Excerpt from A Laboratory Manual of Physical Georgraphy
The subject of physical geography, above all others, leads to an appreciation by the pupil of the natural world in which he lives, and an introductory course in physical geography should include specifically a training in observation and deduction.
In the planning and writing of this manual these fundamental concepts of the necessity of making the outlines at once practical and usable for the teacher with only a limited laboratory equipment, and at the same time offering to the pupil this training in observation and deduction in fact, compelling it have been constantly kept in mind, and it will be found that there is a specific purpose for each exercise and that the groups form coherent wholes. It is the belief of the authors, moreover, that the exercises cover the whole subject adequately, and that the order in which they are arranged will be found the best for presenting the subject. On both these points some teachers, for specific reasons, may take issue. This, however, implies no criticism, either on the manual as arranged or on the teacher; for, on the one hand, the loose-leaf construction of the manual makes it a very simple matter for the teacher to change the order or introduce other work; while on the other hand, the authors feel that teachers who are progressive, capable, and enthusiastic over the subject should be given the greatest latitude in carrying out their own ideas. The laboratory study of physical geography has an intense human interest and affords the best possible opportunity for the infusion of a strong teaching personality.
A number of novel ideas and methods have been incorporated in this manual, but these new features are not to be regarded as experiments. The senior author has had over fifteen years experience and the junior author four in the laboratory teaching of physical geography, and the make-up of this manual incorporates plans that have been successfully used with classes after repeated changes and modifications to secure the best possible results.
The feature which will first attract attention is the leaving of space after each question for the student to write the answer. This serves a double-purpose. It insures the students following the argument of the outline and the appreciation of every point by personal observation and deduction. The work thus becomes distinctly laboratory work and not essay writing under the delusion that laboratory work is being done. This latter condition is the greatest fault that the authors have found in most of the laboratory note-books, from various schools throughout the country, which have come under their inspection. In the second place this plan very materially lightens the labor of the overworked science teacher in inspecting the note-books of the students. There is a place for every answer and every answer should be in its place. Any incompleteness is readily detected, as is also the correctness of the students interpretations. Furthermore, the time of the student is conserved for the actual observations, inasmuch as there is no need for the laborious rewriting of questions in order to make the disconnected answers coherent. There is, however, sufficient space allowed after every exercise to permit of the insertion of other material presented by the teacher; accordingly, the exercises may vary considerably in different localities to insure a fuller understanding of local conditions.
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