his model in the garden, but it was very old and imperfect and his own copy was a great improve- ment. When the mask was nearly finished Lorenzo again visited the garden. He was very much pleased with the mask, but found one fault. The faun wa-^ represented as old, and yet the teeth which showed were all perfect. He thought that at such an advanced age some teeth would be wanting. IMichael Angelo at once broke out a tooth and filled the gum as though it had dropped out. This so pleased the nobleman that he gsve the young artist an apartment in his house. He made THE PLAN BOOK. 561 him a guest at his table, introduced him to the noble and learned men of state who visited the city. In this home Michael Angelo remained three years. At seventeen he was delicate, but became stronger as he grew older. He was of middle height, with dark hair and gray eyes. When only seventeen he executed for his patron a basso- relievo in bronze. We talked last month about reliefs. Can you tell me what this expression "basso-relievo" means? We see and hear it so often. Let us fix it firmly in our minds. In sculpture when figures do not stand out far from the ground or plane on which they are formed they are said to be done in reliefs. When they are low, flat or little raised from the plane the work is said to be in low relief (basso-relievo). Michael chose for his subject the battle of Hercules with the Centaurs. You see it is a picture with a story, and to un- derstand the picture we must find out what this means. Cen- taur in mythology means a fabulous being supposed to be half man and half horse, (show picture). Who knows about this battle of Hercules with the Centaurs? Tell story. Show copy of the relief. When Michael Angelo was twenty-one he went to Rome. Here he was thrown upon his own resources and began the series of masterly works which surpassed the ancient masters and made him not only master in Italy, but in the world. He produced a Sleeping Cupid that received so much praise that it attracted the attention of the Pope, Julius II, who com- missioned him to erect a mausoleum. What is a mausoleum? Have you ever seen one? Where? His next great work was to adorn the Sistine Chapel with fresco-paintings. You remember we talked of this chapel last month, in connection with Raphael's work there. The fres- coes were the work of Michael Angelo's own hand. The chapel was publicly opened All Saints' Day, 1512, and from that time these frescoes of Michael Angelo's have been ac- knowledged the most wonderful and perfect triumph of art in any age. 562 THE PLAN BOOK. These paintings are descriptive of the progress of the Christian religion, from the creation of the world until the last judgment of all men. Most of them are painted on the arched ceiling, and in order to do this he was obliged to lie on his back. This was difi&cult work and very hard on the eyes of the artist. Think too of the knowledge of history required for such a painting, andiche days and days of reading and study it must have required. In his old age he was once found walking alone in the ruins of the Coliseum. When the cardinal who met him expressed surprise he replied "I go yet to school, that I may continue to learn," and to the day of his death he never ceased to work and study. He lived very simply all his life. During his early years and until middle age he deprived himself of comfort and rest that he might contribute to the support of his father, brothers and relatives. The work on the Sistine chapel was followed by many other important commissions. Among these was "Moses," and while still at work on this he was asked to paint a great picture which should immortalize the region of Paul III. This picture. The Last Judgment, was to be painted for the Sistine Chapel, and to this Michael Angelo devoted eight years. The painting when completed was one of the grandest pro- ductions of the world. There were three hundred figures and heads in the vast fresco. When over seventy he was made architect of St. Peters, which had been begun over a hundred years before. Many designs had been made, but little progress. Michael designed the dome and almost completed it before his death, but was constantly hampered by the stinginess of his patrons. He devoted himself to this for the remainder of his life, eighteen years without any compensation. All this time he was implored to carve statues and paint pictures elsewhere. Much of his work can not be mentioned here, but every day, almost every hour, was filled with toil. MICH^I, ANGELO'S MOSES. (563) THE PLAN BOOK. 565 His motto seemed to be "Work, Work, Work" for when engaged upon his great pictures he scarcely stopped to eat or sleep and often slept with his clothes on that he might be ready for work on arising from his bed. He was a poet, an engineer and an architect, as well as a sculptor and painter. Whatever work he attempted he devoted liiiiiself to with an intensity and will power which belong to genius. He loved liberty and uprightness; counted manhood above a 1 things, and showed himself as great in character as he was in sculpture and painting. Though not winning and lovable in manner as was Raphael, he was a good and noble man. He never married, but used to say that his works were his children and must bear his name to posterity. He died at the age of ninety. All Rome desired that he should be laid to rest in that city, but it was his wish that he be taken to his old home in Florence, and there he was laid to rest. The Centaurs. The Greeks loved to people their hills and woods with strange creatures which were half man and half beasts. The satyrs were men with goat's legs. The centaurs were men to the waist, while the rest was the form of a horse. The ancients were very fond of a horse, and admitted him to the companionship of man. At the marriage of Pirithous with Hippodamia, they were among the guests and were served with wine. One of the centaurs became intoxicated with wine and became violent. The other centaurs followed his example and a dreadful battle arose in which a number of them were slain. This celebrated battle has been a favorite subject with sculptors and poets of ancient times. The Fates. The fates were three — Clo'tho, Lach'e-sis and At'-ro- pos. Their office was to spin the thread of human destiny, and they were armed with shears, with which they cut it off 566 THE PLAN BOOK. when they pleased. They were the daughters of The' mis, Law, who sits by Jove ou his throne, to give him counsel. Michael Angelo's Moses. j Among the many noble and beautiful works which still ] exist to attest his wonderful skill, none is more famous than 1 Michael Angelo's Statue of Moses on the tomb of Pope Julius } II, in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli at Rome. As orig- inally planned, the monument of Pope Julius was to be on a magnificent scale. It was to consist of a great quadrilateral - structure, two courses high, projecting from the church wall > and decorated with statues. On the upper course was to be placed the figure of the pope, with prophetic and allegoric characters at either side and at the angles — sixteen figures in all. The lower course was to be enriched with twenty-four figures in niches and on pedestals. This design, however, was never completed. The Moses, originally intended for one of the angles of the upper course, is now placed at the level of the eye in the center of the principal face of the monument as it was at last finished in a deplorably reduced state by Mich- ael Angelo in his old age. This statue dwells amidst the masterpieces of ancient and modern sculpture, an event with- out parallel, the representative, if not wholly faultless, still the most perfect, of an art unknown before. ''It is this grand, this unequalled creation even of this gen- ius, which people go to see, and few think of the rest of the monument or fix any of its features in their memory. MoseS, l the friend of God, the guide and lawgiver of God's people, is represented by Michael Angelo as agitated b}- strong emotion He is seated, but his attention is roused by something which ,' startles him and stirs him; he grasps his robe with one hand, with the other nervously clutches his ample beard, and is about to spring to his feet, but pauses for an instant, whilst he gazes on the objects of his displeasure with a look in which indignation and contempt are mingled, yet which might be| changed into a gleam of compassion." I I (567) THE FATES. Schram. (560) BT' THE PLAN BOOK. 571 Language must fail in any attempt to convey any true idea of the sublimity of this great work of sculpture. That it places Michael Angelo far above all modern professors of his art is undeniable, whilst it entitles him to a niche on an equal level with the greatest sculptors of the ancient world, although his art is so different from theirs, as different in form as in aim and object. The detail of the execution is very elaborate, especially that of the drapery, which is arranged with the greatest attention to insure graceful lines, the folds being managed with exquisite taste and skill, -so as to show the body beneath, in which are combined the appearance of great physical strength with beauty of shape, the latter approximating even to delicacy and refine- ment, of which the feet especially are examples. Literature. Poem, "By Nebo's Lonely Mountain;" story of Moses from the Bible; ''Michael Angelo" in " Artist-Biographies;" " Ro- mola;" Mrs. Oliphant's "Makers of Rome" and "Makers of Florence;" Edward Armstrong's "Lorenzo de Medici;'* descrip- tion of St. Peter's in Hawthorne's " Marble Faun;" Mrs Stowe's " Agnes of Sorrento.'' Picture Talks. Show to pupils a picture of each of Michael Angelo's most famous pictures, which may be secured of the Perry Picture Company. Among these are his own portrait, his home, the Sistine Chapel upon which he worked, the ceiling of Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, Head of David, Moses Statue, Prophet Ezekiel, Three Fates, Tomb of Lorenzo de Medici. Show also a picture of St. Peter's of Rome, where Raphael and Michael Angelo both worked so many years of their life. Let them find out items of interest about this wonderful church to which these artists gave their best work and years of study. Read what Horace Greeley says of St. Peter's in Harper's Fifth Reader. 572 THE PLAN BOOK. !H *nfcT»r i( r-i l r i *n > fn»- , TV7 il r ; T l r i ^ Morals and Manners. ij^ Work, Lat.or, Industry. Let these be our watchwords this month, and the subject of our morning talks. It seems to have been the motto of al- most every famous man who has achieved success. These men, to whom we are inclined to ascribe success because of special talent, declare that their success is due rather to hard labor. If we read and study the lives of the famous men whose birth- days we celebrate from day to day, we will find this the case. Did you ever hear of a great general, statesman, scientist or author who was lazy ? Try to find one person who has made a mark in the w^orld, and was not a hard worker. There may be some exceptions, and, if so, we wish to find them. Examples. Take Tenn^'son, for instance, and Mozart, Michael Angelo, and others on our January birthday list. Fraitklin. — "Poor and friendless, 3'et by perseverance and industry, he placed himself at the tables of princes, and be- came a chief pillar in the councils of his country." Webster. — ''Labor was Daniel Webster's right hand. Most of his speeches were the result of long and laborious prepara- tion, and he succeeded as much by honest toil as by his native gifts, although these were of the highest order. He was a great statesman because he was a great worker." Dewey. — "'The secret of Dewey's success was due to the thorough preparation for his battle at Manila." IVeUiuif/ofi. — "This great commander left nothing to chance, but provided for every contingency. He attended per- sonally to the most trivial details, and the equipment was care- fully arranged beforehand." THE PLAN BOOK. 573 Washington. — " Washington, also, was an indefatigable man of business. From his boyhood he diligently trained himself in habits of application, of study, and of methodical work. His manuscript school-books, which are still preserved, show that, as early as the age of ten, he occupied himself vol- untarily in copying out such things as forms of receipts, notes of hand, bills of exchange, bonds, leases, indentures, land war- rants and other dry documents, all written out with great care. And the habits which he thus early acquired were, in a great measure, the foundation of those admirable business qualities which he afterwards so successfully brought to bear in the affairs of government." Poems. Psalm of Life. Longfellow. Learn to Sweep. H. S. Brooks. "Once in a crowded city street With broom in hand an urchin stood," etc. Books to Read. Mrs. Cheney's Life of Miss Alcott. Mrs. Bolton's Poor Boys Who Became Famous. Songs. Work, for the Night is Coming. Work While You Work. New Silver Carols. Keep Working. "' " Luck is Work. Morning Bells. Work For All. Ideal Class Book. Gems to Memorize. God gives all things to industry. — Franklm. Diligence is the mother of good luck. — Franklin. Diligence overcomes difficulties; sloth makes them. — Frank- lin. Plow deep while sluggards sleep, and you'll have corn to sell and 'k^o.^. -^Franklin. 574 THE PLAN BOOK. Handle your tools without mittens; remember that the cat in gloves catches no mice. — FraJiklin. Labor conquers all things. It is idleness that is the curse of man — not labor. Nothing is impossible to industry. [The motto of Periander, — on the Delphian Temple.] Sloth never made its mark in the world, and never will. Nothing is so injurious as unoccupied time. — Dr. Marshall Hall. He who labors not, cannot enjoy the reward of labor. Work (employment — useful occupation) is one of the great secrets of happiness. — Greuge {the Frejich painter) . Never to be doing nothing. — Sir Walter Scott^s motto. Power belongs only to the workers, the idlers are always powerless. Work is an educator of character. The world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom. — Drum- mond. Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal. The winner is he who gives himself to the work, body and sovX.- -Charles Burton. Pleasure comes through toil, and not by self-indulgence and indolence. When one gets to love work his life is a happy one. — Ruskin. A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart int(j his work and done his best; but what he has said or done other- wise shall give hiiii no peace. — Emerson. Beautiful hands are those that do Work that is earnest and brave and true, Moment by moment the long day through! Have faith in nothing but in industry. Be at it late and early; persevere, And work right on through censure and applause, Or else abandon Art. — Longfellow. THE PLAN BOOK. 575 Biography for January. January is especially ricli in patriotic birthdays, as is Feb- ruary. Question the pupils as to the meaning of the word patriotism^ and ask for examples in the history of our own and other countries. Among these will be Paul Revere, Ethan Allan, Israel Put- nam, Anthony Wayne, Gen. Wolf, Stephen Decatur, Richard Lee, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster. These last three were patriots who served their country with pens, instead of swords. Other prominent people whose birthdays should receive at- tention in the school room are Mozart and Schubert, the musicians; Taylor, the author and poet; Burns, the poet; Joan of Arc, and Lucretia Mott, the philanthropist. Reading Lessons. The Ride of Paul Revere— Baldwin's Third Reader. Paul Revere's Midnight Ride — First Steps in the History of Our Country. Silver & Burdette, Pub. Paul Revere — Mary L. Pratt's History. General Putnam — Baldwin's Fourth Reader. Israel Putnam — Stories of Our Country, by Johonnot. Ethan Allen — Stories of Our Country, by Johonnot, American Book Co. Ethan Allen — Wilson's History Reader. General Wolf — First Steps in the History of Our Country. General Lee to His Sons — Rand McNally Fourth Reader. The Maid of Orleans — Johonnot's Stories of Other Lands. Alexander Hamilton — First Steps in the History of Our Country, by Silver & Burdette. Stephen Decatur, by Silver & Burdette. 576 THE PLAN HOOK. Daniel Webster, First Steps in the History of Our Country. Daniel Webster's First Speech — Baldwin's Fourth Reader. Eulogy of Adams and Jefferson, by Daniel Webster — New Era Fifth Reader. Liberty and Union — Webster. Our Sacred Obligations — Webster. Many of the stories of these patriots may be found in Mor- ris' Primary and other Histories of the United States, pub- lished by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Born January 17, 1706. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Mass. He was one of seventeen children, and as his father was a poor man, Benjamin had to go to work very early. Benjamin's father was a candle maker, and when he was ten years of age he was taken from school to help his father in his shop. He cut wicks for the candles and filled the moulds with melted tallow. Benjamin did not like this business, and learned the prin- ter's trade from his brother. He had a chance while here to read and to borrow books when sent on errands to the book- store. He was more fond of a book than a good dinner, and often sat up all night to read. He wished to write for the paper which his brother printed, but was laughed at and discouraged. At length he wrote some articles and put them under the door of the printing office. His brother printed them, never sus- pecting the author. Benjamin's brother was a stern, rather harsh man, and he did not live a very happy life with him. He determined at last to run away. When he reached Philadelphia he found himself with very little money, but he soon found employ- ment. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. (577) THE PLAN BOOK. 579 For two years he supported himself by setting type, and then he set up a printing office of his own. He started a newspaper also, which became the best one in America. In those days books were scarce and only rich people could afford to buy them. But everybody could buy an Almanac, and so Franklin published a little book of this kind. He called it "Poor Richard's Almanac." He was the Poor Rich- ard, and people liked the almanac because it contained many wise sayings. Everything he did was well done. He was temperate, in- dustrious, saving, and his business prospered. He studied hard every spare minute. He was very fond of science and liked to find out the reasons of things. This lead him to make many discoveries that have bene- fitted the world since. His most famous discovery was, that lightning and electricity are the same. He found this out by flying a kite in a thunder shower. He drew down from the clouds sparks of lightning, which proved to be the same as electricity. This discovery led him to invent the lightning rod. People did not know much about electricity at that time. They did not know that it could be made a valuable servant which would convey them on trolley cars, light their churches and houses, carry messages, bring news from all parts of the earth in a day, and many things it does now for us. When the great men of Europe heard what Franklin had done, they said he was a great man and must be called Doctor Franklin. He did other things too, which have been remem- bered with gratitude. It would take a long list to tell all we owe to Franklin. He improved the printing press and introduced stereotyp- ing. What does that mean? He invented stoves, made spec- tacles so that far and near-sighted people could see as well as others, and invented automatic fans. What is an automatic fan? Of what use is it? He under- stood about ships and sailing them, and made improvements in 580 THE PLAN BOOK. their shape and rigging. He was the first man to advocate electrocution for killing animals without pain and invented a system of shorthand and phonograph3^ He founded the first fire company and the first periodical magazine. What does periodical mean? Franklin felt sorry for other poor people who loved to read, but could not afford to buy books, so he thought of a plan by which people could read books without bu^dng them. His plan was to have a free library, and this he started in Phila- delphia. It was the first public library in America, but ver}' soon after it was started, other cities adopted his plan. He had the public welfare very deeply at heart and so it was no wonder that he rose to be one of the leading men of his cit}', state, and country. He was at one time postmaster of Philadelphia, then post- master general of the American Colonies. For eighteen 3'ears he represented the colonies in England, coming back to put his name to the Declaration of Independence. He helped also to draft this declaration. When the war broke out, he took a very active part in behalf of the colonies, and proved himself a statesman and diplomat. This same year he was sent as minister to France to se- cure the aid of that government in the American cause. Here he gained great popularity, conducting himself among kings and princes in such a way as to win the respect and admiration of all. Here he remained ten years. He came home to be governor of Pennsylvania, went to Congress, and at eighty-one signed the new constitution of the United States. He lived a life of usefulness, and died at the age of eighty-four, more highly esteemed than an\' man in America except Washington. Explain to children that such men as Franklin, Webster, Hamilton and Lee, fought as well and as bravely for their country with their pens, as others did with swords; that the framing and s'gning of the Declaration of Independence might have meant death if the Colonists' cause failed. THE PLAN BOOK. 581 Many of Franklin's sayings are as popular today as when he was living. His life was guided by rules of conduct which he wrote out for himself and tried faithfully to keep. Two of these rules were, — Lose no time. Always be doing something. One of his sayings which you hear very often is: "Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." See if you cannot find others. See if you can find a copy of the paper he founded, which still bears his name upon the cover. (Saturday Evening Post.) Reading Lessons. Benjamin Franklin, New Century Third Reader. Time, The Youth of Franklin, Stories of Our Country (Johon- not.) The Story of a Whistle, Baldwin's Fourth Reader. Poor Richard's Almanac, Rand, McNally Fourth Reader. Franklin's Arrival, New Era Fourth Reader Turning the Grindstone, New Era Fourth Reader. My First Day in Philadelphia, Harper's Fourth Reader. The Savages of North America, 1784, Harper's Fifth Reader. The following stories about Franklin may be found in Wilson's History Reader. Dr. Benj. Franklin, Boyhood of Franklin, Franklin in Philadelphia, Franklin the Printer, His Discovery in Elec- tricity, Franklin goes to France, Franklin's Rules of Conduct, Electricity Since the Time of Franklin. One of the best accounts of Franklin's life is given in the Primary History Reader by Morris, published by J. B. Lip pincott Co. 582 THE PLAN BOOK. LITERATURE FOR JANUARY. If your pupils have not already memorized "The New Year," b}^ Tennyson, allow them to do so at the beginning of this month. Take the poem as a language or literature lesson. It has been set to music and may be sung after being memor- ized. Present for study at the same time, a copy of Blash- field's New Year Bells. A copy is given in the Plan Book this month for this purpose. It may also be found in the Perry collection, I believe. This may be followed by a biography of Tennyson and a further study of his poems. i\sk pupils to find out all they can in regard to Tennyson and to bring pictures of his homes in Bnglaud, and his last resting place, Westminster Abbey. Teach his sDugs which have been set to music, "The Brook," the lullaby, "Sweet and Low," and "The Bells." Make or save mone}' to buy a large photograph or picture of Sir Galahad to be framed for the school room. This poem may be found in Cyr's Fourth and Rand McNally's Fourth Readers. Other poems that may be read and studied at this time are. The Bugle Song, The Sea Shell, The Revenge, in Rand McNally's Fourth; The Charge of the Light Brigade, in Stepping Stones, Fifth Reader and the New Era Fourth; The Lady of Shallott, Baldwin's Fifth; Break, Break, Break; The Eagle; The Flowers, and others which may be found in The Land of Song, Nos. I, II and III, published by Silver, Burdett & Co. Let us be content to work, To do the thing we can, and not presume To fret because it's httle. — £. B. Brownhig. y ALFRl-.D TKNXVaON, (583) THE PLAN BOOK. 585 AlyFRED TENNYSON. BORN AUGUST 6, 1809; DIED 1892. Fourth Grade. Alfred Tennyson was born in a little town called Som- ersby, in a beautiful valley in the northern part of England. His father was a minister, and Alfred was one of a family of twelve children. Alfred had a brother Charles, who was but one year older than he, and the two boys played and studied together con- stantly during their boyhood days. They v/ere especially fond of playing English games and of acting out old time stor- ies and plays. They made castles of stones, and dug moats, and then one boy would don a kind of armor and with his spear make a fierce attack upon the castle while the other de^ fended it. Sometimes the eight boys would play that they wert knights defending a castle, or rescuing some person in dis- tress. Alfred was fond of reading legends of knights or heroes, of dragons and witches and fights with wild animals and demons, and during the winter evenings he entertained his brothers with these stories. Sometimes after they had acted out these stories they wrote histories of their battles for their father. These were brought to the dinner table, and when the meal was over the tales were read. The woods and flower-covered fields were near Alfred's home, and here the boys spent much of their time. Two brooks that rippled through the village contributed much to their pleasure, and many happy hours Alfred spent listening to the music of the brook as it chattered over the stones. The memory of this came back to him in later years, and he wrote a poem about the song of the brook. Have you read it ? Can you sing it ? Tlieir home was not far from the sea, and in the summer 586 THE PLAN BOOK. the Tennyson family went to a little town on the seashore^ called Marblethorpe. Can you find this place on the map? It was while here that Alfred wrote many of his first poems. He explored the coast here carefully, and studied the dunes and the dykes, the salt marsh, the shells and the stones, and, by and b}- he wrote poems which tell us what he thought as he watched the waves, and the interesting things about him. Who has read " Break, Break, Break?" Who has read " The Seashell?" The Tennyson children had their lessons every daj^ at home or at school. Alfred's father had a library, which the boys learned to use, and here they spent much of their time. Alfred was encouraged in his efforts to write poems, and his father was quite proud of his efforts in this direction. Alfred's grandfather did not think much of them, but one day he asked Alfred to write a poem about his grandmother's death. When the boy had finished the poem, the old gentleman gave him a half guinea for it, saying that he never again would earn so much by writing poetry. (How much is a guinea?) I wonder if Mr. Tennyson ever thought of this when he grew to be a man and made fift}^ dollars a line for his poems. The Tennyson boys had little money to spend, and, in order to make some, Alfred and Charles wrote some poems and col- lected others written, and sold them to a publisher for twenty pounds. How much would that be in our money ? The boys were very happy over this, and celebrated the publication of the book by hiring a carriage and driving to the seashore that Alfred loved so much. As a man, Tennyson was large and strong. His eyes and hair were dark, and his face a fine one. He was fond of music and of painting. At college he gained prizes and medals for his poems, and after leaving school published another book of poems. His later poems were full of pictures of English scenes and homes, and no modern poet has equaled him as a painter. They are full of high and noble ideals, and are as true as they are beautiful. The plan book. 587 The Queen of England made him Poet Laureate, which is considered a very great honor. Do you know what a Poet Laureate is ? (A court poet to write poems for any great occa- sion.) Charles Dickens was one of his good friends, too, and was fond of reading his poems. Mr. Tennyson received a great deal of money for his poems, and became very wealthy. He had three homes in different parts of England, and beautiful homes they were. The one in the South of England he loved best of all, for its windows looked out on his much loved sea. Though rich, honored and sought after by people all over England, he liked best to remain quietly at home with his wife and boys, and his pen was never idle. When he died, he was buried in the Poets' Corner in West- minster Abbey, the resting-place of many kings and queens. How many have seen a picture of this beautiful Abbey ? (Show picture.) One thing Tennyson has said which will never be forgotten. It is short and easily remembered. We will mem- orize it : "However it be, it seems to me 'Tis only noble to be good; Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood." Can you find other good quotations ? The busy world shoves angrily aside The man who stands with arms akimbo set, Until occasion tells him what to do; And he who waits to have his task marked out Shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, I^earn to labor and to wait. — Psalm of Life. 588 THE PLAN BOOK. ROBERT BURNS. Jan. 25, 1759-1796. Fifth Grade. On the 25tli of January, 1759, was bom the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns. His home was a peasant's hut near the village of Ayr, away up in the north of Scotland. Near it flowed the waters of the bonny Doon, of which he sang in later years. Burns' father was very poor, and there were six other chil- dren in the home to be cared for, so Robert was obliged to begin work at an early age. The mother was an intelligent, busy woman, who, with all the hard work, yet found time to tell her children all the bal- lads and traditions of Scotland. The father was a kind man, who was very anxious to edu- cate his children, but found it very hard to do so because of his poverty. Robert and the brothers and sisters were so anxious to learn that they used to read while eating or doing other kinds of work, but there were very few books which they could ob- tain, and these were soon read. An old woman, who lived in the Burns' family, used to tell the children most wonderful stories of goblins, of witches, and of brownies, who lived in the woods and the graveyards, and of giants who lived on the high hills, and the children be- lieved these stories for a time and tried to find them. When Robert Burns grew older, he put some of these, and others that he imagined, into poems, and, if you wish to read some of them, get a copj^ of his poems and read "Hallowe'en" and "Tam O'Shanter's Ride." During a few holidays Robert's teacher assisted him with his lessons, and he became familiar with many books of poems, which he studied carefully. His love for reading poetry soon developed into a talent for writing it, and, when he was seventeen, he wrote his first ROBERT BURNS. (589) r' THE PLAN BOOK. 591 poem. This was followed by others, and, after a time, his friends helped him to publish a little book of his poems. It was so popular that Burns became famous at once. No poems like these had been written before; th-ey told of the Scottish people, their wild, rugged hills, their streams, and at once the Scotch people loved him for writing of the things nearest their hearts. He loved company, and was so genial and pleasant that he was much sought after and courted by people who wished to give entertainments. He visited Edinburgh when his book was published, where he made many friends. Though born and bred on a farm, he seemed as much at ease in the homes of the rich and great as in his own humble cottage. He had beautiful dark eyes which glowed with feeling when he spoke, a high forehead and dark curly hair. His facewas a pleas- ant, happy one, as the pictures we have of him to-day show. But, though he was strong and robust, gifted and with a bright future before him, he was poor in will-power. After a season's gayety, he returned to his country home, and, with the proceeds of his book, bought a farm. He now married and settled down, but he was a failure as a farmer, and was obliged to accept a position as exciseman, which he held until his death. While riding on his rounds collecting revenue taxes, his mind was yet upon his poems, and many others were composed, among which we find "Auld Lang Syne." So beautiful are many of these poems that they have gained for him the repu- tation of the sweetest singer in the world of poetry. Many other poets have written tributes to this poet, and at the time of his death he was adored alike by the common people and the great. He died at the age of thirty-nine, the victim of drink. This weakness ruined his life and left his family in want, but such was the regard for his genius that a large subscription was raised for his wife and children. 592 THE PLAN BOOK. In 1881, a beautiful mausoleum was erected to his memory in St. Michael's churchj-ard, Dumfries. Burns' Birthday Suggestions. Many of Robert Bums' poems are set to music, and one of these ma}' be learned by the pupils, and others sung as solos by pupils wlio have prepared them for this birthday. Auld Lang Syne, Flow Gently Sweet Afton, ma}^ be found in the Fountain Song Book No. 3; Bonnie Doon in the So. 2.- These books are published by A. Flanagan, paper cover, ten or fifteen cents. Photographs of Scotch scener}', together with pictures of Burns and his birth place near Ayr, will lend interest to the biography. Let pupils take a journey to Scotland during the geograph}' period and visit this home in imagination. Let pupils read one or more of the selections from his poerus on the birthday and others during the week following. In the New Era Fifth Reader (Eaton & Co.), will be found a short biograph}' of Burns, together with the poems, Bannockburn, For A' That and A' That. Others wilLbe found in the Land of Song, Books I, II and III. These ma}' be hectographed and read by the class and gems selected from his poems and mem- orized, as: "O, wad some power the giftie gic us, To see oursels as ithers see us, It wad frae mony a blunder free us, And foolish notion!" Read to the pupils that beautiful word picture "The Cot- ter's Saturday Night." It matters not what you do, Make a nation or a shoe; For he who does an honest thing In God's pure sight is ranked a king. —John Patiiell. w the: plan book. 593 BAYARD TAYLOR. Born January 11, 1825; Died December 19, 1878. Bayard Taylor was born in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, the year the first railroad was completed. He used to say, when asked his age, that he was just as old as the railroad. I am sure he must have been very glad to have this railroad come during his life, for he loved so to travel. When he was a boy he was very fond of doing what we are doing now, in our geography lessons — take imaginary journeys. Pupils were not allowed to do this in school in those days, but he got books of travel and stories of other lands from the village library. These he read very carefully, not skipping through as we sometimes do. He tried as he read to imagine himself in these foreign lands, and to picture the scenes about him there. One book in particular he liked and remembered. It was written by a great traveler and writer, N. P. Willis, and was called "Pencilings by the Way." Bayard determined to become as great a traveler and as good a writer as this man. He was fond of poetry and of drawing too. One teacher taught him beautiful poems, which Bayard wrote in his copy book, and made him desire to become a poet. But drawing was not then taught in the public schools, and so he received no encouragement in this except from his mother. His boy- hood life was spent on the farm, but he did not like the hard, rough work he was obliged to do there. He taught school for a time, and also entered a printer's office to learn the trade. His spare moments and nights were spent in studying lan- guages which would enable him to understand the conversation of the people in the countries which he meant to visit. And by and by his dreams were realized. At nineteen he started for Europe. He had only a little money, and in order to get funds he asked editors of newspapers near home if they would not let him earn money by writing 594 THE PLAN BOOK. letters from Europe, but no one wished them. At last one editor, Horace Greely, promised him fifty dollars for twelve letters and so Bayard started. He traveled through Europe two years, walking most of the time, because he could not afford to ride, and was often hungry and tired. He wrote his letters, however, and when they were published people read them eagerly and said it was the best book on travel ever written. When he came home he found that his letters had become known all over the country. He had them published in a book afterwards which he called "Views Afoot." He secured em- ployment on his return on a New York paper and was sent to California to write about the gold mines there. Gold had been discovered there and people were flocking to this state to secure it. In order to reach California it was necessary to travel around Cape Horn and across the Isthmus of Panama. (Locate these places on the map. ) It was necessary to travel over plains, through forests, to ford rivers, wade swamps and climb mountains to reach there. Bayard Taylor wrote all about his experiences, the miners and their lives, and these letters were collected and made into a book called "El Dorado." After this he went to Europe again and traveled also through Egypt, Syria, Palestine, India and Asia Minor, which trips are described in other books of travel. He went with Commodore Perry on his celebrated expedi- tion to Japan and later made a tour of Lapland on a sled drawn by a reindeer. He has given us delightful descriptions of the winter scenery and sleigh rides on the ice and the manners and customs of these northern people. When he had won fame and fortune he came back to his old home in Pennsylvania and near there built a mansion, set high on a knoll, in the midst of broad fields. Here people were entertained and festivities Were held, similar to those he had enjoyed in other countries. Here he brought his wife and spent many happy days, writing poems,accounts of his tra vels,and leaving his home only to lecture. THE PLAN BOOK. 595 In 1878 he was appointed minister to Germany and sailed for Berlin. He died soon after his arrival in that country, on December 19, 1878. What would his work have been in that country if he had lived? What are the duties of a foreign minister appointed by the president? Do other countries send ministers to our country? In what city do these ministers live? Let pupils take imaginary journeys with Bayard Taylor to the countries he has written about. How many kinds of con- veyances did he use? What modes of travel? Bring pictures to illustrate this, as suggested in the picture talks. A Winter Picture. The forests were indescribable in their silence, whiteness, and wonderful variety of snowy adornment. The weeping birches leaned over the road, and formed white fringed arches; the firs wore mantles of ermine, and ruffs and tippets of the softest swansdown. Snow, wind and frost had worked the most marvelous transformations in the forms of the forest. Here were kneeling nuns, with their arms hanging list- lessly by their sides, and the white cowls falling over their faces; there lay a warrior's helmet; lace curtains, torn and ragged, hung from the points of little Gothic spires; caverns, lined with sparry incrustations, silver-palm leaves, doors, loop- holes, arches, and arcades were thrown together in a fantastic confusion. ... It was an enchanted land, where you hardly dared to breathe, lest a breath might break the spell. — From '''Northern TravelJ'^ Bayard Taylor. Compare this with Whittier's picture in Snow Bound, vvith Lowell's picture of winter. Reading for Pupils. The Isle of Long Ago (poem), by Taylor, in New Era Fifth Reader. The Little Post Boy, New Era Fourth Reader. The Two Herd Boys, Cyr's Fourth Reader. P.QO THE PLAN BOOK. Reindeer Traveling, Rand IMcNally's Fourth Reader. The Taj Mahal, Rand McXally's Fourth Reader. The Bison Track, Harper's Fifth Reader. A Night with a Wolf, Stepping Stones to Literature, Third Reader. WINTER. "The little brook heard it and built a roof, 'Neath which he could house him, winterproof; All night by the white stars' frosty gleams He groined his arches and matched his beams; Slender and clear were his crystal spars As the lashes of light that trim the stars; He sculptured every summer delight In his halls and chambers out of sight; Sometimes his tinkling water slipt Down through a frost-leaved forest crypt, Long, sparkling aisles of steel-stemmed trees Bending to counterfeit a breeze; Sometimes the roof no fretwork knew But silvery mosses that downward grew; Sometimes it was car\-ed in sharp relief With quaint arabesques of ice- fern leaf; Sometimes it was simply smooth and clear For the gladness of heaven to shine through, and here He had caught the nodding bulrush-tops And hung them quickly with diamond drops That crystalled the beams of moon and sun, And made a star of every one : No mortal builder's most rare device Could match this winter-palace of ice." Lowells — The Vision of Sir Launfal. \ We are what we are made; each following day Is the creator of our human mold, Npt less than was the first. — Emerson, THE PLAN BOOK. 597 A NEW YORK DAY. Fifth Grade. Preparation. New York City as a trade center, will be Geography work outlined for many fifth grades. It will be an appropriate time, therefore, to devote some Friday afternoon during this first month of the year to our first city in size and importance in America. It is now second in size in the world. The afternoon might be given at the conclusion of the study of New York state. The pupils have been much inter- ested in the early settlers of New York, and become more or less familiar with them through the story of the Pilgrims, during their stay in Holland. The History of Christmas cus- toms in December, showed that we are indebted to the Dutch settlers for our Santa Claus and Christmas tree. Let them read Irving's accounts of Knickerbocker's New York, and all the articles of interest pertaining to it which can be secured. Pictures which illustrate scenes in the city and state should be gathered and mounted. A scrap book devoted to pictures and articles should have a place on the reading table with a guide book of New York. The seal of the state and the state motto, "Excelsior" may be drawn upon the blackboard. Secure a large photograph or framed picture of Niagara Falls and hang upon the walls. Photographs of Adirondacks, and the Hudson River, and views of objects of interest in New York City may be arranged on mantel piece and window sills or easels. Pictures of promi- nent New York men should also be given a place here. For suggestions in regard to lessons for the day see article on "Illinois Day" in December Plan Book. Take the pupils through the city and state by means of 598 THK PLAN BOOK. several imaginary journeys. This will give an opportunity to study the surface, industries, cities and history of the state in an interesting way. Make special visit to the Salt Works. Take a trip down the Hudson first. Begin with Albany, the capital. It has the finest state building in the U. S. Visit Poughkeepsie, Newburg and West Point. This last place will be especially attractive to the boys. Select the most important features of New York City, as the Harbor, Bartholdi's statue of Liberty, Central Park with its museum and obelisk, Broadway, Brooklyn Bridge, etc. Tableaux, for Programme. INTERIOR OF DUTCH HOME. Suggestions in regard to arrangement of this and costumes will be found in November Plan Book. The following sug- gestion is taken from the Teachers' World. Costumes of the Dutch women: Hair braided smoothly, covered with a close cap that fits the head tightly. Striped skirts with large outside pockets filled with buttons, needles, pin-cushions. Scissors and keys suspended from their girdles by ribbons. Blue worsted stockings, white apron, white kerchief. Occupations: knitting and reading the Bible. Costumes of the men: Coat with brass buttons, shoes with large buckles, low-crowned, broad-rimmed hat, hair down the back in a queue, red-checked neck-cloth. Reading. SnGGESTIVE SELECTIONS. Rip Van Winkle, New Era Fourth Reader, Cyr's Fourth Reader, Rand McNally Fourth, Harper's and Appieton's Fifth; A Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Baldwin's Fifth Reader; Ichabod Crane's Adventure, Rand McNally Fourth; I^ife in Old New York, Baldwin's Seventh Reader; Selections from "Sleepy Hollow,'' Peter Stuyvesant's Voyage Up the Hudson, Knickerbocker's New York, Book VI, Chapter IV; Hendrick Hudson, Knickerbocker's New York, Book II, Chapter I. ♦thk plan book. 599 Subjects for Composition and Language. Early Settlers of New York City. Dutch Customs. Great Men of New York. Railroad Systems. The Harbor'and Commerce. Greenwood Cemetery. The Isle of Long Ago, Bayard Taylor. Reference Books and Articles. Washington Irving's "Knickerbocker's New Ybrk.'' In Old New York, Thomas Janvier. Cities of the World, New York, Modern Methods, Sept. 97, Commerce of New York, Appleton's Magazine, Vol XVII. Birth of the Empire State, Magazine of American Historjr. Vol III. "The Colonies," by the Morse Publishing Company. How a vessel gets into New York Harbor, in "Our Own Country," Book III, page 28; St. Nicholas, Jan. '98. Brooklyn Bridge, St. Nicholas, July '93. Mode of Entrance to Harbor, St. Nicholas, March '96. Mode of Entrance by Land and Sea Bartholdi's Statue. St. Nicholas, July '84. Buoys, St. Nicholas, Oct. '93. West Point, Kings Last Book, '96. Brooklyn Bridge, Youth's Companion, Supplementary Reader, No. 16. The Grant Monument, Youth's Companion, Supplementary Reader, No. 16. The Statue of Liberty, Youth's Companion, Supplementary Reader, No. 16. 600 THE PLAN BOOK. jet . T l m < r ; T * 7»:V > 7 l ^n > r^^ ^JANUARY. ^ Thoughts for the Month. Dunng the weeks following Christmas, the heavens are ablaze with glory and the earth puts on its covering of snow; therefore when the children return after the New Year, snow, ice, and stars are made a center of thought. New Year Myths and Stories. Janus, a January Mj'th. Kronos. Story of the Year. Hans Andersen. A New Year Bargain. Susan Coolridge. Poems. A New Year's Greeting. Lowell. A New Year. Mrs. Dodge's When Life is Young. A Suggestion for a Happy New Year. Mrs. Dodge's When Life is Young. The New Year. Mrs. Craik. January. Christina Rossetti. Winter Time. Stevenson. Welcome to Winter. Paul Wayne. Winter. Dora R. Goodale. Songs. January. Songs in Season. January. Nature Songs. Winter. Gems of School Song. Old Winter. Merry Songs and Games. Winter and Summer. St. Nicholas Songs. Winter is Round Us. A book of Rhymes and Tunes. THE PLAN BOOK. 601 JANUARY SCIENCE LESSONS. | FORMS AND PHASES OF NATURE. The earth. The weather. Snow, frost, ice. The heavens by day and night. Stars. Related lessons on effect of frost on earth and ice harvesting. Plant Life. The Evergreen. January Observations of Plant Life. Related Topic: Lumbering. Animal Life. Winter birds. The rabbit, bear, seal, reindeer. Related Topics: Hunting and Fur. Minerals. Limestone, marble. Salt and salt making. Effect of frost on stones. Janus was the porter of heaven. He opens the year, the first month being named after him. He is the guardian deity of gates, on which account he is commonly represented with two heads, because every door looks two ways. His temples at Rome were numerous. In war time the gates of the prin- cipal one were always open. In peace they were closed. 602 THE PLAN book:. FORMS AND PHASES OF NATURE. The Earth. Observe the ground on the way to and fro from school. Frozen or not? To what depth? Notice where digging has been going on. Any snow on the ground? Where does the .ground seem frozen the deepest, in open spaces or in shade of trees, where there is snow or where the ground is bare? Of what use is the snow in keeping the heat from escaping from the earth? What effect does the freezing and thawing have upon the soil and rocks? (It cracks and splits the rocks, thus working to make soil. It breaks up the ground, thereby aiding the farmer in his work.) Are the ponds, rivers and lakes near frozen over? To what extent? Is the ice thick enough' to cut? Does the water under the ice have any movement? Does it flow rapidly or slowly? Who has ever lived oh the sea coast? Does the ocean freeze over? Is traveling by water as safe now ae during the summer months? THE WEATHER. Weather Record. Record on board or in books a daily summary of the weather; whether fair or stormy; rain or snow; action and direction of wind; kinds and names of clouds; action of frost; number and kinds of storms; temperature; the highest, lowest and the average. Any decided falls of temperature, resulting in cold waves or blizzards? Any thaw this month? From what direction do snow storms come? Rains? How do snow clouds differ from rain clouds? At what temperature did the heaviest snow fall? Was the temperature higher or lower after the snowing ceased? THE PLAN BOOK. ' 603 OBSERVATIONS WITH THE SIMPLE WEATHER INSTRUMENTS. In the previous work we suggested that the children be taught to read the thermometer and the weather-vane. The taking of these readings should be continued and made more comprehensive, so as to include determinations of daily maxi- mum and minimum temperatures, mean temperature, and wind velocity. A rain-gauge should be constructed, and the class taught to estimate the rainfall. A very inexpensive instru- ment, but one that will serve the purpose quite acceptably, can be made by fastening a wide-mouthed tin pail or can to a board so it will not tip over. This should be placed in an exposed portion of the school grounds. The depth of the water in the can may be measured roughly with an ordinary foot rule. In the case of snowfall, which is more difficult to measure, it is best to select some flat space where the snow has not drifted, invert the can and press it down on the snow, slip a thin flat board under the mouth of the can, and in this way cut out a circular section of the snow. This may be carried into the schoolroom and melted; by measuring the amount of water thus obtained the snowfall can be estimated. This work will of necessity be very crude, but it will serve as the basis for more careful scientific work in the advanced grades. The reading of the thermometer should be recorded at least three times a day, — morning, noon, and afternoon. Once a day is sufficient for the reading of the rain-gauge. It will be necessary to make observations of the direction and velocity of the wind as often as the reading of the thermometer is taken, so as to note the relation of wind and temperature. In addition to the observations made with instruments, certain others without the use of instruments should also be made. . These should include observations of the state of the sky (clear, fair, cloudy), together with the kinds of clouds seen. Th& kind of precipitation, whether it is rain or snow, should also be noted; with any other peculiar features the children observe. A record of the daily observations should be kept by 604 THE PLAN BOOK. the children and recorded in a permanent blank book for future reference, and as a means of teaching them neatness and punctualit3^ Once or twice a week the facts noted should be summed up in the form of a generalization. This should include the average time of daily maximum temperature; daily temperature range; clouds most common to various periods of the day; prevailing winds; the average amount of rainfall dur- ing the week or month. This summar}^ of facts will lead the children to realize the use and value of their daily work, and if the records for the months of October, January, April, and June are kept and compared, the class will discover the typical weather conditions of the different seasons. The following form for keeping the records has proved helpful and con- venient: OCTOBER. Directions AND g Kind of Date. Time. Temp. Velocity of ^^ Precipit.\- W.IND. tion. 9.00 A.M. 37° N. E. hght Clear Mon. 2. 11.30 A.M. 5.s° N. E. " 3.00 P. M. 35° N. E. " 9.00 A.M. 40° N. W. moderate Cloudy Tues. 3 11.30 A.M. 68° N. W. light Fair 3.00?. M. 37° N. 9.00 A.M. 40° S. strong Cloudy Rain Wed. 4 11.00 A. .\I. 65° S.W. 3.00 P.M. 43° S. 9.00 A.M. 35° \V. moderate Clear Tburs. 5 11.00 A.M. 70° N.W. .strong 3.00 P.M. 39° N. W. gale Cloudy Rain 9.00 A.M. 36° N. light Clear Fri. 6. 11 30 A .M. 69° N. " 3.00 P.M. 40° N. " — From Americafi Primary Teacher. An article on "How to Tell the Weather by the Clouds" and "Different Kinds of Clouds" will be found in the Septem- ber 1898 Ladies' Home Journal. THE PLAN BOOK. 605 STUDY OF THE WEATHER. By Jenny S. Campbeli., Washington, D. C. The System of Making Weather Maps. Every morning at 8 o'clock, Washington time (which is 7 at Chicago, 6 at Denver, and 5 at San Francisco) observations of the conditions of the air are made at one hundred and fifty stations throughout the country. By 8:25 they are reduced to cipher, and during the next half hour, with right of way over all lines, messages are exchanged between the various stations, such centers as New York and Washington receiving all ob- servations, while most smaller cities gain enough to allow them to publish a daily weather map. In the forecasting room at the Central office in Washington four clerks sit before blank maps of the United States, upon which they will make charts to be used by the forecaster. As the reports came from the wires, a reader translates the cijDher into intelligible figures and words, each clerk selecting the material necessary for his own chart. The first chart shows the change in temperature, and the second the change in the barometer during the preceding twenty-four hours. A third c'erk makes two charts, one telling the humidity of the air, and the other the cloud area, with the kind, amount, and direction of the clouds at each station. A fourth constructs the general weather map, picturing for each station the air's temperature and pressure, the wind's velocity and direction, the fall of rain or snow since the last report, and the amount of cloudiness. The Knowledge Necessary in Forecasting. A forecaster must have a certain knowledge of several points in order to predict the condition of the weather for the next twenty-four hours. He knows that low pressure and high pressure areas drift across the country from west to east, at the rate of about thirty-seven miles per hour in winter, and twenty-two in summer, and in alternate periods of about three days each, the low bringing warm weather, and sometimes rain Or snow, the high following with cooler, and probably 606 THE PLAN BOOK. fair weather. High-pressure areas, in drawing down, by a ver- tical action of their centers, the cold air from regions above the clouds, and causing it to flow laterally along the surface of the earth, sometimes become so intense in their motion as to draw vast volumes, called a cold wave. In low-pressure areas the air movements are exactly the reverse, the air being drawn spirally inward, and ascending as it approaches the center of the low, at times causing rain or snow in cooling during its ascent. In brief, the statement of what the weather will be during the next twenty-four hours is made by carefully noting the developments and movements in the air conditions during the past twenty-four. Suggestions. — All these topics should be explained and enlarged upon by the teacher. For example : 1. Develop the thought of the work of the telegraph in proving in the nineteenth century what Frauklin had divined in the eighteenth; also mention the work of Prof. Cleveland Abbe, in Cincinnati, before the establishment of the service. 2. Explain the action of the barometer, and the meaning of "high" and "low" pressure. 3. Show how the air, pressing outward in all directions, under the influence of gravity, flows towards regions of less pressure, thus producing winds. 4. Bring out the thought of nature's wisdom, in providing alternate warm and cold waves, the former to moisten the earth and render it tillable, the latter to scatter carbonic and fetid gases, and invigorate man and beast. 5. A study of weather maps is profitable in showing how and in what general direction waves travel. (). The kinds of wind storms may be discussed in this con- nection. Prof. Moore classifies them, according to the diam- eter of the revolving mass of air, as follows: Cyclones, 1,000 to 2,000 miles; hurricanes, 200 to 50() miles; tornadoes one- half mile to one mile. Their destructive power increases as their diameter decreases. 7. A review of the uses of the service will lead the pupils THE PLAN BOOK. 607 to see its importance. One of the most practical services is the giving of flood warnings. At the junctions of main streams and large tributaries are central river stations, to which daily reports of the height of water are sent from the up-river sta- tions. The forecast at each river center, considering the rain- fall, temperature, area, and slope of the water-shed, as well as the permeability of the soil, and knowing, from former experi- ence, the time necessary for the passage of flood-crests, can make forecasts of great value to those who have movable prop- erty on low ground near the stream. After this study, the pupil is prepared to write a good composi- tion on the workings of the weather bureau. — Teachers' Institute. JACK FROST. Someone has been in the garden, Nipping the flowers so fair; All the green leaves are withered: Now, who do you think has been there ? Someone has been in the forest, Cracking the chestnut burrs; Who is it dropping the chestnuts, Whenever a light wind stirs? Someone has been on the hill-top. Chipping the moss-covered rocks; Who has been cracking and breaking Them into fragments and blocks ? Someone has been on the windows. Marking on every pane; Who made those glittering pictures Of lace-work, fir-trees, and grain? Someone is all the time v/orking Out on the pond so blue. Bridging it over with crystal; Who is it, now? Can you tell who ? While his good bridge he is building, We will keep guard at the gate : And when he has it all finished, Hurrah for the boys that can skate ! Let him work on; we are ready; Not much for our fun does it cost ! Three cheers for the bridge he is making ! And three, with a will, for Jack Frost ! —Selected. h08 THE PLAN BOOK. I Frost, Ice and Snow. | I i "He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth hoar frost like ashes; He casts forth ice like morsels.^' Winter day ! frosty day ! God a cloak on all doth lay; On the earth the snow he sheddeth, O'er the lamb a fleece he sprcadeth, Gives the bird a coat of feather To protect it from the weather. Frost. Observation. Frost on wood, iron, window pane, on ground. When does frost make its appearance? How does it change the atmosphere? What is frcst? It is one of the solid forms of water. It is water which has been made hard by the action of cold. The changing of liquid into solid water is called freezing. The state of the air which causes water to freeze and become ice is called a frost. The water when it has become solid is called ice. Frozen dew is the first form of solid water and is called *' Hoar-Frost." Hoar means white. Hoar-Frost then means white frost. This is the form you see on the window panes and sidewalks. What happens to this when the sun appears? What becomes of this frost? Where does the frost on the windows come from? Where does the moisture in the air come from? If the moisture laden atmosphere should come in contact with objects whose temperature is below the freezing point, what would happen to the little particles before they would have time to condense into drops. THE PLAN BOOK. 609 Use. Of what use is the frost? First .it is a soil maker. It splits and cracks the rocks, thus working to make soil. It breaks up the ground, thereby aiding the farmer in his work, by doing part of the ploughing for him. He builds roofs for the pond and bridges for the river, thus affording a passage for sleds, ice boats and skaters. Frost is an ice maker and prepares this important cold food for us by packing thick frost or snow crystals together so that they will make the summer pleasant for us. Drawing. Call attention to the frost work on the windows. Artists and designers sometimes get suggestions for their work from these frost paintings. Let them find designs in the snow and draw them. Let these forms be cut also. After a number have been found, they may be arranged in a border across the top of the black- board. The Frost Artist. The words of this poem have been set to music and given in the December Plan Book. Before giving this poem, ask pupils what we call the people who paint pictures? What little animal gives hair to make the artist's brush? When does an artist do his work? Why by day? Now read the poem, and teach the song. Now question them as to the artist's name in the poem. When did he paint? Whom did he paint his pictures for? What pictures did he paint? Where? Did you ever see any of these wonderful pictures? What kind of a brush did he use? What did he use for his canvas? What kind of a lamp did he use? Could you paint or draw some of these pictures? Try it. Put a border of frost crystals or snow flakes around the pictures. 610 THE PLAN BOOK. LiTHRATURE. What Broke the China Pitcher, (a story), Cat Tails and Other Tales. Poems. The Frost Spirit, Whittier. Jack Frost, Nature in Verse. Frost Pictures, " " '' The Frost " " " Frost Work, Poetry of Seasons. The Frost, Hannah Gould. Jack Frost, Through the Year, Book I. Reading. Freaks of the Frost, Harper's Fourth. Freaks of the Frost, Baldwin's Fourth. Jack Frost's Sister, Normal Third. The Frost Spirit, " " Snow. O wonderful world of white ! When trees are hung with lace, And the rough winds chide, And snowflakes hide Each bleak unsheltered place: When birds and brooks are dumb — what then? O, round we go to the green again. — G. Cooper. The second form of solid water is frozen mist, and is called snow. Where does the snow come from? Where does the moisture come from to form snow crystals? How can we tell when it is going to snow? How does the sky look? What color is it now? Are we going to have snow today, do you think? In what months do we have the most snow? Let pupils gather and compare crystals from different snow flakes. These can best be examined on a black surface. Call attention to the beauty of the flakes. THE PLAN BOOK. 611 Let them see that the flakes of one storm may be different from those of another. During a light storm the most widely varied forms are found. When the snowfall is accompanied by wind the flakes are hard, round masses. Compare the temperature of the atmosphere during the fall of **wet" and "dry" snow. Examine the flakes with a micro- scope, and let them discover that the crystals are all six sided. There are hundreds, even thousands of these different star de- signs, but in each the hexagonal plan has been kept. Let pupils trace the snow back to its home in the sky. If possible let steam pass from window into cold air, in order that pupils may see its cloud like form changed into flakes or mist. When the cloud sinks through the cold, the mist slowly freezes into little stars. Which takes up the most room — snow or water? Fill a pail with snow; let it melt, and class decide. Why does snow take up more room? The flakes do not fit so closely together as the drops of water. Light. Snow crystals disperse light and also reflect it. Each snowflake has prismatic edges, which give the colors of the rainbow, that is, separate light into its component colors. The flakes, lying in a mass, give out these colors again as light, and light made up from colors is stronger than light which is merely reflected. The following are some of the points which the teacher should prepare in her plan for the lesson: — 1. Snow is frozen moisture. (a) A bad conductor of heat. (b) Only one-tenth as heavy as water. 2. It is unknown in some countries and in some parts of our own. 3. Snow falls when the temperature is thirty-two degrees or lower, and the proper amount of moisture is in the air. 512 THE PLAN BOOK. 4. In composition snow consists of crystals, usually in the shape of six-pointed stars or forms in angles ofsixtyorl20 degrees. 5. The flakes dififer much in size. The large flakes fall when the temperature is about thirty-two degrees, the smaller flakes when colder. 6. Crystals — Over one thousand different forms of crys- tals have been observed. Five principal kinds may be described as follows: — (a) Three-sided and six-sided crystals. (b) A spherical nucleus, studded with needle-shaped crystals. (c) Six-sided pyramids. (d) Thin-plates containing several hundred forms of exquisite beauty. (e) Prismatic crystals, having thin plates, perpendicu- lar to their length, at the ends and middle. 7. During one fall of snow the crystals are generally of similar forms. Crystals vary in size from an inch to7-100ths of an inch in diamater. UvSEvS OF Snow. Snow forms a good covering for the earth, keeping it warm when the heat would otherwise scatter. It prevents the earth freezing to a great depth, and this is an advantage to the roots of plants. It aids man in his work b}' making good roads. Farmers take advantage of this and haul grain and wood to town and return with coal and lumber needed. The lumberman takes this time to transport logs. Snow is also useful in supplying water to fill cisterns, and swell streams in order that the woodman may float his logs. Snow stores moisture in dry places where little rain falls in warm weather and the melting snow is almost the only nat- ural irrigation. "On the high mountain tops moisture is held in form of THE PLAN BOOK. 613 snow until the dry summer winds melt it; then it trickles along over rocks, gathering into larger streams, rushing down the mountain sides with might and force, turning the wheels of factories, mills and mining machinery, until at last it reaches the parched plains below. Western children will un- derstand how low would run the irrigation water did not the mountain snow supply it." In falling, the flakes bring with them nearly all of the fine dust of the air and leave the atmosphere very pure. To children the snow gives endless amusement in fort building, snow balling, coasting, skating, sleigh riding, etc. THE SNOW-CRUST AS A SEED DISTRIBUTOR. From Seed TraveIvErs, by Ginn. "This snowy crust is an important aid in the dispersal of many seeds. The seed-bearing branches of many of our com- monest plants project above the snow, where they are visited by winter birds that come to feed upon the seeds. But the birds scatter nearly as many as they devour. When the snowy surface holds the seeds from falling, the latter are in position to be driven over the surface by the wind. If there is an icy crust they are likely to go alone; if not, they may be carried with the drifting snow. While this method of seed dispersal is universal through- out the northern states, it operates most freely in the plains regions of the west and northwest." Talk about the pleasure to be derived from snow and ice. The toboggan used by the Canadian children, the snow shoes used by the Indian and Eskimo, the animals that live and thrive in this cold, ice and snow. Lead the children in imagination to the snow lands with their long winter and as they journey thither tell them the story of the Children of the Cold. 614 ^ the plan book. Ice. Water which has become solid is called ice. It is like thick frost or snow crystals closely packed together. Take the pupils to a pond or ditch to observe how ice forms on a pond. The edge first shows little points or icicles of thin ice and then reach out farther and farther, uniting and making larger points until the whole pond is covered. Notice how the crystals also gather around stones or reeds which make edges of their own. Read to the pupils Mr. Lowell's description of the brook which built a roof with the assistance of Jack Frost. Bring icicles and lumps of ice into the schoolroom. Let pupils de- scribe it; clear, cold, brittle, transparent. Is ice lighter or heavier than water? Will it float on water? Try it. Why does ice stay on top of a pond instead of sinking? Float a piece of ice to prove it lighter than water. If it were other- wise it would be unfortunate. If the ice sank to the bottom it would be late in the summer before it began to melt arid per- haps not all of it would melt before another winter came. Every year would bring additions to the ice in the bottom of rivers and ponds. What does heat cause the ice to do? If you hold thermometer bulb on the ice, what does the quick-silver do? How far down does it go? Children may be taught to measure change in the amount of heat by using the thermometer. Let a child put his hand in a cup of water; put in the thermometer and let him watch the mercury. Put the cup of water over an alcohol lamp and notice the mercury rise; put in ice or snow and watch the change. Or let pupil hold thermometer over register of hot air and note change. To read a certain number of degrees on thermometer does not mean much to a child unless associated with physical sensa- tion. Experiments. A bottle of water may be corked and set out in the cold to THE PLAN BOOK. 615 freeze, and show that ice is a form of water, and the force of expansion. What happens when our clothes are too tight? The ice also bursts things, for it grows and stretches when it freezes and changes from water to ice. Here is something else you may do. Take your bag of marbles some sunny day, and lay the different marbles on different parts of the ice in the sunshine. Why do they sink into the ice? And why does the black one sink in long before the w^hite one? Who can tell that? Caroline Gray, in Talks in Primary Education, says: "Lakes and rivers do not as a rule freeze solid. Under the ice the water is warmer as one goes deeper and the current flows on. Shallow ponds freeze more quickly than deep ones, because the water is all chilled to the same degree more quickly. Some lakes never freeze over at all, because they are so large that the winds have a chance to blow over them and drive the surface water before them, thus bringing to the top the water which was below before and keeping the water in motion. At the temperature of 39.2° Fahr., water reaches its great- est density, is heavier than at any other time. Up to this point it has contracted as it grew colder, but this is the point where the change begins, and expansion takes place slowly as the cold increases, until at 32° Fahr., crystallization occurs, and the expansion is very sudden and violent. It is at this point that receptacles are broken by freezing water. But, you say, crystals have regular and definite shapes, and a block of ice may be of any shape you choose to cut it; how can it be a crystal? A block of ice would be not one crys- tal, but thousands. The best way to see these crystals is to put a block of ice of a convenient size into a pan or basin, and direct a ray of sunshine onto it by means of a reading lens or magnifier. The track of the sunbeam through the ice will show by the melting of the ice, but it will not all melt alike. You will see little shining points. Look at them with a mag- 61 () THE PLAN BOOK. nifier. Each point is the center of 'a beautiful liquid flower with six petals,' as Tyndal says. You cannot see these six- rayed flowers unless the light falls on them just right, because the ice is so transparent. Tile little point in the center is a vacuum. These "flowers" always form parallel to the surface of freezing, so that the whole frozen surface of a pond would show them if the ice were formed under perfect conditions." Use. Of what use is ice? How do we keep our water cool in the summer time? How are vegetables, fruits and meats kept from decaying in the summer? Where does this immense supply of ice come from? Where do we get the ice that is used in our city? Find out. Is rt'//ourice secured from rivers, lakes and ponds? Have you ever heard of ice frozen by means of chemicals? Find out something more about this. Where is ice stored for use? When is it harvested? How cut? Speak of the sanding of highways during icy days, and man's care for animals. What people build houses of ice? Use ice for beds and chairs? Ice serves as protection to animals in streams. Tell of the ice boats used on the river, and to carry sup- plies to the men in Alaska. Tell of the ice sleds used by Indian and Eskimo children. They cannot buy boats, so they make them. They cut great slabs of ice which they trim into proper shape, rounding them up in front, rubbing them ofl" smoothly and making holes for the rope in a most ingenious way. They procure a hollow reed and putting a little water into it, they blow through it upon the ice. The water rises and falls as the child blows or draws in his breath, and gradually bores a hole through the slab. But the ice sled would be cold and slippery, so water is poured upon it and a layer of grass, rubbed fine, pressed down and frozen into place, and the sled is ready; and tucking their little robes around them, away the children go at a speed it THE PLAN BOOK. 617 would be hard to match by the sharp steel runners of our own boys and girls. An excellent article on harvesting ice may be found in The Youth's Companion Supplementary Reader, No. 17. Reading Lesson. About Icebergs. Youth's Com., Sup. R., No. 5. The Snow Image, Cyr's Fourth Reader. Snow. Normal Third Reader, (Todd & Powell). The Snow-flake's Story. Normal Third Reader, (Todd & Powell). Beautiful Flakes of Snow. (Poem). Normal Third Reader. Snow-flakes. (Poem). Normal Third Reader. The Snow. (Poem). Normal Third Reader. The First Snow Fall. Cyr's Third Reader. The First Snow Fall. Fifth Reader in Stepping Stones to Literature. Drawing. Paint snow scenes. Use charcoal and white crayon. Illus- trate "Snow Bound." Picture children snow balling, building snow man or sliding down hill. Draw different kinds of sleighs, sleds and snow-shoes, ice boats, ice houses. Draw snow crystals. Language. Subjects for compositions: Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights, Winter Sports and Work, Arctic Regions and Explo- rations, Snow Storms and Blizzards, Fishing Through the Ice, Harvesting Ice. Snow Bound. Snow Bound may be made into a series of delightful stud- ies, when one presents it as a winter story. The pen pictures of the old home and sketches of the fire- 618 THE PLAN BOOK. side members will give the children an insight into the per- .. sonal life of Whittier. | Let pupils illustrate this as fancy suggests. Some will enjoy making cuttings or silhouettes, which show the details of the kitchen fire-place. "The cat's dark silhouette on the wall A couchant tiger's seemed to fall. The mug of cider simmered slow, The apples sputtered in a row, And, close at hand, the basket stood With nuts from brown October's wood." "Meanwhile we did our nightly chores, — Brought in the wood from out of doors." Songs. The Snow-flakes. Smith, No. 2. Snow-ball Song. Smith, No. 2. Beautiful Flakes of Snow. Howlitson's. Little Miss Snow-flake. Howlitson's. Merry Snow-flakes. Hill's Songs. Snow-clouds. Hill's Songs. Jack Frost. Hill's Songs. Earth's Winter Dress. Hill's Songs. Literature. POEMS. 1 Snow Bound. Whittier. The Snow Storm. Emerson. The First Snow-fall. Lowell. Description of Winter. In Sir Launfal. Snow Shower. Bryant. It Snows. Hannah Gould, in Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. Help One Another. Hannah Gould, in Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. Snow Storm. Lucy Larcom. THE PLAN BOOK. 619 STORIES. The Snow Queen; The Snow Man and The Ice Maiden, by Hans Andersen. Snow Image, Hawthorne. Circle of Bless- ings, Mrs. Gatty's Parables' from Nature. Sketches from the "Land of the Midnight Sun;" Northern Travels, by Bayard Taylor. Story of Agoonack, from Seven Little Sisters. Ad- ventures of men who have tried to sail through the northern waters, etc., as Nansen's Farthest North; Hawthorne's Snow Image, (Cyr's Fourth Reader) . H. H.'s "Winter Companion," (an open wood fire). Se- lections from John Burroughs. The Cotter's Saturday Night, by Burns. Boys of Other Lands, Bayard Taylor. NEW YEAR'S DAY IN THE ORIENT. To the children of the Turkish Orient New Year's Day is the most important of the year. The people make great preparations for this, just as we do for our Christmas festivities. The shops and streets are decorated with festoons of paper flowers, with lights and with images. They are full too, of good things such as children all over the world love, candies, fruits, cakes and toys. It is not cold in this country, so the children and their parents walk about on New Year's Eve to see the decorations and display in the shops. You would think the costumes of these people rather odd. The boys wear short, full, wide trousers. Their hats are much like those we see here on very little people; some wear a little red fez, with a tassel, and others a large pointed cap the end of which hangs down on one side. Some of the children have bare legs, and others wear long robes that almost touch the ground. After they have tired of the gay sights they go about from house to house, singing songs. Sometimes they stop at a house, knock, and when the door is opened they sing a song 620 THE PLAN BOOK. about their Saint, in whose honor this day is observed. The name of this great man was Bishop Basil. He did a very- great deal of good and after his death the people spoke of him as a saint. The}^ think he still watches over the homes and the children. And the children think he comes and distributes presents among them New Years Eve. As the people pass from house to house singing their songs they receive presents of money or fruit and cakes. Now these last are very wonderful sweetmeats called St. Basil cakes. The}^ are decorated in a most beautiful way and made in the form of leaves, flowers, shells or figures, and some- times dolls. The children are very fond of these cakes, so a great num- ber of them are made. Some are sent to the poor children, and some to the singers and guests who are sure to come. .^ f»T*miii^i TiiiiinTTi'.-iiiiiiimi] - mrTffTTTTT;»iitiii»iiii By Day. ' Notice the time of the rising and setting of the sun, and its height at noon. See if it is higher at the end than at the be- ginning of the month. Notice whether the days have grown any longer, and, if so, how much? Can the moon be seen by day? Have you ever seen the day star, Sirius? Look for the morning stars, Venus and Saturn. THE PLAN BOOK. 621 By Night. How many full moons do we have this month? Let pupils discover, if they can, any change in time or position of rising and setting. Record the time of rising, path and shape of the moon from day to day, noticing which way the horns point. There are eight first magnitude stars to be seen this month. Let us see if we can find them. Suppose we look for Regulus in Leo (the Lion). It is the only first magnitude star near the ecliptic. It rises in the east, and may be found in the handle end of the figure shaped like a sickle. It is near the Great Bear. Sirius, the Day Star, is one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and may be seen in the southeast. It is in the Greater Dog above the horizon, southeast of Orion. Vego may be found low in the west. Orion is one of the brightest of the constellations. It is as marked in the southern sky as the Great Bear in the northern. Under Orion is the small constellation of Lepus, called the Hare. Look low in the north for the Dragon, and below the Pole star for the Little Dipper. The Great Dipper is in the northeast. Between Gemini and Leo is Cancer, the Crab. One of the most southern stars is on the ecliptic. The Greeks believed that they saw pictures of people and animals of all kinds in the sky, and imagined all kinds of stories to account for the figures they found among the stars. Here are some of the myths: Orion. Orion was the son of Neptune, who was a god. Orion was a handsome giant and mighty hunter. To him his father gave the power of wading through depths of the sea, or of walking on its surface. Diana, goddess of the moon, was called the queen huntress, and spent much of her time enjoying the pleasures of the 622 THE PLAN BOOK. chase. Orion spent much of his time with Diana and wished to make her his wife. This displeased Diana's brother, Apollo, who planned a way to get rid of Orion. One day, as Orion was wandering far out in the sea, with only his head above water, Apollo spied him. He called his sister s attention to the black spot and asked her to see if she could hit it with her arrows. The arrows hit and killed Orion and when his dead body floated ashore and Diana saw what she had done, she placed him among the stars, where he appears as a giant with a gir- dle, sword, lion's skin and club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiades fly before him. The Plei.^des. This is a name given to a cluster of stars in the shoulder of the bull. There are hundreds of these stars and clusters of stars in the sky. Some stars move in one direction and some in another, but the Pleiades all move in the same direction. The Pleiades were said to be the seven daughters of Atlas, and were so beautiful that Orion pursued them across wood and dale, till the sisters called on Jupiter to help them. He changed them into doves, and afterward placed them among the stars; but, strange to say, they are drifting toward him now instead of away from him. One of the seven stars supposed to represent the sisters does not shine as bright as the rest, so the Grecians called it the ''Lost Pleiad." Show picture of the "Dance of the Pleiades" and the "Lost Pleiad" in 'Round the Year in Myth and Song,by Miss Holbrook. Orion's Belt, or Frigg's Spinning Wheel. Long ago the gods built a house for Frigg, up among the clouds. She worked all day in the house, with her maids to help, doing things to make people happy. When the work was done, she sat down to the spinning wheel, to spin golden thread to give to the men who worked hard for their wives and children. THE PLAN BOOK. 623 At night the spinning wheel was set in one of the palace windows. Then everyone sat down and sang songs, or told stories of brave men who did noble deeds. They told of women who were always patient and kind, and of children who were always merry and unselfish. Then they all went to sleep until day light came again. The palace in the sky is not there now, but in the winter we still see the spinning wheel stand- ing in the window. Did you ever see the spinning-wheel? Some people call it Orion's Belt. The Zodiac. The Zodiac is the path in the heavens, apparently pursued by the Sun in his yearly journey through the skies. In this part of the heavens, in this path, are constellations called the Zodiacal Constellations. There are twelve signs of the Zodiac: Aries, the Ram; Taurus, the Bull; Gemini, the Twins; Cancer, the Crab; Leo, the Lion; Virgo, the Virgin; Libra, the Balance; Scorpio, the Scorpion; Capricornus the Goat; Aquarius, the Water-bearer; and Pisces, the Fishes. This old fashioned verse will help pupils to remember the order in which these come. "The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins, Above the Crab the Lion shines, The Virgin and the Scales, The Scorpion, Archer and Sea- Goat, The Man that holds the Watering-pot, The Fish with glittering scales." The following stories will help to fix the constellations and names. Ram — Story of the Golden Fleece. Bull — Story of Europa. Tv/ins — Story of Castor and Pollux. Crab — Story of Hercules. Lion — Story of the Labors of Hercules. 624 THE PLAN BOOK. Virgin — Story of Astroea, the goddess of innocence and purity; her mother was Justice holding the scales. Scorpion — Story of Orion and the Earth. Archer — Story of Chiron, the best and wisest of the Cen- taurs, taught by Diana and Apollo. Man with Watering pot — Ganj^mede, cupbearer to the gods. Fishes — Story of Andromeda; the polygon in the Fishes is, the head of Cetus, the sea monster. You will find pictures with these odd signs in the almanac. The people in olden times spoke of them as we speak of the months. They attached a meaning to them. When the earth passed through Aquarius, the water-bearer, wet weather was sure to come. When passing through the Archer it was time to go hunting, etc. A star atlas will be necessary to teach the shape of groups of stars. The m3^ths mentioned may be found in Bullfinch's Age of Fable, Myths of Old Greece, Vols. I. II. and III., by Educa- tional Pub. Co.; Old Greek Stories, American Book Co.; Stor- ies of Long Ago and Old Greece, by D. C. Heath & Co. A helpful book which every teacher will want is Story-land of Stars, by Mary L. Pratt; Published by the Educational Pub. Company. What Stars are Made Of. The stars are made of iron, copper, zinc, and other such metals, but the heat is so intense that these metals are turned into vapor. You have seen the steam coming from the spout of a kettle when water is boiling, and you know then that the water is scalding hot. But imagine heat so great that masses of iron and copper are not only melted, but turned into vapor. Then you have some idea of the intense heat that prevails on the stars. The rains that fall on earth are made up of drops of water, but the rainfalls on the stars must be drops of melt- ing iron, while the clouds that form are sheets of molten metal. the plan book. 625 Twinkling Stars. A great ocean of air surrounds the earth, and at times this ocean is disturbed and then there are waves of air. In looking at the stars through these waves their light seems to dance about. When the air is still the starlight is steady. When it moves the stars twinkle. Planets. The stars that are the largest and do not twinkle at all are planets. A star is a burning mass bright and shining like a hot coal. A planet is cold and like a coal burned out. The planets are so much nearer to us than the stars that we can see them as they move between us and the stars on their jour- ney around the sun. The stars that have become planets shine with light borrowed from the sun. The largest planet is Jupiter, and may be found in the south. The people in olden time believed that lightning and thunder-bolts came from it. The planets next in size are Sat- urn, Neptune, Uranus, The Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury. Mercury is named after the god of thieves; it is nearest the sun and from it receives more heat than any other planet. The planet Mars, called the planet of war, is near our own earth, and seems to be tinted red. The brightest . planet is Venus, which may sometimes be seen in daylight, and always seen in the. east or west. This is sometimes called the even- ing star. Jupiter may be seen about ten o'clock the last week of Jan- uary, shining in the east. Mercury may be seen in the morn- ing of January 29. If you wish to see it look for it low in the east just before sunrise. The Milky Way. This is a luminous, cloud-like band, which stretches across the heavens in a great circle, and consists of myriads of stars closely crowded together. They are so far from us that we cannot see the stars themselves but only the appearance of diffused light. (526 THE PLAN BOOK. Let the pupils look for the milky way on dark moonless nights. Tell them the story of this road of the gods, with its golden dust over which so many heroes traveled. The Grec- ians called the Milky Way the road to the palace of Heaven. Tell the Russian Legend of the Milky Way. Related Lessons. ICE HARVESTING. Materials. — Pictures which show the process of harvesting ice. The business of harvesting ice is one of our most profitable industries, yet how little we hear or know of it. Is there a single member of the class who can give a des- cription of the way in which ice is gathered? "Ice is nature's gift to everybody. There is no property in it, no ownership of it by any one until it has been marked out to cut. Any one may do that and possess the ice if he is able to cut it afterward. An ice-claim must be marked out anew each year and pre- empted over again as often as the ice melts away. As soon as the ice is strong enough to bear a man, the claim is staked out b}' setting bushes or stakes in the ice, or often, where it is very systematically done, by setting in joists with boards nailed across them. The construction of an ice-house on the bank carries with it, in practice, the right to cut the ice on the river in front of it; and as the ice could not be secured without an ice-house in which to store it, only those who are able to get a foothold on the land can gather the ice-harvest, theoretically free to all. There is nothing to do, after the claim is marked out, until the ice has become thick enough to carry a horse, so that the snow may be scraped off as fast as it falls. Ice will not make rapidly under snow, and will not attain its full thickness. The iceman's most anxious time is when there is danger of a snowfall on the ice before it is strong enough to bear horses to scrape it. THE PLAN BOOK. 627 If the snow steals a march on the scrapers in this way, it is often necessary to get rid of it by a very laborious and ex- pensive process. A hole is cut through the ice, and the snow saturated with water. When this freezes the ice will bear a horse; but the worthless snow- ice thus formed must be planed off, also by horse-power, with a planer made for the purpose. The scraping and planing is called cultivating the ice, and it is generally a very expensive sort of cultivation. A single night may cause the icemen an expense of five or six thousand dollars in the cost of the removal of a heavy snow-fall. The iceman's crop is nearly ripe when clear ice has formed to a thickness of twelve inches, and then the preparations are made for the harvest. From the point on the shore where the elevator leading to the ice-house reaches the brink, a canal is opened out into the river, through which blocks of ice are presently to be floated to the house. It must be kept clear as long as the ice harvest continues. In the day, the constant moving of the blocks of ice through the water keeps the channel open, but in very cold weather it is necessary to have a man march up and down the channel all night long, crushing and scattering the thin sheets of ice as they form, with a triangle made of heavy pieces of wood which he drags through the water. It is generally the middle of January before the ice has be- come thick enough to cut. The ice has now a thickness of from twelve to eighteen inches. The field is then carefully marked off with a grooving ma- chine drawn by a horse, into blocks which are generally twen- ty-two by thirty inches square. An ice-plow which cuts to a depth of six inches first fol- lows the marker's grooves, then comes another which cuts two inches deeper, and then another, cutting still deeper, and so on until the trenches have been carried so deep that the blocks of ice may be barred off or loosened from the field. Beginning at the outermost end of the canal, and working 628 THE PLAN BOOK. out at right angles with it as far as the field has been marked, the workmen break off, with a heavy wedge-shaped instru- ment called a bursting bar, sheets or sections of blocks of ice, making a new channel running off from the original canal. Through this channel the sheets of ice are forced by means of hooks, to the main canal, and thence to the foot of the ele- vator which runs to the ice-house. At this point a narrow bridge of planks is thrown across the canal, upon which is posted a man armed with an iron bar. Standing with his face toward the shore, this man separates the sheets of ice into single blocks, with quick blows of his bar as they float beneath him. With a quick push this man thrusts each block over re- volving chains upon the elevator. These chains are provided with logs or straight bars of wood, and the block is drawn up the inclined plane into the ice-house by the continual move- ment of the elevator. In the house, the blocks of ice are placed close together on their sides and left three or four inches apart at the ends, so that they will not freeze together with the melting and freez- ing to come. The crop is harvested now; and if the iceman has had a fairly fortunate season, he has garnered at least a thousand tons to the acre. Thus a crop which costs nothing for seed, nothing for the ground to raise it upon and nothing to fertilize, but a good deal to cultivate and still more to harvest, becomes a source of wealth to many, and of profitable employment to many more. — Adapted from The Youth's Companion. "The frost is here And fuel is dear, And woods are sere, And fires burn clear. And frost is here And has bitten the heel of the going year." — Tennyson, the plan book. 629 Things To Find Out. Effects of freezing and thawing upon different kinds of ground under varying conditions. Why does the earth crack in intense cold? Does ground covered with sod freeze easily? Which would freeze sooner, the ground on the north side of a house, or that upon the south? Explain. Does the ground of a city street freeze? What damage is done by the soils freezing? To what depth is the ground frozen? Why is the snow less deep on the river than on the meadows on either side? How is "snow-ice" formed? How does it differ from other ice? How is a toboggan made? In what country near us are snow-shoes used very fre- quently? Why should this happen? Where is it winter now? Summer? What does Jack Frost paint? Where can we see the Aurora Borealis? How does smoke rise on a clear cold day. What are the Northern lights? When can we see them? What do you know of the Signal House, Mount Washing- ton, Pike's Peak and other stations? An article on the Signal Stations at Pike's Peak may be found in the Youth's Companion Supplementary Reader No. 1 1 . HAPPY NEW YEAR A happy New Year, happy New Year; oh, send it afar, To the girls and the boys, wherever they are; To the rich and the poor, to the high and the low, — Oh! scatter its blessings wherever you go Happy New Year, dear children, whose hames are so bright; Happy New Year to you whose hearts are so light: Happy New Year, — oh, say it to all who can hear, It will cost you but little, — some hearts it may che^r. — Sel. 630 THE PLAN BOOK. I ^ PLANT LIFE. ^ I The Evergreens. January Observations of Plant Life. Related Topic — Lumbering. EVERGREEN. Take pupils to a field or yard where the whole tree may be observed, if possible. General Appearance. Shape, — Conical, round, wide at bottom. Tree tapers to a point at top. Height. — Height varies with species, some grow to be a hundred feet high, others no taller than the average man. Trunk. — Large at base, narrower near top. Very straight. Branches. — In some species branches grow near the ground, in others, a great distance from the ground. The trunks of these very tall trees make good masts for ships. Notice the pines that grow near our school. How do the branches grow on these? Notice how the branches grow shorter, making tree taper toward top. Note the length, shape, position, and way in which they are attached to the trunk. Notice the horizontal position. How does this help the trees bear and throw off their burdens of snow? Let pupils sketch results of observations made in field, and bring to the school room evergreens to be used for the next lesson, as twigs of different species of pine, cones, pine wood and products of pine tree. / the plan book. 631 Buds. Kxamine buds of the pine. Covering of pitch and chaff- like scales. Note circle of scales on branches. Cause? I.EAVES. Shape. — Needle-like. Flattened on inner side. Why shaped so thin and long? Thickness. — Compare to other leaves. Why are they so thick and tough? Number. — Are the needles put on singly or in bunches? How many needles in a bunch? Does each bunch contain the same number of needles? What holds the needles together? (A sheath). How long are the needles? What color? Were there any needles on the ground under the tree? What color were they? When does the pine tree shed its needles? CONEvS. The fruit of the pine tree is a woody cone, scales arranged according to plan of tree. Note the size, shape. What they hold. Find a thin scale inside your cone. These are the seeds. What is the sticky substance on the cone? (Resin). What do the pine cones do when wet? When very dry? Lay some of the cones in water and others on the hot register for a time and see what effect the damp and heat have upon them. When the scales open what do the seeds do? Each scale has a little cavity to hold the seeds. How many seeds does one pocket hold? What color are the seeds? Notice the wings. Why should it have wings? What would happen to most of the fine seeds if they were not supplied with wings? When do the cones fall to the ground? Have the pine trees near us their cones yet? Sometimes the cones stay on the tree. With other trees the cones fall when the seeds are out of the cones. Bark. Surface. — Smooth. Grows rough as tree grows old. Thick- ness. Taste. Color of bark changes toward end of branches. 632 the plan book. Juice. The pine tree has juice it does not need. Do you know how it gets rid of this? How many have seen this juice ooze out of the bark? What do men do with this juice? Make tar, pitch, turpentine, chewing gum. Wood. Color of the wood; coarse or fine grained; weight; hard or soft; rings of growth. Show a cross section of wood with bark, sap-wood, heart wood and pitch. Note difference between heart- wood and sap-wood; rays. IDENTIFYING THE EVERGREENS. The following directions for distinguishing the more com- mon kinds of evergreens may be of help to teachers. Alore complete descriptions can be found in Gray's "School and Field Book" or "Manual," or in a book on trees, such as Apgar's Trees of the Northern United States. Pines may be distinguished by their needle-shaped leaves, two, three or five leaves bound together by a sheath at the back. The more common species are: White pine: Leaves in fives, three to four inches long. Australian or Black Pine: Leaves in twos, three to five inches long, from short sheaths. These include the Northern Gray Pine, Scrub Pine, Red or Norway Pine and Table Mountain Pine. Yellow Pine: Leaves in twos, sometimes threes, three to five inches long, from long sheaths. Scotch Pine: Leaves in twos, one and a half to two and a half inches long, from short sheaths. Arbor Vitae Cedar: Leaves simple, scale like, somewhat ^%^ shaped, bright green and closely pressed in four rows up and down flat handles; cones, less than half an inch long, scales not pointed. Spruce: Leaves not clustered; needle shaped, less than one inch long, four sided, sharp, all around branches; cones, very large; Nonvay Spruce cones, five inches long, hang in a drooping position. f^ST THE PLAN BOOK. 633 Pzrs: Leaves like those of Hemlock, but without stem; somewhat two-ranked. The Fir and Hemlock have small, rounded cones, and on the Cedars are found the purple berries, with a whitish powder on them. He7nlock: You may early recognize this, by its leaves not clustered, narrow; blunt; sometimes finely toothed, toward the apex; flat; green above, silver white beneath; cones small. Where Found. The white pine is the most widely distributed, and dense forests of this are located in Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada. Pines are found especially in the northern part of New England, around the Great Lakes, about the head waters of the Mississippi, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, in the wooded parts of Rocky Mountains, on the Pacific Slope, in Oregon, Wash- ington, British Columbia and Alaska. USES AND VALUE OF PINE— LUMBER. Material. — A piece of resinous pine, resin, a bottle of tur- pentine, pieces of pine and hard wood, pencils, matches, and other articles made of pine. Have pupils visit a lumber yard and a sawmill before giv- ing this lesson, if possible. Call attention to the interior work of the schoolroom, to articles of furniture. Pine is used for this because of its light- ness. (Let pupils test weight of piece of pine and a piece of hard wood.) Pine can be easily worked on account of its softness and straight grain, and the wood is sufficiently durable for many purposes. (Examine grain of pine and compare with other pieces of wood.) The trees being very tall and having small branches, the trunks make a good material for long, straight timbers, such as telegraph poles, etc. Nearly all the lumber used in the building of houses, 634 THE PLAN BOOK. barns, factories and sidewalks, etc., in the prairie states came from the pineries. The pines furnish us with more lumber than all the other trees taken together. Different kinds of pine are used for fuel, for bridge piling, railroad ties, telegraph poles, and in the manufacture of matches, pencils, railroad cars and furniture. The white pine furnishes the most valuable timber. This is used for furnishing houses inside and out. More white pine is used for doors and other inside furnishings than all other woods combined. The pitch pine has little value for timber compared to the white pine. It has too much pitch for most uses, but lasts well, and so is often used for floors where heavy machinery is used. lis branches are full of resin. The yellow pine gives a harder wood than that of the other pines, and it is very valuable. The wood is a beautiful yel- low, but is not easy to work, and so it cannot be utilized for many purposes. It is used for floors and the decks of vessels, as it wears well and does not splinter. From it are obtained tar, turpentine, resin and oil. Its leaves are used for the manufacture of "pinewool," from which cord and cloth are made. Many 3'oung trees of this variety are brought to our markets for Christmas trees. The cheaper grades of lumber are even more in demand. Wood, too soft for fine work or having knots, is used in large quantities for boxes. The kinds too narrow for finishings or cross-grained are used for fence palings and laths. Other members of the pine family are the spruce, hemlock and balsam. The bark of the hemlock is used for tanning, and its leaves made into brooms. From the balsam fir are made balsam pillows, because of the aromatic flavor. It is more commonly used for a Christmas tree than any other. Spruce yields gum. Other Uses of Pine. Speak of the rosin, pitch tar and turpentine yielded by the pine tree. Tell as much as possible of these products. THE PLAN BOOK. 635 The leaves of the tree are of use also. They are com- pressed into blocks for fuel and tufts of leaves tied together are used for brooms in some places. Some are made into cord and cloth. The tree furnishes food, homes and shelter to birds and other animals. Animals such as fowls and swine eat the seeds. The seeds of some kinds are also used for food by the Indians. Last but not least, it is used for Christmas trees and to decorate our homes and lawns. Construction Work. Collect the kinds of paper made of wood and make into booklets. In these books record the facts concerning the ever- green studied, or write the analysis given. Illustrate each page by a drawing of the species of tree, leaves or cone on opposite. Secure spruce card board for portfolio or a chart to be de- voted to specimens of evergreen and products. Fasten on these cards (or sheets), sprays of pine, cones, berries, bark and wood. Split the bark down the back of the stem, remove the hard interior and flatten it upon the card. The cones may be cut in two vertically. Both vertical and horizontal sections of wood should be used, and sections polished and unpolished. On the product chart may be fastened a bit of spruce gum, a piece of spruce pulp paper, a bit of hemlock tanning bark, tar, rosin, a tiny bottle of turpentine and a little lead pencil. If a chart is desired punch holes in these large sheets and hang on the wall; or if a portfolio, the small cards may be tied in one corner with a strong cord. To this may be added the paintings in water color of leaves, bark, cones and berries of species of evergreen studied. Drawing. Suggest that pupils draw pictures suggested by pine trees and to those pupils who find it difficult to call some such pic- ture to mind, give a slip of paper containing such suggestions 636 THE PLAN BOOK. as: — a ship showing masts of pine; a line of telegraph poles; birds feeding on cedar berries; a hand holding a cedar pencil; a painter at work with his pot and brush; a lumber camp; a saw mill, etc. In the book devoted to pine illustrations, draw on each leaf the leaves, cone and section of a different kin(J of pine, and under it an appropriate quotation about pine. Hiawatha is rich in reference to evergreens. Searching for appropriate quotations among the works of authors will prove a good form of seat work, or this may be done at home. To some pupils give Longfellow, to others Whittier, Lowell, etc. Let pupils make a note of those quotations which appeal to them, and report in class. The others in class may copy these and give in turn others which they have found. This work may be taken up during the language period. Call attention to quotation marks and ask that all papers be handed in for examination after being neatly copied. Drawing. Draw twigs and cones, bark and cross sections of wood. Draw different pine trees and other species of evergreen. Language. Composition subjects suggested by uses of the pine; the way in which tar pitch, turpentine and resin are secured and prepared for the market; the ways in which these products are used. Arithmetic. Find the cost of different kinds of pine. Geography. Lumbering. Poems. The Discontented Pine Tree, by Eudora Bumpstead. Na- ture in Verse. THE PLAN BOOK. 637 Three Trees, by Kiidora Bumpstead. Nature in Verse. The Little Fir Trees. St. Nicholas. To a Pine Tree. Lowell. The Pine Forest of Monterey. Bayard Taylor. Hiawatha's Sailing. Longfellow. My Cathedral. Longfellow. The Legend of Skadi. Lucy Larcum. Ariel in the Cloven Pine. Bayard Taylor. Myths and Stories. The Fir Tree. Andersen. Law of the Wood. Parables of Nature. The Discontented Pine Tree. Among the Pines, and A Great Arboritum, in Youth's Companion Supplementary Reading No. 17. Reading Lesson. The Spruce Tree. Normal Third Reader. Todd & Powell. Pine Needles. Normal Third Reader. Todd & Powell. Pine Tree Shillings. New Era Fourth Reader. Pine Trees. Cyr's Fifth Reader. Aspect of the Pines. Cyr's Fifth Reader. Things to Find Out. Does the sap in trees freeze? Do more plants and buds die in the cold winters when the snowfall is heavy or when it is light? What animals feed on the buds of young trees ? (The chickadees are said to eat only such buds as contain grubs and eggs.) What plants are alive under the snow? What trees are the lumbermen cutting now? LUMBERING. Material. — Illustrations which will show the different oper- ations. Pictures of sawmills and the camp. 638 the plan book. Suggestions. Let pupils construct miniature logging camp on sand table. Build log houses. IMake corduroy roads. Oblong tin pans will serve as pond or river. Use evergreen twigs for trees ; toy sleds and horse will take the place of the real. Build sawmill on the river; piles of lumber Cover sand with flour to represent snow. Fill tin pan with water, on which logs and rafts may be floated. Introduction. Ask pupils to name articles in the room which are made of wood, as walls, floor, seats, frame of clock, pencils, erasers, etc. Where do they come from? Of what made? How is the wood secured to make all these things? Where? What do we call the men who chop down trees and prepare them for sawmill? The Lumberman. How does the lumberman live while he is doing this work? What kind of a house does he live in ? What does he eat ? Who prepares his food ? Who are his companions ? When does he do this work? Why in winter? Where are camps located ? Why near the rivers or rail- roads? Tell about camp life. Who cuts the trees down ? What tools are used ? What becomes of the trees when cut ? How are they carried to the river or railroad ? How do the logs float down the river without becoming jammed? What is a boom? A log driver? Who pulls the logs off the sand bar or snags ? How do the different camps along the river get their logs separated when all float down the river together ? How are they marked? Is the life of a lumberman easy or pleasant? The Sawmill. Describe a sawmill. Why located near water and railroads? How are logs taken up into the mill? How loaded? How prr^E^T THE PLAN BOOK. • 639 cut? Mention kinds of ways in which wood is cut. Slabs, shingles, etc. Song. The Woodman. Eleanor Smith, No. 2. Literature. The Honest Woodman, in The Child's World or Lights to Literature Third Reader. Silver, Burdette Co. The Lumberman. Whittier. References. Read "Amoug the Pines," Youth's Companion. Sup. Reader No. 17. Lumbermen of the Series, No. 12. Every teacher who expects to take up this work in the In- termediate Grades should have W. F. Rocheleau's Great American Industries, Products of the. Soil. A set of illus- trated reading leaflets on lumbering has been issued to put into the hands of the pupils in Third and Fourth Grades. Pupils are expected to use these for silent reading, and then to reproduce the topics orally as language lessons. Ask for Leaflet on Lumbering. These are ten cents a dozen, or a penny apiece. Preparation for Lumbering. Felling trees, peeling bark, loading, drawing, rafting, log- ging, camping, etc., saw-mill, sawing, etc. (Teacher should read of the logging camps of Wisconsin, Canada, or Maine, and should give children a vivid description of this work, using pictures.) Charcoal Bits. — Make experiment by allowing some chips to char over a slow fire. Children observe and give inference. Value of Lumber. — Think of the occupations and life of men engaged in this work, and of the money needed, etc. Make it practical. 640 the plan book. Lumbering Lumber trade, by which is meant the commerce in timber for building houses, ships, etc., boards, planks, laths, scantling, shingles, staves, clapboards, railroad ties, telegraph poles, etc., is one of the most extensive and important industries of the United States, and, indeed, of the world. Ever}' process in lumbering is interesting. Before the timber can be cut it must first be estimated and purchased, sometimes from the Government, but more frequently in recent years from private owners. A timber expert, with judgment educated by long experience, will estimate the product of a given area at, say, 500,000 feet, much as a horse-dealer esti- mates that a horse weighs, say, 1,000 pounds. The purchase is conducted on the basis of the expert's statement of the. prob- able amount of timber. The Camp. Long before the beginning of winter the lumberman com- mences to prepare his campaign for the logging season. He selects his places of operation in the wood and locates his camps, builds his shanties and makes his roads. All this must be done before snow comes. A logging camp is located as near the timber to be worked as possible; but in deciding on the location other conditions have to be considered, such as good water, and connection with a good road leading to the base of supplies. The men engaged in logging are rather rough in appear- ance, but are a jolly goodhearted set and, as a rule, are robust and healthy. The life of the camp is not an easy one. The men must be up in the morning and ready for work as soon as it is light enough for them to begin. The teamsters breakfast at four, and are often out on the road before light, while the foreman, cook, and blacksmith may have to work far into the night. THE PLAN BOOK. 641 A TYPICAI. CAMP. INTERIOR OF CAMP. 642 THE PLAN BOOK. AT WORK. SKIDDING. THE PLAN BOOK. ' 643 The evenings are spent in reading, telling stories, mending clothes, and if there happens to be a fiddle in the company and one who can play it, dancing. But the old proverb, "early to bed and early to rise," has a practical application in the lumber camp. That the men may be ready for the next day's work, lights are ordered out at an early hour. Card playing, gambling, and the use of intoxicating liquors are now pro- hibited in most camps. The men sleep in rough wooden bunks arranged in tiers along the sides of the camp, boughs or hay with a blanket spread over forming the bed. Along each side of the camp is a seat made of a thick heavy slab for which the bunk-frames furnish a back, and this substantial structure is celled the "Deacon Seat." The men spend the evening lounging in the bunks or ranged along seats talking and singing, the camp be- coming in fact a social club during the evening hour. Felling the Trees. When the camp is ready for work the foreman goes through the woods and marks the trees that are to be cut. The choppersand sawyers follow, felling the trees and cutting them into logs. Formerly the trees were chopped down, but now the saw has taken the place of the axe, as it works faster and saves lumber. By driving a wedge into the kerf made by the saw, the tree can be made to fall in almost any direction desired. The trees are cut into logs varying in length from twelve to eighteen feet, according to the size and length of the tree. Some trees will make five logs, and two good men working together will sometimes cut eighty logs a day. Skidding. After the trees are cut into lengths they are sawed into logs ready to go to the skidway, so they can be loaded with the least possible effort. This consists of two logs or timber laid about ten feet apart at one side of the log road, and well blocked up, upon which a 644 THE PLAN BOOK. tier of logs is placed ready to be loaded on the sleds to go to the banking-ground. Small logs are hauled from the stump to the skidway with the use of "skidding tongs," and the larger logs are hauled on a rude sled consisting of two wide runners and a single cross beam. Loading and Transportation. The logs are loaded on sleds from the skidway. When the road is good the only limit to the load is the capacity of the sleds, and to pile up a load of logs higher than a load of hay requires judgment and experience; the larger logs are placed in the lower tiers and the smaller ones used to top off with. In the winter of 1893 a photograph was taken of a load of logs in Michigan which measured more than 30 feet from the floor of the sled to the top of the load, and this enormous load was drawn by a single span of horses. The load then goes to the banking-ground, perhaps passing on the road a number of men who are employed in keeping the road in good condition, covering a bare place with snow, or bridging it where it is soft, or building it up w'here the sleds are inclined to sheer. When the load arrives, the chains which bind it are loosened, the logs rolled off, measured by a man called the "scaler," and placed in tiers ready to be rolled into the stream when the ice breaks up. Banking the logs also requires careful judgment and expert work. With the melting of the snow and ice comes the dragging in and drawing of the logs. The banking-grounds swarm with men, armed with canthooks, who attack the great logs and roll them into the stream. Teams are frequently used to loosen "key-logs." When this is pulled out, the whole face of the hoUway topples forward into the stream. This is repeated again and again until all the logs are floating in the water. After this the logs are ready to start for the boom, there to be sorted according to ownership, and then delivered to the mills to be made into lumber. As the logs were floated they were strung out along the stream as much as possible by men THE PLAN BOOK. 645 whose duty it is to keep tHe main body of logs in motion, breaking up jams where the logs block up the river by wedg- ing in sharp bends, or lodging on sunken tree-tops, or ground- ing on sand-bars. The rear crew follow after, looking for stray logs that may have rolled out on the bank or become lodged in some manner. In low water many of the larger logs drag, and, as they accumulate, must be rolled over every sand-bar and rilHe, and the crew frequently work from daylight to dark waist deep in icy water. These men receive double ordinary wages. The drive ends when the logs have been floated down to the mill, there to be converted into lumber of various kinds. The estimated value of the annual output of lumber in the United States is placed at $240,000,000. Work of the Mills. A saw-mill is usually located on the bank cf some body of water large enough to float the logs to be worked up. This is a matter of economy in handling. The logs are drawn into the mill in the same manner as they are drawn upon the plat- form for the railway. In the mill they are made into all the forms of lumber in general use. The average large mill contains at least a band saw, a cir- cular saw, two gangs, edging and trimming saws, a lath-mill, and a shingle-mill. In addition to these, some mills have ma- chines for making clap-boards, chair-backs, and other special forms of lumber. The band and circular saws cut but one board at a time, but eat their way through the log with won- derful rapidity. In fact they run so fast that the men who ride on the carriages have to be experienced hands, or they would be thrown off. The gang moves slowly, but accomplishes the most work, as it often saws several logs at once. Gangs are of various sizes, the smallest has twenty-four saws and the largest sixty. The saws move up and down like the single saw of the old 646 THE PLAN BOOK. fashioned New England mill. Each gang cuts as many boards as it has saws. Besides the machinery for cutting the lumber, we must have the power necessary to keep it running. This is sup- plied by a powerful engine, or water wheels. In either case, the power will be found in a separate room or 'building. There must also be a repair and filing room, in which the tools are stored, the saws filed, and most of the repairs made. When the logs enter the mill they are fastened to the saw- carriages, and as fast as the saw drops a board it falls on a set of rollers, which take it to the machine that trims the edges. From this saw it is carried to the machine that tiims the ends, and this machine drops it on a set of rollers that take it to a large platform whence it is carried to the yard and stacked. Here it is liable to remain until it is seasoned or sold. As all wood shrinks in drying, lumber needs to be thoroughly sea- soned before it can be used for any except the roughest pur- poses. Many large mills contain drying kilns, planing mills, and other machinerj'- for the manufacture of the lumber into boards, casings, sash moulding, and in short, everything for which lumber is used in finishing buildings. USES. The uses of wood are so numerous and common that most of us know by far the greater part of them. Wood is in the paper we read, the tiny shoe peg, the stick with which we pick our teeth, the match, the pencil, all articles of furniture, the finishing of our houses, and in almost everything we touch. Wood has been put to so many different uses in re- cent years that this has been styled by some the wooden age. LUMBER DISTRICTS. In the United States the most important lumber districts are in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Norih and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, the southern portion of Alabama and Mississippi, Texas, northern California, western Oregon, and the region around Paget THE PLAN *BOOK. 647 Sound. Indeed, nearly all the States in the Union produce lumber of some kind in considerable quantities, although in many of them the annual output is diminishing. — The latter part of this article was adapted from an article on lumber i7i the Teacherh World. if THE WINTER WINDS. High and low The winter winds blow! They fill the hollows with drifts of snow; And sweep on the hills a pathway clear; They hurry the children along to school, And whistle a song for the happy new year. — Set. These Winter nights against my window-pane Nature with busy pencil draws designs Of ferns and blossoms and fine sprays of pines, Oak-leaf and acorn and fantastic vines, Which she will make when Summer comes again — Quaint arabesques in argent, flat and cold, Like Curious Chinese etchings. — By and bye. Walking my leafy garden as of old, These frosty fantasies shall charm my eye In azure, damask, emerald, and gold. — T. B. Aldrich. "Janus am I; oldest of potentates! Forward I look, and backward, and below I count as god of avenues and gates, • The years that through my portals come and go." I block the roads and drift the fields with snow; I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen; My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow, My fires Hght up the hearths and hearts of men. — Henry WadswortJi Longfellow. 648 THE PLAN BOOK. A: ^ jnm»»m ^m i m^M ■■wTtrittt w t ■iii m ii i ii . -iiiiiiiiiii - -tiii iii*ii i. iiiiiiiiiii n 1 1 1 1 1 mr Tm '^ Winter Birds. The Chickadee, Snow Birds, Golden Crowned Kinglet .nd Pine Grosbeak. Animals. The Rabbit, Reindeer, Bear and Seal. Related Topics, Hunting and Fur. Winter Birds. What birds are here now? An}' snow birds and chickadT^cs? Any sparrows? What birds stay all winter. Where do they keep themselves warm? What do they eat? Make a list of January birds. The Snowbird. The snowbird belongs to the sparrow family. There are three kinds of snow birds, the snow flake, the bunting and the junco. Snowbird — Six and one-half inches long; bluish slate color, \nth lower breast and bell}- grayish white; outer tail feathers white; bill flesh white; song, a bimple trill. Snow Bunting — Length, seven inches; plumage, soft brown, with white-banded wings and tail; bill and feet black. The junco is a small, slate-colored winter-bird, with white belly and undertail feathers, and flesh-colored bill. Tht slate- color of the breast abruptly changes to the white of the belly. This very common and easily recognized bird of the snowy sea- son is usually found in flocks of twenty to thirty in the fields and among the bushes. The snowbird is a very useful bird to the farmer and hor- ticulturist. In addition to its insect diet, which covers a large supply of ants, cut worms, weevils, beetles and grasshoppers, THK PLAN BOOK. 649 it also eats seeds of such weeds as pigweed, chickweed, knot- grass and foxtail, besides rag weed, which is a troublesome pest to the farmers. These birds are irregular in appearance and can not always be seen in winter. They seem to enjoy a snow-storm and to take delight in the biting air, and the flunying snow flakes. The snow bird is friendly and fearless, coming into our yards and to our very doors with its song "Cbick-adee-dee," which it sings perpetually. The Chickadee. The chickadee has another name — Black- capped Titmouse. It is one of our best known winter birds, coming early and staying late. It is about five and one-half inches long; gray above; cap, chin and throat black; sides of head white; wings and tail gray, with white edges; bill and feet black. Sings, Chickadee-dee-dee. It eats almost anything. The Pine Grosbeak. DESCRIPTION OF PARTS. The bill is brown, very thick and strong, short and curved. It is very well adapted for crushing grain, cones and seeds. The head is carmine red. The back is dark red streaked with dark gray. The breast is a lighter red and gray. The wings are brown and white and the tail brown. The legs and toes are black. The plumage of a fully matured bird is red, gray and brown. The rose-breasted grosbeak, the evening grosbeak and the pine grosbeak are beautiful birds. The pine is the largest of the three. Habits. The pine grosbeak comes to us for the winter months, but in the summer goes far north. It breeds in the far north, and can withstand the severest cold. The pine grosbeak feeds on pine cones, seeds, grains and mountain ash berries. Its nest is made of moss and the eggs placed within it are slate color, spotted with brown. 650 the plan book. The Golden-Crowned. Kinglet. Another bird which is especially fond of evergreens is the golden-crowned kinglet. It is the second smallest bird in the United States, measuring about four inches. The male has C\ flame colored crown with a border of black, and the female a yellow crown without the border. They feed principally on insect larvae which they find in the bark of evergreen trees. They have been much in de- mand for decorating hats, but the law forbids their destruction for this purpose now. Suggestions. For class use secure the Bird Book, or as the magazine is now called, "Birds and All Nature." Use the colored pictures of the birds found therein, to teach the striking peculiarities of the birds. A set of colored bird pictures comes with the magazine and these arranged on a panel across one side of the room or blackboard afford a very attractive as well as useful feature of your school room. "The birds are often hungry at this time of the year= En- courage the pupils to feed them. If you wish to see and study the winter birds, procure a piece of suet and nail it to the branch of a tree near the window of the house. The birds will soon discover this tidbit and straightway they will fly to the tree where it is. I have kndwn this device to attract many birds and day by day they would be seen feeding on the suet until they became very tame. Almost all birds like fat and this suet furnishes them with the fuel their bodies need in cold weather. Cracked corn, crumbs, sunflower seeds, canary seed, millet, hemp, etc., should be scattered about the door if you would at- tract these feathered friends and make them confide in you. The story of "Hans von der Vogel-weide" is well worth relat- ing to the children. In conclusion let lessons of kindness to birds be inculcated. THE PLAN BOOK. 651 It has been well said that 4n treating the birds with kindness we exhibit the greatest kindness to ourselves.' The vast number of insect eggs and larvse which are de- voured every year by the birds, renders the latter among the most beneficent works of the Creator." — Sel. Poems. Chickadee. Emerson. The Snow Bird. Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. The Snow Bird's Song. Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. What the Snow Bird Said. Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. The Chickadee. Celia Thaxter. The Snow Bird. Hezekiah Butterworth. Winter Birds. George Cooper. Little Red Riding Hood. Whittier's Child Life. Things to Find Out. What animals' tracks have you seen on the snow? What color is the rabbit's winter coat? summer coat? What animals sleep during the day and prowl about at night for food ? Have you found any cocoons this month? What birds have you seen about your house this month? What bird is said to wear snow-shoes? (Mr. Gibson, in Sharp Eyes, tells us that the partridge does). The Rabbit. Have pupils bring pet rabbits to school in cage or box and let pupils watch their movements, habits, time of sleeping, rest- ing, manner of eating, etc. Description. — Body slender, graceful, size of a cat; head oval; ears large; erect when feeding or listening, lie down when running; with sharp, chisel shaped nose; eyes, very bright; tail short; covering, fur; color gray, white, or black; note the color on different parts: where are the long hairs? The short. How does the color of the fur protect the rabbit? Is its summer 652 THE PLAN BOOK. coat the same color as the winter coat? Why are its hind legs longer than its fore legs? Did you ever Bee rabbits' tracks in the snow? Could you draw a picture of them? There are always four in a set: the two front impressions are about six inches apart and the other pair quite close together. How does a rabbit move about? It can both jump and hop. A jump may vary from two to ten feet. What means of pro- tection has been given the rabbit? What are its enemies? The owl, dogs, hunters. Habits of the Rabbits. — The rabbit burrows; lives in grass, holes, stumps and hollow trees. It lines the nest it makes for the little ones with fur taken from its own body. ' Where is the summer home? The winter home? Some- times farmers plough up nests of baby rabbits in the spring, when the ground is being prepared for grain. Why should the rabbit have such long ears? How does it move them? What noise does the rabbit make? When do hunters hunt the rabbit and set traps for it? Why do they do this? When is the wild rabbit fat? What does it eat? When? Sleeps by day; eats by night. Gnaws; eats vegetables, leaves, stalks and the bark of trees. For this reason it is regarded as an enemy by the farmer. Note the way the rabbit sits and nibbles at its food. What does the rabbit like to eat? In what way do wild rabbits differ from tame ones? Are all wild rabbits alike? Have pupils ever seen the Jack-Rabbits of enormous size that live on the prairies? Describe them. Of what use are rabbits? How many have tasted rabbit flesh? Who has had any article of clothing made of the fur? Drawing. Make silhouettes of rabbits in different positions, with brush and ink. Study Meyer's picture "The Little Rabbit Seller." Illustrate the story of the Hare and the Tortoise. the plan book. 65."^ Reading. "The Rabbit's Home" and "Two Rabbits" in Normal Third Reader. "The Strongest" (Rabbit) in Rand, McNally's Third Reader. The Reindeer. Material. — Secure copies of good pictures of the deer, such as Landseer's and Rosa Bonheur's; mounted heads, antlers, deer skins, visit a museum or zoological garden if possible. Where Found. — In Europe, Asia and America. May be found in the AUeghenys, the New England States and in the woods of Northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Description. — From four to six feet in height. About as large as a yearling calf, but its head is thinner, muzzle more pointed, legs longer and only about as thick as a sheep's. It has two toes on each foot, which are placed on the snow or ground; has an extra pair higher and behind the others to keep it from sinking so easily in the snow. Has divided hoofs. It is keen sighted and swift footed. The male has large, branching antlers. These are solid and fall off each winter, new ones growing on each spring. Its horns are used for defense. Color. — In winter fur is long and grayish brown, under part of body white; in summer dark brown with white por- tions gray, covered with a thick coat of hair. Food. — Eats reindeer moss and twigs of trees. Digs under the snow for moss with horns and feet. In summer eats herbage. Use to Men. — In Lapland the reindeer takes the place of the horse, cow and sheep. Its milk is used for food and cheese; skins are used for tents, clothing, bedding, rope, etc. The flesh is used as food; the fat for lights and oil, the sinews for thread; the bones and horns for needles, tools, etc. It draws sleds and carries loads. Every Lapp has a herd of these ani- mals. Some have a number of herds. 654 the plan book. Reading and Reference. Reindeer Traveling, Lights to Literature, Fourth Reader. Hiawatha's Hunting, Lights to Literature, Third Reader. Hunting Elk on Skees Youth's Companion Sup. Reader No. 11. Moose Calling, Y. C. S. R. No. 17. Reindeer for Alaska, Y. C. S. R., No. 10. The Elk or Moose. Description. — Belongs to deer family. Head large, narrow, about two feet long; neck, short and thick. Antlers flattened, displa3dng a broad blade with numerous snags on each horn. Body short, thick, compact. Legs long and stilt like. Height, when fully grown, about six feet; stands as high as a horse, weight about twelve hundred pounds. Color, reddish brown in summer; grayish in winter. Habits. — Lives in marshy meadows and swampy forests. Feeds upon lichens, leaves and branches of trees. Its flesh is used for food. Runs with great speed. Is hunted when the deep snows retard its swift flight. It is hunted for its skin as well as flesh. Where Found. — Is a native of the northern parts of Eu- rope and America. The American elk closely resembles his European cousin. The elk is almost extinct, but is found occasionally in Maine, northern New York and northwestward. Bear, Materials. — Pictures and bear skin. Pupils will perhaps have seen tlie bear at the park or the circus. Where Found. — North America. Varieties. — grizzly, brown, black, polar, Syrian, sloth, cin- namon, yellow, sun and silver bears. Description. — Thick, squarely built body; small eyes; short tail; clumsy limbs; long, thick fur; sharp claws, curved; five toes on each foot. Under the heavy coat of hair it lays on a thick layer of fat in the fall. Why ? THE PLAN BOOK. 655 Food. — Eats vegetables, fruits, honey, ants, roots, acorns, fisli and wild animals they can catch. Habits. — Nocturnal. Hibernates in winter. Can stand and walk erect. Bears growl as a way of defense. Use to Man. — Gives a valuable skin, or fur, which is used for rugs and clothing; flesh used for food; fat for hair oil; intes- tines used as glass. READING. Hunting the Grizzly. Rand McNally Fourth Reader. Baloo. The bear in Kipling's Jungle Book. The Seal. Pictures of seal, and articles made of seal as well as a bit of fur. Pictures of the ringed or harp seal will answer the purpose. Where Found. — In the sea about Greenland and Alaska. Find the place on the map. Appearance. — Body long, slender; covered with a thick coat of stiff hair of a yellowish gray color; head small and round- ing; eyes small; ears not visible, being covered with skins to protect them from water; its teeth are sharp for cutting and tearing. Food. — Its food is fish which it catches in the water. Habits. — The seal swims in the water and dives. It uses its tail and two flippers to swim with. The seal cannot breathe in the water, so it keeps small air holes open in the ice, through which it can breathe. While in the water it drops an eye-lid of very thin skin over its eyes, to protect them from the water. Sometimes they lie on the ice or rocks and sun themselves. The seal is said to form an '4gloo" in the ice where it can come up and breathe in safety. They must watch for their enemies, the white bear and man. When they are in danger they dive in deep water. The young seals, which are called puppies, are born and kept in the "igloo," where they are safe from harm. Use. — The Eskimo could not live without the seal. It 656 THE PLAN BOOK. gives fur for clothing, flesh for food, oil for their lamps and stoves, bones for tools,- sinews for thread, and a thin skin for windows, bags and floats for harpoons. The skins which the Eskimo does not use are sold to traders and are sent to England to be dyed and made soft for use. Read in connection with lesson, "The White Seal", in Kip- ling's Jungle Book. Seal Islands of Alaska, Youth's Companion Sup. Reader No. 10. Seal. Otter. HUNTING. Havea talk in regard to hunting and trapping as occupations. Why do men hunt? For food and clothing: for a living which they secure through the sale of game and fur; for sport. When do men hunt? Usually in autumn and spring, some hunt during the winter months. Where do hunters secure game? On land and in water, and air. What birds are secured for food? For \vhat other purpose are birds hunted? Feathers. Where are the birds found with beautiful feathers? Hot countries. What animals are hunted for food and fur? Where do the best furs come from? Cold countries. Which fur bearing animals are found on land? In the water? How are these skins of furs prepared for market? Which are the most valuable? Least? Locate the fur-producing sections of North America. What fur producing animals are found in America? Which ones not found here? Where are these found? What game can you find in the market now? What game can you name at sight in the market? When are the following kinds to be found in the market: Duck, Turkey, Geese, Snipe, Quail, Grouse, Rabbit, Squirrel Deer, Bear? THE PLAN BOOK. " 657 How is this game secured? What game is hunted on horse- back? On foot? In boats or canoes? How are hunters equipped for this work or sport? De- scribe a hunter's outfit. How many have ever seen a powder- horn? Hunting horn? Game bag? Hunting dogs? Describe an English fox hunt. Show illustrations of hunters on foot and horse-back, hunting dogs. Read pupils a part of the description of a stag hunt in "The Lady of the Lake." Fur. Material. — Pictures of animals from which fur is secured. Samples of fur. Articles made of fur. Pieces taken from trimmings or bits may be secured from the furrier. Examine and compare as regards fineness, length, thick- ness, value, color, etc. Pull hairs from the head and examine with a glass. Root or bulb should be noticed. Find out as much as possible of the animals w^ich furnish the fur. How they are caught. Habits and home. In con- nection with the Eskimo work observe characteristics of the polar bear, walrus, whale, and Eskimo dogs. Source of Furs. — Fur is a name applied to the fine, hairy covering of certain animals. The animals producing the finest fur found are in cold regions. The largest number come from countries bordering on the Arctic Ocean. The best known fur- bearing animals are the seal, beaver, sable, fox, mink, marten, otter, ermine and muskrat. Preparation of Skins. After the skins have been removed from the animals and before they are cleaned, they are called pelts. The pelts are cleaned and dried and then placed in tubs, where they are sub- jected to a treading process. Men trample on them until the}^ are soft and flexible. Before the pelts are trampled on, they are greased with lard, which adds to the softness. They are next placed in tubs and covered with saw-dust and the tread- ing is repeated. This operation is repeated a third time with 658 THE PLAN BOOK. plaster of Paris or whiting laid between the pelts. The skins are then vigorously beaten, and the hair combed until it is smooth. Furs are frequently dyed to make them of a richer color. : 'J MONARCH (JF THl'; GI,EN. fROM PAINTING BY lANDSEER. lBOi-1873. UvSF.s OF Fur. Fur forms the principal clothing of the inhabitants of very cold regions. The Eskimo and inhabitants of Greenland and Iceland depend entirely upon fur-bearin.uf animals for the warm clothing so necessary in the countries in which they live. In the temperate regions, furs are used as ornamental additions to the toilet and are very costXyy— From McLeod's '•^ Talks About Co)umon Tilings!''' February THE PLAN BOOK FOR INTERMEDIATE GRADES BY NIARIAN NI. QEORQE> PRICE, TWENTY-FIVE CENTS. Per set, September to June $2.2^. :* CHICAGO: *. A. Fi,ANAGAN Co., Publishers. COPYRIGHT 1^00 A. FLANAGAN. THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE LYDiA A\t=;ry Coon ley Frank H. Atkinsok, Jr I The Red, White,and Blue floats be-fore us, The flag of the brave and t-e 2. In lands far a- way when we're rov - ing, And flag of our Ln-ion we i A — Its stars and its stripes wav - ing o'er us. Are Our hearts to their deep-est thrill n-ov - ing, ba- T fall ^»-r-S^ ing, And gild - ing the col - ors d ^ ^^ m new, The S S 5 # # =^v — ' —T^ :4-i From "Songs in Season' Copyright, I809, by A. Flanagan THE RED, WHITE, ETC.— Concluded I s -#^— • — ^ -•^^- p- • — ^ -V — ^- -]/ — '^- -V — ^ -^ — ^- stars and the stripes they are calling, Three cheers for the Red, White.and Blue. -U — ah- •— #^ 1^ 1 #"=^ -s^- ±: --rt:^ WASHINGTON SONG Lydia Avery Cooni,-- N- ^^F=rf=g=^E^Eg^a- -N— S— ^- -^4^ -4^ 13 r=P rah for each stripe! Each red. . . .and vvhitestripe! And hur-rah for the ^^ L=J^j -s— ^-f- Un ion of blue! -0-~ m giagg with its for - ty-five stars J N^ J N I N I Sur- i y=j=tib* :jfif: -•-^ ^= F T"^^ R ^bH5^=^;J tfc ^ *_*_j!Mi*-^-ii tt =^ 1 mount - ing the bars, Each star for a Stale ev - er true. -0_-^_^--— 4-— N-! i— ^4 ■■■,■■■ I ^ -<5y-T- # . # LIBERTY'S BANNER. G. Verdi. Anvil Chorus, " II Trovatore." ^-^ ^— *r 1. See the proud ban - ner of Lib - er - ty stream-ing, Its bright, star- ry 2. Bright star- ry ban- ner! thy fame we will cher- ish, And shield thee, and • . = f^ • f: •- a ti^^ #=f=^ — »«- .. .. N- =^ 1 — ** — J V- ^ 1 • •J folds o'er save thee. us or ra no *-i- - diant - bly • • - ly g well # learn per - r# 1^- ■ing; Hear ish; Proud .. the -ly -^ « ^ loud trump -et our ea - gles N f T- — * — its are p--i^ ^- y ^ — =^ y -0-^- =^ — — \^=^ — 1 n h \ k. ' 1'^ N !^ K— # '^ i»^ P s ^^ _ N_ V— *,— ir^^— H -S- _• ^ s , • ^ 1 ^ — • — :: — ^~t~ v-\) • 1 ■ ' 'j m •v # • J war - float notes re - peat - ing, The roll - ing a - bove thee, Co-lum - -0- ^ *- of the drums where brave ar - bia, for - ev - er we bless * * - mies are thee and ^■4-f- ^ — ;:: 0—^ * ^ '.^^— -^— r-/-i P' >^d > ■^ / • ' _^_^i;_j ■»rt- :^= r^f*- .^^^ meet inglbrave armies meet-ing, are meet-ing! love thee! bless thee and love thee, and love thee! m^^ ■it* - ^ ' On, on to glo - ry's On, on to vie - to- y— f/- n d- -^-s »-^ , . ^ \ field, our proud flag o'er us wav - ing! March -ing to con-quest, ev - ry ry! our coun - try now and ev - er, Pal - sied the trai - tor hand our ^^^ E From " Songs of the Year," by permission of publishers, Maynard, Merrill & Co. i LIBERTY'S BANNER— Concluded. :i=z4- f-^ ze=^ ' f-^f-^-n-^-Jf=0=W- dan - ger no - bly brav - ing. March, march, march on to vie -to - ry! Un - ion that would sev -er; Hail, hail, hail! land of Lib- er - ty! 9T^: ^_:^iZ^:^^J:^=^-,_^_^ f-^- BOYS. ry! ty! 9SS= March on! March on then! March on ! March on then! March on to vie - to Hail! no-ble land, hail! Hail! noble land, hail! Hail Hand of Lib-er INVOCATION. S. Brov^tne. FEI,IX MENDEr.SSOHN-BARTHOI.DY, Arr. by Mary SpEncer Conrade. fe± =q= :23=-^ -*-sJ- ^^ -Z5l- ■# ,) THE PLAN BOOK. 685 At tlie age of tliirteen he liad the famous English painter, Benjamin Haydon, for a teacher. At fourteen he entered the Royal Academy Schools. Here great artists studied and brought their designs, paintings and sculptures. Here he met many famous artists and made friends. When eighteen he painted a picture called "The Dogs of St. Gothafd Discovering a Traveler in the Snow." The St. Gothard mountains are a part of the Alps, and fearful snow storms often occur among them. It was very dif&cult to travel over these mountains, and the year Landseer painted this picture people began to build over them. Landseer's picture created a great sensation and Bdwin's father was so pleased that he engraved it for his son. People bought so many copies that Landseer became known every- where. Bdwin was now about twenty. He was strong, active and healthy. He had made a name for himself, and was beginning to make money. He gave no thought to selling his pictures, for his father and brothers did that for him. Poor people who owned dogs or other pets that they prized very highly, were interested in these animal pictures. They could not afford to buy a painting but they could spare a few shillings for an engraving. So John Landseer began to repro- duce the pictures of his son's dogs. Every one bought these pictures, and so the brother ceased to sketch and devoted his time also to etching and engraving his brother's work. By and by rich people came and wanted Edwin to paint portraits of their dogs. Edwin opened a studio where the principal sitters were dogs. He loved horses as well as dogs, but had not had so good an opportunity to study them. Now he began to paint them too. In many homes today you will find a copy of one of his pictures called "Shoeing," where stands the sleek bay mare, the sober donkey and the dog. Rich ladies liked to have him paint their own portraits 586 THE PLAN BOOK. with a favorite dog at their feet, and men wished to be painted with their horses. The Queen of England herself came to his studio to get Landseer to paint a portrait of herself on horseback, and of her husband, Prince Albert, as well. He was the first artist to be received by the queen as a friend. He was invited to her palace many times and received numerous beautiful gifts as tokens of her friendship. He painted over a hundred pictures for the queen, and members of the royal famil3^ In 1850, the queen knighted him, and from that time on he was known as Sir Edwin Landseer. Do you know what a knight is? Do you remember Sir Galahad and Sir Eaunfal? It is not necessary nowadays for a man to be a great soldier, do heroic or daring deeds or give service to the crown in order to be knighted. A great poet, actor, artist or other citizen may now become a knight, if he find favor in the eyes of a queen or king. You remember that Tennyson was knighted also by the queen. After he became a knight, he sent some of his work to the great exhibition in Paris. He was awarded the only great gold medal given to an English artist. Landseer was a great favorite in society. He was always witty and gay and ever ready to tell a good story or sing a song to amuse the people about him. He had no enemies, and with plenty of means at his command, passed a happy and prosperous life. His studio, which was crowded full of pic- tures, was a favorite resort for the great men of his time. Among his friends was Sir Walter Scott, whose books Land- seer loved. They visited the Highlands of Scotland together and hunted deer, but Landseer proved a poor hunter. He loved animals too much to wish to give them pain. He thought the deer the noblest and bravest of animals and made it the subject of some of his most famous pictures. Among the pictures which we will wish to see and study are: Member of the Humane Society, (dog); Dignity and In- dependence, (dogs); The King of the Forest, (deer); The Cat's THE PIvAN BOOK. 687 Paw^, There's Life in the Old Dog Yet; Man Proposes and God Disposes, (polar bears); The Challenge, (deer); Jack in Office; The Swannery Invaded by Bagles. These are only a few of the many that might be given. His pictures, almost without exception, have animals for their subjects, and have been engraved so much that hardly a house which contains any engravings is without a picture by Landseer. No painter who ever lived is so universally known as Hdwin Landseer, and this because his father and brothers made it their life work to reproduce his pictures by engraving. Not only was liis popularity extended in this way, but the greater part of his fortune came from copyrights and the sale of prints. He ended a long life of industry at his home in St. John's Wood, where he lived for fifty years. Landseer did a great work. He contributed to the pleas- ure of a million homes and the world is the better of his hav- ing lived. His message was one of gentleness, kindness and beauty. THE FAIR AND THE DOG SHOW. Children are marvelously like grown up people in most things. They like to have their pills sugar coated — if they must take them. They take an inordinate amount of interest, and expend any amount of energy in new and novel pastimes which are considered in the light of recreation or play. The same employment, if termed work, is a very different matter, and if given as such is likely to be done with con- siderably less enthusiasm, if not with actual indifference. We will turn this tendency to account in our observation work this month. The weather will not permit pupils to linger out of doors, and the spare time of the pupils outside of school hours may be profitably employed in arranging and observing an exhibit of animal pictures which, for want of a better name, we may call our "Fair and Dog Show." 588 THE PLAN BOOK. We study this month the animals that have been useful to man, the dog, the horse and other beasts of burden. We take imaginary journe3'S to countries which will enable us to see the modes of travel employed by the different peoples dur- ing the past and at the present time. We will find out as much as possible in regard to the con- veyances in use at the present time, all about us, and, in order to do this, we must make collections of pictures, which will help to fix these things. Suggest your plan of holding a fair, and let the pupils work out the details. Assign them a corner of the room, which may be used for the exhibit. This exhibit may be divided into departments, one for pictures of horses and other beasts of burden, another for pictures of conveyances , as the buggy, carriage, coach, cab, omnibus, horseless carriage or automobile, bicycle, horse cars, electric cars, steam cars, ele- vated railway, etc. On Kane's birthday, the 4th, ask pupils to find out all the conveyances employed by this explorer. In another department show pictures of inventions of Edi- son and other inventors; of machinery and all kinds of farm- ing and agricultural implements. Other departments may be added and called the Dog Show^ the Cat Show^ etc. The teacher herself may add to the exhibit a number of animal pictures by Landseer, Rosa Bonheur and other animal painters. These may be secured from the Perry Picture Com- pany at a penny apiece. A Perry picture catalogue will be of assistance to teacher and pupils in carrying out this plan of the Fair and Animal Show. Larger copies of these pictures may be secured at five cents apiece, and these might be given as prizes. Ask pupils to find as many pictures as possible, mount them on cardboard and enter them in the different departments of the fair exhibit. Place responsible pupils in charge of the departments. THE PLAN BOOK. 689 To those pupils who enter the largest number or the best pictures prizes of pictures may be given. A PATRIOTISM CHART— HOW TO MAKE ONE. Secure a large sheet of cardboard and write or print at the top, "Patriotism Chart.'' Tack or suspend this on the wall with cords. Paste in the center a tiny flag, and when the cur- iosity of the children has been aroused, tell them of its mean- ing and purpose. Suggest that they collect and bring to school any or all patriotic pictures, or pictures suggesting pa- triotism. These are to be grouped around the flag. The place of importance at the top must of course be assigned to Was- hington and Lincoln. If the pupils cannot find good ones cut those from the Plan Book, or send for the February Plan Book series of pictures No. 1. A colored poster of Washington may be found on the cover of the Youth's Companion for Feb. 1897. Washington and Lincoln pictures may be pasted in the right and left hand corners, opposite each other. Between them paste pictures of the first or early home of each, and in the center of the top between these two houses, paste a picture of the White House, their common home. In the lower left and right corners paste pictures of their monuments, and be- tween these, pictures of Mt. Vernon and Lincoln's home at Springfield. Martha Washington may come under the picture of Washington, and near it a picture of Betty Ross. Other pictures suggesting events in the life of each may be used, — as: Washington with his hatchet; Washington in the garden with his father; Washington on his white horse or taking com- mand of his army; the historic elm; pictures of Sherman; other generals, soldiers marching, pictures of guns, drums, hornSj swords, etc. Mr. Lincoln's picture as a wood-cutter; as a boy reading by the aid of a pine knot, stretched on the floor; as a president 690 THE PLAN BOOK. signing the pardon of some poor soldier, or writing the Bman* cipation Proclamation. There is no end to the pictures that may be used in this way. Many pictures illustrating the life of Lincoln may be found in McClure's magazine for 1895 and 1896. As pictures are arranged on the chart, let the pupil who brought the picture rise and tell the school why he brought it, in what way it suggested patriotism, or what story it has brought with it into the room. Later, prepare a similar chart for heroes, or pictures of people who have done noble things, or pictures of heroic actions. During general excercises it is a good plan to have a pupil stand before the patriotism or authors' chart and with pointer in hand point out the various pictures and tell what he can of each. This is a good way of summing up or reviewing the stories of the week or month. The child who does this very well may, as a special privilege, be allowed to explain its mean- ing and purpose to the guests who may be present at the Washington or Lincoln exercises. PATRIOTISM. Ross Turner, in the Perry Magazine, says: "It is advisable to place in every school-room some bust, portrait, or something distinctively American, as a sort of patriotic sentiment; either a group of flags, coat of arms of a State or the United States, or a bust of some eminent American statesman, soldier or patriot. This might be called the central point, and is quite as important, it seems to me, as placing a flag on the outside of a building." Life is a leaf of paper white Wliereon each one of us may write His word or two; and then comes night. Though thou have time But for a line, be that sublime; Not failure, but low aim is crime. —J. R. Lowell. THE PLAN BOOK. 6'-'l FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS. G. F. Edmunds, Feb. 1, 1828. Will. Phipps, Feb. 2, 1651. Horace Greeley, Feb. 3, 1811. Felix Mendelssohn, Feb. 3, 1809. Elisha Kent Kane, Feb. 3, 1820. Josiah Quincy, Feb. 4, 1772. Aaron Burr, Feb. 5, 1757. D. E. Moody, Feb. 5, 1837. Wm. M. Evarts, Feb. 6, 1818. Chas. Dickens, Feb. 7, 1812. Wm. T. Sherman, Feb. 8, 1820. Jules Verne, Feb. 8, 1828. John A. Logan, Feb. 9, 1826. W. H. Harrison, Feb. 9, 1773. Sa:n'l J. Tilden, Feb. 9, 1814. John Ruskin, Feb. 10, 1819. Thos. A. Edison, Feb. 11, 1847. Lydia M. Child, Feb. 11, 1802. Abraham Lincoln, Feb. 12, 1809. Cotton Mather, Feb. 12 1663. Chas. R. Darwin, Feb. 12, 1809. Ed. Bui. Lytton, Feb. 13, 1804. W. S. Hancock, Feb. 14, 1824. Susan B. Anthony, Feb. 15, 1820. Philip Mclancthon, Feb. 16, 1497. John Sullivan, Feb. 17, 1740. Chas. Lamb, Feb. 18, 1775. Nickolaus Copernicus, Feb. 19, 1473. Leonard Bacon, Feb. 19, 1802. Francois Voltaire, Feb. 20, 1694. Joseph Jefferson, Feb. 20, 1829. Geo. Wm. Curtis, Feb. 21, 1819. Geo. Washington, Feb. 22, 1732. James Russell Lowell, Feb. 22, 1819. 692 THE PLAN BOOK. Emma Willard, Feb. 23, 1787. Wilhelm Karl Grimm, Feb. 24, 1786. Handel, Feb. 24, 1685. John P. St. John, Feb. 25, 1833. Victor Hugo, Feb. 26, 1802. H. W. Longfellow, Feb. 27, 1807. Mary Lyon, Feb. 28, 1797. Rossini, Feb. 29, 1792. SPECIAL DAYS. Feb. 2, Candlemas Day. The name is derived from the ceremony observed by the Church of Rome on that day. The candles are blessed by the clergy, distributed among the people, and then carried lighted in a solemn procession. Lincoln's Birthday, Feb. 12. Washington's Birthday, Feb. 22. James Russell Lowell, Feb. 22. Longfellow, Feb. 27. Valentine Day, Feb. 14. SPECL\L MENTION. In addition to the celebration of birthdays mentioned little talks may be given on the birthdays of these who are con- nected in any way with the history of our country or with the special lines of work taken up this month. In connection with the subject of invention of printing press speak of that famous editor, Horace Greely, and try to find a copy of the paper bearing his name as editor, The New York Tribune. Thos. A. Edison's life and work will furnish material for a number of lessons, and in connection with his inventions, an imaginary trip may be made to the patent office at Washington. On the 5th call attention to the life and work of Dwight L. Moody, who has just passed away. The papers are full of biographical sketches of this unusual man, and many of these may be collected and preserved in the scrap book devoted to biographical selections. THE PLAN BOOK. 693 FEBRUARY SONGS. America, Songs in Season. Columbia, Gem of the Ocean, Songs in Season. Drummer Boy, The First Flag, A Soldier Boy, Red, White and Blue, Salute, Star Spangled Banner, Washington, Lincoln, Washington's Birthday, Mable Pray's Motion Songs. Many Flags in Many Lands, Child's Song Book, Howlitson. Flag Song, Smith's Songs, No. 2. Flag of the Free, Franklin Square. When I'm Big I'll Be a Soldier. ^ Washington's Birthday, Songs of the Year, Maynard, Mer- rill & Co. Our Flag, Songs of the Year, Maynard, Merrill & Co. Liberty's Banner, Songs of the Year, Maynard, Merrill & Co. Origin of the Flag, Songs of the Year, Maynard, Merrill & Co. Flag Above the School, Songs of the Year, Maynard, Mer- rill & Co. See the Flag of our Land. Music for the Common Schools, by Carrie B. Adams, In- land Pub. Co. Our Flag, by Carrie B. Adams, Inland Pub. Co. Fling Out the Banner, Songs of the Nation. O Starry Flag of Union,- Hail ! Songs of the Nation. The American Flag, Songs of the Nation. There's A Beauiful Flag, Songs of the Nation. Song of the Flag, Songs of the Nation. 694 THE PLAN BOOK. "The noblest men that live on earth Are men whose hands are brown with toil, Who, backed by no ancestral graves, Hew down the woods and till the soil, And win thereby a prouder name Than follows king's or warrior's fame." General Sherman's Birthday. FEBRUARY 8th. On this birthday give a short talk en the army; on the necessity for leaders among soldiers who will be able to plan campaigns and direct the soldiers intelligently and wisely. While the President is Commander in Chief of the Army, he must have men to advise him and to carry out his orders, so he gives to one of the members of his cabinet the office of Secretary of War, and a general is selected who is placed at the head of the army; this general is assisted by other generals. The generals in turn are assisted by officers who have proved themselves courageous and capable of training and lead- ing the men under them. Ask pupils to mention as many of the general's helpers as possible. What is the work of a colonel; captain; private, and others connected with the army? How is the rank of each designated? Describe the life, food and dress of soldier; an officer; a soldier's equipment. What colored uniforms do our soldiers wear? Who is Commander in Chief of our army now? The Sec- retary of War? The commanding general of the army? Name some of the generals who are assisting him. How are these generals fitted for their work? Take a little trip to West Point and see what the cadets are doing there at the Military School. Tell of their stud}^, appointment, promo- tions and years of work before they are competent to act as leaders. THE PLAN BOOK. ^ 695 Speak of one leader who was of great assistance to us while Lincoln was President — General Sherman. Tell something of the part this brave general took in the war between the north and south. Celebrate this, his birthday, by singing the song his soldiers were so fond of singing, "Marching Through Georgia." Tell of the march through the south. What methods of transportation are used by the army now? Let pupils erect tents and army encampments on sand table. Washington and Lincoln Birthday Exercises. If a departure from the usual programme for Lincoln's or Washington's birthday is desired let pupils tell the story of the life of each hero, instead of memorizing recitations. The stories which have been given during the language, history or literature period of the days or weeks preceding the birthday may be read or told on the afternoon of the birthday exercises. As these written and oral reproductions are given during the study of the lives of these men, make a note of those pupils who tell these stories especially well. The best written paper from each set of reproduction stories handed in each day, may be kept by the teacher until such time as she wishes to announce her plans for the special day exercises. From the notes taken during the regular work of the week the teacher will now be able to arrange her programme. Fol- low the outline of study suggested elsewhere in regard to selec- tion of topics. Arrange the stories so that the oral and written 'productions shall alternate. Pupils who have not been given a story to tell or read may be assigned other parts of the programme in order that all may be given a share in the work and pleasure of the day. One may sing a song, another play accompaniments, another tell of the patriotism chart, another explain the mean- ing and purpose of the different colored flags drawn on the board; others may pose in historical tableaux, and crown the bust or picture with an evergreen wreath. 696 THE PLAN BOOK. Others may place drawings upon the board, decorate the room with pictures, plants, evergreen, and flags. These ar- rangements may be placed in the hands of a Room Decoration Committee. The Entertainment Committee may attend to the invita- tions, pass judgment on those written b}'' the school, and de- cide which ones should be written over again. They may also make souvenirs to be presented to guests or take charge of those made by the school, and distribute them at the proper time. The Reception Committee may meet the guests at the door, act as ushers, and after the exercises are over assist the Reception Committee in showing the guests the drawings, construction and written work which is placed about the room or on tables, and answer any questions which may be asked about the work. DECORATION >. Let pupils decorate the board with a border of flags, using the colored crayons. The different flags that have been in use in our country and the ones in use at the present time may be used for this purpose. On the wall above them all, drape "Old Glory.'' The colored pictures of these flags may be found in the unabridged dictionaries. A talk about these flags, giving their history and use, may be one feature of the programme. A border of shields may be placed across another board, and a border of tiny standard flags across still another. In the center of the blackboard a scroll or panel may be drawn, and in it a quotation appropriate to the day. Above this ma}'' hang a picture of Lincoln or Washington. To the right of the scroll draw a picture of the birth place, and to the left a picture of the last home. Other pictures illus- trating the different parts of the life of Washington or Lincoln may be drawn. On the scroll beneath the picture of W^ashing- ton or Lincoln the following lines may be written: THE PLAN BOOK. 69? "Welcome to the day returning, Dearer still as ages flow, While the torch of faith is burning Long as Freedom's altars glow." — Holnn s. Or, ■'One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One nation evermore." — Holn ;s. Or, Rules of Conduct. The room may otherwise be decorated with flags, bunting evergreen and pictures. Pots of plants, palms or ferns may be borrowed frc-'n pupils' homes and placed about the room. An everg veen wreath may be made to fit the head of the bust or hang ever the portrait. This may be placed by a pupil at the close of the exercises while the others sing "Garlands, Garlands, Bright and Fair." The Decoration Committee should see that each pupil is provided with a sprig of evergreen, which should be kept on the desks until the final march is played. As pupils march around the room the sprig may be laid as a tribute before the bust or portrait of the hero, as the pupib pass from the room. Pupils often get restless sitting in their seats if a programme is long, and if preferred this march may take place after the description of the death of Washington, and after the tributes have been placed, pupils may sing *'Mt. Vernon Bells." LINCOLN EXERCISES. The same plan may be used in exercises for Lincoln's birthday. A Lincoln Birthday Song is given in "Songs in Season." At conclusion read to the pupils or have some one recite "O Captain! My Captain," by Walt Whitman. Explain that while Washington is called the "Builder of the Nation" Lincoln is called the "Preserver of the Union." He is the captain who guided the nation safely through the storm. Pictures. — Pictures may be used in presenting this pro- gramme, in a way that will add much to the interest of guests. After the first recitation, which is an introduction to the 698 THE PLAN BOOK. story, a framed picture may be placed upon an easel in a con- spicuous place on the platform. If it is not possible to get a large picture, a bust ma}' be unveiled. Secure large pictures which illustrate the stories as far as possible, and as each pupil concludes his stor}^ let him hold the picture before the school a minute, and then place it on the chalk tray along the front of the board. The Patriotism Chart also may be described. WASHINGTON PROGRAMME. 1 . Salute to the Flag. 2. Song, "Salute." Pupils remain standing while singing this song. 3. Introduction to the story of Washington; Washing- ton's birthday a national observance in memory of the "Father of Our Country." 4. Song, "Our Washington." 5. Unveiling of a bust, or placing of a picture of Wash- ington. 6. The Boyhood of Washington. Stories told and read by several pupils. 7. Tableau, "Little George Washington and His Sister," in costume of the period. 8. Song, "When I'm Big, I'll Be a Soldier." Solo. 9. Hatchet or Flag Drill, with Little George Washington as Captain. 10. The Youth of Washington. Stories by several pupils. 11. Washington's Rules of Conduct. By pupils rising in their places and repeating one each. 12. Song. 13. Manhood. Stories by pupils telling of Martha Washington and the Mt. Vernon home. 14. Washington as Commander-in-Chief. Story of the Beginning of the Revolution. THE PLAN BOOK. 699 15. Story, "The Boston Tea Party." 16. Song, "Revolutionary Tea." 17. Tableau, "The Argument." Two or more girls dressed in Colonial costumes. One reads this copy of the agreement signed by the mothers and daughters in Boston, so many years ago. Agreement. — "We, the daughters of patriots, who have stood and do now stand for the public interest, with pleasure engage with them in denying ourselves the drinking of foreign tea, in hope to frustrate a plan that tends to deprive a com- munity of its rights." 18. Washington as President. Life at the White House. 19. Washington as a flag maker. 20. Song. "The First Flag." 21. Story of all our flags. 22. Song, "Many Flags in Many Lands." 23. Washington's Farewell. 24. Song, "The Red, White and Blue," or "Liberty's Banner." 25. Story of the last days of Washington and his tomb. 26. March. While march is being played, the pupils silently march about the room and drop their evergreen tributes before the picture or statue; or a pupil places the evergreen wreath. 27. Song, "Mt. Vernon Bells." 28. Recitation, "Mt. Vernon" by Rev. William Day. 29. The Patriotism Chart, described by pupil. 30. Washington's Monuments. 31. Mount Vernon Today. 32. Patriotic quotations, recited by a number of pupils. 33. Song, "America." The programme as given will be found too long. Adapt it. CHARLES DICKENS. DICKENS HOME. THE PLAN BOOK. 701 THE STORY HOUR. CHARLES DICKENS. (Born FEb. 8, 1812; Died June, 1870.) This day brings to us the birthday of oue of the worid's gr/^atest story tellers, an Englishman, named Charles Dickens. He was an artist, for he painted pen pictures. He was a great teacher, for he taught the whole world lessons of the eternal value of kindness, of generosity, and of unselfishness. One of our statesmen, Daniel Webster, said of this man, that he did more to better the condition of the poor people of England, and to bring wrongs to light than all the statesmen Great Britain sent to Parliament. Now let us see how one man could do and be all this. It was certainly not because he was favored in any way by for- tune, or good luck. As a child he was a sickly little fellow, and did not go to school or mingle with the other boys much in their lively games. His mother taught him how to read, and amused him during his years of ill health by telling him stories. He loved to read better than anything else. The people in his books seemed real to him and he made them his friends, and in spite of his sickness he was a merry and light-hearted boy. When Charles was about nine years of age, his father lost his money, and was thrown into prison because he could not pay his debts. These were troubled days for the family. Charles was obliged to go to work in a London blacking manufactory to make a little money. He hated this work, for while in the factory he was thrown with low, rough, dishonest companions, who bullied and tor- mented him. He had hoped to be able to become famous as /Q2 THE PLAN BOOK. a scholar, yet here were all his plans spoiled, no prospect of au}' change. There were many other children around him, however, who were as unfortunate and as miserable as he, and his sympath}' for these other lonely, oppressed children was so great that he tried to be brave in order to help them. He sang songs and told funny stories which he acted out in a ridiculous way, in order to amuse and cheer up his friends. He spent his evenings and every spare minute he could find reading in the reading room of the British Museum. After a time the father had money left to him, and Charles was able to go to school. He grew well and strong, and was able to have the books he loved so much. After a time he entered a lawyer's office and studied short- hand. He worked so faithfully at this that he soon became very proficient and was offered a position as reporter on a newspaper. While engaged in this work he met all classes of people and had good opportunities to study the lives of the poor people about him, which he pictured for us afterwards so truthfully. When he was about twenty-one he decided to write for a magazine. He was afraid to sign his own name to his story, for fear it should be refused, so he signed the name "Boz." He stole out after dark and put it in a mail box, but scarcely expected to ever see it in print. When it appeared he was delighted beyond measure, and immediately M^rote others. Tiiey were not at all like the stories published in the magazines and books at that time. They were full of wit and humor and became popular almost at once. At the age of twenty-five he had published two volumes of his sketches, and had begun the book which made him famous. This book was "Pickwick Papers." His next book was one which tells us the story of a poor orphan, Oliver Twist, who, like himself, had been thrown THE PLAN BOOK. 703 among scenes of misery and want. He remembered his factory days and the children who were treated cruelly. He had wished to do something to relieve the children who were ill- treated, and now he saw an opportunity to do so. He wrote this story and others to attract attention to these evils which he wished people to see, to know or correct. Then he wrote ^'Nicholas Nickleby," and what an uproar it did bring about ! The Squeers of this story was so very much like several English school-masters that they thought he had written the story about them, and sued him for slander. Do you know what that means? After this came the sad story of "Little Nell," and the "Old Curiosity Shop,'' and so many others I cannot name them here. In the book which is most popular of all, "David Copper- field," we find the story of his own life. In "Little Dorritt" he tells of the debtors' prison. This too is a picture from the memory of Dickens' own childhood, as he used to visit his father when confined there. With a master hand he has pictured the home life of the Knglish people. Among the best of these are the Christmas stories. Dickens loved the ancient English customs and especially the Christ- mas festival. No one who has read his Christmas Carol will ever forget Tiay Tim and old Ebenezer Scrooge. It leaves one wishing to live and do more for others. It is full of good will and sympathy for the poor, as Dickens himself was. Such happy days these holidays were in his home! As a child he had taken a fancy to a beautiful old house at the top of a hill called Gad's Hill at Chatham, by the sea. Now he bought this great house for his own, and to this home came his own children. He was very fond of entertaining his friends, and famous men and women from many parts of the world were visitors at Gad's Hill. Such merry happy times as the children in that house had! He never forgot his own sad hard life 704 THE PLAN BOOK. as a child, and tried to keep sorrow from other little ones. To amuse his children and many friends he acted out plays, some of which he wrote himself, and a famous actor he was too. He came to America in his later years, to lecture and give readings from his books, and a royal welcome was given him. He was as much of a favorite here as he was in England. When asked for the secret of his success, he replied, that it v/as due to hard work and a motto which he had faithfully tried to live up to, — "Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well/' His son said of him, "Whatever he did, he put his whole heart into, and did as well as he could. Whether it was for work or for play he was always in earnest." When Dickens died in June, 1870, his body was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey beside famous warriors, statesmen, authors and poets. Many school children came, each bearing a flower, and his grave was nearly filled with blossoms. I looked to find a bust or statue marking his resting place in the Poets' Comer, but looked in vain. At first this seemed strange, but after all, what need has this man of a marble statue in any one corner of the world? No fear of his being forgotten while books and readerr last. READING LESSONS FOR PUPILS. Selections from Dickens' works may be found in the fol- lowing readers: Charles Dickens' Letter to His Son — Nev/ Era Fourth Reader. A Child's Dream of a Star — New Century Third Reader. The Shipwreck — Baldwin's Sixth Reader. Christmas at the Cratchits' — Baldwin's Fifth Reader. The Last Hours of Paul Dombey (Dickens) — New Era Fifth Reader. Death of Little Nell (Dickens) — New Era Fifth Reader. Mr. Winkle on Skates (Dickens) — New Era Fifth Reader, THE PLAN BOOK. 795 David Copperfield finds his Aunt — New Era Fourth Reader. The DolFs Dressmaker — Cyr's Fourth Reader. The School-master and the Sick Scholar — Harper's Fourth Reader. The Storm — Rand-McNally Fourth Reader. How Duke William made himself King — Baldwin's Fourth Reader. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. (Born Feb. 22, 1819; Died Aug., 1891.) ■^Eiere is a town in New England that is worth visiting for sake of its old houses, and among these houses is Elm wood, the home of Lowell. The house is in the midst of large and beautiful grounds, with a number of magnificent elms growing near, from which it takes its name. Here Lowell was born, lived almost his entire life, and here be died. It is said that he was the favorite of his class at Harvard College. He did not like mathematics, but was fond of litera- ture, and became one of the most learned and brilliant of all our American scholars. He studied law but was not a success at that, and became a teacher and editor. He succeeded Longfellow in the chair of modem languages at Harvard, and here he was very popular. He disliked examinations even more than his pupils did, and cared nothing for markings. Mr. Lowell was a delightful companion, and his essays are as entertaining as his conversation. From his mother he in- herited a love of the beautiful, wit and humor, and these gave him great versatility as a writer. Do you know what that means? Lowell was a poet, journalist, critic and essayist. He was broad-minded and truthful. He had the courtesy and the quiet dignity of the scholar and gentlemen. Ji^gVIE^ I^lfeSEIii liGAA/feLIi. THE PLAN BOOK. 707 These qualities were those which a foreign minister should have, and so Lowell was made minister to Spain and afterward minister to England. In this position he did much to secure the friendship of of English people. He was loyal to his country, and a gentle- man in heart and manner and could not but command the ad- miration and respect of all with whom he came in contact. Some of Lowell's most noted poems are The Vision of Sir Launfal, The First Snow Fall, The Miner, Auf Wiederse- hen. Read these and memorize others, as The Fatherland, The Heritage, The First Snow Fall, Finding of the Lyre, To the Dandelion, Commemoration Ode. Teach the pupils to sing "The Heritage" from Riverside Song Book. Gems have been selected frem Lowell's poems and given in another part of the book to copy and learn, during the odd minutes this week. Form the habit of memorizing gems as you walk to and fro from school each day. Much interesting material for reading and language lessons in connection with Lowell will be found in Cyr's Third Readei. GEMS. TRUE NOBILITY. As one lamp lights another, nor grows less. So nobleness enkindles nobleness. Be what you dream, and earth shall see A greater nobleness than she hath seen. Be noble, and the nobleness that lies In other men, sleeping, but never dead, Shall rise in majesty to meet thine own. Where'er a single slave doth pine, Where'er one man may help another. Thank God for such a birthright, brother! That spot of earth is thine and mine. There is the true man's birthplace grand, His is a world-wide father-land. 7C8 THE PLAN BOOK. Our fathers fought for liberty; They struggled long and well; History of their deeds can tell, But ourselves must set us free. New times demand new measures and new men, The world advances and in time outruns The laws that in our fathers' day were best. To side with truth is noble, When we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause brings fame and profit, , And 'tis prosperous to be just. New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient good uncouth; They must upward still and onward, Who would keep abreast of truth. CHARITY. He gives only the worthless gold, Who gives from a sense of duty. The Holy Supper is kept indeed, In whatso we share with another's need Not what we give, but what we share, For the gift, without the giver, is bare. Who gives himself with his alms, feeds three, Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me. WORK. "No man is born into the world whose work Is not born with him. Here is always work. And tools to work withal, for those who will; And blessed are the horny hands of toil ! The busy world shoves angrily aside The man who stands with arms akimbo set, Until occasion tells him what to do. And he who waits to have his task marked out Shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled." JAMKS RUSSELIv LOWEH. THE PLAN BOOK. 709 HENRY W. LONGFELLOW— THE CHILDREN'S POET. Born Feb. 27, 1807; Died 1882. Henry W. Longfellow was born in the town of Portland, Maine. He was second in a family of eight children. The mother was a descendant of John Alden of the Mayflower, and the daughter of General Wordsworth. She was an ardent lover of sunshine, flowers, music and poetry, and was always cheerful. The father, Stephen Longfellow, was a lawyer noted for his purity of character and scholarship. • BOYHOOD. As a boy Henry was noble, sensitive, affectionate and lively. But in spite of his love of fun he hated noise, and on this account disliked Fourth of July as much as most boys love it. He was so tender hearted that he could not bear to see animals suffer. Once when he had shot a robin he came home with his eyes full of tears, so grieved that he never tried shooting again. When he was five he began to go to school, but he disliked the rude sports of the boys so much that he remained only a short time. At six he could read and write, and at ten he was studying Latin, and began to prepare for college. When he was four- teen years old he entered Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine. When Henry was a little fellow he spent his vacation at his grandfather's house on a large farm. This grandfather had been a general in the Revolutionary War, and Henry loved to listen to his stories of the war and of the Indians. These stories were not forgotten, for in after years he put them into story form, and now one of these beautiful poems, "Hia- watha," is known to us all. Henry was extremely fond of reading and he was able to enjoy the companionship of good books, for the father had a HENRY W. LONGFELLOW. THE PLAN BOOK. 711 well selected library. His favorite among these was the "Sketch-Book" of Washington Irving. When thirteen years of age he wrote his first poem, ''The Battle of Lovell's Pond." He sent it to a Portland paper and when it appeared next morning he and the sister, to whom he told his secret, were overjoyed. The success which attended this first effort encouraged him to keep on writing. MANHOOD. As a student at college he was an earnest worker, but was more interested in literature than mathematics. During his col- lege course he wrote a number of poems which were accepted by the publishers and paid for. As the time drew near for him to leave college he wrote his father that he wished to make literature his life work. He was willing to make any sacrifice in order to be allowed to do this. He was determined, he said, to be eminent in whatever he undertook. He graduated with honors and was given the position of Professor of Modern Languages at Bowdoin College. In order to prepare himself for this place he spent three years trav- eling abroad. At twenty-two he returned to America and began his work at the college. As a teacher he was much loved, and here he remained five years and a half. At the end of this time he was given the professorship of Modern Languages at Harvard University. When he went to Cambridge to live he took rooms at Craigie House, a large old fashioned building where Gen. Washington and wife lived when he assumed command of the American Army. In front of the house may be seen the Charles River. He loved to sit by his study window and watch it. Here many of his poems were written. When Mr. Longfellow married he bought this home for his own, and here was passed the greater part of his remaining years. While still a young man he became, as he purposed, eminent as a poet. His poems were translated into many languages, for his poems were loved and admired in other countries as well as our own. LONGI-ELIOW'vS STUDY. LONGFELLOW'S HOME. (712) THE PLAN BOOK. 713 In appearance Mr. Longfellow was singularly attractive, in face and manner. His eyes- were blue and kindly, his voice sweet and his bearing refined. His fine face was but the index of a fine Heart and noble character. Mr. Longfellow was an earnest, untiring worker, and used his pen to help right injustice whenever possible. He felt as did Whittierthat slavery was wrong, and used his pen to arouse public sentiment against this great wrong, the buying and selling of human beings. It has been said of him that he wrote no line which dying he would wish to blot, and not one of which he had not a right to be proud. To the Cambridge home came many famous visitors, but to the poor and friendless he gave as kindly a welcome. Among his best loved friends and visitors were the children, of whom and for whom he has written so much. He speaks of this in his poem called "Children." "The Children's Hour" is a poem written about his own little girls, of whom there were three, Alice, Allegra and Edith. The poem on the Charles River was written in response to a request on the part of some school boys who visited him in his studio and saw the river from his window. "From My Arm Chair" was written to thank the children for a beautiful gift which came to him on his seventy-second birthday. This was a chair made of the wood of the chestnut tree which he described in the poem called "Village Blacksmith." The tree had to be cut down in order to widen the street. Mr. Longfellow regretted this very much. In order to make him feel happier, the school children subscribed a fund with which to have a chair made from the wood. It was hand- somely carved with an inscription which told of their affection for him. The poem written for them was given to every child who came to see and sit in the chair. Mr. Longfellow's last acts of kindness were to children. Some boys came from Boston to see him, and to ask for his 714 THE PLAN BOOK. autograph. These he gave cheerfully. A few days after this he died. His marble image has been placed in the poets' corner in Westminster Abbey, near the grave of Dickens, but he still lives in the hearts of the people of many countries. REFERENCE. An interesting article on Longfellow at Craigie House may be found in February, 1899, School Journal. Longfellow's poems. Read your pupils the lines written by Longfellow about Washington, who once occupied his room, and give them a list of others which they will be interested in reading. Place this list on the board and ask pupils to report to you their favorite poem a week or month later, after having read all on the list. In addition to those mentioned, these poems may be given: The Bell of Atri; The Birds of Killingworth; The Emperor's Bird's Nest; The Builders; The Psalm of Life; Building of the Ship; Wreck of the Hesperus; Mask of Pandora; Paul Revere's Ride; Rainy Day; Daybreak; Hiawatha and Evangeline. PICTURES. In the Ladies' Home Journal for December, '98, and in several of the numbers during '99 may be found large, full page illustrations of a number of Longfellow's poems. Among these are Minnehaha and Hiawatha, The Village Blacksmith, The Children's Hour, Priscilla and John Alden, The Hanging of the Crane, The Building of the Ship, Evangeline. '• THE PLAN BOOK. 715 THOMAS E. EDISON. Feb. llTH, 1847. How many of the pupils have used the telephone? A pho- nograph? How many have seen the moving pictures? How many of them use electric light in their own homes? How many use the electric cars? Do they know to whom we are indebted for these inven- tions? This is the birthday of Thomas Edison, the greatest in- ventor that ever lived. He is sometimes called the Wizard of Menlo Park, because he does wonderful things that other people cannot understand. He has invented more "useful machines for our benefit than any other man. When Thomas Edison was a boy, he was very anxious to learn. He read every book through, which he could get hold of. He went to school but two or three months, and after that his mother taught him at home. When he was twelve years of age, he was a newsboy on a train. V/hen he had carried his books and papers through the train and sold what the people wanted, he would curl up on one of the seats and spend all his spare time reading. Instead of reading trashy books of wild stories, he read magazines which described new inventions, or books which taught him something. While selling newspapers, he learned to print by setting up a little printing press in the baggage car. He decided to print a newspaper of his own, and so published the "Grand Trunk Herald," a tiny paper twelve by sixteen inches. It was the only paper in the world printed on a railroad train, and so it became quite famous, and the editor as well. But a sad accident befell the printing outfit. And this is how it happened. Thomas was very much interested in chemistry, and wished to become an electrician. So he put up some shelves in ihe freight car, and filled them with bottles of dififerent kind.^ ox 716 THE PLAN BOOK. chemicals. One day, as lie was mixing some of these chemi- cals, something happened on \vhich he had not counted. An explosion occurred and set the car on fire. The baggage-man was so angry that he boxed Edison's ears, and made him so deaf on one side that he could never hear again in that ear. He also kicked the printing press from the car and destroyed the bottles of chemicals. So Edi- son lost his place as newsboy. This would have discouraged some boys, but not so with Edison. He set right to work again. He had read a book which told about the telegraph, and he was eager to learn more. So, with the assistance of two other boys, he con- structed a line from his house to another boy's. But he could not make it work because he still lacked electricity. But, where there's a will, there's a way, and it came to Edison. Some one bought him an old battery, with which to start a current of electricity, and so he was able to send messages over the line which he had constructed. An act of bravery about this time enabled him to become a telegraph operator. He rescued a little child who was in danger of being run over by the cars, and the father of the child, as a reward, offered to teach Edison how to become a telegraph operator. He learned in three months, and at the age of fifteen was given a position at a salary of twenty-five dollars a month. The next few years he worked hard and never lost an opportunity to improve himself. He used the public library and spent every spare dollar on books, so that he was always poor. He became an expert at telegraphing, but he was not satisfied. He wanted to improve on the machinery used for this purpose. He tried to find a way to make one wire send two messages, and, when his companions laughed at him, he said that he should make it send four messages. And he did. But it took a great deal of money to make the experiments which he needed to make, and his employers found fault with him for devoting so much time to these. So he lost many positions. THE PLAN BOOK. 717 At last, lie went to New York to try to secure a position. He tramped the streets for three weeks looking for work. But his clothes were old and shabby, and work was not easy to secure. One day he went into an office of the Stock Ex- change to ask for work. In a stock exchange men buy and sell stocks all day, and it is necessary that they should know the pricesofstock every minute. A little machine is used to tell this. It rolls out a strip of paper, which tells what stocks are selling for all over the world, and from this men can see whether to buy or sell. Just as Edison was watching the stock printer, it broke down. No one could make it go again or find out the trouble. Edison told the managers what the trouble was, and the printer was repaired. This was a lucky day for him, for he was given charge of the machine next day at a large salary. He has not wanted for money or for work since. He began to make a name for himself by his inventions, which are now so numerous that it would take a book to describe them. He found a way to send many messages over one wire at the same time, thus saving many millions of dollars to the telegraph companies. He invented a telephone which enables us to talk to a friend a thousand miles away; a megaphone, by which two persons may whisper to each other a long distance away; the phonograph for recording sound and repeating it. You can talk, sing or whistle into a phonograph, and the sound of your voice will make marks upon a roll of gelatin inside. When you set the machine to moving, you can put in your ears little tubes which are attached to the phone, and it will repeat what you said to it. When Mr. Edison had made this, he* got a great many famous people to talk into it. He had the Indians and Eskimo, and other people who speak a language different from our own, to talk into it. He then set up his machines in different places, and people were charged a small sum to hear the machines talk. So many people wished to do this that he made a great deal of money. 718 THE PLAN BOOK. Then he made the kinetoscope for reproducing views of bodies in action, and added to this an invention which enabled one to see and hear a play or opera which had previously taken place. He also invented a water telephone, a mimeograph for mak- ing many copies from one writing, an electric pen and the electric light which is used all over the world. He is noted for making one of the first electric railroads, and for sending the first telegraphic messages from moving trains. He worked months and months on the electric lights that we now use, and made thousands of lamps before he could get a perfect one. These are only a few pf the things Mr. Edison has invented for us, and he is still trying to find more ways to help people. He works just as hard as he did when he was a poor boy. He had a great laboratory at Menlo Park, about twenty- five miles from New York, and, while living here, his inven- tions brought him the title of "The Wizard of Menlo Park." He moved from this place to Orange, New Jersey, and his establishment there is one of the most wonderful in the world. GIVE US MEN God give us men ! A time like this demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands — Men whom the lust of office will not kill; ' Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; Men who possess opinions and a will; Men who have honor; men who will not lie; Tall men, •sun-crowned, who live above the fog; In public duty and in private thinking. — •/. G. Holland. Welcome to the day returning, Dearer still as ages flow, While the torch of Faith is burning, L^ng as Freedom's altars glovv. — O. IV. Holmes. THE PLAN BOOK. 719 Manners and Morals. PATRIOTISM, OBKDIENCE. Patriotism — Birthdays of Lincoln and Washington. Develope reverence and love of our flag and all it repre- sents. Love of country is illustrated in the lives of our statesmen and soldiers. Beginning with the stories of the heroic boy or girl, we pass to the consideration of our nation's great heroes and the nation's worth. Endeavor to show how the national life protects the life of the pupil and citizen, and tell of the many brave men whose lives have been given to their country. Bring out the thought that every nation that has safe homes and schools, has had its leaders who so loved the people that they planned and worked long and hard to bring these conditions about. Show how the love of country in the fore-fathers was really love for us at the present time. Tell stories of boy and girl heroes and bring out the power, right and the necessity to the nation of loyal children. In giving stories from the Revolution, emphasize the part of the women and children in the struggle. Lead pupils to think about the labor and hardship that fell to them with fathers and brothers gone and how they toiled and cared for the heroes, though they could not fight for them. Sing patriotic songs. Interest your pupils in the "League of the Red, White and Blue," spoken of elsewhere. Tell inci- dents in the lives of great men who have served their country either as soldier, statesman or public spirited citizen; tell stor- ies which commemorate deeds of heroism in a country's cause, honor, perseverance, gentleness, courtesy, faithfulness and obedience. 720 THE PLAN BOOK. In our country's history there are commemorative poems which are within a child's grasp, as ''Barbara Fritchie," by Whittier; "Sheridan's Ride," by Thomas Read; "The Landing of the Pilgrims," by Mrs. Hemans; or "Paul Revere's Ride," b}'' Longfellow, about which you may group the whole story of the Revolutionary War. Such poems as these, simple, direct, forcible poems of heroism with their martial movement, are pleasing to the heroic age of youth, when the boy's hero is an adventurous, chivalrous character. These poems and "The Light Brigade," "The Norman Baron," "The Red Thread of Honor," are of service in empha- sizing the "power of lofty sentiments — a needed lesson in this commercial age." Interest pupils in making collections of pictures of war ships; a collection of the Presidents and sketches of their lives; firearms, ancient and modern; stamps and coins. PICTURES. Washington Crossing the Delaware; Washington Review- ing His Troops; Battle of Bunker Hill; Mt. Vernon; The God of War. THE STORY. Mars is the God of War. The armor of Mars and the shield of Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom, were the work of Vul- can, the blacksmith of the Gods. His forges were supposed to be in the caves of the volcanic mountains where the fires were ready to heat the metals for the armor. He built the palace of the gods on Mount Olympus, and the chariot of Apollo. The pictures of Vulcan represent him as short, thick and lame in one foot. He wears a cap, and carries a hammer in his hand. His workmen or assistants are powerful giants called Cyclops. THE PLAN BOOK. 721 READING AND REFERENCE. A very complete list of poems, stories, readings and refer- ence books to be used in connection with lessons on patriot- ism, and Washington and Lincoln birthday exercises will be given elsewhere in the book. A number of references were given in Biography for January Plans. GEMS TO MEMORIZE. ' A song for our country, so grand and so free, Our flag floats untarnished o'er land and o'er sea; 'Tis the home of the brave, of learning, of love; Our emblem, the eagle; our spirit, the dove. PATRIOTIC THOUGHTS. By C. PHli:,l,lPS. Other countries, far and near, Other people hold most dear, Other countries ne'er can be Half so dear to you and me As our own, our native land, By it firmly let us stand. HISTORICAL THOUGHTS. The riches of a commonwealth Are free, strong minds and hearts of health; And more to her than gold or gain, The cunning hand and cultured brain. — Whittier. The union of lakes, the union of lands The union of States, none can sever; The union of hearts, the union of hands. And the flag of our union forever. — Lowell. Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave benind us Footprints on the sands of time. — Longfellow. The heights by great men gained and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight; * But they, while their companions slept, Were tpiling upward in the night. — Longfellow. 722 THE PLAN BOOK. OBEDIENCE — REAL PATRIOTISM. BY MADISON BABCOCK, SAN FRANCISCO. The first lessoii of the soldier and hero — obedience. All proper lessons in patriotism should first create respect and love for mother and father, and brothers and sisters. This done, and we have a foundation on which to base a proper love of country. There is more of real value to the hoys, of the countr_y in dwelling with emphasis upon Washington's de- votion to his mother than there is in the war history of all the generals we have had from Washington to Miles. Let us pledge the children first to love and obedience at home, then to obedience at school, and these done, the boys will respect and reverence the laws of their community, their state, and their nation. Our lessons in patriotism need revision, and we should have a definition of patriot that, while it includes the men who fell at Concord and Bunker Hill, shall not leave out the mothers of the Revolution; a definition that, while it takes in Dewey and Roosevelt, and Sampson and Hobson, shall include every boy and girl, man and woman, who in peace or war is true to home and kindred, and obeys the laws, be they of school, state, or nation. — In American Primary Teacher, EXAMPLES. Washington, Lincoln, Napoleon. If Washington had followed his own choice of profession instead of obeying his mother he probably would not have been our First President and the leader that he was. "Napoleon said that his rise in life was due to the training of his will and self control which his mother gave him. He was a hard boy to manage. But he said he learned the virtue of obedience from her. And he managed to make his soldiers obey him, for he had first learned the lesson himself." OBEDIENCE. Obedience is the key to freedom. I will be lord over my- self. No one who cannot master himself is worthy to rule, and only he can rule. — Goethe. He who obeys with modesty appears worthy of some day or other being allowed to command. — Cicero. All the good of which humanity is capable is comprised in obedience. — Sel. Obedience is the key to every door. — Sel, THE PLAN BOOK. 723 CIVICS. PATRIOT SONS. The bright-eyed boys who crowd our schools, The kuights of book and pen, Weary of childish games and moods, Will soon be stalwart men — The leaders in the race of life, The men to win applause; The great minds born to guide the State, The wise to make the laws. Teach them to guard with jealous care The land that gave them birth — As patriot sons of patriot sires, The dearest spot of earth; Teach them the sacred trust to keep, lyike true men, pure and brave, And o'er them through the ages bid Freedom's fair banner wave. — By Dr. Sani'l F. Smith, Civics should be taught in our schools in order that chil- dren may know what government means, and in order that they may make good citizens. It will help them to love their country, become zealous little patriots, and make sacrifices for the good of all. Do pupils know the meaning of civics? Ask them to de- fine the word. The word will furnish material for an interest- ing spelling lesson, which the following article from the American Primary Teacher will suggest : "Civics" is a modern application of the word ''civic" to the science of civil government. Civic pertains to citizen, and is from civis, citizen. It is really the same word from which we get city, and the word civis is really the same in thought as the word from which "family" comes; that, in turn, is really the same in thought as the word from which we get "rest" and "quiet"; so that civics relates to all that makes cities and citi- z w^ quiet and restful. 724 THE PLAN BOOK. ^rhe words akin to this are, — Civil, quiet, courteous. Civility, good breeding. ^ Civilize, to reclaim from a non-civil state. Civilian one whose life is not military, but peaceful and industrious. Civilization, advanced in the arts and sciences. Civilizer, one who civilizes. Civism, good citizenship for the sake of the city's good; more local and restricted than patriotism. Civilizee, one who has been civilized. Civilly, in a civil manner. Civilist, one versed in civil law. Civics pertains to all that these words imply. CIVIC TOPICS. What do we mean by patriotism? Name some patriotic songs. How many of these can you sing? Name some patriotic poems. How many of these have you memorized? Do you know the stor}^ of our flag? Tell it. Why do we love our flag? What day is called Flag Day? (June 14.) What is our flag sometimes called? (Old Glory.) How many stars are there on our flag? (Forty-five.) When was the last one added? How many stripes are there? Why? How many national holidays have we? What is a na- tional holiday? For what purpose are these set apart? OUR GOVERNMENT. In talks to pupils tell of the ways in which our govern- ment provides for our welfare, both in war and in peace. Tell of the use of harbors, lighthouses, buoys on reefs, post office service, {in connection with Valentiue day), free schools, good laws, armies to defend us, and freedom to wor- ship God in our own way. Tell of the work of the men employed in the service of the THE PLAN BOOK 725 IN WASHINGTON, D. C 726 THE PLAN BOOK. United States. Let pupils give names of these servants of the union. What kind of men must we have for soldiers in the army and navy? For life-saving service and the light houses along our coasts? What is this life-saving service for? What does it accomplish? W^hat is the navy? What is a custom house? What are revenue officers? Why is it necessary to collect taxes? What qualifications must these men have? Would honesty and a knowledge of mathematics be necessary? Who brings our mail to the door? Where is it brought from? How does it reach the post office? Who pays for the service of the letter carriers and the post office? (The mone}^ paid for stamps is used to defray these expenses.) If letters are not directed carefully what becomes of them? Where is the dead letter office? What is done with them there? Who is at the head of the post office service? REFERENCE. Teachers will find a very timely and useful book in Jud- son's Civic Reader, published by Maynard, Merrill & Co., called "The Young American." The plan of the book is to afford exercise in reading, and at the same time to give to young pupils not going beyond the grammar school a good knowledge of the structure and work- ing of our government; to make clear to them at what a tre- mendous cost that government was formed and established; and so fix in their minds, through the words of our great poets and statesmen, the principles that should govern us as a people. In the lessons on patriotism or in arranging patriotic pro- grammes, two books which will be of value to teachers in Upper Grades are the "Patriotic Reader" on human liberty developed in verse and prose, from various ages, lands and races, with historical notes by Henry W. Carrington, Lippiucott Pub. Co., and "Columbian Selections of American Patriotism for Home and School" with tribute to Columbus, by Lippincott Pub. Co. I W,.^t*tm THE PLAN BOOK. 727 VALENTINE DAY. MESSAGES — LETTER-WRITING. National and state life as a protection for family and trade life — the connection and interdependence of these different phases of life. Different kinds of messages, verbal, written, printed, tele- phonic, telegraphic. What man whose birthday comes this month did much to help us send messages much more quickly and easily by means of his inventions? Different ways of delivering messages, by means of mes- senger boys, postman, trains, electricity, ships, etc. Bring out the idea that in making this country what it is, our fore fathers and patriots empowered each of us with the right to send messages about, and a whole army of men hired by the government will carry and distribute them. With letter writing in view, begin the first of the month to read your pupils letters from famous people, as Dickens, Phil- lips Brooks, Robert L. Stevenson, Charles Kingsley, the Wil- liam Henry letters of Mrs. Diaz and those of Washington and Lincoln. The day before Valentine Day, give each pupil a slip of paper containing the topic which is to be prepared for the next day. Ask the pupils to come prepared with a talk or paper on this subject and to illustrate it if possible with objects or pictures. Do not make a task of this, and ask pupils to keep their part of the day's lesson a secret from the others. On the slips containing topics to be assigned pupils, write also names of articles or give references which will be of use to pupils in preparing a talk or paper. Now for the topics themselves. Among these will be: 1. St. Valentine. 2. The Carrier Pigeon. 3. Our Post Office, (City or Town.) 4. The Present Postal System. 5. The Dead Letter Office. -^-^ 728 THE PLAN BOOK. 6. The Post Master General. 7. The Franking S3'stem. 8. Our Postman, (describing uniform, mail bag, route, hours of service, salary.) 9. Stamps. 10. My Stamp Collection. 11. Paper Making. , 12. Ink Making. 13. Lead Pencils. 14. Pens. 15. Letters written by Lincoln. 16. Letters written by Washington. 17. Letter writing during Colonial times, the scroll em- ployed by Pilgrims or Puritans stamped with wax. Methods employed in sending these letters. 18. Indian letter writing on birch bark. 19. The Roman tablets and stylus. 20. Parchment. 21. Primitive methods of writing. 22. Ways employed in transporting mail. 23. Foreign letters. 24. The Newspaper. 25. The Telegraph and Telephone. 26. Atlantic Cable. The Chinese laundrymen will contribute letters to show how the words and letters are printed in vertical lines and read backward. Let other pupils represent the Seven Little Sisters and imagine themselves in different parts of the world writing letters to us. Other letters showing stamps from Cuba, Philippine Islands, Europe, Asia, etc., will be contributed by interested pupils and a stamp collection may be borrowed for the day. The teacher may add to these letters and on Valentine day the letters and stair p collections ma}^ be arranged on the reading table and picture screen for pupils to examine. Before calling attention to these give a little talk on stamps. THE PLAN BOOK. 729 STAMPS. Where do we get stamps? Who makes them? Where are they made? Where is this Bureau of Printing and En- graviug? (See official guide to Washington, Price 25 cts.) Why do we need stamps to send letters? What becomes of all the money that we pay for stamps? How many kinds of stamps are issued by the government? For what are the one cent stamps used? Two cent? What is a special delivery stamp? How much does it cost? A postal card? Are the postal cards all alike? What do we call those which cost two cents? Whose pictures do we find on stamps? Why? Are all colored alike? Is the cost of sending a letter to another country the same as to another state? What does a Canadian stamp cost? Mexican? Alaskan? Cuban? To any country in Europe? Asia? Africa? Why should they cost more? What means of transportation have the people in these far away countries? Might this make a difference in the cost? A STAMP COLLECTION. "Children are always interested in the collection of postage stamps. Why not utilize this impulse to increase their in- terest in geography and history? What historical stories are stamped upon the face of those little squares of bright colored paper, which are used to insure a speedy transmittal and de- livery of our letters. The design upon the face of this little parallelogram has wrought into it, often, the successes or the agonies of a nation's lifetime. It has, for our reading, the most condensed history extant. To study it aright is to learn to read and to remember, to investigate and discriminate with an interest keenly alive to the facts and the philosophy of geo- graphy and history. A class can hardly begin a collection of these interesting souvenirs of the nations without its leading them to study more carefully and with a keen relish and in- terest both the geography and the history of the world." Ask for a contribution from each member of your class or school, for a school stamp book or chart, with a request that 730 THE PLAN BOOK. each child tell you about tlie stamp he brings. It may be only a postal card or note, but the child is expected to know its cost, whose picture is stamped upon it, what words are printed upon it, upon which side the address is to be written, and the message, and the name of the government that issued it. An- other may tell about the special delivery stamp. Arrange the one, two, ten cent and other stamps upon your chart. How many colors in your collection? How many pic- tures of famous men do they give? Tell all about these men. Why should their portraits be found on stamps or money? Then begin your collection of fo7'eign stamps. This is work children love to do. As the stamp is brought to school let the child whose contribution it is and whose interest is fresh, tell about the country from which it came and the jour- ney it took before reaching our door. Did it come by railroad or ship? Might it have been brought in a caravan across the desert, or on the back of an elephant through the j ungles of Africa? Why not? Did it cross the mountains? What peo- ple helped to bring it to us? There is interesting material for a number of lessons on letter writing, and an unlimited opportunity for arousing in- terest in the work of the government and life at the capital, as well as modes of travel and means of transportation. Show pictures of the capitol buildings at Washington, and tell of the work there. "i'm the little red stamp.'' (Pupil who recites this verse may have a large postage stamp drawn with the right colors on manila paper, to hold before the audience. ) I'm the little red stamp with George Washington's picture; And I go wherever I may, To any spot in George Washington's land; And I go by the shortest way. And the guns of wrath would clear my path — A thousand gims at need — Of the hands that should dare to block my course Or slacken ray onward speed. — Sam Walter Foss. (Appropriate gestures here.) I'HK PLAN BOOK. 731 READING. Little Post Boy, Cyr's Fourth Reader. The Little Post Boy, Bayard Taylor. New Era Fourth Reader. The Atlantic Cable, New Era Fourth Reader. Morse and the Telegraph, " " " Paper Making, Tracing a Letter, Information Reader, No. 4, Boston Supply Co. From Paper Mill to Treasury, " ** " The Post Office, " " " A SCHOOL POST OFFICE. Before Valentine day, or when letter writing is begun, di. vide the school into two sides or parties and let each nominate a candidate for the office of post master. His election by ballot will furnish a lesson in civics. His term of office may be for one month, or for a period decided by the pupils. He delivers the letters, cancels the stamps and sends to the dead letter office the letters which are not properly addressed. The dead letter office may be the teacher's desk. The pupils may write to some pupil friend in school, or some absent sick pupil. The letters should be properly addressed and stamped with make believe stamps from gummed sheets of red paper, but left unsealed. They may then be dropped into the school mail box. The letters may be looked over, and mistakes noted by the teacher, after school hours, and then the letters returned to the box. The letters are delivered next day. MONTHLY LETTERS. After your talk on letters and letter writing ask your pupils to write a letter to you the last day of each month . Tell them that you will answer these letters, and after correcting their mistakes return their ov/n, which are to be kept until the end THE PLAN BOOK. 733 of the year. In this way they will be able to note improve- ments themselves. The mistakes made in the letters of the pupils will guide the teacher in a series of lessons on letter writing, and furnish material for spelling lessons as well. This monthly letter may also be used as a means of dis- cipline. Tell the pupils that you wish to tell them some things about their work, some pleasant and some otherwise, which you think they would prefer to have told in a letter, than publicly. In answering these letters speak of the things that have pleased you in their conduct and lessons, or point out the weak points in deportment and work. MONEY OR COINS. The study of coins, as well as the study of stamps, leads to the development of habits of close orbservation, and robs all historical and geographical study of its dullness. This subject may be taken up in connection with lessons on metals, or while on our trip to Washington. Ask pupils to bring their collections of coins to school, and tell the class about the history of each coin. Talk about the coins in circulation in our own country. Where are they made? How are they put in circulation? Who makes them? What are the materials used? What motto is found on some of them? What bird is sometimes stamped upon them? What is the largest silver coin we have? The smallest? What pieces of money are made of copper? What other money do we use? Why not have all money made of paper? Of metal? Do all countries have the same coins? How many have seen a shilling? Where is it used? A franc? Where did it come from? What money did the Indians use? The Eskimo? Visit the Mint, and let pupils describe money making. Articles describing money making may be found in the Information Reader No. 4, published by the Boston School Supply Co. 734 THE PLAN BOOK. IMAGINARY JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON. The lessons on letter writing, stamps, coins, etc., will lead to a desire to visit the post office and other departments at Washington, the capital. For suggestions as to this trip see article on the "Travel Class" in September Plan Book, page 101. On arriving at Washington ask pupils to tell you what person in Washington they would like to see first. Upon whom would they like to call? Where would they be apt to find the President? What is the building called where he makes his home while in Washington? In what direction must we go to find this? In what part of the city, on what avenue will we find the White House? PLAN FOR STUDYING WASHINGTON. What is the capital of a country? 1. Location: In country. Part of country. Natural advan- tage of location. Why located so far from the center of the United States. 2. Importance: For what especially noted? 3. Size: Population. Area compared with other cities in the same country. 4. History: When and by whom settled? Who was the first President who lived in Washington? (John Adams.) What President lives there now? 5. Plan of the city: General outline of the city as a whole. What can you say of the plan? Why were so many small parks placed thro' the city? Arrangement of streets. Business section. Home section. Rich. Poor. 6. Important sights of the city: White House. The Capitol. The Arsenal. Observatory. Washington Monu- ment. Smithsonian Institute. Pennsylvania Avenne. Mary- land Avenue. New Jersey Avenue. Delaware Avenue. North Capitol of Street. South Capitol of Street. East Capitol of Street. Potomac River. Long Branch. Arlington Heights. East Branch. Rock Creek. Georgetown. Which THE PLAN BOOK. 735 is the most interesting part of Washington? Describe Wash- ington Monument. Draw map of Washington and number these places of interest. 7. General Facts: Method of transportation. Method of lighting. Water supply. Sewerage. Cleaning of streets. Churches. Libraries. Schools. Reference Books: Carpenters' Geographical Geography; Standard Guide of Washington, Foster & Reynolds, price, 25 cents; St. Nicholas, June '93; The World and Its People, Book III; The Century Book For Americans; The Story of the Government, Eldredge Brooks; Our Own Country Book III., The Post Office Information Reader No. 4; Mint Machines and Making Money; The Capitol; Mount Vernon and Washington's Birthplace, in Youths' Companion Sup. Reading No. 16. GEORGE WASHINGTON. OUTLINE FOR STUDY. 1. For What Noted. — First President of the United States. Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary War. 2. Birtk.— Born Feb. 22, 1732, in Virginia, at Wakefield. This was on the Potomac River, about thirty miles from Fredericksburg. The plot of ground at Wakefield has since been purchased by Congress, and the spot is now marked by a marble shaft. The house in which Washington was born was destroyed by fire in 1743, and only a ruined chimney remains i to mark the place of the house. Show picture of this home. 3. Family. — Augi^stine Washington, the father, was of English descent. He died when George was eleven years old. The mother, Mary Ball Washington, was a famous Virginia belle. George had three brothers and sisters, younger than himself. r' m y i »H {■^r wm^Yi wX^Bijsi(s^0]v. J THE PLAN BOOK. 737 4. Early home. — Show picture of home by the Rappahan- nock river. When the home at Wakefield was burned the family removed to an estate, a plantation. Most of the people then lived on big plantations. Owners raised what was needed, with the assistance of slaves. There M'^ere no mills or factories, and wool and flax was converted into cloth and clothing on the farms or plantations, by the women and slaves. There were no good roads and traveling was done on foot, horseback, or b}^ means of boats. For this reason people lived near a river or lake. Virginia was then a colony. Had only a few small towns. There were no United States. There were but thirteen col- onies. Laws were made by the King of England. 5. Boyhood. — Fond of athletic sports. Favorite game was soldier. Was tall, strong and industrious. Early education directed by his mother. To her training he owed much of his self command, carefulness and neatness. Mrs. Washington was an excellent manager, but severe. Washington was truthful, polite and considerate for others. Formulated a number of rules of conduct, when a boy. Learn them. 6. Youth. — Studied surveying. Went to live with his brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon, on the Potomac river. Worked at surveying three years. Tell about the Fairfax friends. Life in the woods. Quality of his work. Character exhibited. Major in a company at nineteen. An aid-de-camp to Brad- dock at tw^enty-three. Fought in French and Indian war. Mission to Ohio. Fort Necesssity. Character exhibited. 7. Manhood. — At twenty-seven married Mrs. Martha Custis and came to Mount Vernon. Describe personal appear- ance. Financial resources. At forty-three was chosen Com- mander-in-Chief of Army. Personal sacrifice involved in ac- cepting office. Work at Boston; at Trenton and Princeton; at >>. % JN^ >3-./lK'7H.A "VVX^HIN-(^^]^G,K THE PLAN BOOK. 739 Valley Forge; his resignation. Declined to become king. Character exhibited. Becomes private citizen. ^y^ouN]- Vernon 8. Preside7it. — In 1 787 became pre-iident of the convention that framed the constitution of the United States. In 1789 was chosen first President of the United States. Personal sac- rifice involved in accepting office. Describe life at the White House. Colonial Dress. Modes of Travel, etc. Most important events; Preparation for mili- tary and civil life. Washington as a flag maker. Two term? as President. Declined to be made king. Visit to Boston. Farewell address. Character exhibited. 9. Death and Last Resting Place. — Last days. Buried at Mount Vernon with his wife. Describe the Mount Vernon as it is to-day. Who has charge of it? How far distant from Washington City? How one reaches it from that place. Describe the furniture, the gardens, the fine old trees, the servants' quarters; the old coach. Are any slaves there to-day? V/hy not? Describe the Washington Monument in the city of Wash- ington. WABHINQTON ON HORSEBACK- THE PLAN BOOK. 741 - Pictures of Mt. Vernon to-day. Washington Monument. A helpful article on Mt. Vernon as it is to-day will be found in School Education, Feb. '99. 10. Conclusiofj. — Compare the life of Washington with that of Lincoln. Qualities possessed in common — honesty, truthfulness, kindness, etc. Washington rich, with pleasant home surrounded by re- fined and cultivated friends; Lincoln very poor, from wretched home, living among ignorant people; almost no opportunities for education. They became the greatest men in our history, the one as a builder and the other as the preserver of our nation. Did the circumstance of wealth or poverty have any weight in deter- mining real character here? Readi7tg Lessons. — Third Grade. Stories of Washington's Boyhood and Manhood, A History Reader for Elementary Schools, by L. L. W. Wilson, Macmillan Co. Stories of Was- hington, Through the Year, Book II., Silver, Burdette & Co. George Washington and the Corporal, Baldwin's Third Reader. George Washington, Normal Third Reader. The Home of Washington, Normal Third Reader. Washington's Monu- ment, Normal Third Reader. Fourth and Fifth Grades. Washington's Rules of Be- havior, The New Century Fourth Reader, Rand, McNally Pub. Washington in the Wilderness, Harper's Fourth Reader. Washington the Surveyor, Harper's Fourth Reader. Wash- ington's Address to His Troops, Cyr's Fourth Reader. Char- acter of Washington, Cyr's and Harper's Fifth Reader. Stories of Washington, Normal Fourth and Fifth Readers. Story of Washington's Life, in Primary History of United States by Charles Morris, Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, (a very excellent book). The Life of Washington, by Baldwin. References for Washington. — The Story Hour, Wiggin. Life of Washington, Washington Irving. Stories of Our Country, Johonnot. Stories of Our Country, Mrs. Monroe. Story of Washington, Mary E. Seelye. American History 742 THE PLAN BOOK. Stories, Mara Pratt. Higginson's Young Folk's History. Stories of American History, Dodge. Ten Great Events in History, Johonnot. Ten Bo3's of Greenawa}- Court, D. Apple- ton & Co. Ten Boys (Yankee Boys), Andrews. Col. Allan and His Boys, Mary L. Pratt. ^A Little Hero, Mary L. Pratt. A Daring Girl, Mary L. Pratt. The Boston Boys, Mary L. Pratt. A Brave Girl, Stories of American Life and Adventure, American Book Co. Elizabeth Zane, American Book Co. The Children Before the War, in Stories of Colonial Children. The War Horse Tells His Story, Cyr's Fourth Reader. A National Flag, Cyr's Fourth Reader. A Stor}- of the Flag, C3^r's Fourth Reader. Patriotism, New Century Fourth Reader. Soldiers' Reprieve, New Century Fourth Reader. Magazine Articles. — Kindergarten Magazine, Vols. I, H, III, IV, V; Greenawa}' Court, Putnam's ^lagazine; New Eng- land History Record, Vol. 14; New Leaf From Washington's Life, St. Nicholas, March, 1887; Republican Court, Wide Awake, July, '89; The Anecdotal Side of Washington, Ladies' Home Journal, May, '99 and July, '99; Washington as an Athlete, St. Nicholas, March, '89; Washington's English Home, Wide Awake, July, '84; Some Birthdays of Washing- ton, February, '92, Harper's Young People; Washington and Latter Day Manners, Wide Awake, September, '89; Washing- ton in Youth, Harper's Young People, February 20, '83; A Visit to Mt. Vernon, School Education, February, '99; The Philadelphia Monument and a Visit to the Home of Betty Ross, February, '99, Primary Education. Patriotic Poefns. — Paul Revere's Ride, Longfellow; The Flower of Liberty, O. W. Holmes; Stanzas on Freedom, J. R. Lowell; Crown Our Washington, Hezekiah Buttervvorth; The Name of Old Glory, J. W. Riley; The Better Way, Susan Coolidge; Our Heroes, Alice Cary; The Building of the Ship, Longfellow; Union and Libert}^, O. W. Holmes; Freedom, Our Queen, O. W. Holmes; Barbara Fritchie, Whittier; God Bless Our Stars Forever, Benj. F. Taylor; Concord Battle Hymn, Drake; My Country, Geo. W. Belhune; Speak Boldly, W. THE PLAN BOOK. 743 Orland Borne; Love of Country, Walter Scott; Barbara Fritchie, a Flag Heroine; Commemoration Ode, Holmes. Stories. — The Bravest Man in the Regiment, Harper's Fourth Reader; The Story of Philip Nolan or The Man With- out a Country, by B. W. Hale, Cyr's Fifth Reader; General Gage and the Boston Boys; Boston Tea Party; Col. Ellsworth, the Flag Hero. Invitations. — If special exercises are to be held on Wash- ington's birthday and guests invited, invitations may be issued. Place the form of invitation upon the board, naming the day and hour at which you wish to begin the exercises. This may be given to pupils as a lesson in letter writing. If the children in Washington's time, or school, had written invitations to parents to visit school exercises, would the same kind of paper and envelopes have been used, that w^e are using today? Were envelopes used then? What was used instead? Read the pupils bits of description of early life and customs, from "Lincoln and Washington Book" by Lydia Avery Coon- ley. A. Flanagan, Pub. As The letters had no envelopes, Each paid a quarter tax; They wrote on large sheets, folded them, And sealed with bright red wax. Read one of the forms of invitations used in Washington's time and compare with the form used today for a similar function. Ask pupils if they would prefer to send an old time form of invitation and fasten the notes with red wax seals. This last bit of work may be attended to by the invitation committee. Some pupil will be sure to have some red sealing wax which may be used for this purpose. Tell of the letters written by Washington as a child, and preserved and exhibited to this day, with his copy books ,and journals which were models of neatness. 744 THE PLAN BOOK. 4rn SOUVENIRS FOR LINCOLN'S AND WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAYS. Let pupils make silhouettes with brush and ink or mimeo- graph copies of these silhouettes, and fill in outline with brush and ink. The silhouettes may also be given the pupils to cut from white or black paper as an exercise in free hand cutting. These may then be mounted on gray or white cardboard cut in the shape of a shield, a hatchet (for Washington) or a shovel (for Lincoln), as it is suggestive of his earliest efforts at writing. In the top of the shield or in the handles of the hatchet and shovel may be tied a loop and knot of ribbon. An eagle may be cut from cardboard also, and used as a background for the silhouettes. An outline of one may be made from one of the pictures given in "Birds and Nature." If pupils make and color the flag with water colors, a tiny silhouette of Washington or Lincoln may be cut from white paper and pasted upon the field of blue, among the stars, or in place of the stars, which the pupils find difficult to make. THE PLAN BOOK. 745 In the May, '99, Ladies' Home Journal will be found an article called "The Anecdotal Side of George Washington." This is illustrated with fifteen dainty pictures, about the size of a silver dollar. These pictures may be cut out, mounted on cards and the anecdote which each illustrates pasted under it, or on the back of the card. One set should be kept for the school room, but, if pupils can secure two or more extra copies of this number of the Journal, these pictures may be cut out, pasted on bits of white cardboard cut in any shape desired, and one presented to each guest as a remembrance of Washing- ton's birthday. A bit of red, white and blue ribbon fastened in the top, to hang it up by, will add to the attractiveness of the card. Other illustrated articles which may be of use for this pur- pose may be found in The Ladies' Home Journal, July, 1899. "When Washington Was Married," October, 1899; "The Last Years of Washington," December, 1898; "Washington's Christmas at Valley Forge," February, 1898; "The Home Life of Washington," and "With Washington in the Minuet. Strike, strike, O Liberty, thy silver strings, And fill with melody the clear blue sky; Give swell to chorous full — to gladness wings, And let swift heralds with the music fly! Faint not, nor tire; but glorify the record, Which honors him who gave the nation life; Grand faith was that to inspire our sires. And honor him so true with chief command, And fervid be our joy, while beacon fires Do honor to this hero through the land. — Henry D. Carrington. THE PLAN BOOK. 747 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. OUTLINE FOR STUDY. 1. For What Noted. — Sixteenth president of the United States. Signed Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery in the United States. 2. Birth. — Born in a log cabin, Kentucky, Feb. 12, 1809. 3. Family. — Parents poor and ignorant. Father, Thomas Lincoln; Mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. 4. Boyhood. — Fond of reading and study. Tall, strong, very kind hearted. Opportunities for education limited. Passion for reading and study. Skillful with his axe. Became surveyor. 5. Manhood. — Studied law. Elected to Illinois Legis- lature. Opposed slavery. Elected to United States Congress. Became President. Made Thanksgiving a National Holiday. Story of the Civil War. Emancipation Proclamation. 6. Death of Lincoln. Burial and Monuments. 7. Comparison with the life of Washington. READING LESSONS. THIRD GRADE. Stories of Lincoln's Boyhood and Manhood. A History Reader for Elementary Schools, by L. L. W. Wilson, Mac- Millan Company. Stories of Lincoln, Through the Year, Book II., Silver, Burdette & Co. Stories of Lincoln, New Era Third Reader. EOUETH AND FIFTH GRADES. Lincoln's Gettysburg Speech. Cyr's Fourth Reader. The Hand of Lincoln. Harper's Fifth Reader. The Second Inaugural Address. New Era Fifth Reader and Harper's Fifth Reader. Gettysburg Address. New Era Fifth Reader. 748 THE PLAN BOOK. Address at the Dedication of Gettj^sburg Cemetery. Baldwin's Sixth Reader. O, Captain, My Captain! Harper's Fifth Reader. Primary History of the United States, by Charles Morris. Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. MT. VERNON BELLS. Tune: "Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground." Where Potomac's stream is flowing Virginia's border through, Where the white-sailed ships are going, SaiHng to the ocean blue; Hushed the sound of mirth and singing — Silent every one! While the solemn bells are ringing, By the tomb of Washington. Chorus. — Tolling and knelling, With a sad, sweet sound, O'er the waves the tones are swelling, By Mount Vernon's sacred ground. Long ago the warrior slumbered — Our country's father slept; Long among the angels numbered — They the hero soul have kept. But the children's children love him, And his name revere, So, where willows wave above him, Sweetly, still, his knell you hear. Chorus. — Sail, O, ships, across the billows, And bear the story far; How he sleeps beneath the willows, "First in peace, and first in war" Tell while sweet adieus are swelling, Till you come again. He within the hearts is dwelling. Of his loving countrymen. Chorus. — —J/. B. C. Shade. THE PLAN BOOK. 74^^ FEBRUARY SCIENCE LESSONS. 'T*^^>^t*-*t^^» The Earth. The weather, temperature. Clouds, condensation, evaporation. The heavens. Related lessons on light and heat. PLANT LIFE. Things to find out. The tea plant. The coffee plant. ANIMAL LIFE. The dove or carrier pigeon. Related lessons on messages. The eagle. The dog. The horse. The camel. The elephant. Related lessons on modes of travel. MINERALS. Limestone, Marble, Salt. POEMS. In February, Poetry of the Seasons. February, Poetry of the Seasons. February Rain, Poetry of the Seasons. An Afternoon in February, Longfellow, February, Frank D. Sherman. 750 THE PLAN BOOK. FORAIS AND PHASES OF NATURE. THE EARTH. (See questions in January Plan Book, page 602.) APPEARANCE OF LANDSCAPE IN FEBRUARY. What season closes with this month? What season comes after this month? Have you noticed any signs of spring yet? What are they? Where does the snow melt first? Last? Any rain or snowstorms this month? When does it begin to thaw? Has the river changed in appearance? Has the ice melted? Notice the current. In what way does it differ from the river as seen in September? February has been called the "gulf stream" of winter. When it rains in February, the farmers say winter is over. Has February any days as cold as January? Has the ground frozen at all? What makes it freeze? What is it that freezes? How deeply has it frozen? How deeply does it ever freeze? THE WEATHER. Watch the daily papers for weather probabilities. Ask pupils to cut them out and bring them into the class for dis- cusssion. February has many weather signs. Study them. What is Candlemas day? What is ground hog day? There is an old saying that tells us that, if Candlemas day is dry and fair, the half of winter is yet to come. If this day is wet and stormy, the half of winter is gone at Christmas. Give talks on the protection afforded from weather by the government. Tell of the Signal Service, the Life Saving Service on coasts. The following questions on the weather record are by Nel- lie Allen, in American Primary Teacher: TEMPERATURE. Is the temperature rising or falling? At what time of the day is the temperature highest? Why is it not highest exactly at noon? Is it warmer at sunrise or sunset, and why? THE PLAN BOOK. 751 In what week or month have there been the greatest changes in the temperature? At what temperature has most rain fallen? The most snow? Compare the average temperature for different months. For different weeks. Which registers the highest? The lowest ? Notice increase or de- crease in temperature. Which month is the average temperature of this most like? What are the extremes of temperature for this month? Through how many degrees has the mercury ranged? How many degrees was it lower last month? How many degrees higher? What pupils live on high hills? Who live in valleys? What children live between? What did the thermometer register at each of these houses? Which place was warmest? Coldest? What two pupils live side by side? Was there any difference in temperature at these places? On what side of the houses do the thermometers hang? Who has relatives in Maine? How does their temperature compare with ours? In what direction is Maine from us? Who knows anyone in Florida or some other Southern state? Com- pare the temperature there with ours. In what direction is Florida? Who has relatives or knows people living in South Dakota, Minne- sota, or Nebraska, or some other inland state in about the same latitude? Compare the temperature of these places with yours. Which are nearer to the ocean, they or you? How was the temperature at the beginning of the storm? During the storm? Did it change after the storm? CLOUDS. How many clear days have we had this week without a cloud? This month? How many cloudy days without sun? What kind of clouds have you seen? Describe and give names. During what kind of weather did you see each? What colors have you seen in the clouds? What pictures? When are the clouds most beautiful? What kind of cloud comes before a rain? After a storm? Are the clouds of the same kind now that they are in Sep- tember? Higher or lower? Which kind are most common 752 THE PLAN BOOK. this moutli? How far away are the clouds? What do you call them when they rest on the earth? Are snow clouds like rain clouds? Compare months in amount of cloudiness. Have you noticed any new forms of cloud this month or week? Which clouds mean wind? Rain? Snow? Were the coldest days cloudy or clear? EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, CLOUDS. Materials — Alcohol lamp; tea kettle, or tin dish; plates; salt. OBSERVATION. Question pupils as to what becomes of the snow on the ground, the water on the sidewalk and streets, in the ditches, ponds and rivers. If pupils "have bulbs in jars in the win- dows or aquariums, they will perhaps have noticed that the water evaporates. If not, call attention to these and ask them in regard to this, and further illustrate evaporation by pour- ing water on the floor where the sun can strike. Or place a pan or kettle of water over a spirit lamp and ask pupils to watch it. Let pupils make experiments for themselves, as wetting handkerchiefs, pieces of paper, sponges, washing a portion of the blackboard, and watching result, etc. How did this water change before it passed into the air? What makes water change into gas or vapor? From what sources can this heat come? Which is the quickest way to change water to vapor, by evaporation or by boiling? Experiment. Place a shallow dish of water in the sun- light, another on the register and another over the fire or spirit lamp. Let pupils find out for themselves that the more we heat a liquid, the faster it is changed into gas or vapor. Put fresh green leaves in a glass jar and cover tightly. What gathers on the sides of the jar? Where did this moist- THE PLAN BOOK. 753 nre come from? Notice 3^our breath whicli takes on the form of steam when you are out on a very cold day, or of very tiny drops of water if you breathe upon a cold glass. This vapor is given off by every living animal or plant. It rises from land and water, the sun being the source of heat which causes it to rise. This vapor which is constantly in the air is necessary for the use of plants and animals in breathing. Call the pupils' attention to the force required to make the lid of the tea kettle rise. What does this? Tell the story of James Watts, who as a boy sat in the kitchen at home and studied about this very matter. He de- cided that if steam had strength or force enough to move the lid of the kettle it could move other things. The result of his observation in this direction was the modern condensing steam engine, which makes it possible for us to travel so rapidly from city to city today. Why does this vapor rise? Let pupils watch the boiling water and see for themselves that the warm water nearest the bottom heats first; that v/arm objects are lighter than cold ones and rise; that the hot drops rise to the top and the cold drops take their place. Let pupils watch this bubbling and rising of drops as the water boils. Notice the first bubbles and that they contain air. Do they break noisily or quietly? Notice the bubbles formed at the bottom of the pan and how they increase in size as they reach the surface. CLOUDS. The vapor that rises is lighter than the air or atmosphere, and goes up, up, while the heavier air above drops down. As the vapor rises higher into the colder atmosphere, it condense? into what we call clouds. These are sometimes ten or more miles above the earth, at other times much nearer, and sometimes they drop very low. In what kind of weather do the clouds seem to be nearer the earth ? 754 THE PLAN BOOK. Illustrate the fact that, if vapor in the air is chilled, it gathers into water dust, and then into clouds. Call attention tv) the fact that there is no vapor, or appears to be none, close to the spout of the kettle of boiling water, but that a little farther away the steam is visible. As the vapor goes farther away from the spout, the cool air of the room condenses it, and makes it visible in the form of steam, or brings the drops to- gether again, perhaps on the window-pane, in the form of water drops. Let pupils hold a plate in the cloud of steam as it arises from the kettle, and observe how the small drops of water gather upon it. Hold another plate nearer the spout, where no steam is visible, and let pupils see that the water drops gather as before when the steam was visible. What happens to our breath on a cold day? If you breathe on a cold window-pane or a glass, what happens? What in these cases made the vapor visible? Why do the clouds grow dark on certain days? What brings the rain from them? The same cause as that which changed the steam into drops when meeting the cold surface of the plate. A cold wind meets the clouds and passes through them. The water dust gathers into drops, and these become so heavy that they cannot float in the air. If, in falling, the rain drops pass through another colder wind, they freeze and become hail stones. If the cloud froze, there would be no hail stones. The drops must first gather in the form of rain, and then pass through a cold wind to freeze thera solid. When does hail generally come? (After a snow- storm.) Are the stones larger in winter or summer? If a very cold current of air or wind meets the water dust before it has cooled sufiSciently to become changed into water drops, it becomes snow. The particles of water dust are drawn together into star-shaped snow crystals, and, as these are heavier than the water dust, they fall to the earth. Illustrate this force of nature or principle of cohesion by means of rock candy or salt and water. THE PLAN BOOK. 755 Let pupils fill a glass or dish with water, and place in it as much salt as the water will dissolve. Let this remain in room for several days, and let pupils watch the formation of salt crystals. LITERATURE. A Drop of Water, Andersen. The General Thaw, Mrs. Gatty's Parables from Nature. Snow Clouds, Eleanor Smith's Songs. The Lazy Little Cloud, Normal Third Reader. Watching the Clouds, READING LESSONS. The Tea Kettle; The Steam Engine; The Sunbeams; Vapor, Clouds and Rain; The Story of a Water Drop; The Hail Stone's Visit; The Snow Flake's Story in the Normal (Powell & Todd) Third Reader. THE HEAVENS. What time does the sun rise now? Note the lengthening days and apparent location of one sunset each week. In what direction does it appear to set? Make a note of the building or tree behind which the sun disappears Feb. 1st. In what direction does the sun set P'eb. 28? At what time do you need to light the lamp? Do you need to eat breakfast by lamp- light now? TALKS ABOUT STARS. COLORED STARS. All the stars are colored and it is said that if we could see clearly, we would find among them as many colors as there are among the flowers of the earth. Some of the stars are double and these are colored differ- ently, but you cannot see them except through a telescope. Now find Andromeda on the map and you will see a star marked as a double star, one being orange and the other green. The star Alpha in the constellation of the Ram is a double 756 THE PLAN BOOK. star, the colors being purple and yellow, while Gamma is another double star, and is noted because of its being the first, double star ever seen. Halfway between Gamma, Andromeda (the colored double star) and the head of Aries, the Ram, is a little constellation named the Triangle. South oi the Triangle is the constel- lation of Aries the Ram, which is one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Read the story of the "Greatest Telescope Alakers," in Stories of American Life, by Eggleston, American Book Co. VARIABLE STARS. These are the stars that vary in brilliancy. One of these stars is like a little lamp which burns brightly for some time and then only shines with a feeble glimmer. One of the best known of these stars is called Algol or the Blinking Demon, and may be found on the map in Perseus. Try to find it in the sky. As you look at this group, try to remember the wonderful story of Perseus, as it has been told by the Greeks. "Perseus was a brave 3^outh, who was sent by his enemies to capture the head of Medusa, the only mortal one of the three Gorgons, which were frightful monsters with wings, tre- mendous claws, and brazen teeth, and serpents for hair. So horrible were they that every one who looked at them turned to stone. The gods helped Perseus to approach Medusa, and cut off her head, without looking at her. On his way home, he saw and rescued a beautiful maiden named Andromeda, who had been chained to a rock, and was about to be devoured by a terrible sea monster. Perseus turned the head of Medusa toward the monster, which was instantly turned to stone. In the map you will notice Perseus and Andromeda near each other; so that if you find one, it is easy to trace the other. Perseus still protects Andromeda in the sky. Ke was placed here after his death, as a reward for his bravery." d *c THE PLAN BOOK. 757 SHOOTING STARS. These are not stars at all, but masses of hot metal or gas. A shooting star usually weighs less than an ounce, And moves through the air faster than an express train moves. If it drops too near the earth, into the blanket of air that surrounds the earth, it is sure to be destro3^ed. It rubs against particles it meets in the air and this makes it so hot that it glows with light. We only see it for an in- stant however. It soon burns out and its ashes drop to the earth. METEORS. These bodies are great masses of iron or stone. Some- times they fall upon the earth and when this happens they at- tract much attention. Some of them weigh tons, and it is fortunate that many do not fall on our earth. COMETS. Comets are made of millions of particles covered with coats of glowing gas. Sometimes a comet breaks into pieces and the fragments travel along themselves. Some comets visit us at regular intervals and others come once in many years and some never return. A NEBULA. A nebula or little cloud, as it seems to be in the sky, is a mass of glowing gas poised in space. It looks very small be- cause it is so far away. But the great nebula of Andromeda is as large as millions of bodies as large as our earth. Some- times people mistake this nebula for a comet. A nebula and a comet are not the same thing. A comet changes its appearance from hour to hour, while a nebula re- mains unchanged for thousands of years. 758 THE PLAN BOOK. ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. Define natural light. Artificial light. What kinds of arti- ficial light do we have? Gas light, electric light, fire light, candle light, lamp light? Is there such a thing as natural gas? What kinds are used in our homes, churches, cars, streets? What was the first light employed? What was the last to be discovered or invented? Who invented it? How long has it been in use? What kind of light did Franklin discover? How many kinds of light have pupils seen? How many can tell about the source of each? Which gives the strongest light? The weakest? Which is the most expensive? The cheapest? What kind is most widely and commonly used? The most useful? Which light do pupils like best? Which is the best light to read by? Which is the most injurious to the eye? What kind of a light did Lincoln have when he studied at night? What kind did he use Mobile President in the White House? What kind of a light did Washington read by? What kind of a light did your grandfather use when he was a boy? Your father? What light do you use at home? What light does the farmer and trainman use to assist in night work out of doors? Why are colored lanterns used on trains? Where else are colored lanterns used as danger signals? What kind of lanterns do we use when we wish to make our lawns look pretty at night? Where do these lanterns come from? What does the sailor have to warn him of danger from rocks? Who has seen a light house? Who can draw one? What kind of people live in them? Describe the life. What poetess lived in a lighthouse when a child? (Celia Thaxter.) What poet's father was a light house builder? (Stevenson's.) Read the "Lamp Lighter," by Robert Louis Stevenson. Tell the story of Grace Darling, King Alfred's Candle or the First Lantern. LANGUAGE. Subjects for compositions. Ways of lighting buildings. THE PLAN BOOK. 759 1. The candle, oil lamp, gas, electric light, incandescent. What way was employed in early days? The Candle. — How made; materials used; advantages over fire light? Over kerosene lamps? Expense? Where used? Lamps. — Oil or kerosene used as fuel. How secured and where? Materials used in making lamps? Cost of u^ing? Advantages over the candle? How long in use? Invented by whom? Where most commonly used? Gas and Electric Zz^/z/.— Natural and artificial gas. Gas and electric light plants. How connected with buildings? Cost of using? Advantages over other means of lightings Discovered or invented when and by whom? Drawing. — Paint and draw lanterns and lamps of all kinds, as kerosene lamps with different shaped bowls and globes, lanterns, bicycle lamps, carriage and train lamps, lamp parts and light houses. Literature. — King Alfred's Candle, or The First Lantern. HEAT. Sources. — The sun, friction, combustion, chemical action. Friction. — Under the head of friction, opportunity is offered to learn the habits of cave dwellers, Indians, of Crusoe and other primitive people in obtaining and keeping fire. The growth of the match may also be traced. Let pupils tell of the ways in which fire was discovered — of making fire with flint; by the rubbing together of sticks; of fire from lightning, and of getting fire from volcanic sources. Tell of the proper materials and ways of making fire. Let pupils make fires for themselves and find the chief things requisite, i. ^., supply of air, use of inflammable material — as kindling — proper arrangement in stacking sticks for admission of air, etc. The need for the preservation of fire will bring out the points that hard woods and coal burn slowly, and that by par- tial covering from air, fire can be kept for a long time. Under combustion lead pupils to see the necessity of a 760 THE PLAN BOOK. draught. Make experiments. Apply knowledge gained to fuel, stoves, lamps, furnaces and to ventilation. Unslacked lime and water show effect of heat through chemical changes. HEATING BUILDINGS. WAYS EMPLOYED IN EARLY DAYS — FUEL USED — WAYS EM- PLOYED NOW. 1. Fire places. Fuel used, wood, coal, gas. Describe. Illustrate with pictures and drawings. Used when, where, and by what people? 2. Stoves. Invented by whom? When? Kinds of stoves. Fuel used, wood, coal, oil, gas, alcohol. Describe each. Used for what? Advantages of each? Expense? ^^'here used? Illustrate. 3. Furnaces. Fuel used. How the hot air is carried through the rooms, pipes, registers. 4. Steam heat, pipes. 5. Hot water, radiators. Which method is most expensive? Least expensive? Most common? Most satisfactory? Least satisfactory? DOING FOR OTHERS. To every man give that which most he needs, Do that which he can never do for you. Thus live you like the spring that gives you water, And like the grape that sheds for j'ou its blood, And like the rose that perfume sheds for you, And like the bread that satisfies your need, And like the clouds that pour their rain for you, And like the sun that shines so gladly for you, And like the earth that bears you on her bosom, And like the dead who left their care for you. THE PLAN BOOK. 761 ! ^ PLANT LIFE. ^ I The Tea Plant. The Coffee Plant. Things to Find Out. Gather twigs from different shrubs and trees. Examine buds and bud coverings now. Are any of them frozen or blasted? On which side of the tree, north, south, east or west, are found the larger number of frozen buds. Look on flower and weed stalks which you find still standing. Are there any seeds in the seed pods now? Are the poplar catkins swollen yet? Which buds will swell first on the the fruit trees — the leaf or flower buds? Which buds will be the first to unfold if we have a few warm days? What will happen to them if a cold snap follow? What is the color of the willow stems? Where will the grass first begin to look green? What is the first flower to come out? Can you find mosses now? Among the flowers one may find, are a primrose, a skunk cabbage, and chickweed. Look on the sides of the trunks of trees for the green, moss-like covering that may sometimes be seen there. Has the sap begun to flow? What trees have a pitchy sub- stance under the bark? What is made from it? Are there any leaves left on the trees? Have the pines shed any leaves? How can you tell when a bud is killed? (It is black or brown in tl^^ centre, while a living bud is green.) 762 THE PLAN BOOK. COFFEE. Material. — Pictures of the tree, coffee berry and beans; ground coffee, coffee roasted and unroasted, a coffee mill; maps of countries where coffee is grown. Growth — Description of Tree and Berry. — The coffee tree is a beautiful evergreen tree or shrub, growing to a height of from twenty to thirty feet. The cultivated tree is not allowed to grow more than ten feet in height. Its leaves are dark green, pointed in shape, and its flowers white and fragrant. After blooming a few days, the flowers fall, and upon the stalks upon which, they grew, groups of berries appear. At first they are hard and yellow, but their color deepens until they become a dark crimson. The fruit looks somewhat like the cherry. Each berry contains two coffee beans. These beans have the flat sides together, and are covered with a husk. The pulp that surrounds the seeds is pleasant to the taste, and it is necessary to watch the coffee burrs closely to keep the birds and animals from eating them. Preparation. — When the fruit is ripe, it is gathered or allowed to fall from the tree on mats placed under the trees. It is then placed in the sun and dried. The outside part or pulp is removed from the berry by passing it through wooden rollers. The coffee is then freed from impurities by winnowing, and the imperfect berries removed from the finest kinds. It is then packed in large sacks to be sent to other parts of the world. The berry, when raw, is hard and tough, and light in color. It is necessary to roast the berry to bring out the flavor and smell. Cultivation. — Coffee is raised from the seed. The trees are planted in rows, and when three 3'ears old bear fruit. The trees live from twenty to twenty-five years, and three crops are gathered every year. The average yield per tree is one and one-half pounds. THE PLAN BOOK. 763 In Arabia the leaves of the coffee trees are used in prepar- ing a drink instead of the beans. No milk or sugar is used with this drink. Where it Grows. — Coffee grows best in a hot, moist climate. The first homes of the plant were Arabia and Abyssinia, but it is now grown in Central and South America, India, The West Indies, Mexico, Africa, Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philip- pine Islands. It is said that two-thirds of the coffee used comes from Brazil. Java comes next. The finest coffee is the Mocha, which comes from Arabia^ and the next is Java. Physical Effects. — Coffee is a stimulant and, if used in moderation, is healthful. It is valuable for its invigorating effect on the muscular system of those who have to endure great hardships with little food. It is the best known drink for soldiers and explorers. In some countries it is used as a medicine to ward off fever. It is apt to be harmful to children, however, and, if used to excess by adults, is likely to produce nervousness, wakeful- ness and indigestion. Uses of Coffee. — Let pupils describe the preparation of a cup of coffee. What must be used to clear it? Coffee should be roasted and ground just before being used. Ground coffee loses its strength very fast if exposed to the air, and roasted coffee loses its flavor. Geography. — Take an imaginary journey to Arabia, and visit a coffee plantation there. Describe the beasts of burden employed in that country. TEA. Materials.— Y\QXMr^^ of the plant, leaves, samples of dried tea leaves, and maps of country where tea is grown. Description of Plant. — The tea, like the coffee plant, is an evergreen shrub. It grows to a height of from three to six feet. The leaves are alternate, tapering at both ends, and 764 THE PLAN BOOK. grow on short, thick stalks. The flowers are large and white and resemble the single camellia. How to Cultivate. — The plants are raised from seeds and are planted about four feet apart. The slopes of hills are preferred for this. It- requires four pounds of fresh leaves to make one pound of dried tea and one tea plant produces from two to six ounces of cured tea a year. Preparation for the Market. — The plants begin to yield their harvest when about three years old and continue until they are eight or ten 3^ears old. They are then cut down and a new plantation takes the place of the old. The first crop of leaves is picked in March or April, and this is the best. The younger the leaves, the more delicate the flavor of the tea ; this is the most expensive variety of the kind of tea known as ^''green tea!'"' A month later, in April or May, a second crop is picked, and this is the most important crop, for the leaves are then larger and the yield greater than before. Sometimes other pickings follow these. These leaves furnish the kinds of tea called imperial and young hyson. In July, another and the last picking takes place. These leaves are large, coarse and of inferior quality, and give what is known as the black tea. The leaves are picked by hand and then exposed to the sun in shallow baskets. They are then dried. This is done by placing them in a shallow pan and roasting them, stirring them all the while to keep them from scorching. They are then rolled, either by the hand or by machinery, into the form in which we get them. The tea is then packed in chests, lined with a thin layer of lead to exclude the air, and the cover is soldered down. Varieties of Tea. — Tea is divided into two classes, black and green, so named from the way in which it is prepared. The process of curing green tea is a rapid one, and the tea remains green. The black tea takes much longer to cure. the: plan book. 765 The finest green tea is coWe^ gunpowder tea, and the black, pekoe. These varieties are both from the first picking. The very choicest tea of all is made of the undeveloped leaf bud. Where Grown. — Tea is grown in Japan, India and Ceylon, but China is the great tea producing country of the world. IMiere it is regarded as an article of greatest importance. The Cliiuese use only the best varieties and sell the inferior. It is exported in large quantities to Great Britain and the United States. Tea as a Drink. — Ask pupils to tell how tea is prepared in their homes. In China it is served very hot and taken with- out milk or sugar. Effects of Tea-drinking. — Tea, like coffee, is stimulating and induces wakefulness and brain activity. It is often used by persons who are obliged to do night work. The best green tea, which possesses the strongest flavor, is thought to be the most injurious, as it causes nervousness. Black tea, which is not so strongly flavored, is not so harmful. Geography. — Take an imaginary trip to China or Japan and visit the tea gardens. Draw map showing tea producing countries of the world. THE DOG OF ST. BERNARD'S- One stormy night upon the Alps Walked sadly on through ice and snow, A traveler, weak and old, And shivered with the cold. His eyes were dim with weariness, His steps were short and slow. At last he laid him down to sleep Upon a bed of snow, Before he closed his aching eyes, He heard a cheerful bark ; A faithful dog was by his side, To guide him through the dark. And soon beside the fire he stood, And earnestly he prayed For those who framed that noble dog, And sent it to his aid. —Selected. 766 THE PLAN BOOK. ANIMAL LIFE^ | « « THINGS TO OBSERVE THIS MONTH. What insects hibernate? Can you find any of them? What worms or spiders? xA.ny frozen caterpillars on the snow? What reptiles hibernate? Have any made their appearance yet? Turtles come out on sunny days now. Frogs also. What birds are with us now? Which ones have lately come back? The robins, blue jays, blue birds, yellow hammers, for- est wood peckers, nut hatches, song sparrows, snow birds, and quails or partridges may be found in many places. What is the chickadee's spring song? Have you seen the field mouse or its tracks in the snow? It burrows up through the snow in February. THE DOVE OR CARRIER PIGEON. Materials. — Pictures showing the dove, and the dove cage. Have a live pigeon in a cage if possible, and keep in the room for a week or a few days in order to enable pupils to observe its habits. Observation. — Find out what pupils have observed and % know of the pigeon. How many kinds they have seen. The difference between the wild and tame. The difference between the dove and pigeon. How dififerent species are secured. Those which are alike or show some peculiarity in common are separated from the others and kept together. Can you tell a carrier? Fantail? Pouter? A tumbler? Food and Manner of Eating. — What do pigeons eat? How do they drink? How many have noticed that they do not lift their heads while drinking as other birds do? Note the beak and compare with tree aud ground birds. In THE PI^AN BOOK. 767 what way are they alike? Different? Its bill indicates that it is a grain eating bird. It swallows its food whole. The young bird is fed with a kind of milk from the crop of the parents. Note the foot of the pigeon. It shows that the bird belongs to the scratchers and not the perchers. It is a walker and, while not well suited to perching, has a well developed fourth toe. It has strong wings, enabling it to fly great distances easily. Home and Nesls. — Describe and locate. Tame ones make their homes in a pigeon house, or loft. Wild ones build nests in trees. These are very rough and loosely woven. Doves do not build in a tree where there are other doves. Pigeons are sociable and build many nests in the same tree. The dove lays two eggs, and the father bird takes turns with the mother bird in keeping these warm. The young birds are called squabs and are ugly and naked when very young. The "homeing" instinct in the dove is very strong and this has enabled man to make use of it as a messenger. It is able to fly a mile a minute. Its tail helps to guide it in flight and check its descent in alighting. Note how the tail is rounded on the end. Doves are great distributers of seeds, because of their habit of carrying home food in their crops, for their young. Note the color of the eyes, bill and legs. In what way do doves use their voices? The doves mate for life and have become symbols of ten- derness and constancy because of their devotion to each other and their little ones. The dove is of use to inan for food and as messengers. Many cities have clubs or associations devoted to the breed- ing and flying of carrier pigeons. It is regarded as a sport in most places, but in some cases these birds are employed for useful purposes, as messengers for brokers, business men, physicians and others. .OS THE PLAN BOOK. These birds are exceedingly fastidious, and scrupulously clean as to their plumage. In their homes they are provided with a plentiful supply of water for drinking and bathing, and their lofts or cages kept very clean. When waiting for duty the food and water are much re- duced. They are used to being handled and when taken from their home and placed in a wicker hamper, to be carried to their new destination, they show no fear. The messages which the}^ carr}^ are written on very thin small pieces of paper, w^hich are folded and attached to one of the tail feathers by means of a piece of fine wire. The window^ is then opened and the bird let loose. It immediately strikes out in the direction of its home, and usually does not stop until it reaches there. On arriving the bird pushes its way into its home, which has a light swinging door. The door has an electrical attach- ment, which signals the appearance of a bird by ringing a bell. When this is heard some one goes to the pigeon loft, and takes from the pigeon the note it has carried. A record is kept of each bird and of the time it requires to make a trip. Some carrier doves are laz}- or stupid and loiter on the way home. Others are shot by hunters, caught by hawks or join flocks of pigeons which they encounter. The Chicago Record used these little messengers iuthe late war between Spain and the United States. These birds were sent w4th General I^awton on his advance to San Isidro, and brought back the story of every engagement that was fought. They went also with the same general on the southern cam- paign, and reported battles fought. They have been used for the same purpose in time of war in Europe. So, in spite of the telegraph, the telephone and the regular post, the service of the pigeon is still often put into practical use, and it has become a messenger of war, as well as a sym- bol of love and peace. Reading and Reference. — The Pigeon Ser^ace, Chicago Record, Jan. 9, 1900. The Youth's Com. Sup. Reader No. 7. THE PLAN BOOK. 769 A True Pigeon Story, The Child's World. The Belfry Pigeon, N. P. Willis. The Constant Dove, Celia Thaxter. The Bible Story of the Dove and Ark. Songs. — Pigeons, Smith No. 2. Doves in the Pine Tree, Howlitson's Book. * THE EAGIvE. P The eagle is sometimes called the King of the Birds be- cause of its grandeur of aspect, its size and great strength. It is a bird of prey and has a very strong beak, and large sharp claws called talons. Its eyes are sharp and it can see a great distance. It is sometimes called the ''Bird of the Sun," because it can gaze steadily at the sun. The wings of the eagle often measure five or six feet from tip to tip. It flies higher than any other bird, which causes it to be sometimes called the "Bird of Heaven." Habits. — Builds its nest on a high, rocky cliff, or in the top of a lofty tree. Nest consists of a mass of rough sticks and branches, and is built very strong. Nest is called an eyrie. Often attacks animals much larger than itself and has been known to carry off a young baby. Carries off its prey alive, and bears it to the rock on which it lives. Eagles steal fish from the osprey. Kinds. — Golden Eagle, best known. Bald Eagle, our national emblem. Osprey, feeds wholly on fish. Harpy Eagle. Tell the story of "Old Abe," the Eagle, given elsewhere. THE DOG. E Materials: pictures of dogs, of dog trains, etc. Description and Classification. Size, form, kind of coat; color; vary greatly. Compare the size, form, and coat to that of the cat. In what way does the dog differ from the cat? Which has the longer limbs? Can a dog draw in and extend his claws as can a cat? Why can a dog not climb? How do a dog's and 770 THE PLAN BOOK. cat's eyes differ? Whicli animal sees best in the dark? Which is the most wakeful at night? The dog's sense of sight is very keen, and this together with wakefulness makes it valuable as a guard. What does a dog do when angry? A cat? How does a dog use his voice? How defend himself? A cat?" Which has the longer head? Teeth, suited to flesh eating. Water and liquid food is lapped up; the jaws move up and down; uses its teeth to defend itself; the tongue is smooth. The legs of the dog are fitted for swift running; are toe walkers; five toes on each fore foot and four on each hind foot; claws are heavy and dull and cannot be sheathed. The dog defends itself by its threatening growl and his teeth. T7'aits. — Dogs are fearless, watchful, intelligent, obedient and faithful. They have a keen sense of smell and sight, which makes them valuable servants of man. "No animal of the lower order has shown itself so capable of instruction and none that has adapted itself so completely to the services required of it. The growth and intelligence of dogs seem to be entirely brought about by the human beings with whom they are asso- ciated. Left to themselves the}^ would have alwa3'3 remained without any greater mental developement than belongs to wolves or foxes." Varieties and Uses. — There are many kinds of dogs, each of which is best fitted for some particular purpose. Ask pupils to name as many kinds of dogs as possible, describe them and give their uses. The list' may be placed upon the board and the talks illus- trated by pictures of these animals borrowed from the ''Dog Show" spoken of in the Picture Talks. Remove the impression that dogs are of use only as com- panions or pets, or as guards. Lead pupils to see their use and value as beasts of burden, as shepherds and as hunters. THE PLAN BOOK. 771 THE ST. BERNARD DOGS. This is a noble type because of his association with self- forgetful devotion to the needs of others. This breed until lately has been confined to the Alps, where it was kept by the monks of the Convent of St. Bernard and sent out to aid tra- velers lost in the mountains. Severe snow storms are of frequent occurrence here, and many travelers caught in these storms, chilled and bewildered by the snow, perish before help can reach them. A desire to aid these unfortunate people led to the founding of the St. Bernard Hospice and self-denying labor of the monks. These dogs are sent out with a little cask of brandy hung at the collar to revive the rescued tiaveler, and other articles are sometimes added. '^'^ One dog has been known to save no less than forty lives, and at last perished, as many of his brave companions have done, while on his errand of mercy. Show picture of the pass of St. Bernard, the monks, the Alps mountains, and a St. Bernard dog, or Landseer's picture spoken of elsewhere. Description. — Very large; bred in the Alps mountains, coat varies from smooth to shaggy and is fawn and white in color; feet broad, suited for walking on the snow. THE SHEPHERD DOG. Description. — Has a long pointed nose; bright eyes, attrac- tive face, long woolly coat of hair, bushy tail. It is noted for its intelligence and devotion to its master. A shepherd dog will not leave the flock of which he has charge, even to get food to save himself from starving. The best shepherd dogs are those that are most carefully trained, though this faithful- ness seems to be a kind of instinct. The value of his services can scarcely be over estimated, nor could the flocks he cares for dispense with his intelligent care and control. The drover's dog performs the same use for the herds of cattle that the shep- herd's dog does for the sheep. 772 THE PLAN BOOK. Show Landseer's beautiful picture "The Shepherd's Chief Mourner." Note the love and fidelity in the face of this dog mourner as he sits alone and silently watches by his good old master's coflBn. Ruskin saj^s this is one of the most perfect poems or pictures seen in modern times. Tell of the patient Newfoundland dog and the life it is compelled to live in many places, as described in the beautiful story by Ouida, *'The Dog of Flanders." Tell of the assistance rendered hunters by their faithful hounds who possess the sense of smell to such a remarkable degree, the mastiff who is so highly valued as a watch dog: the poodle that posesses the power of learning amusing tricks to a greater degree than any other, and of the useful dogs used in Alaska and by the Eskimo as beasts of burden. W^ithout these last named dogs it would be almost impos- sible for the Eskimo to live, as they are dependent upon it in many ways. Read to the pupils the story called "Moufflon" by the author of the The Dog of Flanders. Both these attractive little books belong to the Bimbi Series, published by J. B. Eippincott Pub. Co. Every teacher and child as well should own these. Readiug Lessons. — A Dog's Story, Stepping Stones to Liter- ature, Third Reader. About Dogs, Harper's Third Reader. Dogs, Normal Third Reader, (Todd & Powell). :Mount St. Bernard, Normal Third Reader, (Todd & Powell). The Dog, Nev/ Century Fourth Reader. Your Dog, Lights to Litera- ture, Book IIL The Dog of Montargis, Baldwin's Fifth Reader. THE HORSE. Material. — Pictures of horses, donkeys, cattle, camels, ele- phants and other beasts of burden for comparison. To illustrate the uses of the horse, bring pieces of leather and horse hair, articles of bone, as buttons, knife handles, rings. Preparatiim for Lesson. — Ask pupils to suggest the names of all the useful domestic animals of which they know, and (Arranged from Teachers' World.) BEASTS OF BURDEN. 774 THE PLAN BOOK. tell you whicli seems to ttem the most useful and valuable. Do pupils understand the meaning of the term "domestic" ani- mal? Be sure of this. Opinions will vary as to the most use- ful animal, but all will agree that the horse is one of the most useful. How is the horse useful? Where is the horse used? Is it used as much as formerly? What has taken the place of horse cars? Of horses themselves? Wh}^ is a horse better for rid- ing and drawing carriages than the ox? More quick, intel- ligent and less clumsy. Mention other domestic animals. Which is the smallest? Largest? Neatest? Show large picture or chart of the horse and ask pupils to obsen^e and tell you what they can about it. What kind of a horse is represented here. Are all horses like this one? What other kinds of horses have the}^ seen? What kind of horses are best suited for the farmer? The teamster? The fire engine? Observation. — Watch the movements of the horse in the street or at the home, and ask pupils to tell you what they can find out from actual observation. Describe the horses presented in the charts or pictures. In what way are they alike? Different? Compare the race horse with the work horse, the Norman horses and Shetland pony. Note the size. Heighth varies from three to six feet. The head is long; eyes bright and large; nostrils large; long arch- ing neck, flowing mane; long graceful bod}^ covered with fine short hair; glender legs and small hoofed feet; long flowing tail. Notice shape of horse's face. Where are its eyes? In how many directions can it see? Notice the sensitive ears, and the way in which they move, how he lays them back when angry or frightened. Covering. — Note the color of the coat; its character, whether smooth or shaggy. Does a horse wear the same coat winter and summer? The hair is thicker in winter and is shed in the spring. Perspires when driven hard and should be THE PLAN BOOK. 775 blanketed when left to stand. What other hair on the horse protects him in summer? Call attention to the mane, forelock and tail and their beauty and usefulness in driving away flies. Is it not cruel to cut a horse's mane and tail? Why is this ever done? Movements. — The horse's legs are fitted to swiftness. It has only forward and backward movements, and is a toe walker. It steps on the last joint of the toe, and not on all the toe joints. Notice the foot. The toes are single, covered with a strong hoof Why but one toe? The others have disappeared because it suited the horse's way of living better to have but one. What is done to protect the hoofs and keep them from wearing away on the hard pavements? Show shoe and have pupils note how the projections in front and at the end help to keep the horse from slipping. How does a horse use his feet beside walking and run- ning? It sometimes bites and kicks to defend itself, but its ordi- nary means of defence from its enemy is its swiftness. Name difi"erent movements of a horse. (Trots, gallops, canters.) Can a horse swim? How do we guide a horse? Does the bit hurt its mouth? Food. — The horse selects its food in the dark by feeling with its lips. How does it show hunger or thirst? What food does the horse eat in summer? In wintei? The teeth are made for grinding and cutting. The lips are helpful also. They are made to stretch out after food. Characteristics. — The sense of smell is the best developed of any that the horse possesses, and next to that the sense of sight. Horses have also a very remarkable sense of direction. The voice of the horse finds expression in what way? (The neigh, whinney, snort.) The leading traits of a horse. — Its intelligence, good memory, docility, timidity, affection if well treated, resentment if ill treated, and his desire to win in a race. 776 THK PLAN liOOK. The horse is noted for its cleanliness. It refuses to drink stagnant or muddy water or eat unclean food. Uses. — The horse is the swiftest mammal of his size and bulk. He is built or has been developed to become the most perfect servant possible to man, in enabling him to traverse space with the greatest possible celerity, that is, if he does not come in competition with steam and electric engines and horseless carriages, and the like. Speak of our dependence upon the horse for labor, as a means of transportation, and other ways. The bones of the horse are used to make various articles, the hair for cloth, the hide for leather, and the flesh for food (in France). Speak of the way in which it assists the farmer, the team- ster, the soldier and people everywhere. Speak of the abuse of horses, and their own opinion in regard to it. Are these things common? Kinds of horses. — There are many varieties of horses, pro- duced by breeding. There is the heavy large limbed French Percheron, the lightly built English race horse, the great cart or dray horse, the Arabian horse, and the little Shetland pony, not much larger than the ordinary Newfoundland dog. The finest horses in the world are Arabian. "The Arabians believe the horse to have been designed and framed by the Almighty with a special regard to its use by mankind, and they consider it superior to all others of the lower animals. One of their proverbs is, 'Next to man, the most eminent creature upon the earth is the horse; the best employ- ment is that of rearing it; the most delightful situation is to sit upon his back, and the most meritorious of domestic actions is to feed and care for it.' " Reading Lessons. — The Fox and the Horse, Stepping Stones to Literature Fourth Reader. The Wooden Horse, Stepping Stones to Literature Fourth Reader. The Iron Horse, Baldwin's Fourth Reader. Literature. — Our treatment of animals in providing food> THE PLAN BOOK. 777 home, shelter, care for the young and old may be made a special lesson of, and enforced by such poems as "The Tower of Justice" or "Bell of Atri," by Longfellow; "A Lesson of Mercy," by Gary. Speak of the purpose of Humane Societies, and Bands of Mercy, and the way in which we may assist them. Tell something of the life of Henry Bergh, who did so much to lighten the burdens of these dumb beasts. How he talked and wrote until he had interested everyone in the mat- ter, and made people feel as he did about protecting animals. Cattle and horses were formerly crowded into cars without enough to eat or drink, and in the long journeys which they took by rail, suffered much. Now, partly through the efforts of this kind hearted man, animals in stock trains are given sufficient air, food, water and room in the cars. How many of the pupils have in their homes the story "Black Beauty?" Read it aloud to the pupils, if time permits, or ask them to read it at home, and also the ''Strike at Shaynes," in which the animals on a farm rebelled against a cruel master. After a lesson on the usefulness and fidelity of the horse, read your children a stirring poem like "Paul Revere 's Ride," or "Sheridan's Ride." Tell of Washington's horses, of which he was so fond. Other stories to be read or told in connection wich these lessons are "Kicking," by Mrs. Gatty; Pegasus, Child's World; and A Wise Old Horse; "The Wooden Horse," Clas- sic Myths, by M. L. Judd. Pictures. — Landseer's Horses ; Rosa Bonheur's Horses ; The Frieze of the Parthenon; The Chariot Race, Alex. Wag- ner; The Arabian Horse, Eugene Tormentin; Pharaoh's Horses; Washington on Horseback; The Prayer in the Desert, Vernet; Oxen Going to Labor, Tryon Constant; The Proces- sion of the Royal Bull, by F. A. Bridgeman. Drawing. — Illustrate the poem, "The Tower of Justice." Draw and cut the pictures of the horse. Draw and cut all ani- 778 THE PLAN BOOK. mals that are used to draw vehicles or as beasts of burden, as the horse, donkey, dog, camel, elephant, reindeer. Construction Work and Drawing. — Make models of vehi- cles and forms of conveyances which pupils have seen or talked about, as the cart, carriage, wagon, boat, sled, sleigh, gondola, canoe, ship, sedan chair, bicycle, steam cars, trolly cars, etc. Cut from advertisements, newspapers and catalogues all the vehicles they can find, mount them and write the name under- neath. MODES OF TRAVEL. PUBLIC CONVEYANCES. Topics for Language Work. — Modes of travel employed by peoples of different nations. Modes of travel in Colonial days. Modes of travel at present time. Animals used as beasts of burden. First public conveyances used. Those in use at the present time. The coach, carriage, omnibus, chariot or chaise. The horse cars, electric, steam and elevated railways. The bicycle and horseless carriage or automobile. Reading Lessons. — The stage coach, Baldwin's Fourth. The Iron Horse, Baldwin's Fourth. The Chariot Race, Har- per's Fifth. Riding a Camel, Harper's' Fourth. THE RAILWAY. We do not know when railways began to be used. Those first constructed in England were made for the purpose of transporting coal from the mines. Horses were used as the motive power. After the steam engine was invented it was applied to moving railway carriages. The first successful locomotive was constructed by Robert Stevenson, in 1829, and was called the "Rocket." What can you tell of the building of this first railroad for the use of passengers? It is interesting to know that the first railway in the United States was built for the purpose of carrying granite for Bunker THE PLAN BOOK. 779 Hill monument to the seaboard. It was built in 1827, and ex- tended from the granite quarrries in Quincy, Mass., to a wharf five miles distant. The cars were moved by horse power. At the close of 1830 nine railroads were in process of con- struction. The first locomotive built in the United States was also operated during this year. Peter Cooper constructed a railroad that drew the first passenger train in the country. When were sleeping cars first built, and by whom? Where are these cars built now? How many have taken a journey in these palace cars? Describe the trip, and dining, sleeping and parlor cars. What town in Illinois is named after the man who built one of the first sleeping cars? Are our cars like those used abroad? Who has taken a trip abroad, and can tell about the cars used in other countries? Chicago is the greatest railway center in the world. What is a railway center? THE STREET RAILWAY. This was begun about forty years ago, and ran until recently by the aid of horses. What has taken the place of horses? Are horse cars used yet? Where? What is the ob- jection to horses for street car lines? Tell what you can about the horse car. Describe a short journey you have taken in one. Tell what you can of the work of the employes of a street railway; of other railways. Is such work easy and pleasant? Are these employes well paid? Are their hours long or short? ELEVATED RAILROADS. Why do we have elevated roads? Have you ever thought about it? Why not use horse cars? The people in a city must have some means of getting about quickly. A ride from the business part or center of the city to the residence part or suburbs, of from two to ten miles every morning and evening takes a great deal of time. 7S0 THE PLAN BOOK. The horse car is slow, takes up too much valuable time and is uncomfortable owing to crowds traveling at the beginning and end of each business day. Steam or electricity might be used with fast trains on a surface road, but the dangers of a surface road are great and would interfere so seriously with business that it would not do. The underground road might be used, and is in some cases, but it is exceedingly expensive, so the elevated road was de- cided upon as the best solution of the problem. These have proven a great blessing to the residents in the cities, though they were unpopular at first. Suppose your country friend or cousin were to ask you to explain this elevated railway system. Could you do it? What you speak of so familiarly as the ''Elevated" has no meaning to children who never have seen one. What do you know about it? How is this railroad sup- ported in the air? In some streets the tracks rest on double rows of pillars, connected by iron girders. In others it is supported by a single line of pillars, standing at the edge of the sidewalk, so that the trains run on each side of the street. The pillars rise from the sidewalks in narrow streets, and in wider avenues from the central part. The stations are reached by long flights of covered stairs» as the road runs along on a level with the second story win- dows or sometimes higher. As you are whirled along, so near to the second story windows of tenement houses, you can see what the people are doing, and the furniture in the rooms quite plainly. The rails of this railroad rest on sleepers placed together more closely than on a surface road. The rails are more solidly spiked down, and there is a guard inside each rail along the whole length to prevent cars or engines from running off the track. Although it seems at first as if it must be a very dangerous THE PLAN BOOK. 781 way to travel, it is in reality the most free from danger of any of the public conveyances. The stations are about half a mile apa/.t, or less, and the trains stop only at these stations. The fan, is five cents; some- times this is paid on the car to a conductor, but usually to a man who sits in a box office of the station. Sometimes a ticket must be purchased, which is dropped into a box as one passes out to the platform to take a car. At other stations a nickel slipped into an opening to a desk in the box office is all that is necessary. When the cars stop, the guard at the end of the car opens two iron gates which admit you to the car. When the train starts these gates close and you can not get on or off unvij the next station is reached. Tell of your first trip on an elevated railroad and de^cxbe your sensations. FEBRUARY— IMPATIENCE. "Earth captive held By winter, a foe Him deems, to weld Such fetters. Below Her violets close-celled Flutter to go. Earth, when she's free To bud and blow. And feel through every fibre of each tree The strength to grow, Will say, "Twas winter gave it me!' And in the sunshine bless the snow." — Alice Ward. Ill fares the land to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay; Princes and lords may flourish or may fade: A breath can make them as a breath has made: But a bold peasantry, their country 's pride, When once destroyed can never be supplied. — Goldsmith. r82 THE PLAN BOOK. i MINERALS. I m m *J8t«****S^SJ***S^*^^^*S^*9SJJK