Minimum course of study; reports of committees on minimum essentials in elementary education

Front matter

II i ill

! Hi n i* ■ lilll il 11 in

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Introduction

On January 4, 1918, the superintendents of schools of nine cities of Southern California — Dr. Albert Shiels x of Los Angeles; Dr. L. M. Rhodes 2 of Pasadena; Mr. Horace M. Rebok of Santa Monica; Mr. W. L. Stephens of Long Beach; Mr. J. A. Cranston of Santa Ana; Mr. G. Vernon Bennett 3 of Pomona; Mr. C. H. Covell 4 of Redlands; Mr. A. N. Wheelock of Riverside; and Mr. Roy B. Stover 5 of San Bernardino — met to consider ways and means of improving the schools for the welfare of which they were responsible.

The war was on and the lesson of the importance of saving everything which could be converted to human uses, and giving up everything which was in any way superfluous and wasteful, was being brought home as it never had been brought home before. People everywhere were saving money, clothing, food, fuel, man-power, so that the government might have them for use in defeating the enemy.

As we canvassed the question : What can the schools do to assist our nation's undertaking? it seemed to us that, in addition to all the immediate service which they could render, they might apply the same principles of conservation which Mr. Hoover was urging upon us to the mental rationing of our children. It is quite evident that our courses of study are an accumulation of much and sundry and that following

1 Resigned, succeeded by Mrs. Susan M. Dorsey.

2 Resigned, succeeded by Mr. J. F. West.

3 Resigned, succeeded by Mr. G. V. Whaley.

4 Resigned, succeeded by Mr; H. G. Clement.

5 Died, succeeded by Mr. Ben R. Crandall.

v vi INTRODUCTION

them in a routine fashion involves great waste of effort on the part of teachers and vastly greater waste of effort on the part of students. The time seemed to demand a more serious attempt than any of us had yet made to eliminate waste from our school programs.

When we began to discuss ways and means of clearing away the accumulated confusion and getting down to rock bottom in studies and in methods of teaching them, it seemed to us that our undertaking should be the work of all of us. We felt that if the superintendents, on their own responsibility, were to attempt to bring about the necessary change, the teachers, not having had an opportunity to convince themselves of its reasonableness, would not be sufficiently committed to it to carry it out with the understanding, or with anything of the devotion, for which the undertaking seemed to call. We therefore resolved to make the undertaking thoroughly cooperative from the first and to commit the responsibility involved to the teachers themselves.

We adopted the plan of appointing a series of committees, one to study and report upon each subject in the elementary course. Each superintendent appointed teachers from his staff to membership in each of these committees. The committees came together for the first time on February 9th at the Los Angeles State Normal School (now the Southern Branch of the University of California). The nature of the cooperative undertaking was explained and each committee was asked to study and answer two questions which vitally affect the schools.

First: What is your subject for? What is its aim or purpose? To what end should it be taught? What should be the objective of every teacher in giving instruction in it?

Second: What parts of it are of first-rate importance, as distinguished from the parts of it which are only of second-

INTRODUCTION vii

rate or third-rate value? What are its essentials? We ask you to skeletonize it, to outline its minimum essentials.

It was hoped that the answers to these questions could be formulated by January 1, 1919; but, in spite of the best efforts of the committees, Spanish influenza defeated that plan and the first reports were not submitted until July 1st of that year. It seemed to the superintendents when they examined these reports that they were of such unmistakable value that they should be tested by actual trial in the classrooms and revised by the combined wisdom of all the teachers in the schools which had been in any way concerned in making them. To that end, they were printed for private circulation and were carefully revised under the direction of the superintendents.

That is the way this book was made. It is not a finished piece of work; in the nature of the case it could not be that. Any one person concerned in its making might, working single-handed, have produced a book more nearly uniform throughout. Its makers claim for it but one thing: It is the effort of classroom teachers to study their job and to understand the objective which they strive to serve.

On behalf of the Committee of Superintendents,

Ernest C. Moore,

Chairman.

The Southern Branch of the University of California

PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON ARITHMETIC

Myrtie Collier, Chairman

Berthilde Barclay, Santa Ana

Ann Burnam, Pomona

Bertha R. Hunt, Santa Monica

Rufus Mead, Pasadena

Dr. A. W. Plummer, Los Angeles

Ruth Smart, Long Beach

Dr. W. H. Snyder, Los Angeles

Katherine Spiers, University of

California, Southern Branch

Dr. Arthur H. Sutherland, Los Angeles

Jessie Wilkinson, San Bernardino

COMMITTEE ON ART

Anna P. Brooks, Chairman

Arthur C. Ayers, Los Angeles Helen C. Chandler, University

of California, Southern Branch Mae Gearhart, Los Angeles Nellie H. Gere, University of

California, Southern Branch

Fannie M. Kerns, Pasadena Jessie M. Lewis, Los Angeles C. H. Peterson, Pasadena Margaret A. Waite, Long Beach

COMMITTEE ON CIVIC AND SOCIAL EDUCATION

Arthur A. Macurda, Chairman

Irene Benning, University of California, Southern Branch

R. E. Dyer, Riverside

Sydney B. Good, Los Angeles

Elizabeth J. Harkness, Pasadena

C. E. Latham, Redlands Nettie B. Rice, Santa Monica Ina Rolfe, San Bernardino M. Eva Thacker, Santa Ana Gladys Warren, Long Beach

IX x PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH

Josephine E. Seaman, Chairman

Elizabeth Bates, Los Angeles Harriet B. Sterling, Pasadena

Daisy Burns, Long Beach Mrs. J. B. Stewart, Santa Mon-

Annie E. Enman, Riverside ica

Grace Finney, Los Angeles Ilena M. Swaim, Santa Monica

A. Sibyl Knopf, Redlands Anna M. Wiebalk, University of

Anna Richerich, Santa Ana California, Southern Branch

COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL ARTS

1 Rachel T. Richardson, Chairman

Hazel M. Bemus, Santa Ana Edith L. Lane, Los Angeles

Bertha H. Breckenfeld, Los C. Dorothea Phillips, Los An- Angeles geles

Farla F. Clayton, Santa Ana Mary E. Whelan, Santa Monica

COMMITTEE ON KINDERGARTEN

2 Elizabeth Mascord, Chairman University of California Southern Branch

Mrs. Emma Barnes, Santa Ana Agnes Knight, University of

Clara Brown, La Habra California, Southern Branch

Alice Clatjson, Santa Ana Anna McLaury, Los Angeles

Ruth Colborn, Los Angeles Marianna Monkhouse, Long

Florence Cowan, Santa Monica ,, AT ^ _,

_. x Mary Neff Reynolds, Pasadena

Addie Doran, Los Angeles Clara Pattqn> Pasadena

Grace Dupuy, Los Angeles Marion Partridge, Riverside

Barbara Greenwood, University Florence Robinson, Long Beach

of California, Southern Branch Henrietta V isscher, Pasadena

Adeline Hill, Santa Ana Ethel b Waring> University of Ruth Kelley, San Bernardino California, Southern Branch

1 Died, succeeded by Bertha H. Breckenfeld, Los Angeles.

2 Resigned, succeeded by Ethel van Deusen, Los Angeles.

PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES xi

COMMITTEE ON MANUAL ARTS

Harold W. Mansfield, Chairman

Carroll W. Angier, University F. A. Lyman, Pomona

of California, Southern Branch j AMES w. Marsh, University of George D. Henck, Pasadena California, Southern Branch

A. M. Huters, Santa Monica George F. Murray, Long Beach C. M. Lyon, Long Beach

COMMITTEE ON MUSIC Kathryn E. Stone, Chairman Los Angeles, California Mrs. Alfa Wood Anderson, San Gladys Grant, Long Beach

Bernardino Carrie V. Truslow, Los Angeles

Mabel Barnhart, University of Arnold Wagner, Santa Monica

California, Southern Branch JuNIA WoLF Pasadena

Harry Garstang, Santa Ana

COMMITTEE ON GEOGRAPHY

Myrta Lisle McClellan, Chairman University of California Southern Branch

Alice Blanchard, Pomona Dell Pratt, Long Beach

Luvicy Carter, Santa Ana Grace Stevenson, Redlands

Emily Cleland, Santa Monica Minnie Taylor, Pomona

Louise Flynn, Los Angeles Grace Tingley, Los Angeles

Mabel Latta, Santa Ana Chas. W. Waddle, University of

Beeda Metcalf, Los Angeles California, Southern Branch Mary B. Mitchell, Pasadena

COMMITTEE ON HISTORY

George Hetzel, Chairman

Pasadena, California

Eudora Allen, San Bernardino Fannie Pease, Santa Ana

Chloris Anderson, Riverside J. G. McNeely, Santa Monica

Ida B. Davison, Riverside Harvey Ritter, Los Angeles

Mary E. Fuller, Pomona Mrs. Harriet G. Scott, Santa Minnie Gant, Long Beach Monica

C. E. Latham, Redlands M - EvA Thacker, Santa Ana

Melva Latham, University of California, Southern Branch xii PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON HOME ECONOMICS Agnes E. Macpherson, Chairman University of California Southern Branch Florence Alvarez, Los Angeles Edna Hines, Los Angeles Mae Cleveland, Santa Monica Alice Leach, Santa Ana M. Alice Devin, San Bernardino Bessie Meek, Riverside Carrie Denton, Redlands Elva Richards, Long Beach

Etta P. Flagg, Los Angeles Ana Swing, San Bernardino

COMMITTEE ON HYGIENE

Dr. A. A. Hummel, Chairman University of California Southern Branch Clara Brown, Santa Ana Caroline A. Pool, Redlands

Emma L. Jackson, Redlands Jennie W. Rice, Santa Monica

Olive W. Kelso, Pasadena Margaret E. Robb, Riverside

Helen Mason, Pomona Dorothea Stewart, San Ber-

Mrs. Orpha Morris, Pomona nardino

Isabella Noble, Long Beach C. E. White, Los Angeles

COMMITTEE ON NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE

Dr. Loye H. Miller, Chairman

Romola Adams, Long Beach Clayton F. Palmer, Los Angeles

Lana Brokaw, Santa Ana F. H. Sheckelford, Pasadena

Daisy Burns, Long Beach W. L. Stuckey, Redlands

Dr. Charles W. Edwards, Los Margaret Waterhouse, San

Angeles Bernardino

E. E. McCullough, Pasadena L. W. Welch, Long Beach

Frank E. Older, University of Gertrude B. Wyman, Santa Mo- California, Southern Branch nica Mrs. Kate C. Orr, Pomona E. A. Zumbro, Riverside

COMMITTEE ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Marion H. Wallace, Chairman

Mary K. Carroll, Santa Monica Alice Nickerson, Redlands

J. O. Gossett, Riverside Frank L. Thomas, Los Angeles

Hazel Gross, Los Angeles

PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES xm

COMMITTEE ON READING AND LITERATURE

Alice O. Hunnewell, Chairman

Ernest P. Bronson, Long Beach Lucy Greene, Pomona

Elizabeth Hamlin, Santa Monica Jessie R. Mitchell, Pasadena

Alma Patterson, University of California, Southern Branch

Clara M. Payette, Riverside

Blanche E. Plumb, Santa Ana Gertrude Potts, Santa Ana Elizabeth Riddell, Long Beach Emily Tower, Long Beach

Madilene Ververka, University of California, Southern Branch Olive Wagner, Santa Ana

COMMITTEE ON SPELLING

W. C. Roberts, Chairman

Santa Ana

Carrie N. Barton, Long Beach Edith Blakemore, Pomona Dr. Grace M. Fernald, University of California, Southern Branch L. Elston Glenn, Pasadena

Inez E. Hancock, Riverside

Edith Urquhart, San Bernardino Mame V. Weimer, Santa Monica Elizabeth M. Wright, Redlands

COMMITTEE ON WRITING

Estelle B. Plough, Chairman

B. E. Edmiston, Redlands Lola Guthrie, Santa Monica Beatrice Hendry, Pomona Eathyle Keith, San Bernardino

C. B. Luce, Santa Ana Edith L. Rehwold, Riverside

Long Beach Maude Wherry, Santa Ana R. E. Wiatt, Los Angeles Elizabeth Willis, Pasadena