Ontario Teachers' Manuals: HistoryOntario. Department of Education
History
Ontario Teachers' Manuals: History
Ontario. Department of Education
History -- Study and teaching
Wherever possible, present problems for them to solve by their
own experiences.
4. The reading to the class of accounts of events written by people
living at the time will give an atmosphere of reality and human interest
to the events. For example, a story of early pioneer days told by a
pioneer gives a personal element (see _Pioneer Days_, Kennedy); a letter
by Mary Queen of Scots, to Elizabeth (see p. 143), will make both of
these queens real living people, not mere names in history. (See
_Studies in the Teaching of History_, Keatinge, p. 97, also selections
from _The Sources of English History_, Colby, p. 163.) Not much of this
may be possible, but more use might easily be made of such materials,
especially with the early history of Ontario.
5. The use of local history and of current events will be treated
elsewhere. (See pp. 49, 51.)
6. When possible, let the pupils form their idea of an historical person
from his actions and words just as we form our estimate of each other,
instead of having them memorize mere summaries of his character before
they know his actions.
7. Genealogical and chronological tables, written on the black-board and
discussed with the class, will be of service in understanding certain
periods, such as the Wars of the Roses, and in helping to form the
time-sense of pupils. (See Chronological Chart, p. 128.)
8. Chief dependence must be placed, however, on increasing the pupil's
knowledge of present-day conditions in agriculture, commerce,
transportation, manufactures, in fact, in all social, economic, and
political conditions, in order to enable him by comparison to realize
earlier methods and ways of living. The pupil who understands best how
we do things to-day can understand best the state of affairs when people
had to depend on primitive methods, and can realize how they would
strive to make things better.
ON MEMORIZING HISTORY
History is usually called a "memory" subject, and is accordingly often
taught as a mere memorizing of facts, names, and dates. The following
statement of the chief principles of memorizing will, it is hoped, put
mere verbal repetition in its proper place. Interest is the chief
condition for teaching history in the public schools, in order that the
pupils may acquire a liking for the subject that will tempt them to
pursue their reading in after years; without that interest, the small
amount of historical fact they can accumulate in their school-days will
be of little real value to them when they become full-fledged citizens.
In fact, through this emphasis on interest instead of verbal repetition,
the pupils are likely to obtain a better knowledge of history and, at
the same time, will have a chance to develop, in no slight degree, their
powers of judgment.
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