In like manner note the state of Indiana, its outline and the triangle
formed by the line running from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne to South
Bend, to La Fayette, to Evansville, and back to Indianapolis. Any state
may be studied in this way, or any country or continent. Its size,
shape and the location of the principal cities may be indelibly fixed
in mind.
[Illustration]
You will find that impressions made upon the mind in this visual
manner are lasting, and that you can gather knowledge of geographical
locations which hitherto may have been difficult for you to retain.
After you have once impressed these pictures upon your mind, close your
eyes again and let your mind's eye see them. The location of cities,
mountain ranges, rivers, etc., need simply to be visually impressed in
this manner. Draw a line from one principal city to another. Notice the
length and direction of the line and the figure made by joining them.
Draw the lines with your eyes closed until you have a clear mind's eye
impression of the exact locations.
Follow this plan in teaching the child to visualize the map which he is
studying. Do it with each state, and each continent, island, or country.
Draw a plain outline map of the continent being studied, let the child
draw in the principal rivers and mountain ranges, writing the name of
each. Explain how these mountain ranges and large rivers, because of
the natural defence offered, have become the natural boundaries between
nations. Now have the child draw each country on a blank map, writing
the name of each and placing a dot where the capital of the country is
located, and naming it.
Of course it is not likely that the child will be able to do all this
without reference to the map. The map of the continent should be
visualized by a definite effort. Let him go over a section at a time
noticing the mountains and rivers, their use as boundaries and the
countries which they separate. After this detail study have the child
observe the map as a whole, and build its visual picture in his mind.
From this visual picture have him draw all the details possible on
the blank map. Let him go back to the map of the continent, study the
points missed, revisualize the picture, close the book, and add as much
as possible to the map he is drawing.
Do the same with the map of the United States. Have the child become
familiar with the outline, the rivers, mountains and Great Lakes. Next
have him become familiar with the groups of states, as the New England
States; the Middle Atlantic States; the Southern States, eastern and
western divisions, etc. Each of these divisions can be visualized
separately, the outlines of the states and the location of the capital
learned, so that an outline map of the group can be drawn as was done
in the case of the continent and its countries. If this process is
continued a very little study of the United States as a whole will
enable the child to draw the entire country and locate all the states
and their capitals, a thing which only a very few grown people can do.