work that the development of the regular lesson was greatly hindered.

So great was the need of this class for a keener sense of place relationships that it seemed necessary to devote an entire lesson from time to time to the study of places. An ability to use maps intelligently and to visualize actual locations on the earth was clearly needed. The special lessons on places were centered on a study of those places named in the next chapters in advance in the textbook. One method of study required the rapid scanning of the pages for names of places. Each pupil made out a table. In column 1, he wrote the names of places not previously studied; each name was to be followed by the name of the state or country in which the place was found. In column 2, the fact or relationship for which the place was mentioned was briefly indicated. Each place thus listed was to be found on a map in the textbook or elsewhere. The work for the assigned lesson was to proceed as far in the text as time of preparation permitted. The recitation period was spent in comparing lists, finding places on the wall maps, and relating the places to the topics of physical geography involved.

A single lesson of this kind should cover the ground of several textbook lessons to follow. The time has been used to the direct advantage of the pupils. The rapid scanning of the pages has given a suggestion of the scope of the work treated. In the succeeding lessons, the pupils read the text more rapidly and with keener understanding, and they are better able to visualize the physical geography because of a definite knowledge of the place relationships.

Place names are even more numerous in the study of commercial geography than in physical geography. Unless students are given aid in mastering the vital place relationships of industry and commerce, much of the value of the study has been lost. By constant use of the maps of the textbook, atlas, and wall maps as a part of the daily preparation and recitations, the important and vital place relationships are mastered.

Exercises are needed also to enable pupils to think these places out on the surface of the real earth. Too often, the knowledge of places is limited to their place on the map, without the ability to translate the map into concrete visual images of the real earth. This may be done in connection with the map study by requiring pupils to point in space towards important places and to estimate their distance in miles.

As an occasional review lesson in commercial geography, an exercise may be centered on commercial centers. The teacher may give a list of twenty-five or more places which have occurred thus far in the study. Or, each pupil may be left free to select twenty-five or more places which he thinks important. With these place names in column 1 of a table, column 2 may be filled out by entering as many facts of geographical value as can be found in the textbook or elsewhere. In the recitation, a pupil may be required to select any place from his list, locate it on the globe or wall map, then point toward it in space and state pertinent geographic facts about it. An occasional lesson of this kind tends to develop the "atlas habit" and the ability to translate printed matter into terms of actual earth relationships.

In order to be sure that students make steady progress in ability to know places, it is necessary that the teacher develop his own powers of atlas study and his ability to translate map images into actual earth images. There is no more fruitful field in the teaching of geography than an increase in the power of the teacher to develop in his pupils the ability to see place relationships definitely and concretely as a part of the study of geography. The danger lies in assuming that because the places are named in the text and are shown on the maps, therefore, without direct teaching, the pupils learn the places properly. It is the teacher's province and privilege to devise ways and means of teaching places in their proper relationships, and this opportunity should not be neglected.

However, the teacher who is seeking aid in this field of geography teaching may subscribe to the general schemes set forth in the foregoing, and still ask: "What places are worthy of special attention in geography teaching, and how can these places be brought to the attention of teacher and pupil for definite inspection and study?"

While the writer has had years of experience in teaching geography in the high school, he has been interested chiefly in recent years in the teaching of geography in the normal school and the elementary school. Experiences drawn from the field of elementary school geography, however, are of definite value in all fields of geography higher up. The following discussion of the problems of place geography has a bearing on the geography teaching in any school from the elementary school through the university.

A simple test was used to determine whether pupils had ready for use a knowledge of some of the fundamental facts of place

geography. An outline map of the United States without names was placed in the hands of all students of grades 5-8 of the elementary school; all students of the four-year high school; and all students studying geography in the normal school. They were to indicate the names of the states on the map. The results showed that the pupils had not done as well as the teachers had believed they would do. The pupils wanted another trial. The same test given one week later showed decided improvement. An examination of the situation indicated that in all drill work in place geography on textbook maps or wall maps, pupils were confronted with maps completely labeled. There was no opportunity to test ability to identify places because the excellent maps at hand had already identified every place worth knowing. This led to the development of ten place maps containing the places suitable for use in the elementrary school.1 The places are indicated by numbers and letters. No names appear on the maps. A key accompanies each map so that absolute identification is immediately possible. The series consists of two maps each for United States and Europe and one map each for North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the World. The lists of places have been submitted to many teachers, and they have uniformly agreed that the places indicated should be known to pupils by the time they have completed their study of geography in the elementary school.

An examination of the series of maps shows that all places indicated may be classified under the following six topics: Political divisions, islands, mountains, inland waters, coast features, cities. The total number of places indicated on each map of the series is as follows: United States, two maps, 131, 116; North America, 97; South America, 75; Europe, two maps, 105, 108; Asia, 124; Africa, 102; Australia and Islands, 68; World, 141 This gives a total of 1,067 for the ten maps. The number of duplicate names is 257. This leaves 810 different places indicated on the series of ten maps.

These place maps may be used as mechanically as the multiplication table without any problems for application. Or, they may be made as interesting as simple problems in mental arithmetic dealing with matters of real interest to pupils. If the study stops with identification of number and name, the work is irksome and of little value. If identification is accompanied by interesting and valuable information, the study, in the hands of a skillful teacher, may be made as fascinating as a game, and a valuable exercise in geography.

NOTE-The set of 10 place maps referred to above may be had of MeKnight & McKnight, Normal, Illinois, for 10 cents.

One method of handling a place map' as a class exercise of several lessons consists of a journey throughout the land to visit all places indicated on the map. The pupils, under the direction of the teacher, decide on a line of travel from home which shall carry them to each place indicated on the map and back home. The globe, maps of textbook and wall maps, pictures, reading matter of textbook and other sources are used to obtain geographic facts about each place to be visited. The story of the journey may be written out or given orally. It may be abbreviated or extended as seems best adapted to the interest of the pupils and to the time available. It may be accomplished in successive lessons or by an occasional lesson as the general study of the region proceeds. The results depend directly on the teacher's skill, enthusiasm, and personal interest in the work.

Similar work may be done by high school classes in the study of any phase of geography whether physiography, commercial geography, or regional geography. Under the teacher's guidance, pupils will select a list of places worth visiting.1 The journey can be planned by the class and the study kept within the limits of the course of study as outlined. The journey can then be carried on as a means of making realistic the information derived from textbook and other sources.

In conclusion, let it be said that geography is not being taught unless place relationships are made part and parcel of every topic, and, moreover, place geography is not being taught unless each place is directly associated with its geographic environment.

MODERN TENDENCIES IN THE Use of the PHYSICS LABORATORY.1

BY LESLIE W. LYON,

Soldan High School, St. Louis, Mo.

I was very strongly tempted to call my subject "Brass Tacks," but for the sake of clearness it is perhaps just as well that I did not yield to the temptation. I know that in these meetings I am always very happy when the speakers "get down to brass tacks" instead of making vague generalizations, and if I get to generalizing too much I trust that the Chair will remind me of my good intentions.

I wish to say at the outset that the little I have to present to you might, with just as much propriety, be presented by my

Read before the Physics Section of the Central Association of Science and Mathematics Teachers, at Soldan High School, St. Louis, November 26.

colleagues in the Physics Department of Soldan High School, inasmuch as the work is the result of a fine cooperation.

There are certain tendencies in the laboratory end of Physics teaching, which have been apparent for some time. First, there is the constantly increasing use of commercial forms of apparatus for high school work to take the place of strictly laboratory apparatus. I might mention the commercial screwjack, the block and tackle, both illustrating a tendency to eliminate the nearly frictionless machine from the laboratory and to use in its stead a machine which has an efficiency comparable to machines used in practical work. In this connection we have the substitution of the commercial voltmeter and ammeter for the unnecessarily sensitive galvanometer. The Weston triple range ammeter, for example, with the lowest range 0.1 ampere, is sufficiently sensitive for all high school work and has the very decided advantage of reading in practical units. A commercial gas meter is frequently found in the laboratory, a Bourdon pressure guage, commercial types of water pumps, models of bridges, derricks, and roof trusses, lifting magnets, thermos bottle, circuit breaker, foot-candle meter, and many other devices which might be mentioned.

There has at the same time b en a very marked tendency toward the simplification of apparatus, and the elimination of special set-ups used in one experiment only. Apparatus of a sensitiveness and accuracy far beyond the habits and possibilities of the average user is also fast disappearing. We have long since given up the idea of accurately testing important laws and principles in our high school laboratories. Stock material which is found in every laboratory, such as glass tubing, meter sticks, spring and platform balances, spring wire, resistance wire, rectangular blocks of various material and sizes, standard vessels of various shapes and sizes, porcelain lamp sockets, etc., are being used, together with certain standard rods and clamps, to devise all sorts of experimental apparatus. Apparatus so devised may be very crude in appearance and somewhat inconvenient in construction, but it has the very decided advantage that the pupil is able to see through it and to make his manipulation with intelligence. And this is the big thing in high school work. It is much more important that the pupil see exactly what he is driving at, and exactly how his experiment will help him to "arrive," than it is that he shall obtain a nice tabulation of results with an accuracy of one-half of one per