(Front Cover) Rural School Bulletin OF THE First District Normal School Kirksville, Missouri Provided for by Act Approved March 19, 1870 Located at Kirksville, Mo., December 29, 1870 Opened as First District Normal School Jan. 1, 1871 Vol. X DECEMBER, 1910 No. 3 Published by the First District Normal School. Issued Quarterly June, September, December, March. Entered June 25, 1902, at Kirksville, Mo., as second-class matter under Act of Congress of July, 1894. (Page 2) CHILDREN STARTING HOME FROM MODEL RURAL SCHOOL, ON CAMPUS OF STATE NORMAL SCHOOL AT KIRKSVILLE. [The first to transport children to and from school in Missouri.] (Page 3) THE MODEL RURAL SCHOOL. The State Normal School at Kirksville is a many sided institution. It responds to the needs of public schools of all kinds and grades. It goes further. It seeks to create and disseminate the best and most practical ideals in education. Among other things the institution makes a specialty of modern, comfortable and sanitary school architecture. It serves the rural schools in the best possible way. Its doctrine is that the rural teacher deserves to be as well provided for and as well equipped and remunerated as any teacher. It stimulates constantly the rural teacher s ambition and constructive ingenuity. It provides the most practical courses of instruction for rural teachers. Through the influence of the Model Rural School on the campus, this institution seeks to make it extremely difficult for an ill-equipped person to manage a rural school. The rural children are as capable as any children. They offer attention undivided. Their minds are like the undamaged film of the kodak. They are less hampered by distracting and confusing conventionalities than city children are. They are more impressionable and more free in mental reactions. They have better opportunity for deliberate thinking. When given equal facilities they learn more rapidly than city children do. The Model Rural School exemplifies the simplest and yet the most complete, practical and economical architecture ever devised anywhere for rural or village schools and the most effective facilities, for instruction used in schools of corresponding grade anywhere. The children are transported from their farm homes several miles away in a covered wagon. This Model Rural School solves many of the problems of country life . That is what it is for. 3 (Page 4) In solving the one room school problem and the on teacher school problem, we have solved the problem of the consolidated rural school and village school, since the equipments described in this circular are easily adaptable to buildings of several rooms. This Model Rural School has three principal floors: The Basement; The First Floor; and The Attic. Description of Basement Plan. The basement is rectangular. It is 28 x 36: feet outside measurement 8 feet from floor to ceiling. The floor is of concrete underlaid with porous tile and cinders. The tile leads into a sewer. The walls are of concrete, protected from undue moisture by an outside tile a foot from the walls and averaging 3 to 7 feet beneath the surface of the ground, sloping rapidly into the main sewer. The ditch above the tile is filled with cinders. The outside entrance to the basement is of concrete with an outside drain through the lower step into the sewer. The steps of the outside entrance to the basement and all other steps are of uniform height and tread, about 7 inch riser and 11 inch tread. The basement has eight compartments: 1. Furnace Room, containing furnace enclosed by galvanized iron, also double cold air duct - with electric fan, also gas water heater; 2. Coal Bin 6 x 8 feet; 3. Bulb or Plant Room 3 x 8 feet for fall, winter and spring storage; 4. Dark Room 4 x 8 feet for children s experiments in Photography; 5. Laundry Room 5 x 21 feet with tubs, drain, and drying apparatus; 6. Gymnasium 13 x 23 feet; 7. Tank Room, containing a 400 gallon pneumatic pressure tank, storage battery for electricity, hand pump for emergencies, water gauge, sewer pipes, floor drain, etc.; 8. Engine Room, containing gasoline engine, water pump, electrical generator, switch board, 4 (Page 5) ENTRANCE TO BASEMENT WEST SIDE COLD AIR DUCT - WATER TANK 400 CAL. PIPE TO WELL STORAGE BATTERY HAND PUMP WEST SIDE MOTOR FAN GASOLINE WATER HEATER COAL ROOM BULB ROOM DARKROOM LAUNDRY FIXTURES DRYING ROOM SWITCH BOARD GASOLINE ENGINE MAIN PUMP GAS MIXER WATER COOLER WIRE PARTITION GYMNASIUM 12 1/2 X 23 AIR PRESSURE MACHINE BASEMENT PLAN EAST SIDE water tank for cooling gasoline engine, weight for gas pressure, gas mixer, batteries, pipes, wires, etc. The pumps lift water from a well into pressure tank through pipes below frost line. Gasoline is admitted through pipes beneath frost line from two 40-gallon tanks underground, 30 feet from building. Rooms are wired for electricity and plumbed for gas. Basement in all parts thoroughly ventilated. Description of First Floor Plan. The drawing on the next page shows pretty clearly the school room, toilet rooms, hall ways and stairway connections. (Page 6) The school room is 22 x 27 feet in the clear. The children face the east. Mild light in abundance is from the north or left side of the children; ground glass window at rear admits sunlight for sanitation. School room has adjustable seats and desks, telephone and teacher s desk. Stereopticon is hung in wall at rear; screen at the front. Alcove or closet on east side for books, teacher s wraps, etc. The school has a small organ, ample book cases, shelves and apparatus. Pure air enters above children s heads and passes out at floor into ventilating stack through fire place. In the drawing observe the toilet rooms: Each one has all ordinary toilet fixtures: Lavatories, wash bowl with FIRST FLOOR PLAN WEST SIDE SIDE PORCH HALL LAVATORY LANTERN CABINET GROUND GLASS WINDOW WASH BOWL SHOWER BATH GIRLS TOILET HOT WATER HEATER HOT AIR DUCT SMOKE FLUE WASH BOWL LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE SCHOOL ROOM FIRST FLOOR PLAN EAST SIDE 6 (Page 7) hot and cold water, pressure tank for hot water and for heat, shower bath with hot and cold water, ventilating apparatus, looking glass, towel rack, soap box, etc. Each toilet room is reached by a circuitous passageway furnishing room for children s wraps, overshoes, etc. Scheme for perfect privacy in toilet rooms. All toilet room walls contain air chambers to deaden sound. Toilet rooms are clean, decent and beautiful. They are never disfigured with vile language or other defacement. Main entrance through porch. Small porch on west side especially for girls. All rooms wired for electricity and plumbed for gas. Walls adorned with pictures. Description of Attic Plan. Every rural school house has an attic but this seems to be the only one whose attic was ever discovered. This attic is 35 x 15 feet inside measurement, all in one room as shown by floor plans on opposite page; distance from floor to ceiling, 7 1-2 feet in middle part. Attic is abundantly lighted through gable lights and roof lights. It contains modern Manual Training benches for use of eight or ten children at one time. It has a gas range and other apparatus tor experimental cooking. It is furnished with both gas light and electric light. It has a wash bowl with hot and cold water, looking glass, towels, etc. It has a large sink such as a good kitchen usually contains. It has a drinking fountain but no drinking cup either common or uncommon. It has cupboards, boxes and receptacles for, various experiments in Home Economics. It has a disinfecting apparatus and a portable Chemistry-Agriculture Laboratory, and numerous other equipments. Its utilities will grow in number and improve in quality. It is properly heated and ventilated. 7 (Page 8) It has a disappearing bed which slides out under the lower roof except when in use. The bed is used by the young man who acts as janitor. This attic is from all points of view sanitary. ATTIC PLAN 8 (Page 9) THE RURAL SCHOOL PROBLEM. In Missouri as elsewhere, the chief topic of consideration in the educational system is the country school. In its organization and equipment it has not kept pace with the city school. Relatively, it is thought to be less efficient than forty years ago. The typical conditions in many counties are: the boxcar type of building erected without any consideration for the health and comfort of the children; a small yard, bleak and bare, with outbuildings that are a menace to the morals of children; no laboratory or library; short terms; ill paid teachers; irregular attendance; antiquated and inefficient curriculum. The result is an exodus to the cities by the best teachers, the ambitious boys and girls, and the best families. 60% of Missouri s youth live in the country; 40% never get beyond a fourth grade; 50% are denied a high school education. Such inequality of opportunity is at once an injustice to the child, and a menace to the state. This Normal School through its department of rural education, seeks to assist in building up a system of rural schools which will serve country youth acceptably until they have the necessary preparation to enter vocational life, or are old enough to go to college. This in part will be accomplished by stimulating and giving direction to efforts already being made for the improvement of country school conditions. Experiment is being made with the problem of adjusting the rural school to the agricultural and domestic life of the country in a model building with modern equipment elsewhere described, and with children transported from the farms. This unique school exists for the purpose of answering questions that are of national import, and not to carry out formulated principles and theories. It is to discover and exemplify ways in which a rural school may be the educa- 9 (Page 10) tional and social center of the community; to show how the curriculum may be modernized and adjusted to meet the intellectual, industrial and social needs of the country community; and to exemplify what may be done by one teacher in carrying out a modern course of study. This school and its work are for observation and practice and should appeal to the interests of the following classes of persons: 1. Prospective Graduates who, other things being equal, would find the rural work attractive. To these it may now be said that there is a growing demand for teachers well prepared to teach agriculture and domestic arts and sciences. Good salaries await such teachers. 2. City superintendents and principals who send their high school products to teach in country schools. 3. High school teachers who should have a sympathetic understanding of the conditions and pressing problems peculiar to rural communities, since large numbers of graduates from town high schools go directly into the rural field to teach. 4. County superintendents who are most important factors in the betterment of rural school conditions, and to whom we may properly look (1) for influence and leadership in gaining reliable data with a view to re-organization of the rural school system to meet modern demands; (2) for help in creating wholesome enlightened public sentiment necessary to all school improvement; (3) for the encouragement of centralization and consolidation wherever practicable; and (4) for co-operation in establishing rural high schools. 5. Teachers expecting to teach in elementary city schools who should know country conditions in order to properly present industrial life from the view point of the rural community. For each of these, there will be something of interest in the experimentation with this rural school. 10 (Page 11) In addition to a study of the curriculum which follows, opportunity will be given for the consideration, through conferences and open discussions, of such questions as these: The causes for the present status of the average rural school; the country teacher, his qualifications, responsibilities, and remuneration; the library, selection, organization and use; the school a center of community life; school games; rural hygiene; purpose and organization of boys and girls agricultural clubs; the consolidation of rural districts, why and how; the relation of the rural school to the rural home; the rural high school. RURAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM. In planning a course of study for the rural school it is necessary to remember, first of all, that the boys and girls of rural communities have the same native instincts, interests, and capacities possessed by the boys and girls of urban communities. In the end, these boys and girls, whether reared in the country or city, whether following pursuits of the farm, the professions, or the trade world, are to be American citizens. Moreover, as a prominent educator has rightly said, One characteristic of the American school system is apparently fixed. The work of the first six years of the elementary school is fundamental, the same for all regardless of sex or future occupations. The curriculum, then, of the Model Rural School for the first six years does not differ in aim from that of the best contemporary elementary school of any municipality. The chief modifications and adjustments must necessarily be found in the combinations, alternations, and eliminations of certain topics in order to economize the time of the teacher of all grades. The details concerning the combining of subjects and the elimination of topics cannot be given here, but are merely suggested in the outline below. Having taken a fundamental course of six years that is both cultural and industrial, that retains the educational 11 (Page 12) materials confirmed by long use, while introducing the best of the new, the advanced grades may be given work differentiated to some extent, according to sex and according to future vocational life. At this stage of growth the children begin to have a desire to be identified with the worlds work, and so an interest in the industries and economics begins to develop. Since agricultural pursuits are nearest at hand and hence best known, the farm Industries should receive special emphasis and constitute the point of departure, in order to better understand the complicated life outside of the farm, as well as to accomplish the more important task of cultivating faith in agricultural pursuits. In order to have this necessary faith the rural children must be taught that in living a successful country life there is a chance to use brains, and to develop talent and to utilize education. To attain greatest success on the farm, one must know the principles of production and farm management, and the economic laws to which agricultural industry is subject. This kind of a course of study fulfills the desire not only of boys and girls who expect to be farmers or keepers of farm homes, but also seeks to prepare the boy or girl who may hear the call to life work outside of the farm, because it is at once cultural and preparatory for differentiated work. In such case the emphasis placed upon farm life is useful in the interpretation of all American life. "No one can have a full appreciation of the social and industrial life of the American people who is ignorant of the agricultural status," because farming is the largest single industrial interest. For convenience in outlining the course and also in a. measure to show the alternation of topics, the subjects are grouped under three heads: the primary group including the first, second, and third grades; the intermediate group, usually including the fourth, fifth and sixth grades; and the advanced group which may include the remainder of the 12 (Page 13) school. The object is to consider the needs and attainments of the individual children, and then place each child in the group where he can do the best. Sometimes a child may recite with one group in arithmetic, but with a lower group in reading, according to his control of the technique of the subject. In the subjects less formal and symbolic, and containing more inherent content, as agriculture and history, the grouping is less formal. English. Reading and Literature: Children entering school for the first time recite in a class by themselves until they acquire the elementary mechanics of reading. This usually requires a period of two years. Beyond the second grade, there are three reading and literature groups. The beginning work in reading consists of simple sentences written or printed on the blackboard or on cardboard by the teacher. These sentences are interpreted by the children both through action and through speech. The first sentences are based on the children s play, arid later on toys, pictures, stories, and home and school activities. At the end of three or four weeks the children are able to begin reading from a primer. The work in phonics begins early in the course. By the end of the first year the children read a primer and two first readers. In the second grade they read another first reader, two second readers, and selections from a third reader. The lower intermediate group read last year, Baker and Carpenter s Third Year Language Reader, poems from Stevenson s A Child s Garden of Verse, and Scudder s Fables and Folk-Stories. Next year the present second grade class may read with last year s third grade class, Andersen s Stories, Grimm s Household Tales, Arabian Nights, Alice in Wonderland, and Browning s Pied Piper of Hamlin. The upper intermediate class and advanced class in literature, read classics and poems, of which there is a sufficient number in the library to make selections for the different years without repeating. 13 (Page 14) Writing and Composition: Practice in writing is combined with the expression of thought. The subject matter for compositions is based on all subjects of the course. The mechanisms of writing receive special attention throughout the primary and intermediate groups, and in the advanced group whenever the occasion requires. Grammar: Emphasis is placed upon correct expression whether oral or written during every recitation, but technical grammar is not begun until the children reach the advanced group. Spelling: Word study and spelling drills begun in the primary group continue throughout the school course. Mathematics. Arithmetic work is begun with the first grade class and continued throughout the school course, but alternation is not possible until after the second year. Myers Arithmetics are used as texts. Book I is planned for the third and fourth grade children and when the arithmetic work of the first and second grades is well done, either part one or part two of the book may be taken as alternation may require. Book II is intended for the fifth and sixth grades, and Book III for the seventh and eighth grades. Problems are also given growing out of home and school activities and related to the interests of the farm and farm home, as carpentry, agricultural experimentation, domestic science, and gardening; actual problems from the children s home accounts are made out and solved. Agriculture. Gardening: There is a plot of ground on the Rural School Campus which the children utilize in making individual gardens and group gardens. In addition to this they have access to the Normal School garden and the College farm. Part of the work is carried on at their home farms and in home gardens. Some of the topics considered are: preparation of seed bed; fertilizing; planting; cultivating; 14 (Page 15) harvesting; landscape effects; farm machinery; window gardening. Corn: Growing, judging, testing; seed germination; soil fertility demonstrated by growing plants in chemical soils. Farm Animals: Breeds; varieties; uses; feed; care; market price. Dairy Products: Babcock test; moisture test; production test; churning. Nature Study: Under this topic are included discussions of elementary phases of the various sciences; the forces of nature as they impress children, whether in the form of a bird, a stone, a weed, or a rainstorm; the observation and study of familiar things of the roadside, and on excursions; correspondence with foreign children, or children of diverse environment in our own country, in order to collect an exchange museum of nature objects; study of birds and insects of economic value to the farm; forests; the identification of trees, characteristics of woods and their uses on the farm; noxious weeds and their destruction. NOTE: As an aid to the study of agriculture, the John R. Kirk Agricultural Laboratory, (made and sold by Henry Heil Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.,) contains apparatus and chemicals for valuable experimental work in laboratory agriculture. A teacher s manual of instructions to accompany this little Laboratory has been prepared by H. H. Laughlin (of the Eugenics Records Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, N. Y.), which explains the use of each piece of apparatus and each chemical in the trying out of some fifty experiments. Home Economics. Cooking: Bread making; study of flour; study of recipes. A complete bread making outfit is provided for use in the school, containing all utensils and materials necessary for the making of bread. General study of foods; meats; veg- 15 (Page 16) etables; cereals; eggs; soups; cakes; salads; beverages. Study and planning of dietaries. Household accounts. Household furnishing. Butter Making: Ripening, churning, coloring, washing, working, salting, packing, and judging. A complete, convenient and sanitary outfit is provided in the School for this work. Laundry: Washing of cotton, flannel, linen, and silk; washing of colored fabrics; washing powders and soaps; removal of spots and stains; rinsing; starching; ironing complete modern laundry outfit in basement of Rural School. Our policy is, Learn to do by doing. Housework: General care of the house: sweeping, dusting, washing floors and windows; care of wood-work and furniture; care of bed and bedding; setting of table; washing dishes; care of lamps; building of fire and care of stove. Industrial Arts. Bench-work in Wood: Sleeve board; ironing board; bread board; serving table; model for gates; plans for chicken coops, farm barns, and farm houses; apparatus for play grounds. Clay modeling. Cardboard construction. Leather work: mending harness; splicing ropes. Photography. Sewing: Darning, patching, and repairing on real articles brought from home. Cutting and fitting of garments. Crocheting. Knitting. Embroidery. Work on the sewing machine. Sewing machine in upper room. Hygiene and General Sanitation. Personal Hygiene: Dental sanitation; mouth breathing; eye strain; food; personal habits; bathing; spitting; harmful drugs; contagious diseases. Sanitation: Location of house; ground plan; water supply; drainage and plumbing; ventilation; lighting; 16 (Page 17) heating. The school has a sanitation and hygiene cabinet containing simple remedies and disinfectants. History and Government. The primary history considers the development of civilization through the primitive stage, the pastoral stage, and into the agricultural stage. The intermediate group continues for one year the study of the agricultural period through pioneer life to the present time; one year is taken up with a study of ancient civilization as found in Egypt, Greece, and Rome; and the third year, a Study is made of medieval history. The advanced grades make a special study of American History and Government. Some of the topics studied are: agriculture and legislation; agriculture and the tariff; taxation and agriculture; food and dairy laws; government aid to agriculture; local government; reforms in rural communities; movements of the farm population. Geography. The geography work is studied along with the history and each is made to emphasize the other as much as possible. In the primary grades geographic regions are studied at the same time that the history of the inhabitants of those regions is studied. Throughout the years of the intermediate and advanced groups the geography of that region is emphasized which is the home of the people studied in history. By this method of combining, the alternation is simplified. Drawing. Chalk modeling of geographic regions; illustrative work in history and literature; drawing of plans for industrial work; nature-study and agricultual subjects; technical control in form, color, perspective, composition, and design. 17 (Page 18) Physical Education. Educative plays and games; corrective work in gymnastics; exercises for recreation; exercises to give ease and grace of movement. Special Gymnasium 12 by 23 feet in basement. Music. In keeping with its other equipment, the school has a modern school organ to assist in securing unity, balance, and pure tone qualities in general chorus work. In introducing music into the school, all the children were taught the elementary technique together. Later it was necessary to divide the school into two groups for technical study. Some rote songs were selected which appealed to all the children, and some songs of activities which interested only the younger group. While it is impossible to do all the work in music in the one-room rural school that is planned for the average city school, yet the ideal to be attained in voice culture, aesthetic appreciation, and technical execution should be identified in the two systems. MARIE TURNER HARVEY, Teacher of Model Rural School JOHN R. KIRK, President State Normal School. 18 (Page 19) MISSOURI TEACHERS SHARING IN NORMAL SCHOOL GARDEN WORK. (Back Cover) NORMAL SCHOOL CHORUS AND MINNEAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, APRIL 13, 1910, AT THE CLOSE OF HOFFMAN'S CANTATA "MELUSINA." "ELIJAH" WAS GIVEN APRIL 14.