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will be required for the purpose of thoroughly vivifying the text, and cultivating the intelligence. Begin by proposing a few questions on the subject of the lesson, that the thing may be conceived as a whole; when this is accomplished, take the first period, or paragraph, if a short one, and " open up and illustrate the meaning of each word in the sentence, and ultimately show the mutual relations of the words, and the connection of the whole passage with the subject generally to which it refers." In conducting the analysis, adhere pretty closely to the course of the text, and have constantly in mind the grade of children under instruction, that you may not outrun the intelligence of the class. Let your steps in building up a clear and complete conception of the lesson be small, and with many recapitulations. In working out the subject of the lesson, you will do well to clear and deepen their existing knowledge in all cases where the text fairly admits it, but with a distinct recollection that you are not to be led away from your subject by associated matter.

Having completed your exposition and analysis of the period, get one or more of the children to tell you the substance of it in their own language, and let this be the test of your success. If they fail in doing this, you have a clear indication that the thought or thoughts are not fully theirs: you must therefore by interrogation ascertain the point where the defect lies, and having worked it out again more fully, apply your test as before. Be determined, let the labour be what it may, never to leave obscurities behind you; one period well and clearly interrogated is of more value than many lessons hastily run through. And this thorough teaching is of the highest importance in this section, as not a few children hardly pass beyond it, and those that do can only in this way be prepared for the kind of teaching employed in the higher section.

When you are satisfied that there is throughout the class an intelligent perception of the meaning of the text, so far as the period or paragraph goes, let so much as you have done, be spelt, taking care that each word is first very accurately syllabified, and that a pause is made between each syllable whilst being spelt. By acquiring the pronounciation of the word before spelling, you ensure the attention whilst you give it out, and should there be any misapprehension on the part of the child, you have an opportunity of

correcting it at once, before time is lost in attempting to spell a mistaken word.

The grammar of this section should be of the simplest kind,—in the lowest part distinguishing in a few words between vowels and consonants, the nature of a diphthong, &c.; in the middle, the nature of a noun and an adjective; and in the upper, the nature of verbs and adverbs, in addition to what has been done before. It will be sufficient that at this stage the children should be able readily to distinguish the parts of speech already named in their simplest forms, without at all entering upon their modifications. Not more than one or two short sentences should be taken up grammatically, as your main effort should be directed to an intelligent comprehension of the subject of the lesson.

R.

Certificates of Merit.

No doubt our readers would feel obliged if we could show them some royal way of gaining Certificates, in which it might be impossible to err, and which should lead to certain success. We happen to know several who would feel as grateful as it is possible for human heart to feel, if such a Bradshaw could be put within their reach; but the fact is, it is not only a guide which is required in gaining Certificates, but a considerable supply of effective power, and some degree of engineering skill as well.

The first requisite for the purpose is a head well stored with knowledge. This all those who are about either next Christmas or at Easter to present themselves for examination, are we hope provided with. But let us earnestly beg our readers to recollect that it is not the extent of their knowledge so much as its depth, which is desired; superficiality, even though combined with tolerable length and breadth, is a bad thing; and it is better to dig deep, to a reasonable degree, in some few spots in the field of knowledge, than to scrape off a thin stratum from a great part of it. A thorough knowledge then of whatever you study, is the main thing; take for your motto here, Non multa, sed multum.

There is another matter which we wish to mention. The Inspectors or Examiners, who supervise the papers in London, will, we suppose, look carefully as to what a Candidate's papers exhibit of his discipline of mind: which is a thing you will perceive quite distinct from the amount of his information. They will have an eye, we suppose, upon the manner in which the Candidate marshalls his thoughts; how he disposes his facts and his arguments; in what way he employs his illustrations; whether his quotations are apt and accurate; and other such evidences of intellectual discipline which a man may want, and yet have his head crammed full of knowledge. We have not space to dwell further upon this point, but we are very strong in our belief as to its importance.

A portrait painter, we know, draws a slight sketch of the face he intends to pourtray before he endeavours to finish any part of it. If he were just to draw the nose, let us say, and finish that off completely before he did anything else, he would find himself miserably out of his reckoning without doubt, before he came to complete the face. If the picture is to be a group of figures, this preliminary sketching of the outlines is of still greater importance. Learn from this a very useful lesson respecting composition in general. Take a slip of paper, of which at your examination you will, of course, have a supply beside you, and before beginning to write your answer, dot down a sort of synopsis or table of contents of what you intend to say. In this synopsis, try to arrange your facts and arguments in the proper way: placing the important ones in a prominent position, and fixing an inferior place for the subordinate ones. This, as Whateley says in recommending the same plan, should serve as a track for you to follow, not as a groove within which you are to confine yourself. If, while writing your answer, you see good reason for enlarging in this point or that, of course you will feel yourself at liberty to do so, but your reason should be good, and not a mere desire to express some striking thought which sometimes occurs in the warmth of composition.

If you do not follow some such strict plan as this, you will have the satisfaction most likely, when you review your answer, of finding that you have said some things which you had better not have said; that some other things important to be noticed you have left untouched, and that if you must mention them you must put them now in the form of an appendix; that you have put this in the wrong place, and that, which should have been prominent, in a corner where it is all but buried; and in short that your picture is a bad one for want of proper arrangement and symmetry. This skeleton or synopsis should be as brief as possible, so as to give you at a glance an idea of your whole composition. Let us append to this a hint on the

danger of being too concise: not only show that you could say more, but if you have room, and it is really to some purpose, say it.

In such papers as those in Arithmetic, Algebra, &c. you will have, in the process of working out the answer, several incidental calculations to go through; these, or the most important of these at all events, we would advise you to put in the margin of your paper, in order that if your result should be wrong the examiners may have an opportunity of ascertaining whether the error arises from ignorance of principle, or from some lapsus in the operations.

In the next place do not be over anxious to take the last questions in the sections. These in most papers are said to tell more; and a sort of magical attraction dwells in them for some candidates. Take the question of course which you feel you can answer best; the glare of those last questions has so dazzled the eyes of some candidates, that they have mistaken their way, and fallen unexpectedly into the fourth class.

If the last question in the first section should be such a one as will take you a long time, and you have reason to think that some of the questions in the lower sections would tell better, it is often advisable to go down to them; and then, if you have time, return to the first section, and take that question in it, which, according to your time and ability, you can manage the best.

Whenever you have an opportunity it would be well to illustrate your text by maps and diagrams. In geography, of course, you will be required to draw maps; and you would be wise to practise yourself in doing this, by way of preparation.

Let your penmanship be plain. Consider the comfort of your examiners. To say the best of it, the examination of a great number of papers is a tiresome task; lighten it as much as you can by letting your writing be legible. Study also neatness in your papers, and such a division of your answers, broadly marked, as will assist the eye, and make the labour of examination less difficult.

The subjects upon which you should lay yourself out most determinedly are, in order of importance :

I. Religious knowledge.

II. School management.

III. English Grammar and Literature.
IV. Arithmetic.

V. Geography.

VI. English History.

There are, as you know well enough, other papers of great importance in which you should endeavour your utmost to do well; but in these you must do well if you would gain a certificate,-at all events, a respectable one.

In concluding these few suggestions we must remind you that many candidates must calculate, after all, upon not succeeding. We wish to damp the enthusiastic expectations of no one; but it is as well, in any case, to be prepared for the worst. There are excellent teachers who could not gain certificates, and some who have high ones who rank low as practical men. Whatever may be the result, the attempt to obtain a certificate is praiseworthy. You cannot but be improved by the examination, if you only get a deeper insight into your own imperfections; for the history of errors, you know, shortens the road to truth.

Notes un Chemistry.

CARBONIC ACID.-SYMBOL CO2. ATOMIC WEIGHT, 22.

HOW PREPARED.-(1) Synthetically, by burning Charcoal in air or Oxygen. (2) Analytically, by removing the Carbonic Acid from substances that contain it, as Carbonate of Lime, in the shape of marble or chalk, The decomposition must be made by some acid, as Muriatic Acid,which has a stronger affinity for the lime than for the Carbonic Acid existing previously in the compound, but now set free. Thus :

Before Decomposition C2O, CO2 + HCl, i,e Carbonate of Lime & Muriatic Acid. CO, HCl + CO, i,e Muriate of Lime &

First Stage

Second Stage

Carbonic Acid.

Ca Cl + HO+CO2 i,e Chloride of Calcium
Water & Carbonic Acid.

PROPERTIES.-Colourless, invisible gas; sharp taste; water dissolves more than its volume; the cause of the sparkling in the effervescing liquids. Exp. Half-fill a bottle of water with the gas and shake it. Exp. Infusion of Litmus poured into a jar of Carbonic Acid is slightly reddened; restored to a flask and heated, recovers its colour. Compare Carbonic Acid Gas with Nitrogen. Carbonic Acid has a greater density than Air. Exp. Pour a jar-full upon a lighted taper. Lime Water mixed with Carbonic Acid becomes milky. Exp. Breathing into the water has the same effect; proving that we expire this gas. Decomposing power of plants upon Carbonic Acid Gas by means of their leaves. The leaves take in the Carbon for themselves, and give back the Oxygen to purify the air. This happens only in the light; at night, the reverse process takes place. The Vegetable world requires the Carbon, the Animal world the

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