Miller's Mind training for children Book 3 (of 3) / A practical training for successful living; Educational games that train the senses

Most children will like the study of geography if it is given to them in stories and pictures as much as possible. Note how the more modern geographies are literally picture-books compared with those of several years ago.

Teach the child to make the pictures in the book his permanent knowledge through visual reviews. When he is studying about an isthmus, and there is no picture of one in the geography, find one elsewhere. Have the child notice clearly that "An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger bodies." Take the outline maps and have the child go over them and point out all the examples of the isthmus. Now have him take a pencil and paper and draw one. Have him repeat the definition as the teacher wishes it to be learned, but be sure that he can SEE and explain it in his own words.

Fix one definite illustration of each geographical division in the child's mind. Use the Isthmus of Panama for the isthmus, explaining to him that this location was selected for the Panama Canal because it was a narrow strip of land, etc. Make it interesting by stories.

In your walks with the children through the country take every opportunity to explain the different geographical formations. Find an illustration for an isthmus even if it is only a small puddle, or if you have to make one in the back yard with a shovel and a pail of water. The sand-box method, because it is visual, has always been a successful one for teaching geography.

Visualize the Map

See clearly the outline of the country being studied, and note its peculiarities. Put the map at arm's length and let your imagination transform the contour of the country into the picture of some object.

Note that the continent of South America is very similar in shape to the head and trunk of an elephant, the projection on the Northeast corner being the ear. Note the similarity in shape between the outlines of France, Spain and Portugal to a hog's head eating from a bucket. The continent of Australia easily becomes the shape of two animals' heads, back to back.

To study any country follow the plan outlined in the next two paragraphs for the study of the states of Illinois and Indiana. Note carefully the outline of the state, and see just the shape which it forms. Note the location of the principal cities and get their relationship to each other.

Illinois

Take your pencil and draw an outline of this state, then a line from Chicago to Rock Island, from Rock Island to East St. Louis, from East St. Louis to Springfield and from Springfield back to Chicago. Notice that the line connecting these cities forms a triangle. Get the visual impression of the triangle in mind. Now close your eyes and see if you can see the outline of the state clearly and upon it the line joining the principal cities.

Indiana

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.

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.

Learning the Groups of States

The use of initialing will help in learning the names of the states in their different geographical groups. Use the initial of the states in the group and make a sentence using these initials as the first letter of each succeeding word. Fix the sentence in mind and when you wish to name the states let the initial or name act as a guide and suggest the name of the state. Use the sentences following, or make others of your own.

New England States

Middle Atlantic States

Central States—Eastern

Central States—Western

Southern States—Eastern

Southern States—Western

Western States—South

Western States—North

In order that there be no omission of any sentence it is only necessary to note that there are eight groups and four pairs: New England and Middle Atlantic; Central East and West; Southern East and West, and Western North and South. As a further check for accuracy notice the groups as in pairs above; the first pair has 6 and 7 states; the second has the same, 6 and 7; the Southern has 7 and 4, and the Western has 6 and 5. The first two groups have 13 each and the second two groups have 11 each.

Puzzle Maps

The common jig-saw puzzle maps have value if accurately cut. A splendid game for learning the states of the United States, their shape, size and relative position, can be made at home. Lay a map of the United States on a piece of good cardboard, trace the outline of each state and then cut them out on the state lines with a sharp knife. Have the child first learn to name the states by seeing the blank pieces of irregularly shaped cardboard. Then let him learn to put the pieces together, naming the states as he does so. This plan can be followed in studying the counties in your state or the countries in a continent.

The Blank Map

Another helpful method is to draw an outline map of the United States on blank paper, drawing in each state. This can best be done by using impression paper. Now have the child take the map with the outlines of the states and write in the name of each.

The Geography Game

Have cards cut on the lines of the different states of the United States. You can use the ones made for the puzzle map above. On each state card place three spots in the location of the capital and two principal cities. Prepare a series of three cards about 2×3 inches for each of the states, and on each print the name of one of the three cities mentioned so that for each state there is a book of four cards, the plain outline card of the state, a card bearing the name of the capital, and a card for each of the two principal cities. Below the name of the city can be drawn an object, or a word which will indicate the approximate population of the city, by the Number Code. Make a similar set of four cards for each state, the state cards to be cut on the map outline, but not to have the name of the state on them; nothing but three spots in the location of the cities mentioned.

Some states can best be made in a group because of their comparative size. Vermont and New Hampshire can be on one card; Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island on another, and Maryland and Delaware another. Only three cities should be marked on the cards of these groups, always using the capitals of the states.

The state cards and the city cards should be shuffled separately, the state cards laid to one side as a draw pile, and the city cards divided among the players. The first player draws a state card and lays it on the table and has the first opportunity to play with it any city card he holds. The player to the left has the next turn, and so on, until someone has laid down the last of the three city cards belonging to this state card and takes the book. The one playing the last city card is entitled to the book and has the privilege of drawing the next state card. The one securing the largest number of books wins.

Any player playing a wrong city card on a state card must forfeit the card to the one who started with the state card.

This game requires that the players recognize the state by its outline and know the name of the capital and the two principal cities of the state, and of course, in which state each city card belongs.

The same game can be arranged for the countries of Europe, South America or any other continent. The card can bear the names of the capital, the principal river and mountain range, or the capital and two principal cities.

Following the Travelers

Have the child follow the travelers in the following stories by actually seeing the geographical formations as they are named. Then have him repeat the itinerary by referring to the picture of the geographical formations. You will find that he can visualize the isthmus, plateau, etc., only after having clear knowledge of what each is. This repeated visualization will make a lasting impression upon his mind.

The Story

A man and a boy were out sailing when a strong wind blew them ashore on a POINT, opposite a small ISLAND. They dragged their boat across an ISTHMUS and soon reached the PENINSULA, where they landed in a BAY. They started out in opposite directions looking for drinking water. The boy followed up a RAVINE and found himself on a PLATEAU. He became lost in a SWAMP and came out on a PRAIRIE, and inquired at a village where he found that he could return by following a RIVER through the VALLEY. He made a raft and floated down the river until he was stranded on a DELTA. He waded ashore and was soon back at his boat.

The man climbed a MOUNTAIN and looked out over the DESERT, where he saw an OASIS. Then he climbed over a CLIFF and followed a CANYON back to the BAY.

The Travel Game

Give the child the blank outline of the country in which you are going to tell the story of your travel. Have him locate on the blank map each city you visit and draw a line from one to the other showing the route which was followed.

An example: England. I went to England and landed at Liverpool. I went by rail from there to London, stopping one day at Gloucester. From London I went by water to Portsmouth.

In this story you can ask the child to tell you what kind of houses the inhabitants live in. You can take a ship and be collecting a cargo at the ports. Ask the child what local products are most easily found, and other questions which will show what these people export. Also the customs and commerce of the country in which the story is located can be discussed.