_Lesson I._ The inexperienced child may think of a cave as a dark,
damp place, fit only for the habitation of wild animals. The cave as a
habitation for man is a new idea and cannot be understood unless it is
related to the natural and social conditions which prevailed during the
earliest stages of culture. The child who has read _The Tree-Dwellers_
knows that before people learned to use fire, the caves were inhabited
by the cave-bear, the cave-lion, the sabre-toothed _felis_, and by
packs of spotted hyenas. He is prepared to understand why people
were glad to live in caves. To help the child who has not had such
a preparation understand this fact, ask him to think of a time when
people had no shelter except the trees, no clothing except the skins of
wild animals, no food except wild roots, fruits, and nuts, and no fire.
After he has considered man’s life under such conditions, tell him of
the conquest of fire, and of the changes effected in social life by
its use. Help him to see that fire was man’s best means of protection
at that time, for it was greatly feared by wild animals. By means of a
free conversation about the points that the child may have difficulty
in understanding, he will get a conception of man’s life before he
lived in caves, and this is the best basis for understanding why
people wanted a cave for a home.
If the child is not familiar with wooded hills, grassy plains, and
dense forests, make use of field trips, of views from windows in high
buildings, and of pictures to get a conception of them, and provide an
opportunity for him to express his idea by modeling in sand. (See _The
Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 18-27.)
Encourage the child to invent ways of getting a cave from a wild
animal, but hold him responsible for the use of only such means as the
cave-men had. The child who would use a gun, or even a bow and arrow,
must learn that these devices were not yet invented, and that man
had to use his mind to devise some way of conquering the wild beasts
without the aid of such weapons.
_References_: Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary
Education_, pp. 16-25. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1903.
_The Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 89-101, 149, 150. Chicago: Rand, McNally &
Co., 1903.
_Lesson II._ Although the main point of interest in this lesson is the
way the fire clan takes possession of the cave, this social interest
may be used as a means of learning various facts regarding the changes
that take place in the natural world during late autumn. When such
phenomena are seen as forces affecting the activities of man and of
animals, they become interesting to the child. But if isolated from all
social interests, if learned at all, they are carried as a dead weight.
Encourage the child to act out the simple movements depicted in the
story. At first this may be done during hours of play, but as teacher
and children become accustomed to it, it should become a regular
feature of the school work.
_Lesson III._ Knowing that Sabre-tooth is waiting for a chance to get
into the cave, the child can understand why the first evening at the
cave will be spent in planning ways of getting rid of him.
Perhaps the child may not realize at first why the cave-men were so
careful to keep the fire burning, but if the use that they made of fire
is emphasized, gradually he will appreciate something of what its loss
might mean to the cave-men.
_Lesson IV._ Use this lesson to help the child get the meaning of
the contrast between the crude implements that the cave-men used in
securing food and in protecting themselves from their enemies, and
the devices that we use for a similar purpose. In spite of the great
contrasts that will be discovered, the child will find points of
likeness between the implements of the cave-men, rude counterparts of
which he can fashion for himself, and those that are still in use.
Focus his attention upon the needs of the people that called forth the
mechanical inventions of the period, and the use to which they were put
in making the earth a safer place in which to live. By so doing, the
killing of wild beasts, which, when considered as an end in itself,
arrests the development of the finer feelings by fixing attention upon
suffering without any purpose, becomes transformed into an act of great
social significance; for we must not forget that the cave-men, by
exterminating the most dangerous of the wild beasts, made the earth a
more fit dwelling place for all succeeding ages. If the child, at this
early period, can learn that the hunting peoples killed only enough
to supply themselves with food and skins for clothing, and that even
beasts of prey rarely kill more than they need for food, they will be
in a position to treat many problems in a more rational way than they
are usually treated.
The modeling of Sabre-tooth in clay is suggested for the sake of
cultivating the habit of observing the beauty of form and movement in
animals, and turning the interest that may have been generated by the
lesson into artistic channels.
_Lesson V._ No doubt the flesh of the sabre-toothed _felis_ was not an
attractive food, but in early times nearly everything was tested for
food and used unless it was found to be injurious. Even though the
cave-men had plenty of food, they no doubt would enjoy feasting upon
the flesh of their enemy. Perhaps they believed that through eating
Sabre-tooth’s flesh they might acquire something of his strength and
courage.
The first cooking was undoubtedly the result of an accident. The
invention was made only when man consciously controlled the process.
At first, no doubt, animals were roasted in their skins, but as people
began to prize skins for trophies, for clothing, and for thongs, they
formed the habit of removing the skin. The fear that Sabre-tooth
inspired would insure the removal of his skin for a trophy. The same is
true of the sabre teeth.
Strongarm’s leadership illustrates the natural leadership of the most
fit in time of danger. At other times, without doubt, there was no
recognized leader.
_References_: Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary
Education_, pp. 22-27. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. _The
Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 115, 119-121, 156, 157. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co.
_Lesson VI._ The manners of the cave-men at the feast may be understood
when it is remembered that the food supply of hunting peoples is
irregular. Their lack of forethought is such that there is either
a feast or a famine. Besides, their digestive systems were so well
developed that it was possible for them to eat enormous quantities
without harm. The habit of eating together developed slowly and
probably depended largely upon the degree to which coöperative action
was used in hunting. Except upon extraordinary occasions we may
conclude that only those ate together who worked together in securing
food.
Encourage the child to make a collection of as many things as he can
find that he can use for or make into dishes.
If the child is allowed to crack the marrow bones of a chicken or
turkey and make soup of them, he will understand the liking of the
cave-men for marrow bones. The conversion of bones into musical
instruments played by striking, or into bone whistles, may also furnish
a delightful occupation which may yield results of no mean value.
_Lesson VII._ Let the children dig cooking-pits and caves of various
sorts in the ground and experiment with them to discover where
the smoke goes and why, and the effect of the form of the cave or
cooking-pit upon the draft. The invention of a means of carrying
off the smoke, and the attempt to regulate the draft in these crude
contrivances, will lead to an interest in the fireplaces and chimneys
in the child’s own house. Make use of this interest in such a way as to
lead the child to observe the materials used and forms adopted in the
construction of modern fireplaces and chimneys, and encourage him to
seek reasons for the same.
Show the child a picture of the interior of a cave that has stalagmites
and stalactites, and illustrate their formation by dissolving rock salt
or lime in water and letting it drip until a deposit is made.
_Lesson VIII._ If the cave-men wanted to keep such trophies as teeth
and claws of animals, it is evident that they would have to bore holes
through them. To pierce bright and shining natural forms, fossil
shells, etc., for beads, was an easy matter. To bore holes through
such hard objects as the teeth and claws of wild animals taxed the
cave-man’s ingenuity. The different devices for drilling represented
in this lesson doubtless required ages for their development. It has
seemed best, however, to represent them together, since they are all
sufficiently simple for the child to understand. The advantage of the
use of the strap or the bow in turning the drill will be appreciated
by the child after trying to twirl it by the use of the hands alone.
To get the best results from this work it should be carried on by the
child for several days. He will probably enjoy doing such work outside
of school hours. Horizontal drilling upon the thigh, and vertical
drilling with or without the strap or the bow, may be carried on
in actual boring or as mere games. Such exercises serve to give an
insight into related industrial processes of the present, and to
establish physical coördinations which can be turned to account in
a variety of ways. Let the child try to bore a hole through a hard
substance by using a soft spindle with sand and water. Such a device
works better than the flint point without the sand. Although much of
the experimentation with awls and drills may be made outside of school
hours, the results of these experiments should be discussed during the
recitation period. In this way the interest that the child takes in
play is transferred to his school work.
_References_: J. D. McGuire, “A Study of Primitive Methods of
Drilling,” _Smithsonian Report_, 1894, pp. 623-756. 201 figs.
Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary Education_,
pp. 27, 133. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
_Lesson IX._ Encourage the child to make a collection of the natural
objects in his vicinity that can be used for tools or weapons, and
encourage him to make such changes in the natural forms he has
collected as he thinks would make them better fitted for the use to
which he wishes to put them. Help him arrange them in some part of the
schoolroom where they can be referred to easily from time to time. If
the child can visit a museum where primitive implements and weapons are
exhibited, it will be easier for him to understand the function that
such crude implements have fulfilled in the life of the race. Where a
museum is not available, the text, together with its illustrations,
will supply sufficient data for the child to get an appreciation of
the social significance of such implements. But in no case should the
observation of the implement or the story about its use be made to take
the place of actually making it.
The child will soon learn where to look for the best stones for
implements and weapons, and how to choose forms that the river has
worn into shapes that require but little work to fit them for use. It
is worth while for the child to chip off a few flakes from the stones
he selects, for the sake of the practical acquaintance that he gets
with the properties of stones.
The name of the stone is a secondary matter, but if the teacher knows
the names or can learn them from some person in the community, she
can readily make the child familiar with the names of the more common
varieties of stones.
In selecting suitable sticks for handles, the child will soon learn
that he can save work by choosing a straight branch, and that it is
worth while to cut it so as to have a forked end, or a shoulder to
which he can bind the weapon. The need of a strong, tough handle
furnishes a motive for studying the properties of wood. In rejecting
the soft and brittle varieties, the child becomes acquainted with these
as well as with the kinds that serve his purpose.
The selection of suitable material for binding the working part to
the handle is a matter of considerable difficulty. No doubt the child
who uses cord will find it impossible to bind the parts together as
firmly as he desires. If after trying different materials no one thinks
of the use of a material that will shrink, tell the children of the
use of rawhide, and get enough from the meat market to illustrate its
use. As the child tries different ways of winding the lashing, he will
undoubtedly discover that the most effective binding is secured when
the straps are wound symmetrically.
_References_: Otis Tufton Mason, _Origins of Invention, Stone-Working_,
pp. 121-154. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary Education_,
pp. 20-29, 64, 65, 82, 93, 134-138. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press.
_Lesson XI._ This lesson illustrates the fact that skins of animals
which originally were worn as trophies for the sake of social approval,
developed into clothing which was worn partly for comfort.
Let the child make bone awls of the wing bones of chickens, and sinew
thread from the sinews attached to the leg bones. Encourage him to sew
with these materials. Different ways of lacing the shoes will suggest
typical stitches. Others may be found in museums, but the stitches
which are a result of the child’s ingenuity will be of most value
to him. Later when he discovers that the stitches that he invented
were invented ages ago and have been used ever since, he will feel a
relationship with people removed from him in time and space. Making
sandals or bags for himself or his friends, dressing dolls to play with
or to give away, and many other similar activities will also serve to
enlarge his interests.
_References_: Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary
Education_, pp. 22, 25, 115, 116. _The Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 122-124,
157. Frederick Starr, _American Indians_, pp. 14-21. Boston: D. C.
Heath & Co. “Dress and Adornment,” _Popular Science Monthly_, Vol.
XXXIX., pp. 488-502; also pp. 787-801. Otis Tufton Mason, _Origins of
Invention_, pp. 41, 42, 43, 241. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
_Lesson XII._ Perhaps we shall never know with certainty what stage the
early cave-men had attained in the development of the family. For the
purposes of this book however, it has seemed legitimate to supply the
deficiency from what is known of the laws of social development. Enough
will be accomplished in this subject if the child gets the idea that
the family has not always been what it is to-day, and that the need of
coöperation in hunting, in guarding the fire, and in protecting the
clan from the raids of wild beasts, compelled people who would prosper
to associate in this way.
_References_: Morgan, _Ancient Society_, pp. 383-508.
Katharine E. Dopp, _The Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 28-30, 99-101, 150, 156.
_Lesson XIII._ Since the winter life of the cave-men is depicted much
more fully in the following number of the series, it has seemed best
to pass it briefly at this time. If the child is encouraged to tell
stories of what he thinks happened during the winter, enough will be
accomplished in this subject. By writing the story as the child tells
it, and allowing him to make corrections in it as it is read to him, he
is able to produce a much better story than when he is obliged to write
it. As he gets control of his hands, however, he may be asked to write
short stories.
_Lesson XIV._ Undoubtedly the child who lives near birch trees is
acquainted with them, for the birch is a tree that offers many
attractions to the child. This lesson should extend and enrich these
experiences by relating them to the serious activities of people in
early stages of culture.
Where the child has the opportunity to see birch trees, but is denied
the privilege of removing the bark, help him to see why it is necessary
to take that privilege from him and, if possible, provide him with
birch bark that can be purchased from dealers in such materials.
Even though birch trees are plentiful enough to permit the removal of
the bark by the child, he should be taught to do it carefully and to
take only what he needs to use. The same habit should be cultivated
with reference to plants of all kinds. In this way the exercise of
blind instinct, which in our present environment results in destructive
habits, may be so directed as to form a social habit of wise economy in
the use of natural resources.
A visit to a museum will suggest many uses for birch bark. Where such
a visit is impracticable, well-selected pictures may serve the same
purpose.
Instead of furnishing the child with a pattern of a basket, let him
make one, first, by the use of paper and, later, with the birch bark.
Encourage him to make such corrections as need to be made in the
pattern before cutting the bark.
Where birch trees do not grow, it will be best to substitute for the
study of the birch a study of some other tree whose bark or branches
yield materials for basketry. In prairie regions a study of native
grasses may precede this lesson, which may be read and appreciated
to some extent, though not in the way it will be where the child is
familiar with the birch tree.
_References_: Longfellow, _Hiawatha_. Lowell, _The Birch Tree_.
Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary Education_,
pp. 64-67, 121-127. _The Tree-Dwellers_, Basketry, pp. 138-139. (See
articles in encyclopedias and natural histories on the birch.)
_Lesson XV._ If you have never seen a river in the time of a flood,
prepare for this lesson by talking with some one who has, by studying
rivers and floods, and pictures of the same, and by making use of
experiences that may be gained everywhere during and after a heavy
rain. Model the upper part of a river valley, showing the river with
its tributary streams and ravines. Show the high rocky banks where the
river is narrow and the low banks where the stream is wider. Determine
at what place in the river a dam would be apt to be formed during the
melting of the snow in the springtime, and what parts of the valley
would be flooded first. Then get a clear idea of the way that the
flood that is referred to in this lesson took place by modeling an
underground channel that connects with the river on the one hand and
with the outer world on the other. Such an underground channel, when
dry, is a cave of the type that is referred to in this book. Nearly all
of the bone caves in England where the remains of the cave-men have
been found are of this type. The ravines that are found in limestone
regions are regarded by Mr. Boyd Dawkins, who has made a special study
of the subject, as caves that have lost their roofs, and the valleys as
ravines whose sides have become worn by the process of weathering.
By the use of concrete methods you can help the child to understand
these facts very well. He can understand, too, that “the dark
narrow passage” referred to in the lesson was a narrow part of the
underground channel that led to the river, and that when the water in
the river rose to the level of this passage, water would begin to pour
into the cave. (See Field Lessons, p. 165.)
_Lesson XVI._ This lesson shows the cave-man’s need of fire, and the
need of coöperative effort in withstanding the devastation produced by
the flood.
_Lesson XVII._ The council undoubtedly originated in a common need
and was devoted to devising ways of meeting that need. In the council
portrayed in this lesson, the old man, because of his experience and
wisdom, gains the ear of the people, and for the time is their leader.
In the time of combat with a wild beast, however, Strongarm leads.
Treat the subject of this lesson in such a way as to enable the child
to sympathize with the cave-men in their distress, and, in a dramatic
way, to unite with them in overcoming their difficulties. In playing
the council, let the children decide who shall take the most important
parts, and let each test his fitness for taking the part by showing
what he can do. Perhaps the best results will come from this if the
children hold the council during hours of play.
Most children who are old enough to go to school know something of
volcanic fires and fires that are caused by lightning. They know the
use of oil in lamps and from this can be led to consider natural oil
wells. The old man has heard of the fire country, and it is natural
that he should look to that country for the much needed fire. This use
of what Nature provides before learning to invent artificial processes
is typical of man’s method of advance.
_Lesson XVIII._ Give the child an appreciation of the difficulties to
be met on the journey to the fire country. Use the map to determine the
relative location of the fire clan’s cave and the fire country, and let
the child show what difficulties he thinks the men will meet with and
where they will meet with them by modeling the place mentioned in the
sand box. When the main features are thus mapped out, let the children
indicate the easiest route, the location of trails, the mountain
passes, and the places where the most dangerous wild animals would be
apt to be. Point out the mountains that prevent the moisture of the
wooded hills from passing over to the dry, rocky country.
When the difficulties of the way are well in mind the children may
hold a council to decide what to do to help the men get ready for the
journey. After deciding what is needed let them make the articles and
dramatize such parts of the life at the cave as they may choose to do.
(See map, the frontispiece.)
_Lesson XIX._ The reference to Sharptooth and Bodo made in this lesson
will be understood by the child who has read _The Tree-Dwellers_. The
explanations given under _Lesson I._ will be sufficient for the child
who has not read the book.
It is probable that the sequence of utensils for carrying water differs
with the locality. It is likely that the cave-men made use of the
cleansed stomachs of large animals they had slain for carrying water
before they invented the skin water bag. It was not thought necessary
to include that at this time, for the purpose is not so much to develop
a complete sequence as it is to present a vivid picture of the way
people made use of the natural resources at hand in supplying their
needs. The child will derive much pleasure and profit from a careful
study of the natural forms in his environment which he can use for
carrying water.
_References_: Katharine E. Dopp, _The Place of Industries in Elementary
Education_, pp. 123-124. _The Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 43-46, 89-101. Otis
Tufton Mason, _Origins of Invention_, p. 157. _Smithsonian Report_,
1894, p. 429.
_Lesson XX._ As long as the cave-men had fire they had no need of a
door to the cave. Never having seen doors, it is not strange that the
idea of making one did not come until it was forced upon them. When the
cave was not protected by a fire or by a wicker-work door, man had
constantly to dispute his possession with the wild beasts.
_Lesson XXI._ Although this lesson affords the opportunity to review
the subject of natural fires, the main interest centers in the
dramatic action. The contrast between the appearance of Sharpeyes
now and when he set out on the journey will serve to emphasize the
difficulties encountered. There is an opportunity here for a pantomimic
representation of the return of Sharpeyes.
_Lessons XXII. and XXIII._ These lessons serve to satisfy the child
regarding the details of the journey which they have been forecasting
for several days. (See _Lesson XVIII._, p. 87.)
If the child does not know what punk is, tell him that it is decayed
wood which, when lighted, holds fire for a long time without making
a blaze. For that reason it was much valued as a means of preserving
fire, and for tinder. Help the child to find punk in natural woods or
along the shores of a lake or stream.
_Lesson XXV._ If the cave-men had not succeeded in getting fire,
their social organization in the form of a clan would have broken up.
Strongarm, realizing this and the immense advantage of living in clans,
exerted himself to the utmost to get fire—the only means that he knew
of for maintaining community life. The fact that he withheld part
of the knowledge of the way he secured it is typical of the methods
adopted by leaders from time immemorial of gaining ascendency over the
masses. It is not the purpose at this time to condemn or to justify the
act. That it resulted in securing peace and order within the clan is
the point to be emphasized.
It is not known whether the cave-men invented the method of making fire
by drilling before that of striking iron pyrites with flint. It is
probable that both methods were invented at about the same time, the
former in connection with the use of drills for boring, and the latter
in connection with the manufacture of stone implements.
Since the sticks for making an effective fire drill should be chosen
with care and dried thoroughly, the child should select them at this
time, although he may not use them until he studies _Lesson XXXIV._
_Lesson XXVI._ The thanksgiving of the cave-men may well be used to
give new meaning to our own thanksgiving festivals. The practice of
giving food to the fire arose from the belief that it was alive. This
belief and the worship of the fire is readily understood when it is
remembered that fire was man’s greatest blessing at this time.
_Lesson XXVII._ If there are spruce trees in the vicinity, carry out
the suggestions given in this lesson. If not, select some other tree or
shrub that has tough flexible branches and make use of that instead.
Encourage the child to make a basket of branches whose bark has not
been removed, and then to peel enough twigs for a basket, using his
teeth, finger nails, or other natural tools in doing the work. Be sure
that he notices the difference in flexibility between dry twigs and
those that have been soaked in water.
_Lesson XXVIII._ Let the child make such splints as he can without the
aid of tools, or with such tools as he invents without suggestions from
any person. Notice the rhythmical devices that are used by children
when engaged in any kind of work.
_Lesson XXIX._ If the child has made splints and has already tried
to weave them into baskets, he will readily see that the women got
a variety in their weaving through the use of splints of different
width. He may find it to his advantage to sort his splints, putting
those of the same width together. The relation of the different styles
of weaving to the need which caused them to be invented should be
emphasized. Economy of time and material led primitive people to use
the open style of interlacing for baskets intended for carrying coarse
materials. The close work was better adapted for baskets used in
carrying berries. The impacted work was used for baskets for carrying
or for holding water. The child should be encouraged to use such a mode
of weaving as is best adapted to the use to which he wishes to put the
basket. The making of a water-tight basket involves more skill than the
child has attained. He can understand, however, how such a basket was
made, and the importance of the invention.
_Lesson XXX._ There are enough suggestions in this lesson to occupy the
child for several days. Encourage him to experiment in natural methods
of dyeing straw, grasses, reeds, and splints, by burying them in mud
or in mud mixed with charcoal, by soaking them and exposing them to
the warm sunshine, or by covering them in leaf mold. Let him test the
natural materials in his environment that will yield color and invent
ways of extracting it. If red chalk, ochre, hematite, or other mineral
matter that may be used as a paint is found in its native state in the
vicinity, let the child procure a small quantity and grind it to a fine
powder. When mixed with water or with a fatty substance, it is ready to
be used. The child may use it in decorating basketry, pottery, or some
article that he may wish to have in his playhouse. If the child can see
the paintings of primitive people, or illustrations of the same, it
will serve to stimulate him to express his own ideas.
_References_: _Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_, 1884-5, pp. 216-217.
Alice Morse Earle, _Child Life in Colonial Days_, p. 398. New York: The
Macmillan Company. Otis Tufton Mason, _Origins of Invention_, pp. 226,
255. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
_Lesson XXXI._ Most of the primitive methods of carrying have survived
to the present day and may be seen if one will take the trouble to look
for them. The cave-men carried the smaller animals that they killed on
their backs. The larger ones were too heavy to be carried in this way,
and so the custom arose of dividing the carcass. The most desirable
portions were cut out and carried home, while the remainder was left
for the wolves and hyenas. Encourage the child to make a carrying
strap that he can use in carrying his books or other objects.
_References_: Otis Tufton Mason, _Origins of Invention_, pp. 325-48.
“Primitive Travel and Transportation,” _Smithsonian Report_, 1894, pp.
237-593.
_Lesson XXXII._ Until man had gained a mastery of the more dangerous
animals, it is not likely that he hunted the mammoth. The cave-man
must have longed, however, to capture one of these powerful beasts,
and it is very probable that he would be quick to take advantage of a
situation that offered him the opportunity for so doing. This lesson
portrays such a situation.
The use of the bone whistle referred to is typical of the first use
of musical instruments. The origin of the bone whistle was doubtless
associated with the habit of sucking bones. Let the child experiment
with whistles so as to discover ways of producing tones of different
pitch.
_Lesson XXXIII._ The capture of such a large animal as the mammoth was
the occasion for calling all of the people who were represented in the
capture of it to the spot for a feast. The tusks at this time were
prized as trophies; later they were used in the manufacture of tools
and weapons. The examination of a mammoth’s skeleton will convince one
that the tusks were not removed without many hard blows. An idea of
the size of the head may be gained from the fact that a single tooth
weighed seventeen pounds. This fact will mean little to the child until
he tries to lift an object of nearly that weight.
The skin of the mammoth was so heavy that ten men could carry it
with difficulty. It was a dark gray color, covered with three coats.
The inner coat was a soft reddish wool about five inches long, which
protected it from the cold. The second coat was a close-set, tolerably
fine, fawn-colored hair. The third or outermost coat was long, black,
bristle-like hair which protected it from sharp branches of trees
and from heavy blows. This long coarse hair gave the mammoth a more
formidable aspect than he otherwise would have had.
_References_: Katharine E. Dopp, _The Tree-Dwellers_, pp. 143-144.
Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co.
_Lesson XXXIV._ While the child is studying the habits of the cave-men
in respect to the use of fire, train him to be careful in the use of it.
After making a fire drill the child may try to make fire with it, but
he should not be discouraged if he fails at first. The process is a
difficult one and it requires great care. An old fire drill works best
because the wood becomes charred and it is easier to keep a charred
drill dry. In working any drill, care must be taken to keep up a
steady and rapid motion with a downward pressure. The wood meal which
is ground from the hearth by the drill must be allowed to collect in
a little heap near which dry tinder is placed. It must be protected
from strong drafts, but it may be fanned gently with the hand. As the
spindle becomes warm from twirling, the wood meal becomes warm, then it
begins to smoke, and at last it is fanned into a flame.
The illustration on page 183 is a reproduction from a photograph taken
in 1899 of two third-grade boys of the State Normal School, Oshkosh,
Wisconsin, who are using a fire drill. The class succeeded in getting
fire with this drill which was made by one of the boys.
_References_: Walter Hough, “Fire-Making Apparatus in the U. S.
National Museum,” _Smithsonian Report_, 1888, pp. 531-587. “The Methods
of Fire-Making,” _Smithsonian Report_, 1890, pp. 395-409. Otis Tufton
Mason, _Origins of Invention_, pp. 84-120. Scribner.
_Lesson XXXV._ Since the invention of the printing-press and the
dissemination of printed matter, there has been a tendency to
overrate the importance of the printed page, and to ignore other more
fundamental sources of knowledge. The purpose of this lesson is partly
to call attention to other ways of learning than by means of books, and
partly to tell the child frankly what the sources are which have been
drawn upon for the stories that are written in this book. To be sure he
will not comprehend all that is meant by it, but the difference between
what he can understand and what the adult understands is not so great
as is often imagined. If fossil plants and animals are available, show
them to the child and tell him what you know or can find out about
them. If the child leaves the book with many unsettled problems, his
condition is much more hopeful than if he thinks he has mastered the
entire book.
[Illustration: _How two boys made fire with a fire drill_]
=Industrial and Social History Series=
_By KATHARINE ELIZABETH DOPP, Ph. D._
_Lecturer in Education in the Extension Division of the University of
Chicago. Author of “The Place of Industries in Elementary Education.”_