in the group. It is a most liberating pursuit, as it cuts under political, economic, and religious dogmatism. Furthermore, its votaries believe that the point of view of sociology reveals a way out of ancient evils. Professor Ross in the Preface to his Principles of Sociology writes as follows: "Sociologists follow the methods of science, but they are by no means content to seek knowledge for her own sake. They are not ashamed to acknowledge an over-mastering purpose, and that is to better human relations. They confess that they are studying how to lessen the confusion, strife, and mutual destruction among men, and to promote harmony and team work. A quaint idea-but, after watching civilized humanity tear at its vitals for four and a quarter years, one wonders if there may not be something in it!" To the present time the only institution which has received definite recognition in the school curriculum is government; and even this, under the guise of civics, has been studied in a dry and mechanical way. This pedagogical defect has been somewhat corrected by laying more stress on the functions of government; but the subject remains isolated and fragmentary until it is presented together with extra-governmental aspects of social life. Citizenship is only one phase of the socius. Other aspects are revealed through family and neighborhood life, church membership, affiliations with professional and occupational groups, cooperative societies, leisure time or cultural associations, and so on indefinitely. sociology course, inclusive of these groups, A would undertake to show their functions in democratic society, something of their historic development, and finally the privileges and responsibilities of the individual who participates in them. The subject would be fraught with suggestions of stimulating ethical interest, thus giving us one means of restoring to our school curriculum an element of moral training and social discipline, the lack of which is a partial justification of those who refer to our schools as "godless." Such a study would, of course, have to be under the direction of an alert and progressive teacher, who had been trained in sociology in its theoretical and practical aspects. Under these conditions it should become the cornerstone of the modern school curriculum. In this plea for the recognition by the schools of the rest of the community, I have stressed the need of teachers with broad social outlook, and of a curriculum which really helps the pupil to think intelligently about the nature and problems of our society. The limits of this article permit of only generalizations. The detailed and concrete development of these I should think would constitute the most inspiring task of the teacher and school administrator. It is with no desire to ward off possible critics that I recognize the socializing process as being already underway in the Detroitschools, which in many respects have attracted wide attention. So far as Detroit is concerned the conclusion is-may the good work go on. DETROIT TEACHERS COLLEGE EVENING SESSION Detroit Teachers College is preparing to offer during the coming winter an unusually fine selection of courses. These courses are the direct outgrowth of the demands of teachers of the city and are designed, as far as possible, to solve the problems arising in the schools of Detroit. Records show that during the previous evening session over one-half of the teachers of the city were taking courses. An increase over this very large proportion is expected during the coming year. A special effort has been made to introduce courses of general interest to all teachers, elementary, intermediate, and high school Bulletins containing details of the courses may be secured from Teachers College or at the various schools. Selected titles of courses are mentioned in various parts of this issue. The evening session itself begins Monday, October 10, and continues for twenty weeks. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS* IN LAURA B. CARSON N co-operation with the Department of Public Works, a city-wide attempt was made in the Detroit schools this spring to arouse an interest in those civic responsibilities that have to do with cleaner streets, alleys, yards, etc. The purpose of this work was two-fold: first, to teach our pupils to see the significance of the problem of sanitation and cleanliness, and the responsibility of the individual for the maintenance of healthful conditions; second, through the pupils to get those responsible for existing defects to co-operate in doing their part to remedy unsanitary conditions. In preparing to organize the classes for this campaign, the principal explained the plan to the regular civics teacher in schools where there was an 8A grade, to the auditorium teachers in the platoon schools extending through the 6A grade, in other schools to a teacher of the highest grade, 6A, 7A, etc. The plan for the work as carried on by the most advanced class in each school may be summarized as follows: First Day. An investigation was made of desks, school room, school building and grounds. A discussion was then conducted upon conditions which make a neighborhood healthful and attractive, and benefits resulting from an improvement of conditions. Second Day. A demonstration survey of the block nearest the school building was conducted by the teacher and the class. Third Day. Plans were made for the survey of the whole district. A group was Editor's Note: The general plan of this campaign was organized by E. W. McFarland, Detroit Teachers College. *All rights reserved. Laura B. Carson. assigned to each block, charts of the school district were made, and during the last period in the day and after school, a survey of the assigned block was made. Fourth Day. The class discussed the reports of the survey handed in and made plans for securing the remedy of defects. Fifth Day. Aid was solicited from other members of the school in getting unsightly or unsanitary objects removed, and in getting in touch with responsible parties. Second and Third Week. A vigorous. campaign was carried on which ended in the making of a second survey just as the first one was made, except that groups exchanged blocks. This gave a good idea of the results that had been accomplished. The results were checked on the original chart. Investigation of desks, school room, school building and grounds. This investigation helped to awaken an interest in surroundings. The necessity was seen, in some cases, for cleaning up the recess yard, and watching it more carefully in the future. Plans for making the grounds more attractive were suggested, and appreciation was cultivated for the beautiful grounds which already exist around some schools. The pupils are sure to take greater pride in them after such a study. Discussion of civic beauty, health, and fire protection. The discussion of beauty in and around the school naturally led to a discussion of beauty in and around the homes, and in the community as a whole. From this lesson the pupils carried away an idea of what adds to, or detracts from the attractiveness of the house, the grounds, the streets, and the community. From this point the class was easily led into a discussion of health and its relation to carelessness in regard to surroundings. and a discussion of fire risks. The work done by the Department of Public Works, the Health Department, and the Fire Department in their fight for clean, sanitary, and safe conditions was emphasized. By this time the pupils had become interested, and were keenly aware of the vital necessity of securing neighborhood co-operation. They were ready now to make a survey of one block, and to note defects. Demonstration survey of one block by teacher and entire class. The demonstration survey took a recitation period only. Each pupil prepared for the block a graph showing the four streets which bounded the block, the alley or alleys, and the division into the correct number of lots. At the bottom of each graph was put the following key to defects: Key: 1. Waste paper 2. Tin cans 3. Rubbish (old lumber, boxes, etc.) 6. Filth (dead animals) 7. Broken glass and bottles 8. Open manure piles 9. Waste paper and weeds in vacant lots After each pupil had prepared a graph the class proceeded to the designated block. They first passed along the front of the houses, and returned through the alley. The main purpose of this survey was to get common standards on which to base ideas of what constitute good conditions, and what constitute detriments. The teacher had the pupils mark their papers in unison in order that they might get a common training for their survey in individual groups. After returning, a comparison of papers and discussion took place. Plans for survey of whole district. The class next elected a secretary and two pupils skilled in mechanical drawing. It was the duty of the latter (assisted in many cases by the manual-training teacher) to prepare a large chart of the school district by blocks only. The blocks were numbered. The pupils were then divided into groups and each group permitted to choose the block on which it desired to make a report. After the blocks had been assigned, block diagrams were made out by each group similar to the one used in the demonstration survey. The pupils were then asked to make a survey and have their small diagrams marked to hand in the next day. The Department of Public Works supplied a number of clean-up posters. Each pupil was given enough so that he might leave one at each house in his district. These posters asked the co-operation of the community residents and named the different ways of observing the ordinances of the Department of Public Works, and of securing health and beauty of surroundings. After the reports of the block survey were handed in, the secretary and assistants copied the noted defects upon the district chart and compiled a statistical summary of the result for the whole district. If there had been no other results, this survey was undoubtedly worth while because of its effect upon some of the pupils who did the inspecting. After this experience they saw conditions from a different viewpoint. They no longer thought of the alley as a place back out of sight, where rubbish, tin cans, broken glass, etc.. could be carelessly deposited and kept out of sight. Their own alleys will be considered an integral and important part of their premises hereafter, and they will take pride in seeing that everything deposited there is in just as comely and sanitary a condition as the spots which so gratified them while on their survey. Plans for soliciting aid in remedying un satisfactory conditions. satisfactory conditions. Upon the return. of the groups from their survey, a spirited discussion started upon the good and other conditions that had been found, and also upon ways of bettering all conditions. Plans for soliciting the aid of the student body were formulated, and it was decided to interest the other rooms by speeches from pupils of the classes who had already participated. Certain features to be brought out were incorporated in each speech: a contrast of good and bad conditions; the responsibility each pupil should take in regard to his own alley or yard; what they expected to accomplish in the way of cleanliness and health; taxes, etc. The speeches were arranged and two schemes for delivering them were followed out. In the platoon schools as each class came to the auditorium, some members of the participating class brought the message to them. In other schools, during a certain period of the day, talks were arranged for SLOGAN: "Detroit, a Clean City." During the time allotted to speech-making, attractive folders were passed out which helped to draw every member of the school into the spirit of the campaign. Each pupil recipient, in turn, carried enthusiasm into the homes of his district and added greatly to the first neighborhood appeal. It was made clear to each pupil what his own specific responsibilities were, and just how he could try to use his influence in having proper receptacles provided, and in inducing the meat markets, grocery stores, etc., to comply with the regulations. On the front page of the folder appeared this picture which brought its own lesson home to the younger pupils: We need the help of EVERY ONE to make Detroit healthy, attractive and pleasant noticeable, they made a personal appeal which generally secured immediate results. The Department of Public Works gave hearty co-operation in every way possible. During this time much use was made of the bulletin board in many schools. Specific instances of work were posted, as well as photographs, cartoons, and slogans. Slides and films were also utilized, emphasizing conditions before and after a clean-up, and also emphasizing the breeding places and ravages of the fly. Some schools (the Ellis, Russell, etc.) had this additional plan for encouraging results the large chart showing the defects found in the first survey was posted in the civics room and as the defects were remedied during the campaign, the corresponding key numbers were crossed out. On the last day of the campaign, another block survey was made, using the same method as was used in the survey of the first week. New block sheets were prepared. This survey showed what had been accomplished. When the second report was completed, it was compared with the first, and the results were checked on both charts. A pencil of another color was used to cross out the numbers on the original chart that failed to appear on the new block sheets, and the new numbers that appeared were written in. Tangible results. Now comes the question-was the plan worth while? Let us first consider the tangible results. Below are listed the summary results of eight schools selected at random: These results speak for themselves. Was it worth while to have the paper-strewn streets and premises in these eight districts reduced from 4223 to 2277; the loose piles of tin cans, reduced from 1943 to 951; the piles of rubbish reduced from 2296 to 966; the uncovered garbage cans from 868 to 400; the occurrence of broken glass and bottles from 894 to 360; and so on? And in regard to the city as a whole, notice the vast improvement—the waste paper was reduced from 38,208 to 20,636; the loose piles of tin cans from 22,334 to 11,461; the piles of rubbish from 23,707 to 10,385; the uncovered garbage cans from 8203 to 4275; the uncontained ash heaps from 15,172 to 8244; the dead animals from 2291 to 1112; the occurrence of broken glass from 9490 to 4537; the open manure piles from 2408 to 1116; the waste paper and weeds in lots from 8441 to 4527-making a total of 63,965 defects remedied. Intangible results. And now what effects will this campaign have on the thoughts and actions of the participating children? This plan had direct actual contact with the problem of daily life. The text book and material were not make-believe, but every condition was real. It was not a training for future citizenship but a training for the citizenship that children are experiencing now. A problem of this kind should be a powerful factor in cultivating in the child certain social habits and attitudes, because it is a child's problem, all its factors and conditions are known to him, and its solution is of some real concern to him. Table 1-Comparison of District Surveys First Week, With Survey of Third Week. Schools Defect Numbers as per Key Third Week First Week 8 9 1 Columbian Rose Maybee Sampson Bellevue Capron Stephens Thomas Totals 887 601 592 224 502 48 209 46 136 128 235 87 126 7 473 159 181 86 148 11 639 294 319 55 161 51 813 284 3391 92 182 30 191 97 71 67 142 41 471 173 270 73 106 7 613 207 289 184 265 6 4223 1943 2296 868 1632 201 38 10 136 22 158 78 124 17 43 50 62 10 124 14 139 46 33 902 14 21 25 3248 284 229 813 47 36 109 1249 213 87 96 2657 384 186 184. 1895 188 101 185 13 39 13 723 147 55 49 75 43 1 17 9 40 75 17 33 28 89 29 91 926 195 148 40 86 11 84 41 68 24 24 2222 20 15 22 1773 21 8 596 1786 1519 27 |