niture styling, fashions of textiles and clothing, exhibits of balanced meals and nutritious foods, and bulletin board displays of reading, recording, radio, film, and theatrical programs. In the upper grades, students may be trained in the technique of planned and sustained research. After a short period of exploration, each student assumes for himself a problem or topic, plans a systematic study of his theme by means of an outline, gathers data, charts, graphs, news items, etc., collates and organizes the information, and writes a thesis presenting and substantiating his findings. One class is now engaged in writing its own economics textbook. Dissatisfied with the one they are using, these students plan to write a text that is simple to understand, alive with present problems, factual and welldocumented, oriented to the needs and maturity of high school seniors, and designed to stimulate thought and interest in economic problems. Out of three candidates qualified because of superior scholastic and literary ability the class elected one to be editor of the book. He assigned committees of four students to study and write up such major economic problems as raising living standards, controlling prices, producing goods efficiently, distributing the social income, post-war planning, and social and economic security. Tentative outlines of chapters are reported to the class for criticism and suggestions, and subsequently revised. This research is carried on as a supplementary activity to the regular, sequential calendar of lessons. The teacher is under no delusions as to the ultimate usefulness of the completed project as a textbook, but the students are intensely interested in the job at hand. Slow learners may have special difficulties, and need individual attention. If a plan of grouping does not help to individualize the instruction it may be necessary to organize help squads after school. These squads of bright students, under the supervision of a teacher, work with the individual slow students for the mutual benefit of both. The weak enjoy the advantage of tutorial instruction while the strong review the learning experience and develop attitudes of helpfulness and consideration for others. Individual diagnostic tests and procedures might be employed by the teacher at this time to determine the kind and extent of remedial work required for the particular boy or girl. Much of the work will be done outside of the classroom, in the library, at home, in the neighborhood, in the museum, and in public and industrial buildings. Homework in the new program is not assigned piece-meal each day as so many examples or pages. Each student feels responsible for his individual part in a cooperative enterprise. The unit of activity is part of a cooperative enterprise. The unit of activity runs for three or four weeks and is wide enough in scope so as to stimulate individual growth according to one's interest, ability, and aptitude. No arbitrary standard of achievement is required of anyone, but from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs. The wind is tempered to the shorn lamb, but the weak ones are expected to do their share in the joint product. The nature and direction of the activity must be so planned and guided as to develop a social consciousness, and eventuate in the tangibles and concomitants of instruction. WHAT TO DO. In anticipation of this new program, we can prepare ourselves to do an effective job. There is much that we highschool teachers can learn from our colleagues in the elementary schools. An articulation committee might be established in each school to study the program of its feeder schools, and after due consideration, recommend gradual changes in organization, classification, curriculum, pupil accounting, marking, equipment, and materials. A schedule of intervisitation might be drawn up allowing high school teachers to visit neighboring elementary schools and vice Teachers would then report to their groups the results of their observations. Perhaps, individual high schools or subject associations might sponsor in-service courses which elementary school teachers and principals would direct for the purpose of developing a better understanding and appreciation of the activity program. Teachers who would like to study the theory and practice of the activity program might read one or more of the following publications: versa. 1. The Progressive Elementary School-Robert H. Lane-1938 2. The Teacher in the Modern Elementary School-R. H. Lane-1941 3. The Child and His Curriculum-Lee and Lee-1940 4. Curriculum Bulletins of the Board of Education, N.Y.C. a. Changing Concepts and Practices in Elementary Education b. Guiding Principles of Curriculum Development c. The War and the Curriculum d. The Child's Day In School e. Curriculum Development in the Social Studies 5. Method For New Schools-A. Gordon Melvin-1941 There is a pressing need for a re-evaluation of our marking and recording system better to reflect the extent of the growth of our students and to stimulate and inspire them to further accomplishment and creativity. Certificates of specific achievement, for example, might displace the general academic diploma. To respect the individual personality and individualize instruction requires a departure from mass instruction techniques. The "passing of the recitation" is still a theory in the high schools, awaiting administrative and supervisory changes for its practical application. Registers in home rooms and subject classes should be reduced to reasonable sizes. Sources of study and curriculum materials must be modified or enriched by committees of teachers to adapt the school more effectively to the individual child. Libraries of visual aid materials should be started in department storerooms and expanded as rapidly as possible. Teachers should prepare broad units of work having stimulating leads into various activities. Community and school resources might be inventoried and utilized in present programs. For example, the directors of the local settlement house, health center, and library might be invited at different times to address the class or school assembly on the functions of their respective organizations to the community. To give our spiritual and cultural heritage more significance, class work should start with present problems with which children have become familiar through conversation, the radio, the magazine, or the newspaper. A word of caution should be sounded for those who would achieve the new program immediately, for waste and chaos will be the inevitable consequence of haste. The transition should come gradually. Audio-Visual Aids in the Teaching of Pan Americanism FANNIE D. JOHANNES James Monroe High School The following sources of audio-visual aids are divided into two groups: 1) those in the metropolitan area; and 2) those out of town. NOTE: This report was written in connection with the in-service course: OUR PAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORS, given at The Museum of Natural History, by Dr. Irene F. Cypher. Unless otherwise specified, all addresses in the metropolitan area are in New York City. Teachers and librarians will find the following publications useful to have: American Library Association, 520 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. Canada at War, by Elizabeth W. Loosley. Booklist, Mar. 15, 1943. Latin America: books for young readers. Booklist, April 1, 1941. Council for Social Action, 287 Fourth Ave., New York City, sells Perdew, Richard M., ed. Latin America today; a study for junior high Perdew, Richard M., ed. Studying Latin America in the primary grades. Unit suggestions and source materials. Bronxville Public Schools, 1941. Bronxville, N. Y. U. S. Office of Education, Federal Security Agency, Information Exchange on Education and National Defense, Washington, D. C. Packets may be borrowed two at a time. Free mailing labels sent for packages weighing 4 lbs. or less; have to pay postage on heavier packages. Materials are ordered directly from agency or publisher listed in index of packet. Some are free; for others there is a small fee. World Book Encyclopedia, Quarrie Corp., Chicago, Ill. has a good Unit on Canada. Teachers may get further helpful information by consulting the following publications: Educational Index for articles by prominent educators. Educational Film Catalog Monthly Supplements for latest films approved by American educators. Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature for illustrated articles on various Pan American countries, which can be shown in the classroom. Vertical File Service Catalog for latest pamphlet material, maps, charts, and pictures. The above-mentioned publications may be found in the Reference Room of the New York Public Library. The Readers' Guide will be found in most high school libraries. CHARTS Metropolitan Area Argentina Consulate General, Room 528, 9 Rockefeller Plaza, sends a picture chart: Argentina, 32 x 42" and an illustrated booklet: The Argentine Republic. Brazilian Information Bureau, Ministry of Labor, Industry & Commerce, 551 Fifth Ave., maintains an educational information service. Write for available charts. Foreign Policy Association, 22 E. 38th St., sells Headline Book No. 27: Look at Latin America. 25¢. It contains 25 maps and charts with accompanying text by Joan Raushenbush. Government of Puerto Rico, Institute of Tourism, 63 Fifth Ave., provides chart and descriptive pamphlets. (Because of wartime conditions, however, no posters, charts, etc. are available right now). Out of Town Association of Sugar Producers of Puerto Rico, 732 Shoreman Bldg., Washington, D. C., furnishes chart. Latin American News Record, 204 Colorado Bldg., Washington, D. C., sells chart: Our South American Neighbors in Review, by B. F. Crowsen, Jr., 1940. $1.00-34 x 28". Includes literary, political, and diplomatic figures; also educational and commercial statistics. Newspaper Information Service, 1521 M. St., N. W., Washington, D. C., sells colored chart: 17 x 22" Pan American Histograph, by A. C. Wilgus, 25¢. Pan American Union, Division of Intellectual Cooperation, Washington, D. C., lends charts. COINS Metropolitan Area American Express Co., 65 Broadway, loans samples of coins and paper money. Chase National Bank, 46 Cedar St., has a coin collection of the world. Teachers can take students to visit. Make appointment by addressing Asst. Curator, Mr. Vernon L. Brown during school year on school days between 9-4. Also write for illustrated booklet: Moneys of the World. EXHIBITS Metropolitan Area The American Museum of Natural History, 79th St. and Central Park West, loans dioramas and suitcase collections of realia of Latin American countries for a period of two weeks. Materials are transported to and from the schools free of charge. Write to Mr. H. A. Sievers for details. Out of Town Pan American Union, Division of Intellectual Cooperation, Washington, D. C., loans exhibits which include posters, maps, charts, postcards, travel folders, art books, and flags. Also sells for 25¢ each, three sets of illustrations: |