The Teaching of History | Page 7

the class to recitation prepared to discuss what otherwise the
teacher must explain. A few questions on the character of James II, his
ideals of government, the chief causes of the revolution of 1688, and its
most important results will do much to explain the colonial resistance
to Andros. A few questions designed to bring out the imperative
necessity of English resistance to Napoleon will make clear the hostile
commercial decrees, impressment, and interference with the rights of
neutral ships. Such questions reduce the necessity of explanation by the
teacher to a minimum.
His disposition to study intensively will be encouraged If the teacher
expects the class to deal more intensively than the text with the matters
discussed in the lesson, a few advance questions will be of great
assistance. Suppose, for example, that the text contents itself with
saying that for political reasons the first United States Bank was not
rechartered, and shortly after informs the reader that the second United
States Bank was rechartered because the State banks had suspended
specie payments. The student may or may not be curious about the
failure of the first bank to receive a new charter, the operation of State
banks, or why they suspended payment in 1814. If he has been properly
taught, he probably will be, but if the teacher wishes to discuss these
considerations in detail at the next recitation it will be infinitely better
to have the facts contributed by the class than for the teacher to do the

reciting. It is quite possible that the individual answers to advance
questions assigned with such a purpose will be incomplete, but the
interest of the class will be incalculably greater if they themselves
furnish the bulk of the additional matter required. Collectively the class
will usually secure complete answers to reasonable questions. The
teacher has his opportunity in supplying such important facts as the
students fail to find.
Until the student may reasonably be expected to know the books of the
library having to do with his subject, the teacher in giving out an
advance lesson should mention by author and title the books most
helpful in the preparation of assigned questions; otherwise the student
in a perfectly sincere effort to do the work assigned may spend an hour
in search of the proper book.
It may be urged that this search is a valuable experience, but it is
obviously too costly. As the year advances and the pupil learns more
and more about the uses of books and methods of investigation
increasingly less specific instruction as to sources should be given by
the teacher. Early in the year, with four lessons to prepare daily, the
pupil cannot afford an hour simply to search for a book. He needs that
hour for preparation of other work, and if by some fortunate
conjunction of circumstances his other work is not sufficiently exacting
to require it, he cannot hope to appear in history class with a
well-prepared lesson if an hour of his time has been spent in simply
looking for a book.
It is frequently worth while to spend a few minutes of the recitation in
characterizing the epoch in which the events of the lesson take place or
in listening to a brief character sketch of the men contributing to these
events. Care should of course be taken that biography does not usurp
the place of history, but it materially adds to the interest of the
recitation if the kings, generals, and statesmen cease to be merely
historical characters and become human beings.
His acquaintance with the great men and women of history will be
vitalized It is needless to say that characterizations of men or epochs
should not be assigned without instruction as to how they should be

prepared. In the case of a great historical character, what is needed for
class purposes is not a biography with the dry facts of birth, marriage,
death, etc. The report should be brief, but bristling with adjectives
supported in each case by at least one fact of the man's life. These may
be selected from his personal appearance, private life, amusements,
education, obstacles overcome, public services, political sagacity, or
military prowess. The sketch may close with a few brief estimates by
biographers or historians of his proper place in history.
If a characterization of a period of history is to be required, the teacher
should explain that such a characterization should be an exercise in the
selection of brief statements of fact reflecting the ideals, institutions,
and conditions of the period being described. From histories, source
books, fiction, and literature, let the student select facts illustrating such
things as the spirit of the laws, conditions at court, public education,
amusements of the people, social progress, position of religion, etc. A
little time