A Guide to Methods and Observation in History | Page 9

had a good elementary school training?
2. Do the pupils give evidence of having had previous historical training in the high school? What is the basis of your conclusion?
3. Have the pupils thoroughly prepared for the day's recitation?
4. Have they apparently confined themselves to the text, or have they gone outside this for material?
5. Have they "studied the lesson together"? Do you approve of such study?
6. If pupils show they have not sought to prepare the lesson well, what procedure does the teacher follow? Do you approve?
7. Have the pupils "outlined the lesson"? Is it well that they should do so?
8. Apparently, have the pupils been shown how to study, i.e., how to prepare the work most advantageously? What was the mode of doing this?
9. Have the pupils attacked the lesson because it was made to appear vital to the solution of some really interesting problem?
10. Have the pupils really gotten behind the facts to the spirit of the movement?
11. Have the pupils apparently attempted to correlate geography with the history? What evidences have you of this?
12. Have the pupils acquainted themselves with all unusual words and phrases used in the text?

XIV. The Classroom.
1. Is there anything distinctive about the classrooms you have observed that suggests their special uses?
2. Are sittings arranged in fixed and regular forms, or is it possible for the class to gather about the teacher's chair in a "social" group?
3. Are there good wall maps in the room?
4. Are there atlases, globes, and geographical dictionaries at hand?
5. Are there reference books of common use?
6. Does the teacher's desk contain copies of textbooks other than the text in chief?
7. Are there sufficient good blackboards?
8. Is there a stereopticon?
9. Does the school provide an adequate number of stereopticon slides?
10. Are the walls adorned with historical pictures or other historical materials? Is there a "museum of history" in the room?
11. Are pupils encouraged to beautify the room with significant objects of historical interest?

XV. The Assignment of the Lesson.
1. Is the assignment given sufficient attention by the teacher?
2. Is it made at the beginning of the recitation period or near the close? What advantages and disadvantages does each practice offer?
3. Does the assignment take into consideration the character of the work to be studied? In what ways is this true?
4. Does the assignment vary with the stage of advancement of the students? How?
5. Does it "blaze a way," so to speak, through the mass of facts so that the pupils really glimpse the significance of the material before them, and are stimulated to attack it?
6. Does it raise real problems for the students to solve?
7. Does it suggest too much or too little?
8. Does it take individual differences sufficiently into account?
9. Does it include material outside the textbook?
10. If so, is the material well chosen and clearly indicated?
11. Does the assignment correlate the textbook material with contemporary life and with the experiences of the pupils?
12. Is the assignment made so clearly and definitely that all pupils thoroughly understand what it is? What evidences have you that such is the case?
13. Is the assignment too long for adequate preparation?
14. Does it contemplate that the pupils will devote "home study" to it?
15. How much time ought the assignment to require of a moderately good student? Is this adequate?
16. Does the assignment suggest what portions of the text are to be touched upon lightly, what to be studied for appreciation only, what to be critically studied and mastered?
17. Does the assignment include a "review" of previous work? How much?
18. Does the assignment stress dates too much?
19. Is the assignment made with enthusiasm and interest, and does it thus at once strike a responsive chord in the pupils?

XVI. The Study Lesson.
1. Are pupils encouraged to follow a definite daily schedule in studying their lessons? Do you advise this?
2. Is there supervised study in the school?
3. What is the nature of the supervision given in such a period?
4. Judging from results, have the pupils made good use of their study periods?
5. Is there in the school a weekly period for consultation and advice?
6. If pupils are absent from school, is opportunity given for "making up work"? How is this administered so far as the study of history is concerned?
7. Is there ever provided a period for "unassigned work"?
8. If so, how is the period employed?
9. Just what is the secret of getting pupils to study their lessons?
10. Are pupils encouraged to outline the lesson?
11. Are they encouraged to make personal notes on the margin of the textbook pages? Are they shown how to annotate?
12. Are they advised to use notebooks? If so, what is the character of these?
13. Do pupils seem merely to try to "learn the text" or really to comprehend the spirit?
14. Can you suggest ways and means of making the study-lesson more beneficial?
15.