Part 1 (1/2)
How We are Fed.
by James Franklin Chamberlain.
PREFACE
In the ordinary course of events, most individuals take some part in the manifold industries which engage the mind and the hand of man, by which alone our present-day civilization can be maintained. These great world activities touch the daily life of _every_ member of society, whether child or adult, worker or idler.
A chain of mutual dependence, too often unrecognized, binds together the members of the human family, whether they belong to the same community or dwell on opposite sides of the earth. The links of this chain are made up of the articles which const.i.tute our daily food, our clothing, homes, fuel, light, our means of communication and transportation, and only by continuous cooperation are they kept together.
The highest motive in education is to present the conditions which will lead to the most complete living; to build up the best possible members of society; to develop character. An individual who does not understand the life of which he finds himself a part, cannot be in full sympathy with its conditions and hence cannot be of the most service to himself or to others. Only to the extent that education and life follow the same general course, can each be truly successful. Far too little is done in our schools to acquaint children with their relations to the great industrial and social organization of which they are members. Even grown persons have, as a rule, a very indefinite knowledge of these relations.
It is a recognized principle that our knowledge of geography has its foundation in our knowledge of the home. The natural connecting link between the immediate surroundings and the outside world is the _present daily life of the home_. Through the industries seen in the community, the commodities in general use, and the history of their creation and supply, the pupil acquires an insight into the life about him as well as into that of other parts of the world. He also realizes the great truth that the world and its people are in intimate touch with _him_. In this way he is led back and forth along the routes which civilization has followed in its progress, which it also follows to-day, as mankind clasp hands across oceans and continents. Thus the remote and abstract become immediate and concrete. Facts are seen in a setting of reason, and a logical and interesting basis for the study of physical, climatic, and human conditions is furnished.
This study begins with the commodities in constant use and finally encompa.s.ses the whole world, but always with the home as the base of operations. It will create a knowledge of the interdependence of individuals, communities, and nations, and a genuine respect for the work of the hands and for the worker. The importance of this respect is not likely to be overestimated. Without it a true democracy cannot long exist.
Reading should not only serve for the acquisition and the expression of the thought contained in the printed page; it should, in addition, stimulate to _new_ thought--to independent power in reasoning. On this account questions are inserted which the pupil is left to answer. These are suggestive of a much larger number, which should be worked out by the teacher. Too many of the questions found in books do not ”stimulate thought” or ”independent power in reasoning.” They are purely informatory and not at all formative.
No attempt has been made to treat every article of food. Those in most general use, as well as those which will best serve to develop a knowledge of geographical conditions and of man's relation to man, have been chosen.
A given industry is pursued in somewhat different ways in different places. It has not been thought wise to describe each modification in these pages. For example, the method of handling wheat in California is different from that employed in Minnesota. The value of the work will be increased if the teacher will bring out these points.
_All places mentioned should he definitely located_, both as to position on the map or globe and with reference to the home. When developed from the standpoint of direct, personal interest, a knowledge of the location of places as well as of other facts mentioned is most likely to be retained.
The ill.u.s.trations used have been very carefully selected for their _teaching value_. They give a clearness to mental pictures which can be derived only through observation of that which the ill.u.s.trations symbolize. Much experience in the use of geographical ill.u.s.trations has shown that pupils need to be directed in their examination of them. To secure the best results they must be made the centers of thought-developing questions.
Thanks are due the Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Mills Company of Minneapolis, the Swift Packing Company of Chicago, the Walter Baker Company of Dorchester, the United Fruit Company of New Orleans, and Dr.
Charles U. Shepard of Pinehurst Plantation, for the excellent ill.u.s.trations furnished by them.
JAMES FRANKLIN CHAMBERLAIN.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES, March, 1903.
HOW WE ARE FED
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
Long, long ago people did not live as we do to-day. Their homes were very different from ours, for they were made of the skins of wild animals, of the limbs and bark of trees, or of tall gra.s.ses. There were no stoves, chairs, tables, or beds in their houses. Instead of lamps, gas, or electricity, a fire on the dirt floor or in front of the house, furnished the light.
The clothing of these people was as simple as their homes. It was made of skins and furs in cold countries and in warm countries of braided gra.s.ses and the fibers of certain plants. You may be sure that tailors and dressmakers were not consulted as to the latest styles, for the styles did not change and there were neither tailors nor dressmakers to talk to. Each family made its own clothing, and there was not a sewing machine to be found.
How would you like to use a bone for a needle? Sometimes, instead of sharpened bones, long thorns were used. The sinews of the deer, or of some other animal, usually furnished the thread.
When the people were in need of food, they went into the forest and gathered roots, nuts, and fruits. Wild animals were killed by means of such weapons as bows and arrows and spears, and fish were caught in the lakes and streams.