162.9 .LB 1/9/7 STATE COURSE OF Study for High Schools OF LOUISIANA 1917 Issued by Department of Education T. H. HARRIS, State Superintendent B«ton Boug*. La. Bamlm-JonM FrtntlDi Co. 1917 Book -Ji-. ^ 1111 STATE COURSE OF Study for High Schools OF LOUISIANA 1917 Issued by Department of Education T. :\. HARRIS, State Superintendent Baton Rouge, La. Ha ulrea-Jonei PrlntlDi Co. 191T Exchange * Lauisiar»a st- Unlv- UbraB^ O^C.14,;l934 ^ K \^ ^ STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Hon. E. L. Kidd, President Ruston. Hon. John A. Haas, Vice-President Opelousas. Hon. T. H.' Harris, Secretary Baton Rouge. Hon. John T. Lasley New Orleans. Hon. John Legier, Jr New Orleans. Hon. Robert Martin St. Martin ville. State Superintendent of Education T. H. Harris Baton Rouge. State High School Inspector .C. A. Ives Baton Rouge. . Assistant State High School Inspector C. F. Trudeau Baton Rouge. Chief State Rural School Supervisor C. J. Brow^n Baton Rouge. Assistant State Rural School Supervisor John M. Foote Baton Rouge. Assistant State Rural School Supervisor, in Charge of Negro Education Leo Favrot Baton Rouge. Chairman of State Examining Committee J. R. Connifp Baton Rouge. Inspector of Agricultural Schools P. L. Guilbeau Baton Rouge. Secretary to State Superintendent L. Baker Baton Rouge. Assistant Secretary to State Superintendent W. H. Tipton Baton Rouge. Secretary to Chairman of Examining Committee . . . . S. B. Jones Baton Rouge. GENERAL STATEMENT The following course of study for high schools is prepared with the view of making the work definite and explicit in the various high school subjects. An effort has been made to offer some helpful suggestions in the method of instiniction that should obtain in the several branches. In most instances a separate list of reference books is appended at the close of the various syllabi. For details of courses in Domestic Economy, Agriculture, and Manual Training, see separate pamphlets which have been pre- pared in these subjects. School authorities principals and high school teachers are requested to study carefully the contents of the course in order that the purpose of the course may be attained and unnecessary correspondence may be obviated, Respectfully submitted, T. H. Harris, State Superintendent of Public Education. Baton Rouge, La,, Sept. 1, 1917. WHO CAN GRADUATE* Session 1916-17 : Requirements for graduation are the same as have been in force for several years, as follows : 1. Students completing three majors, two minors, and one elective. 2. Students completing four majors and one minor. 3. Students completing four majors and two electives. 4. Students completing five majors. Session 1917-18 : Beginning with this session students must sub- mit sixteen units for graduation, as follows : 1. Three majors, three minors, and one elective. 2. Four majors, two minors. 3. Four majors, one minor, and two electives. 4. Five majors and one elective. *NoTE. — No student will be permitted to graduate until he has completed all of the required subjects, 9.5 units, listed on page 6. This is true, no matter what course was pursued or the num- ber of units earned. EXPLANATION. (a) A major is three units in any of the following subjects or courses : mathematics, English, science, history, Latin, a mod- ern language, commercial subjects, agricultural subjects, home economics subjects, manual training subjects. (b) A minor is two units in any of the above subjects or courses. (c) An elective is one unit in any of the subjects or courses in (a) or (b). Half units in closely related subjects may be added to form whole units. (d) Value of shopwork: benchwork, etc., two years, two units ; mechanical drawing, one year, one unit. MUSIC AND ART • If a special teacher of music and art is employed credits will be given in these subjects on the same principle as in any other subject. Where two 40-minute periods in music and two 40- minute periods in art are given per week, for instance, the unit value will be %. This figure is found by counting two periods for one, as in a laboratory period. On this basis, for four years the credit would be 1.6 units. As in other independent subjects, a student must submit as much as one unit value to secure credit. SUBJECTS PRESCRIBED FOR ALL CANDIDATES FOR GRADUATION. ENGLISH. Unit Value First Year 1.0 'Second Year 1.0 Third Year 1.0 MATHEMATICS. Algebra : First Year (1/2) 5 Second Year 1.0 Plane Geometry: Third Year 1.0 SCIENCE. Natural : First or second year, two half-year subjects or one full-year subject 1.0 Physical : Third or fourth year elective 1.0 HISTORY Foreign : First, second, or third year elective 1.0 American and Civics: Fourth year 1.0 Total units prescribed for all 9.5 A HIGH SCHOOL UNIT A unit of work means five forty-minute recitations per week for nine months. (Double periods in shop, field, and laboratory count the same as single recitation periods.) FOUR SUBJECTS AT A TIME. A student should not have more than four main subjects at the same time, thus earning four units per session, or sixteen units in the four years of the high school department. If a stu- dent is unusually studious and proficient and of robust health, the principal may allow another subject, but this privilege should be granted with great caution. Where more than four subjects are carried by the class there will result one of two things : shorter lessons to secure thorough- ness, thus making impossible the proper treatment of some por- tions of the text required for the year; or tiie ground will be covered in a superficial way, thus sacrificing the needs of the child and the standards of the school. The thorough and intensive preparation of four main sub- jects by a student of high school grade will amply employ the time and the talents of the average student. There is a joy, a richness, a satisfaction that goes with the mastery of a subject that leads to growth and permanent possession. There is no good reason why such results should be sacrified to the cheap and probably empty honor of a superior number of units at grad- uation. BALANCED COURSE. In the work of any one year attention should be given to the matter of having the student's work balanced by subjects in dif- ferent fields of knowledge. Mathmatics, science, history, lan- guage would constitute such a group of subjects, particularly in what is commonly termed the literaiy course. In other courses proper substitutions should be made. This would make possible not more than four units in any one subject at graduation. Any greater degree of concentration or specialization on the part of persons no more mature than students of high school grade would not seem to be wise. An introduction to and some definite ac- quaintance with different fields of knowledge alone give the poise and the breadth of view needed to carry forward in higher edu- cation any worthy specialization, and such balance is doubly needed for the student that will not have the benefits of higher education. 8 HISTORY NOTE-BOOKS Suggestions to teachers of history, as given in this High School Course of Study should have careful consideration. It contains many valuable suggestions on how to make this work effective. The sources oif many aids have 'been listed. We wish to enter a caution about note-book work. This ougnt to contain mainly original matter, or such as the student has gotten into shape for himself. We have seen note-books that con- tained long quotations from the text suggesting neither thought nor originality. It is not the largest note-book that is the most valuable. The size does not have as much to do with the value as the quality of the contents, and much copying of what some one else has made or said would not seem to be very profitable use of the student's time. LABORATORY It is a mistaken policy to purchase the cheaper and therefore inferior apparatus for the science work. Such apparatus does not give always dependable results, and rapidly deteriorates with use because of its poor workmanship. Both economy and effi- ciency would be served by securing fewer pieces at a time, but having those of good standard quality. Facts and principles involved in experiments should be ap- plied to plant, animal, and human life. The use of facts is as important as their development, and, furthermore, the greater the number of applications the clearer will the fact or principle become. Study of Specimens. — It should be well understood that the study of biologic science must be based upon the examination of actual specimens in the hands of the pupil. The enthusiastic teacher always finds that the locality furnishes a large and varied assortment of specimens. There are some specimens needed in zoology that can be had only in other localities, and such ought to be secured and preserved in the laboratory. Draivings. — These should always be done directly from the c'bjects studied. They should be diagrammatic rather than artis- tic, and carefully labeled. The drawing may be done in pencil, but notes should invariably be in ink. FOUR YEARS IN ENGLISH It is strongly recommended that students schedule English throughout the high school course. Students taking the literary course would naturally be ex- pected to do so. It would seem to be more desirable, if possible, for students in vocational subjects to take the full amount of English oifered, as it constitutes their only work in language. The student that has a foreign language, Latin for instance, will find his power to use and understand the English language greatly strengthened thereby. The student taking vocational subjects does not enjoy this special advantage, as a foreign lan- guage would naturally be excluded from his course, and the full English course would, therefore, be the more urgently needed. English probably ranks all school su'bjects. There is no body of knowledge and no special aptitudes acquired in school that have more constant use and bear a more intimate relation to one's daily life than does the English. For these reasons every secondary student should make English a part of his course each year. LITERARY SOCIETY. Bi-weekly or monthly meetings of the high school literary society offer an excellent opportunity for effective work in Eng- lish. Regular class exercises in declamations of poetry and prose, essays typical of the narrative, descriptive, and expository forms of composition, dramatizations of certain portions of master- pieces, orations and debates should be prepared for the program of the literary society. This would bring the literary society into closer touch with the regular work in English and would save most of the time that is frequently taken to prepare for such exercises. CORRELATION OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION WITH OTHER SUBJECTS. The aim of the English teacher to have high school students learn to spell, punctuate, paragraph, speak and write correctly is defeated unless all of the teachers of the grades and of other 10 high school subjects lay emphasis on the use of correct English, A lesson in mathematics may serve as excellent practice for cor- rect diction in explaining a problem. Oral and written exer- cises in history can be used for the same purpose. Essays on certain topics in history ought to be substituted as part of the required work in composition. "Well written translation of por- tions of Caesar's Gallic War or Cicero's Orations ought to be substituted in a similar manner. The experiments to be written out in physics and chemistry during the third and fourth years make possible the giving of excellent training in English com- position. Every recitation, in whatever subject, ought to be a lesson in English, Such an attitude toward the subject on the part of all of the teachers in the high school and the occa- sional substitution of written work in subjects other than Eng- lish would give motive to the student for the constant insistence on the importance of the subject of English. The practice of having students write for no other apparent reason than learn- ing the technique of formal compositions, is pernicious in that it causes students to hate the subject, thus defeating the end aimed at. The teacher of English should occasionally collect the compositions written in other departments and make them the basis of practical class lessons in his subject. By doing this he will be the better able to suggest to his associate members on the faculty the necessity for uniform requirements in English in the written work submitted in every subject. Intelligent, united efforts along this line would go far toward silencing the present criticism of iustruction in formal English, the school being charged with turning out continually individuals who can- not spell the commonest words, paragraph, punctuate or write correctly. HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY. While some schools have libraries of well-selected books and a reasonably large collection, such is not the case as often as we should like. All of our high schools should have a sufficient as- sortment of history, fiction, poetry, biography, and reference books. These should be selected with special reference to the needs of secondary students. Some libraries have a large pro- 11 portion of books that have been donated by well-meaning friends, but such books may have but slight value to the high school student. The library ought to present a neat and orderly appearance and it is suggested that either a member of the faculty or one or more students be designated to have charge of all details con- nected with tiie library, a practice already followed where the library means much to the school's life. Those books that have become badly worn might be laid aside or destroyed as a shabby exterior does not comport with valuable content of the book nor make a suitable appeal to the student. The high school library is an important factor in getting students interested in current events in reference books and in other books selected from the masters in literature. Daily, weekly or monthly papers and magazines create an interest in all forms of literature — scientific historical, etc. An intelligent knowledge of how to use a dictionary, an encyclopedia or other reference books, is more important than the daily getting of les- sons, although the latter, in many instances, requires the former. The teacher should be the guide to the library. Frequently he can get students to read a good book by reading out of it up to the point where the student's interest is sufficiently aroused to desire to take it out of the library. Knowledge obtained from the reading of library books can be used in the formal English work, it may contribute to the clearing up of difficulties in other subjects, or it may lead to a permanent interest in good books. COURSE OF STUDY FIRST YEAR. FIRST TERM. SECOND TERM. English literature English literature Optional studies (Select three) Algebra Optional studies (Select two) Physical geography Botany Botany Physiology Physiology Commercial geography Commercial geography Physical geography Vocational subject Zoology. Vocational subject 12 SECOND YEAR. FIRST TERM. English, grammar Algebra Optional studies (Select two) Ancient history Latin or French Zoology Vocational subject SECOND TERM. English literature Algebra Optional studies (Select two) Ancient history Latin or French Physology or zoology Vocational subject THIRD YEAR. FIRST TERM. Rhetoric Geometry Optional studies (Select two) Medifeval-modern history Latin or French Physics or chemistry Vocational subject SECOND TERM. English literature Geometry Optional studies (Select two) ]\Iedi£eval-modern history Latin or French Physics or chemistry Vocational subject FOURTH YEAR. FIRST TERM. History of English and Amer- ican literature American history and civics Optional studies (Select two) Latin or French Physics or Chemistry t Economics * Advanced algebra (or review) * Secondary arithmetic *Solid geometry Vocational subject SECOND TERM. English literature American history and civics Optional studies (Select two) Latin or French Physics or chemistry t Economics * Advanced algebra (or review) *iSecondary arithmetic *Solid geometry Vocational subject * Half-year subjects, t One or two terms. 13 2 bD 03 O Sh a> be 6c o "TTn OJ 03 CO rj BP &C-S >^ § .2 >. ^ T-H bo H ^a^ -a^ CS] Ph B S o O >. 5 w o bD bD 1=! O £ -^ a f3 -|J 3 .S *?H ?W be o <^ ty ^ <^ bD n ■^ ^ O ^f-l 0) b ^ a H (11 P^ w Eh CO ^^ &,.2 •r-a c6 '^ O^-S S-i (D ^ ^ ^"S O 50 -M , 1 o .^ .25 05 fee -^^ ^ o3 c3 03 w 1 gol^a -3 b^ O 1— 1 o .1 'be 03 be c r-ir^ o o o S 1— 1 H ^Ifr^QW N H<1<10 T— 1 b*-^ P5" ^ >> <1 >^ i^ i H s o ^n- « >-' a bo o O o ,rS-^ o .2 XJ T^f, ■&; ^ 03 s 2P bD >j-tf £ r-T rt o o Tc fl ^ ^ ^ CO (S 1^1 H<^P4pqQ H^^CS] PhP 03 u bo O n) be g (rq ^ ^ fl -1^ o ^ be tq<| pq Ph <1 XI ft 03 be o ^ be^q 2S S p o be ^'^ be -^ >. o -P H .— H o X O o3 W <1 pq fi^ N 1-3 (M o tH be S pq <^ N PLh . fH r^ -£ fl b O ,—1 o -(J 02 _, CD c3 rCi &C > 'rS 02 rt be S n- ^H >^ fl -iS ^ 05 pd HPh^ Ph i -+-5 o o a 9 ^ 'bl) a '"^ Jrl '^ j-j ^ cp <15 be o t>. o 2 O r-J CO 05 § pj a '^ ^ ro 05 H P^^ u o ^•c5-g^ rd 05 o 5 xn ^ s a § s_u a ^ b :5 § o a ^ -d ^ bJD P^ ^ , a.s s 5 a ^ ■^ g =^ ^3 05 Si > rd 05 "^ CO tH __, ^c 2 a rt a =^ C5 ^•2 g a 02 I 8 •3 jq s 0) 05 -) goo "s ^ a o rfl 05 'Tt S iU OJ .5 bp 2 y i>,-^ H<1 i^hj O 05 be 15 ALTERNATIONS OF STUDIES BY YEARS. We present below a plan for combining certain classes in the high school department in order to secure economy of time on the part of the teacher. This plan is suggested for the smaller schools with limited teaching force and small enrollment in high school grades. While there are some disadvantages in these com- binations, the advantages seem to be strong enough to outweigh any objections that might be offered. Subjects to be taught during session 1916-17 and all ODD YEARS. Grades 8- 9 9th grade agriculture 9th grade domestic economy 10-11 11th grade agriculture 11th grade domestic economy 10-11 Physics or chemistry Subjects to be taught during session of 1917-18 and all EVEN YEARS. 8- 9 8th grade agriculture 8th grade domestic economy 10-11 10th grade agriculture 10th grade domestic economy 10-11 Geometry Geometry and physics or chemistry will thus be presented in alternate years. One-half of the students in agriculture and domestic economy (those beginning the 8th grade in od(i years) will take up these subjects in the same order as if there were four classes of each carried all the time ; the other half would not have these subjects in exactly the same order, but when the course is completed these persons would have had four years of these subjects. In schools presenting all these studies, there will be a saving of five recitations per day for each year, considerably more than half the time of one teacher. THE HIGH SCHOOL COURSE IN ENGLISH Composition should have one-fifth of the time each year. English Literature (Classics) given throughout the 8th year and in the second half of the 9th, 10th, and 11th years. 16 FoRMAii Text in Grammar during the first half of the 9th year. Formal Text in Rhetoric during the first half of the 10th year. (The text will be used by the student for reference during the following terms.) History op English and American Literature during the first half of the 11th year. The text may be used for reference during the other years. Collateral Readings. Four books during each half year. Spelling should have a short period daily but not as a part of the regular English period, which must be full 40-minute periods. Text: Mayne's Business Speller and selected words. Word Study. In the elementary grades two or three new words are studied each day. If this were kept up during each of the four high school years, the vocabulary of the student would be greatly enlarged. Use op the Dictionary. When children reach the higli school, they have not developed the dictionary habit, nor will they make the best use of the dictionary unless special effort to this end is made by the teacher. It is not sufficient merely to tell students that it will be useful for them to consult the dictionary freely. They do not know and cannot feel how useful this in- strument can be to them, nor do they know how to make good use of it. Rather, the teacher should conduct class exercises in con- sulting the dictionary and develop interest and skill by so doing. For this purpose each student should have a copy of Webster's Academic Dictionary. The teacher should have a definite plan before the exercise is undertaken. Diacritical marks, pronun- ciation, definition, synonyms, origin of certain words, derivation of words, the fact that the dictionary defines words as nouns, adjectves, and verbs, how to turn to the word readily, etc., would serve as a basis for such drill. Occasionally exercises would be conducted with the una- bridged dictionary. (For this purpose it is desirable to have the dictionary mounted on a roller stand.) A large dictionary is a rich storehouse of information in many important lines of useful facts, besides the definitions of words, and the student should know how to make this information available.- 17 THE TEACHER'S PROGRAM. The week's time-table or program should be so arranged that the teacher of English may have periods for consultation with pupils during school hours. This personal contact with the pupils will make it possible for the teacher to aid the pupil in the particular point most needed. Indeed, where it is at all pos- sible, double periods (say two a week for each class) for Eng- lish classes would be a source of strength for this most important part of school work. We all insist on double periods to that extent for all science and practical subjects as being essential to proper work in them. It has been assumed, doubtless, that students are able to make preparation in the English without the guidance or assistance of a teacher and it will be accepted that pupils can make some kind of preparation after a proper assignment of work by the teacher ; but the best preparation and the surest progress in the technique and interpretation of English ought to be guar- anteed as nearly as possible by the program of the teacher as well as that of the pupil. A subject as practical, as difficult, and as essential as English should be planned on the most liberal basis. AIMS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL COURSE IN ENGLISH. The particular results to be sought may be somewhat specif- ically indicated as follows:* I. In general, the immediate aim of secondary English is threefold : (a) To give the pupil command of the art of expression in speech and writing. (b) To teach him to read thoughtfully and with appreciation, to form in him a taste for good reading, and to teach him how to find books that are worth while. (c) To develop proper ideals of character through the moral and spiritual truths of noble literature. These aims are fundamental; they must be kept in mind in planning the whole course and applied in the teaching of every term. ♦This outline, somewhat modified, appeared in English Journal for Octo- ber, 1912, and was prepared by Allan Abbot, Horace Mann High School, Co- lumbia University. 18 II. Expression in speech Includes: (a) Ability to answer clearly, briefly, and exactly a question on which one has the necessary information. (b) Ability to collect and organize material for oral discourse on subjects of common interest. (c) Ability to present with dignity and effectiveness to a class, club, or other group, material already organized. (d) AbiUty to join in an informal discussion, contributing one's share of information or opinion, without wander- ing from the point and without discourtesy to others. (e) For those who have or hope to develop qualities of lead- ership, ability after suitable preparation and practice, to address an audience or conduct a public meeting, with proper dignity and formality, but without stiff- ness or embarrassment. (f) Ability to read aloud in such way as to convey to the hearers the writer's thought and spirit and to interest them in the matter presented. Note. — All expression in speech demands distinct and natural articulation ; correct pronunciation ; the exercise of a sense for correct and idiomatic speech; and the use of an agreeable and well-managed voice. The speaker should be animated by a sin- cere desire to stir up some interest, idea, or feeling in his hearers. III. Expression in writing includes: (a) Ability to write a courteous letter, according to the forms in general use, and of the degree of formality or in- formality appropriate to the occasion. (b) Ability to compose on the first draft a clear and readable paragraph or series of paragraphs, on familiar subject matter with due observance of unity and order and with some specific detail. (c) Ability to analyze and to present in outline form the gist of a lecture or piece of literature, and to write an expansion of such an outline. (d) Ability, with some time for study and preparation, to plan and work out a clear, well-ordered, and interest- ing report of some length upon one's special interest- literary, scientific, commercial, or what not. 19 (e) For those who have literary tastes or ambitions, ability to write a short story, or other bit of imaginative com- position, with some vigor and personality of style and in proper form to be submitted for publication, and to arrange suitable stories in form for dramatic pre- sentation. Note. — All expression in writing demands correctness as to formal details, namely, a legible and firm handwriting, correct spelling, correctness in grammar and idiom, and observance of the ordinary rules for capitals and marks of punctuation ; the writer should make an effort to gain an enlarged vocabulary, a concise and vigorous style, and firmness and flexibility in con- structing sentences and paragraphs. IV. Knowledge of books and power to read them thought- fully and with appreciation includes : (a) Ability to find pleasure in reading books by the better au- thors, both standard and contemporary; with an in- creasing knowledge of such books and increasing abil- ity to distinguish what is really good from what is trivial and weak. (b) Knowledge of a few of the great authors, their lives, their works, and the reason for their importance in their own age and ours. (c) Understanding of the leading features in structure and style of the main literary types, such as novels, dramas, essays, lyric poems. (d) Skill in the following three kinds of reading and knowl- edge of when to use each : 1. Cursory reading, to cover a great deal of ground, get- ting quickly at essentials. 2. Careful reading, to master the book, with exact un- derstanding of its meaning and implications. 3. Consultation, to trace quickly and accurately a par- ticular fact by means of indexes, guides, and refer- ence books. (e) The habit of weighing, line by line, passages of special significance, while other parts of the book may be read but once. 20 (f) The power to enter imaginatively into the thought of an author, and interpreting his meaning in the light of one's own experience, and to show, perhaps by select- ing passages and reading them aloud, that the book is a source of intellectual enjoyment. Note. — All book work should be done with a clear under- standing, on the student's part, as to what method of reading he is to use and which of the purposes mentioned above is the imme- diate one. To form a taste for good reading it is desirable that a considerable part of the pupil's outside reading be under direc- tion. To this end lists of recommended books should be provided for each grade of term. These lists should be of considerable length and variety to suit individual tastes and degrees of ma- turity. V. The kinds of skill enumerated above are taught for three fundamental reasons : (a) Cultural. To open to the student new and higher forms of pleasure. (b) Vocational. To fit the student for the highest success in his chosen calling. (e) Social and ethical. To present to the student noble ideals, aid in the formation of character, and make him more efficient and axjtively interested in his relations with and service to others in the community and in the nation. Note. — These fundamental aims should be implicit in the teacher's attitude and in the spirit of the class work, but should not be explicitly set forth as should the immediate aim of each class. COMPOSITION. Time. This subject is to have approximately one-fifth of the time given to English throughout the four years. This can be secured by giving a portion of two or more periods during the week or by taking an entire period once a week. 21 Method. Oral Composition. Throughout the work in composition much emphasis should be given to oral composition. Training in oral composition deserves large consideration both because it not only prepares for better written composition but it is the kind of discourse most generally used. In oral composition there is an absence of mechanics to be considered. The student will have nothing before him but the theme and what he is thinking about the theme. It is the form of discourse he is most familiar with and the one he feels the least embarrassment in using. By hav- ing the individual present what he wishes to say under some three or four heads, he will arrive at a natural discovery that discourse of length will have natural breaks, and discover the necessity for paragraphing. Some teachers think that because nearly all recitations are conducted in oral form, it may be as- sumed that sufficient practice in oral composition may receive minor attention in the formal composition work. This position is not well taken. Much of the ordinary recitation is of the question and answer kind, with brief answers in most cases — indeed, often only one word. Even when presented in the topic form, the recitation may^ot serve to improve the manner of expression. The teacher will be giving special consideration to certain facts to be expected in the answer, and faulty expression passed over without being noticed. Fluency and skill in oral ex- pression will come only from much practice with strict adher- ence to the principles of discourse. Written Composition. — Them£s. Probably one-half of the success in handling written composition is in having subjects that make an appeal to the student. There should be a great many topics relating to that which is near, recent, and arising from common personal experiences at home, at school, on the road or street, in the games, sports, or social occasions. Also good topics can be found in the literature, history, or science or vocational subject being pursued. Mainly, compositions should deal with things students already know much about, or are find- ing out in the regular work of the school; so that the work as related to composition will lie in the matter of putting ideas into organized form and expressing them in appropriate and forceful language. 22 What to Do with the Written Themes. It would seem to be a good practice to center attention on some particular feature, when making corrections. First, let us suppose we emphasize content, handling several sets of themes without noticing so very critically the errors of speech. (In this case the papers would re- main in the hands of the teacher.) This would be designed to impress on the pupils that they must not merely say something, but something that is worth while. Next, the quality of unity might be impressed, then the more common errors of grammar or structure might be taken up independently of theme writing as well as in connection with it. Such a plan would avoid em- barrassment and place emphasis upon the particular point being considered and lead to more definite knowledge and grasp on the part of the student. Where all things are stressed at the same time nothing receives emphasis. While we believe it is desirable to correct all the errors of "all the papers sometimes, requiring some to be recast, the teacher's time should be used judiciously. To spend all or a great part of the time in correcting errors in the written themes would not allow time for plans and constructive schemes for making er- rors less frequent. One pupil is being taught through the cor- rections. Find out how to teach the entire class in the most effective way. We believe in corrections but we believe also in teaching — especially good teaching. When corrections are made the teacher should see that the pupil really gains knowledge and power from the corrections. Generally, constructive criticism is better than destructive criticism, and to praise what is worth praise is better than to. deal harshly with the inferior. It is well to call attention to the features wherein a composition or a part of a composition has merit, and to do this in an impersonal way. Such could be read to the class by the teacher or one of the pupils, or, if brief, placed on the board. This exhibition of it gives an opportunity to point out clearly wherein the excellence exists. In a similar way a sentence or paragraph presenting a common error could be placed on the board and recast, thus placing the faulty and improved constructions in sharp contrast. 23 The Teacher Must Not Expect Too Much of the Pupil. It is important for the teacher to measure the performance of the pupil by pupil standards rather than by absolute standards. Excellence is the goal but present attainments and capacity of the pupil are the measure of what is to be expected from him. It is easy to be too severe and critical when thinking of how far short the pupil comes from the ultimate degree of skill desired on the part of the instructor. The spelling, punctuation, gram- mar, structure, and content in the written work of the eighth grade will fall below that of the ninth grade, and that below the tenth, etc. To keep this in mind may avoid discouragement of both teacher and pupil. Purpose and Motive. Before a pupil undertakes to write on a subject the purpose and point of view should be made clear. With no more definite purpose before him than is indicated in the topic would be difficult for the student to find a place to begin and there would doubtless be a lack of unity. The following will illustrate what we mean by getting the purpose and the point of view: Subject — ^Oood Roads. Purpose — To show saving in teams, vehicles, and time. Point of View — That of a farmer. Subject — Good Roads. Purpose — To show how they remove isolation from living in the country and add to its attractiveness. Point of View — That of the farmer's family. Subject — Good Roads. Purpose — To show materials from which made in Louisiana. Point of View — That of the road engineer. Subject — Good Roads. Purpose — To show the cost of different kinds, and the kind most feasible for the immediate section. Point of View — That of the citizen and taxpayer. The purpose and point of view being established, the teacher should, by skillful questions, lead the pupil to conseci^ive thought, remembering that time given to preparation for writing is of far greater value than an equal amount of time spent in correcting themes. 24 It would be helpful for tlie teacher to provide herself with a number of large envelopes in which to file, under suitable headings, topics for oral and written discourse, consisting of clippings, references to passages in various books, some of the best outlines and exercises done by the class, topics from modern books on composition, as many topics as may be suggested by teacher or student that refer to local geography, history, indus- try, play and school activities. The next important thing is to select such subjects and the particular treatment that will put motive into the composition. The expression of a real life interest and listeners to be instructed or entertained bring inspiration and enthusiasm for the best effort, and give theme writing reality and worthwhileness. Mr. Jesse B. Davis, principal of the Central High School of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has made a practical use of motivation by relating to his course in theme writing a plan of vocational and moral guidance. His purpose is to inject a life interest into theme writing by requiring pupils to study their environ- ment and themselves. Thus they may become of greater useful- ness to the community in which they live. This phase of theme writing does not exclude other forms and occupies only about one-fourth of the time given to composition. Each year has a main topic and around it are grouped other related topics. The following outline is suggestive of the main features of the plan. First Year. Main topic, Elements of Success in Life. The class studies the lives of successful men and women for the purpose of discovering the habits of life and of work that have contributed to their great- ness. Lists of these characteristics are made out and form the basis for studying and writing about the fundamental elements of success. Such topics as the following have been used: How could I earn my living if I were to leave school now? The business asset of personal appearance, good manners, and cheerfulness, etc. Second Year. Main topic, The World's Work; A Call to Service. Various occupations of men and women. How to choose a vocation, etc. 25 Third Year. Main topic, Preparation for Life's Work. Topics relating to business and professional ethics. Fourth Year. Main topic, Social Relations. What is meant by the patriotism of peace? Why should I be willing to pay taxes? Public office is a public trust. What does it mean to be a good citizen ? Suggestions as to the use of the text (Brooks-Hubbard in the hands of the teacher only during the first two years). Eighth Grade — (Pages refer to Brooks-Hubbard's Composi- tion and Rhetoric). First Month — Letter writing, pp. 171-194. Second Month — The whole composition, pp. 153-171. Third Month — Expression of ideas, pp. 11-28. Fourth Month — Use of dictionary for word-study. Second Term — Special topics in grammar as needed by class. Purpose of composition; pp. 113-153. Ninth Grade: — Letter writing. Expression of ideas through imagination, pp. 29-44. Expression of ideas through language, pp. 45-113. GRAMMAR Text: Smith's Our Language Grammar. Time. During the first term of the ninth year, the work in literature will give place to the formal text in grammar. While the formal text in grammar is being given only in the first half of the 9th grade, it is not intended that this will be the only advance the student will make in the knowledge of correct forms of speech. Probably the large divergence between the amount of time that has for years been given to formal grammar and the results that have come from the custom has been due to the fact that there was much theory about language with small opportunity for putting the theory into practice. It might be said that it was a stuffing process where the student was gorged beyond his capacity to assimilate. The study of grammar that does not improve the ability and the practice as 26 relates to good English cannot be justified. The thing the child needs is not ■merely a body of theory more or less well digested ; he needs ability to use the elements of a sentence so as not to offend good taste and the ability to use those elements in a way to convey his meaning timply, clearly, and, when needed, force- fully. Now, we believe that proper grammatical usage can and should be taught in composition work, and to some extent in the literature work. When a grammatical fault has been committed an opportunity is presented to bring the correct form strongly to the attention of the student. He will feel more keenly the need of the knowledge then and will take hold of the principle more thoroughly. There will be the discovery that grammar has really practical value to the student, and that discovery will arouse a livelier interest in what it has to teach. In this way, too, there is not a surplusage of theory, but just the theory or princi- ple that has immediate value. Now and then the teacher might assign the entire lesson to work in grammar, especially when there is discovered a lack of ability to grasp the relation between the relative pronoun and the antecedent, the agreement of the verb with the subject, or the use of the past participle, etc. Oarig Drill Book in the hands of the teacher will prove help- ful. (Address The Book Store, L. S. U., Baton Rouge, La.) LITERATURE FOR CLASS STUDY. Time. Throughout the 8th grade, and during the second half of the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Amount. For some years there has been an average of two classics for each half session, which gives sixteen selections during the four years. In the reorganized course in English it is not desired that less literature would be given. Some authorities believe that not more than a month should be given to a classic if the interest is to be sustained. This would mean about four classics for each half session. There are now given five half sessions 27 to literature, two in the 8th grade and one in each of the other grades, which would give a total of twenty classics for the high school course. This does not seem excessive. If the school gives six classics during the 8th grade and three during each of the following years, the total would be sixteen as at present. We believe it would be right to expect the number of classics studied in class to be between sixteen and twenty. Aim in the Teaching op Literature. The following is quoted from Chubb 's The Teaching of Eng- lish: *' During sucli a germinal period (the four years of High School) Literature may exercise its maximum of humanizing influence; and how it may be used to this end should, to our mind, be the leading concern of the teacher. The statements that one commonly meets of the aims that should control the teaching of English in the High School are, we hold, not only inadequate but misleading. For example : the teacher of Eng- lish, we are told by an accredited authority, is 'to introduce his pupils to English literature; to awaken the dormant language sense, the linguistic consciousness, with reference to the mother- tongue ; to stimulate and direct the ambition for neat and comely expression. ' So far, so good ; but not far enough. And to the same effect is this statement by another concerning literary aims : the reading done 'will have for its main purpose the cultivation of a taste for the best books, and the inculcation of the habit of always having good books to read'. Again, good, but not good enough. — there is not enough red blood in it. We must get be- hind this booky view to the large human view, and hold steadily to it; the view that finds expression in the great masters and critics of letters. Let us take one instance of it from an im- pressive source, the master critic of modem times, Sainte-Beuve : ' I hold very little to literary opinions. Literary opinions occupy very little place in my life and in my thoughts. What does oc- cupy me seriously is life itself and the object of it.' This is cited by a disciple, Matthew Arnold, who takes the same attitude, holding that poetry. Literature generally, is to be appraised ac- cording to its soundness as a criticism of life. And these two 28 men are above suspicion on literary grounds; both had an ex- quisite sense of the beauty of literary art and of the excellence of style. Let us, too, then, use Literature in this spirit to aid our young men and young women to interpret life, to see life, to respond to the spectacle and drama of life." While the classics studied present many excellencies to be noticed in the discrimination in the use of words, structure of sentences, and other elements of strength and beauty, it must not be forgotten that this is not the primary reason for the study of literature. The essence of life in a piece of literature consists in the appeal it makes to our emotional, aesthetic, or moral sense. It is spirit speaking to spirit, and no treatment would be satisfac- tory that clouded the appeal, or stopped short of giving its essen- tial truth. ENGLISH LITERATURE. (First Year— First Half.) Text: Elson's Grammar School Reader, Book IV for Eighth Grade. This book is in three parts. Part I has choice poetic selec- tions under such heads as Famous Rides, Studies in Rhythm, Nature, etc. Part II contains longer selections from Great Amer- ican Authors. Part III has Patriotic Selections, Orations, etc. Because of the organization, variety, and suitability of the selections this text should be very sei-viceable in this place. There are many helpful suggestions for study in connection with the different selections. There ought to be much reading aloud and drill in expression, especially in connection with the poetic selections. There are many pieces suitable to be memo- rized. These ought to be committed to memory and drilled on often, both for their intrinsic merit and for valuable drill in expression. Suggested for collateral reading : 1. Men of Greece — Hall. 2. Cuore — D 'Amicus. 3. Enoch Arden — Tennyson. 4. The Man Without a Country— Hale. 29 5. Wonder Book — Hawthorne. 6. Westward Ho ! — Kingsley. 7. Sketch Book — Irving. 8. The Other Wise Man— Van Dyke. 9. Robinson Crusoe — Defoe. 10. Gulliver's Travels— Swift. 11. Boys who hecame Famous Men — Skinner. 12. Life of Agissiz. 13. The Yemassee — Simms. 14. Horse-Shoe Robinson — Kennedy. (First Year— Second Half.) For Class Study : Three or four of the following, depending upon the length : Vision of Sir Launfal, Deserted Village, Gareth and Lynette, etc., Lady of the Lake, A Tale of Two Cities, Treasure Island, Sohrab and Rustum, Irving 's Sketch Book. Suggested for collateral readings: 1. Ivanhoe — Scott. 2. The Silver Christ— Ouida. 3. Jungle Book I, and II — Kipling. 4. Don Quixite — Cervantes. 5. Dickens's History of England. 6. My Study Window — ^Lowell. 7. Birds and Bees — Burroughs. 8. Memorabilia — Xenophon. 9. Apology of Socrates — Plato. 10. Private Life of the Romans — Preston and Dodge 11. Greek Heroes — Kingsley. 12. Gold Foil— Holland. 13. Swallow Barn — Kennedy. 14. To Have and to Hold — Mary Johnston. (Second Year — Second Half.) For Class Study: Three or four of the following selections, depending upon the length. Three or four weeks for a piece of average length should be sufficient time: Quinten Durward, Vicar of Wakefield, Ivanhoe, Sir Roger de Coverly Papers in the Spectator, Lays of Ancient Rome, Last of the Mohicans, Poe's Tales, Odyssey, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice. 30 Suggested for collateral readings: First Half. 1. Translations from the Iliad (Books I, VI, XXII, XXIV— Pope). 2. Twice Told Tales— Hawthorne. 3. Kenilworth — Scott, 4. The Struggle for a Continent — Parkman. 5. Young Folks' Plutarch — Ginn. 6. Being a Boy — Warner. 7. Innocents Abroad — Mark Twain. 8. The Last Days of Pompeii — Lytton. 9. Ben Hur — Wallace. 10. Treasure Island — ^Stevenson. 11. Odyssey — Homer. 12. Shakespeare the Boy — Rolfe. 13. Poe's Tales. 14. In Old Virginia — ^^Page. Suggested for collateral readings : Second Half, 1. Marmion — Scott. 2. Kidnapped — Stevenson. 3. Tom Brown at Rugby — Hughes. 4. Rienzi — ^Lytton. 5. Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush — Maclaren, 6. Tales of a Traveler — Irving. 7. Two Years Before the Mast. — Dana. 8. Rab and His Friends — Dr. John Brown. 9. Brave Little Holland — Griffis. 10. Sharp Eyes — Burroughs. 11. Girls and Women — Chester. 12. Betty Alden — Austen. 13. Surry of Eagle's Nest — Cooke. 14. Mohun — Cooke. 15. The New South— Grady. Third Year— Second Half.) For Class Study: Three or four, according to length, of the following selections : Idyls of the King (Lake Classics, Scott, Forsham & Co.), Silas Marner, Cotter's Saturday Night, Short Stories, House of 31 Seven Gables, Emerson's Essays (Selections), Shakespeare's Julius CaBsar, Macaulay's Life of Johnson, Palgrave's Golden Treasury (first series, book IV), with special attention to Words- worth, Keats, Shelley, and Byron; Washington's Farewell Ad- dress, Webster's First Bunker Hill Oration, and Carlisle's Burns. Suggested for collateral readings : First Half. 1. The Newcomes — Thackery. 2. The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table — Holmes. 3. Our Old Home — Hawthorne. 4. The Choir Invisible — Allen. 5. Snow-Bound — Whittier. 6. Adam Bede — Eliot. 7. Locksley Hall — Tennyson. 8. Henry VIII — Shakespeare. 9. Virginibusque Puerisque — Stevenson. 10. Quo Vadis — Sienkiewicz. 11. Opium Eater — DeQuincey. 12. Washington and His Country — Irving and Fiske. 13. Essays — Emerson. 14. Half Hours in Southern History — Hall. 15. The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountain — Craddock. Suggested for collateral readings: Second Half. 1. True Story of Paul Revere — Gettemy. 2. Transit of Civilization — Eggleston. 3. Winning of the West — Roosevelt. 4. Commemoration Ode — Lowell. 5. In Memoriam — Tennyson. 6. The Hoosier Schoolmaster — Eggleston. 7. The Story of a Bad Boy— Aldrich. 8. My Summer in a Garden. 9. Les Miserables — Hugo. 10. Uncle Remus, His Songs and Sayings — Harris. 11. Red Rock— Page. 12. True Tales of Arctic Heroism — A. W. Greeley. 13. Boots and Saddles — Elizabeth Custer. 14. Life of David Livingston — C. S. Home. 32 (Fourth Year— First Half.) History of English Literature. Text: Tappan's England's and America's Literature (Hough- ton Miffln & Co.), Newcomer- Andrews 's Twelve Centuries of English Poetry and Prose (Scott Foresman & Co., Chi- cago, or Hansen, New Orleans) in the library for daily use. There should 'be three or more copies of the latter in the library, one being for the teacher's use. It is a large volume and is well adapted to be used as a companion volume of the History of Literature. Note carefully what is said below about the treatment that should be given to the history of literature. Do not expect pupils to commit to memory unimportant details and do not give equal emphasis to all portions of the text. Have sufficient copies of the Twelve Centuries of Poetry and Prose in the library to meet the needs of the class, and make copious reference to this and other available books in the library. History of English and American Literature. The teacher is not expected to take up everything in the text as would be done with a text in ancient or modern history. Lit- erary movements should be studied rather than individual au- thors. Follow the course of development of English literature with emphasis upon the characteristics of the more prominent periods. Make an intensive study of a representative author and group the other authors of the same period about him. The dates of the birth and death of minor authors and much of their biog- raphy should not be assigned for recitation work. The students would merely read the reference to the minor authors and be able to recite any important matter that would aid them in appre- ciating the literature of the period. Such matters the teacher might call attention to when assigning the lesson. There should be much reading of short pieces and selections of representative authors, for it is the literature itself that is the matter of study ; nor would it seem to be at all profitable to speak or write ever so learnedly about the qualities and literary merits of a piece of literature by the use of borrowed opinions alone. As the text 33 discusses the qualities or merits of a piece of literature, it would seem fair, sensible, and necessary that the student have access to that piece of literature in the interest of any real understand- ing of the discussion and in the interest of a real mastery and growth in the appreciation of literary qualities. In addition to any other books that may be available to the student for this kind of study, every school library should have three or more copies of Newcomer- Andrews's Twelve Centuries of Prose and Poetry (Scott, Foresman & Co., Chicago, or Hansell, New Or- leans). The following will give definite suggestions on the use of New- comer-Andrews 's Twelve Centuries of English Poetry and Prose as a companion volume of Tappan's England's and America's Literature. The chapter numbers refer to Tappan 's text and the page numbers refer to Necomer-Andrews 's text. Where the direction says "read" it means that the pupils will read care- fully as a part of the lesson assignment. Sometimes it will be well to have reading aloud in class to bring out and impress the characteristic or excellence of the selection. It will be well for the teacher to read to the class occasionally as an example of good reading and in order to secure a better interpretation. It may be that the class can familiarize themselves with more of the selections representing the different periods than we have indicated. The teacher should plan this work to suit the capacity of the class, adding such selections as seem desirable. (Fourth Year— First Half.) Chapter I. Early English Period. Read Beowulf (page 1). Chapter III. Chaucer's Century. Teacher should read to class selections from Chaucer's Pro- logue from the Canterbury Tales (page 43). Chapter IV. The People's Century. Read Everyman (page 84). Teacher should read to class one or more ballads (pp. 69-80). Chapter V. Shakespeare's Century. Read lyrics from Wyatt (p. 125), Sidney (p. 142). Marlowe (p. 146), and Shakespeare (p. 147-148). 34 Read Macbeth. Read as parallel one comedy and one history play which have not been read in the high school course. Chapter VI. Puritans and Royalists. Teacher should read Bacon's Essay on Studies (p. 212) and, ' if pupils are interested, essays on Friendship (p 213) and Revenge (p. 217). Read Ben Jonson's lyrics (pp. 149, 150) ; Milton's L 'Allegro and II Penseroso; lyrics from Herbert (p. 220), Vaughn (p. 223), Suckling (220), Lovelace (220), Herrick (221). Chapter VII. The Century of Prose. Teacher should read or quote famous passages from Pope's Essay on Criticism (307) and Essay on Man (319). Read De Coverly Papers (295), Gray's Elegy (247), and best known of Burn's poems (401-414), Samuel Johnson (358- 360), Boswell's Johnson (363), Goldsmith's Deserted Vil- lage (373). Chapter VIII. Century of the Novel — The Romantic Period. Read Poems from Wordsworth (415, 423, 424) and Shelley (478-479); Coleridge 's Ancient Mariner (428); Byron's Prisoner of Chillon (453). Read some lyrics or short poems of Tennyson (567-598) ; Browning (498-631). AMERICAN LITERATURE. Chapter II. Revolutionary Period. Read Franklin's Autobiography. Chapter III. National Period. Read or review selections from Irving 's Sketch Book. Read Bryant's poems; Hawthorne's Wonder Book; Longfel- low's short poems; Webster's First Bunker Hill Oration; Vision of Sir Launf al and short poems by Lowell ; Poe 's best known poems. Teacher should read to class typical poems of Lanier and other Southern poets. Note. — Teacher should make use of the classics that have been read in the previous grades. 35 (Fourth Year— Second Half.) For Class Study: Three or four, according to length. Burke 's speech on Conciliation with America. Shakespeare's Macbeth. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Familiar Letters (Lake Classics Series, by Scott Forsman & Co., Chicago). Emerson's Essays (Lake Classics Series, by Scott Forsman & Co.). Suggested for collateral readings : Fourth Year. 1. Egyptian Princess — Ebers. 2. Peasant and Prince — ^]\Iartineau. 3. Roman Life in the Days of Cicero — Church. 4. How the Other Half Lives — Riis. 5. Hero Tales from American History — Roosevelt and Lodge. 6. Intellectual Life — Hamerton. 7. Prue and I — Curtis. 8. Romola — Eliot. 9. Vanity Fair — Thackery. 10. Paradise Lost, Books I and II — Milton. 11. Poets of the South — Painter. 12. Col. Carter of Cartersville— F. H. Smith. 13. New Orleans: The Place and the People — King. Collateral Readings. It is required, as a minimum in the English course, that eight standard volumes be read and reported on by each student in each of the high school years, making thirty-two books thus read under the supervision of the teacher of English. This is a most wise provision of our course of study. To form an acquaintance with and a more or less intimate knowledge of that number of books of an accepted literary quality is a means of culture of no small value. This should result in a pretty fair introduction to literature and should do much to form the taste for standard v^^orks. This result, however, would, be defeated if there were a lack of suitable books in the school library at the disposal of teacher and children. When children have to get books where 36 they can — from the home library, or borrow from some one — the books read are not likely to be particularly well selected for this purpose. Every school should have all the books needed for these readings and selections should be made under the firm guidance of the teacher of English. No other plan should be considered. It has been observed that through this plan of col- lateral readings many students have become readers of good lit- erature and acquired a taste and habit for reading that they never would have acquired without this systematic effort on the part of the school. This course of reading should have very high practical value upon the student's knowledge of English and his power to use it. It should add greatly to the richness of the regular class work in the different features of English studied in the high school. REFERENCE BOOKS. 1. Chubb 's Teaching of English. Macmillan & Co., New York. 2. Carpenter, Baker, and Scott's Teaching of English. Long- man's Green & Co., New York. 3. McMurry's Reading of English Classics. Macmillan Co., New York. 4. Laurie's Language and Linguistic Method. Macmillan Co., New York. 5. Report of the Committee of Ten. American Book Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 6. Report of the Committee on College Entrance Requirements. D. W. Springer, Sec. N. E. A., Ann Arbor, Mich. 7. Webster's Elementary Composition. Houghton Mifflin & Co., Boston, Mass. 8. Webster's English for Business. Newson & Co., New York. 9. Two or three additional modern texts on composition, gram- mar, rhetoric, and the interpretation of literature. 10. Twelve Centuries of Prose and Poetry by Newcomer — An- drews's (Selections). Scott Forsman & Co. 11. Margaret Ashman — Composition in the High School (First and Second Years). Bulletin of the University of Wis- consin. 12. English Journal. University of Chicago. (All of these should be accessible to the teacher.) a? LATIN The course in Latin extends over three years (five times a week), beginning with the second year in the high school. Texts: First Year — Gunnison and Harley's First Year Latin. Second Year — Gunnison and Harley's Caesar (Four books). Third Year — Gunnison and Harley's Cicero (Six ora- tions) General Statement. The teacher should be interested in the subject and prepared to handle it, and no one else should try. There are teachers that drive and those that lead and inspire. Undoubtedly, the latter will have the better results. Success in the Latin course will depend largely upon the manner in which the work of the first year is done ; thorough- ness here is absolutely indispensable. The content of the first book must be mastered if the student is to have any ease or pleasure or profit from the second and third year's work in Caesar and Cicero. The student that has only a smattering of the first year Latin will make a failure of the second or will become discouraged and drop out. To have thoroughness it is important that every lesson from the first be learned. Do not assign an ad- vance lesson until the teacher is satisfied with the preparation of the old one, though the form of the old lesson may be changed. It requires hard work to learn a language like Latin, but the results will justify the effort put forth to do successful work in it. Drill, repetition, drill, review, and more review will be needed, but it will largely rest with the teacher to see that these drills and reviews are accompanied with the proper amount of study, in- terest, and zest. Of course, the review that has newness of ma- terial or treatment so as not to reveal glaringly that it is a re- view that will have the best preparation and will best keep alive the interest. Teachers should study how to avoid the great loss of time in the recitation caused by the poor preparation of the lesson. There is more time lost on this account in poor recitations in 38 Latin than possibly in any other school subject. The long lapse between the question and answer defeats the opportunity for the amount of drill needed to fix the lesson. The teacher need not blame the children here unduly, but rather seek for the cause in method, assignment (either as to content or quality), atti- tude toward the children and the subject, and the teacher's own preparation. A constructive policy along these lines will get farther than fault finding. First Year — Adopted Text: Gunnison and Hadley's First Year Latin. It is suggested that pupils mark all long vowels in all exer- cises during the first year. Forms. The inflections found in the different declensions and conjuga- tnons must be thoroughly familiar before substantial progres can be made. Case endings, tense signs, and personal verb end- ings can be recognized only by close observation and constant drill. Frequent oral and written drills and tests are necessary to fix these forms in memory. Pronunciation. The Latin pronunciation is preferred. A great deal of prac- tice is necessary to familiarize students with the pronunciation. Syntax. Principles of syntax learned in English grammar should be employed constantly to re-enforce corresponding constructions in Latin. The learning and application of principles of syntax found in Latin can and should be made an invaluable aid in learning and applying technical English grammar. Prose. There should be daily practice in translating easy English sentences into Latin. Translations from English into Latin are much better tests of the student's knowledge of vocabulary, forms and syntax than translations from Latin into English. Great emphasis should therefore be placed on this kind of translation. Too frequently this method, on account of its difficulties, is neg- lected. 39 Variety should characterize the testing, oral and written, of what has preceded. At first, students should be trained to verify their work by means of the book and then gradually to discard tlie book and rely very largely on the accuracy of their knowdedge. Vocabulary. A systematic effort to build up a vocabulary should be made from the beginning. A certain number of Latin words should be committed to. memory regularly and there should be frequent drill on those learned previously. For the sake of interest and for the sake of having a comprehensive basis for subsequent reading there should be sufficient variety and copiousness in the vocabulary of the elementary course. Seven or eight hundred words, exclusive of proper names, in the possession of the pupil for ready use are ample. Translation. The student should be taught early how to get the thought from the Latin order of words before translating. Careful oral and silent reading of Latin will aid the student in becoming accustomed to this mode of expression. Discrimination of syno- nyms and idioms must be insisted on from the beginning to get the best English translation. In most instances, English words similar in form to the Latin should not be accepted. The pri- mary aim in translating Latin into English is not mere thought- getting, but getting "the most discriminating interpretation of the passage in hand as language and literature." Sharp, definite, specific translations of Latin phrases and sentences create effect- ive habits of correct thinking and expression. Detached sen- tences should constitute the earliest practice in translation. As the student's knowledge of Latin construction increases, the complexity of the sentences to be translated should increase. Reviews. Too much stress cannot be laid upon the necessity of fre- quent oral and written reviews. Opportunities to test must be made. The superficial getting of daily lessons will not answer. A student either knows or does not know what he has been studying. 40 There is no middle ground. Upon the thoroughness with which the elementary work in Latin is done depends the quality of the work in Caesar and Cicero. SECOND YEAR. Adopted Text: Gunnison and Harley, Csesar. Amount to Be Read, Any four books of Caesar's Gallic War, preferably the first four, are recommended as a minimum requirement. The order in which the books are read may be changed. Some teachers prefer to read Books II and III first on account of their greater sim- plicity. Translation. The student should now have greater ability to get the thought of the author in the Latin sentence order before trans- lating. A literal translation should be encouraged to show the student's knowledge of constructions. Then the best idiomatic English should be required. For the student's guidance in method of attack and manner of rendering in the best English, the teacher should occasionally translate some sentence in the lesson or some other passage in Csesar. A loose Latin sentence oftentimes requires several short English sentences to express the same thought. To get the unity of the narrative the teacher should read aloud to the class a translation of the work previously covered. Translation at Sight. To secure greater facility in getting the thought from the Latin sentence order and expressing the same in genuine English, translations at sight of a portion of the lesson for the following day or some portion of a book not prescribed for regular class study are helpful. Care should be taken to avoid the selection of too difficult Latin for this purpose. Correlation. Oecasibnally, the translation of a chapter, or a portion of a chapter, illustrative of a unit in narration, description, or expo- 41 sition, should be written out carefully by the class to serve as part of the composition work in English for the second year. Setting. Before taking up the narrative of the Gallic War its bio- graphical, historical, and geographical setting should be traced in reference books and on maps. All references in the text to these different phases should be looked up by the pupils. Study the Roman military system and discuss with the class its means and methods of operation. Students will be intrested in Cae- sar's motives, the method and success of his plans. Sidelights on Celtic, Gallic, and Roman institutions add interest to the nar- rative. THIRD YEAR. Adopted Text : Gunnison and Harley, Cicero. Formal Work. Systematic work in Latin grammar (regularly assigned les- sons), prose compositions (one period a week), and sight trans- lations, as recommended for the second year, should be continued. Amount to Be Read. A minimum requirement of six books, including the first four Orations, against Cataline, is recommended. Setting. A study of this period of Roman history is essential. *The struggle between the aristocracy and the forces of the Republic must be understood before the student can properly appreciate Cicero and his Orations. Cicero's antecedents, his life, training and environments are appropriate subjects of investigation, study, and discussion. The workings of the Roman constitution, the functions of public officials, and legislative bodies may well be made subjects of study. The student should know the mean- ing of such terms as consul, prgetor, aedile, censor, tribune, quaes- tor, Comitia Centuriata, Comitia Tributa, and Concilium Plegis. 42 Correlation. Discussions of Cicero's position in the social and political struggle of his time, the just or unjust position of the patrician class vs. the plebeian class, or vice versa, can and should be cor- related with the fourth year work in English. No better material for argumentation can be found. The literary value of Cicero's Orations as models of style, proportion, and unity should be studied. The interest aroused by such a many-sided study of the author and his works will more than outweigh the irksomeness of a mere formal and mechanical study of Cicero's Orations, MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES French, Three years of French are provided beginning with the second high school year and continued throughout the course five pe- riods a week. A large variety of classics in French is offered to meet the needs of individual schools, and afford an opportunity for choice in the selection of text. A ready speaking knowledge of the modem foreign lan- gTiage taught is an invaluable asset to the teacher. In French- speaking communities it is all the more necessary for the teacher of French to know the vernacular correctly. The paragraphs on aim of the instruction and work to de done are quoted from the Report of the Committee of Twelve, FRENCH. First Year French, Adopted text for the first year: Eraser and Squair's Shorter French Course (Heath & Co., Atlanta, or Hansell, New Orleans). Reader: Le Francais et sa Patrie by Talbot (B. H. Sanborn & Co., Chicago, or Hansell, New Orleans.) 43 The Work to Be Done. — During the first year the work should comprise : 1. Careful drill in pronunciation. 2. The rudiments of grammar, including the inflection of the regular and the more common irregular verbs, the plural nouns, the inflection of adjectives, participles and pronouns ; the use of personal pronouns, common adverbs, prepositions, and conjunc- tions; the order of words in the sentence, and the elementary rules of syntax. 3. Abundant easy exercises, designed not only to fix in the memory the forms and principles of grammar, but also to culti- vate readiness in the reproduction of natural forms of expression. 4. The reading of from 100 to 175 duodecimo pages of grad- uated texts, with constant practice in translating into French easy variations of the sentences read (the teacher giving the English) and in reproducing from memory sentences previously read. 5. Writing French from dictation. Second Year French. Adopted Text for second and third years: Fraser and Squair's French Grammar (Heath & Co., Atlanta, or Hansell, New Orleans). During the second year the work should comprise : 1. The reading of from 250 to 400 pages of easy modern prose in the form of stories, plays, or historical or biographical sketches. 2. Constant practice, as in the previous year, in translating into French easy variations upon the texts read. 3. Frequent abstracts, sometimes oral and sometimes written, of portions of the text already read. 4. Writing French from dictation. 5. Continued drill upon the rudiments of grammar, with con- stant application in the construction of sentences. 6. Mastery of the forms and uses of pronouns, pronomial adjectives, of all but the rare irregular verb forms, and of the simpler uses of the conditional and subjunctive. 44 Glassies: Papot — Easy French Stories (Scott Foresman & Co., Chicago), Sicard — Easy French History (Scott Foresman & Co.). Benton — Easy French Plays (Scott Foresman & Co.). About — Le Roi des Montagnes (Heath & Co.). Bacon — Une Semaine a 'Paris (American Book Co.), Daudet (Super) — La Petit Chose (Heath & Co.). Foncin — Le Pays de France (American Book Co.), Guerber — Contes et Legendes (American Book Co.), Halevy (Logie) — L'Abbe Constantin (Heath & Co.). Hugo — Hernani; La Chute (American Book Co,). Labiche & Martin — Le Poudre aux Yeux (American Book Co,). Labiche & Martin — ^Le Voyage de M. Perrichon (Heath & Co.) , La Brete— Mon Oncle et Mon Cure (Heath & Co.), Merimee — Columba (American Book Co.), Sandeau — Mademoiselle de la Seigliere (American Book Co.), Third Year French. The Aim of Instruction. — At the end of the second year the pupil should be able to read at sight ordinary French prose or simple poetry, to translate into French a connected passage of English based on the text read, and to answer ques- tions involving a more thorough knowledge of syntax than is expected in the elementary course. The Work to Be Done. — This should comprise the reading of from 400 to 600 pages of French of ordinary difficulty, a portion to be in the dramatic form; constant practice in giving French paraphrases, abstracts or reproduction from memory of selected portions of the matter read ; the study of a grammar of moderate completeness; writing from dictation. Adopted Texts for Third Yedr Are: Fraser & Squair's French Grammar. Heath & Co., Atlanta. Classics: Augier and Sandeau — Le gendre de M. Poirier. (A. B. Co.) Corneille— Le Cid. (A. B. Co.) Daudet — Tartarin de Tarascon. (A. B. Co.) Dumas — Le Chevalier de Maison Rouge. (A. B, Co.) Fortier — Sept Grands Auteurs. Fortier — Le Historie de France (Macmillan & Co.). 45 Fortier — Napoleon. (Ginn & Co.) La Fontaine — Fables. (Ginn & Co.) LaFontaine — Douze Contes Nouveaux. (A. B. Co.) Healy — Comedie Classique. (A. B. Co.) Moliere — Lavare, le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. (A. B. Co.) Racine— Athalie. (H. & Co.) Madame Therese. (Ginn & Co.) Reference Books: James-Mole — French-English Dictionary. (Macmillan Co., Atlanta). Report of the Committee of Twelve of the Modem Language Association. (Heath & Co., Atlanta.) Lectures Primoires — By E. Touty, Troisieme Edition. Comptoir General de la Librarie Franeaise, 613 Royal street. New Orleans. Dixieme Livre de Grammaire — Claude Auge. Troisieme Livre de Grammaire — Claude Auge. The foregoing list is recommended for schools where teachers and pupils speak French. MATHEMATICS (We should like for every teacher of high school mathematics to have a copy of Schultze's The Teaching of Mathematics in Secondary Schools, published by Macmillan Company, Atlanta.) First Year. Algebra, five times a week. Text: Nicholson's School Algebra. If the time of the student will permit, a class in mental arithmetic (Brooks) may be organized during a por- tion of the first half of the first year. Of course, with- out unit value, as it is not strictly a high school subject. Second Year. Algebra, five times a week. Text: Nicholson's School Algebra. Third Year. Wentworth's Plane Geometry, five times a week. Fourth Year. Secondary Arithmetic (I/2 year). Solid Geometry (1/2 year). (A review in algebra for one-half year would be good for those students expecting to go to college. This would be with- out unit value. Schools that so desire may give one and one-half 46 years of algebra in the 8th and 9th grades and a half year in ad- vanced algebra in the 11th grade to complete two units in alge- bra.) ALGEBRA It is suggested that the teacher plan to conduct the work for the first month without a text in the hands of the pupil; two months of inductive study would be preferable. This plan has been tried for years in some of our best schools with admirable results. Students have a zest and a sense of accom- plishment not possible without this kind of inductive study. It is surprising how quickly the class will discover the real sig- nificance of signs, coefficients, exponents, equations, and the prin- ciples of the four fundamental operations. First few lessons might be as follows : 1. Illustrate effect of plus and minus in addition with fig- ures only, 4-5 —3 +6—10 +3 —5 +6 —2 + 2 —4 +4 —8 + 2 —4 —4 +7 +1 —6 —3 +6 For the assignment, ask pupils to prepare ten or more exer- anguage Readers, Fourth Grade 40 Baker & Carpenter Language Readers, Fifth Grade 45 Baker & Carpenter Language Readers, Sixth Grade 50 Art- Literature Readers. Art-T^iterature Primer 30 Art-Literature First Reader 30 Art-Literature Second Reader 40 Art-Literature Third Reader ^. .60- Art-Literature Fourth Reader 50 Art-Literature Fifth Reader 50 Graded Classics (Norvell & Haliburton). Graded Classics, P'irst Reader 30 Graded Classics, Second Reader 35 Graded Classics, Third Reader 40 Graded Classics, Fourth Reader 45 Graded Classics, Fifth Reader .50 Classics Old and New, (E. A. Alderman). Classics Old and New, A First Reader 25 Classics Old and New, A Second Reader 30 Classics Old and New, A Third Reader 35 Classics Old and New, A Fourth Reader 40 Classics Old and New, A Fifth Reader 40 Aldine Readers (Bryce & Spaulding). Aldine Primer 36 Aldine First Reader 36 Aldine Second Reader 44 Aldine Third Reader 52 Aldine Fourth Reader 68 Aldine Fifth Reader 76 Baldwin & Bender Readers. Baldwin & Bender First Reader 30 Baldwin & Bender Second Reader 35 Baldwin & Bender Third Reader 45 Baldwin & Bender Fourth Reader 45 169 Baldwin & Bender Fifth Reader 45 Baldwin & Bender Sixtli Reader 45 Baldwin & Bender Seventh Reader 45 Baldwin & Bender Eighth Reader 45 New Education Readers (Demarest & Van Sickle). New Education Reader No. 1 31 New Education Reader No. 2 31 New Education Reader No. 3 36 New Education Reader No. 4 40 Wheeler's Readers. Wheeler's Primer 30 Wheeler's First Reader 30 Wheeler's Second Reader 40 Wheeler's Third Reader 50 Wiheeler's Fourth Reader 50 Wheeler's Fifth Reader 60 Natural Method Readers (McManus & Haaren). Natural Method Primer 32 Natural Method First Reader 37 Natural Method Second Reader 44 Natural Method Third Reader 50 Geographical R«ader8. Carroll's Around the World, Book 1 36 Carroll's Around the World, Book 2 42 Carroll's Around the World, Book 3 48 Carroll's Around the World, Book 4 54 Carroll's Around the World, Book 5 60 Merrill's Geographical Reader, Book 1 30 Merrill's Geograpihlcal Reader, Book 2 30 Merrill's Geographical Reader, Book 3 35 Merrill's Geographical Reader, Book 4 35 Morris' Home Life in All Lands, Book 1 45 Morris' Home Life in All Lands, Book 2 45 Morris' Home Life in All Lands, Book 3 45 Home and World Series (Chamberlain). How We Are Clothed 40 How We Are Fed 40 How We Are Sheltered 40 How We Travel 40 The Continents and Their People (Chamberlain). Africa 55 Asia 55 Europe 55 North America 55 South America 56 Miscellaneous. Benson's & Betts' Agriculture !*5 Field & Nearing's Community Civics 60 Gill's The South in Prose and Poetry 75 Graded Memory Gems 10 170 King & Fic'klen's Stories from Louisiana History 75 Kyle & Ellis' Fundamentals of Farming and Farm Life 1.25 Loing's Home Geography 25 Nicholson's Stories of Dixie 52 Payne's Southern Literary Readings 75 Riggs' American History 70 Ritchie's Primer of Sanitation 50 Shilling's The Four Wonders (Cotton, Wool, Linen, Silk) 50 HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS, 1913-1919. Agriculture. Duggar's Agriculture 60 Duggar's Southern Field Crops 1.54 Harper's Animal Husbandry 1.23 Snyder's Soils and Fertilizers 1.10 Bookkeeping. Williams & Roger's Bookkeeping (Introductory) 90 Williams & Roger's Bookkeeping (Advanced) 77 Huffcut's Business Law 94 Civics. Boynton's Civics, Louisiana Edition 1,00 Bullock's Economics 80 Dictionary. Webster's Secondary Dictionary 1.35 French. Francois Introd. French Composition 23 Fraser & Squair's Shorter French Course 1.04 Fraser & Squair's French Grammar 1.12 Geography. Adams' Commercial Geography 91 Tarr's Physical Geography 88 H istory. Stephen's American History... 1.41 Myer's Mediaeval and Modern History 1.41 Boitsf ord's Ancient History 1.20 Coman's Industrial History of the U. S 1.25 Language. Smith's Our Language 40 Brooks & Hubbard's Composition and Rhetoric 90 Modern Business Speller 25 Tappan's English and American Literature 1.00 Latin. Gunnison & Harley's First Year Latin 90 Gunnison & Harley's Caesar 1.12 Gunnison & Harley's Cicero 132 171 Mathematics. Nicholson's Advanced Arithmetic 60 Nicholson's School Algebra 90 Nicholson's Plane and Solid Trigonometry 99 Wentworth's Plane Geometry 7] Wentworth's Solid Geometry 11 Physiology. Ritchie's Human Physiology 60 Sciences. Andrew's Botany, All the Tear Round 90 Hessler & Smith's Essentials of Chemistry 83 Herrick's Text-Book in Zoology 1.08 Gorton's High School Physics 1.03 APPENDIX UNIT VALUE OF THE COMMERCIAjL COURSE: 1. Bookkeeping, Introductory (36 weeks) 1 unit 2. Bookkeeping, Advanced (36 weeks) 1 unit 3. Tyipewriting (36 weeks; 30 words net) 5 unit 4. Stenography (36 weeks; 60 words net) 1 unit 5. Economics or Commercial Law (18 weeks) 5 unit 4 units Note: Credit will be given in Stenography only wh^ offered in con- nection with Typewriting. INDEX Page Alternation of Studies by Years .' 15 Arithmetic (commercial) 143 Agriculture 150 Art Education (Drawing Book Course) 153 Art Education for High Schools 155-165 Balanced Course 7 Bookkeeping 144 Correlation of Eiliglish Composition with Other Subjects 9 Course of Study (by terms) 11-14 ComposiT;ion 20-25 Collateral Readings 35-36 Civics 128-142 Commercial Subjects 142-146 Commercial Law 149 Commercial Subjects, Unit Value of (see Appendix). Domestic Economy (149-150) 142-146 Drawing 152 English, Four Years In 9 English, The High School Course In 15-16 French 42-45 Graduation, Subjects Required For 6 •Grammar 25-26 Geography (Commercial) 147-149 History, Note- Books 8 History (General Statement) 71-80 History (Oriental) 80-82 History (of Greece) 82-88 History (Roman) 88-98 History (Syllabus of Medieval and Modern European) 98-99 History (Medieval and Modern) 99-115 History (Syllabus of American) 115-116 History (American) 116-127 History (Library List) 127 Laboratory 8 Literary Society 9 Library (High School) 10 Literature For Class Study ■ • 26 Literature (Aim in the Teaching of) 27-28 Literature (English) 28-32 Literature (History of English and American) 32-34 Literature (American) 34-35 iLatin 37-42 Languages (Modern Foreign) 42 INDEX— Continued Page Music and Art 5-6 Mathematics 45-52 Mathematics (Reference Books) 52 Manual Training 151-152 Program (The Teacher's) 17 Phonography 145-146 Price List of Text-Books 166-171 Reference Books 36 State Board of Education 3 Subjects (Four at a Time) 7 Science 53-54 Science (Physical Geography) 54 Science (Botany) 7. 54 Science (Zoology, Including Human Physiology) 58-61 Science (Physics) 62-67 Science CChemistry) 67-71 Typewriting 146 Units, For Graduation 5 Unit, A High School 5 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 019 746 557 8