considered by the voters during the last two hours of time during which the polls are kept open. The people have authority to decrease or increase the amount of the estimate and may direct whether the vote shall be taken by ballot or otherwise. When a majority of the qualified voters have decided upon the amount to be raised by tax the secretary shall certify the same to the township clerk on or before the first Monday of August, together with the amount of all taxes which the board of education is authorized to impose, and said clerk shall report the same to the supervisor of the township. This section also provides for special meetings of the district for the purpose of bonding the district. Section 14 provides that all taxes assessed in the township or township district for school purposes shall be set forth on the assessment roll in a separate column. Section 15 provides that the township treasurer shall at any time, on the written request of the board of education, report to said board the amount of school money in his hands and shall, on the order of the secretary of the board, countersigned by the president, pay to the treasurer of such board any or all of said moneys. The township treasurer shall collect from the treasurers of other townships in which the district may be in part located all school moneys belonging to such school district on or before March first in each year and report the same to the township clerk. Section 16 provides for the annual report of the board of education. Section 17 provides for the adoption of free textbooks. Section 18 provides that all school property within the limits of the township district shall by force of this act become the property of the public schools of the township and all debts and liabilities of the several districts heretofore organized in such township shall become the debts and liabilities of the public schools of the township. Section 19 provides that all money raised or being raised by tax, or accrued or accruing to the school districts of the township shall become the money of the public schools of the township, and no tax levied in said township shall be invalidated or affected by means of this act. Section 20 provides that the compensation of the members of the board other than the secretary and treasurer shall be two dollars for attendance at each regular meeting of the board. The secretary and treasurer shall receive such compensation as the board may determine, not exceeding one hundred dollars for the treasurer and one hundred twenty-five dollars for the secretary per annum. Section 21 provides that the several township officers shall not be eligible to election as members of the township board of education. No member of the board of education shall act as agent for any school books or apparatus, nor shall he perform any labor for the district or furnish any material or supplies for the school district and it is made a misdemeanor for him to do any of these things. Section 22 provides that any person who refuses to accept office as trustee, or who having entered upon the duties of the office refuses to perform them, shall be liable to a fine of not less than ten dollars. Section 23 provides that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall remove from office any trustee who shall have illegally used moncy, or who neglects his duty. Section 24 provides for the division or consolidation of townships. Section 25 provides that when any ten or more qualified voters feel themselves aggrieved by the action of the board of education they may within ninety days appeal to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. After a hearing of the appeal and an investigation the Superintendent shall render his decision which shall be final. It should be understood that the foregoing is only an outline of the law and persons who are contemplating the formation of a township school district should study the text of the entire law as given in the School Laws. BULLETIN No. 6. STATE OF MICHIGAN. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. PREPARED BY PROF. C. S. LARZELERE OF THE CENTRAL STATE NORMAL SCHOOL. SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING HISTORY IN RURAL SCHOOLS. INTRODUCTORY. In the ordinary rural school, three conditions commonly interfere somewhat seriously with the most successful teaching of history. These are: 1. Lack of preparation on the part of the teacher. 2. Lack of aids to the work, such as books, maps, and pictures. 3. Lack of time. The first of these conditions is being improved in the rural schools of Michigan. The proportion of teachers with some professional training in such schools is rapidly increasing and the general standard of teaching is constantly being raised. The second condition is also slowly improving. It is undoubtedly becoming easier for an efficient teacher in the average rural school to obtain the aids needed for the best work. The districts in the state having been relieved largely of the expense of paying their teachers, because of the large increase in the primary school fund in recent years, school boards are more easily persuaded to loosen the purse strings for schoolroom supplies. The third condition is not easily remedied. Much time can be saved by a skillful teacher through combining different classes and in other ways. There are many large one-room schools in our state that ought to be divided into two-room, thus giving each of the two teachers fewer classes with more time for each one. This is a reform much needed. THE TEACHER. It goes without saying that the most important factor in good history teaching is an efficient teacher. The teacher must be prepared for the work and interested in it in order to make it a success. Two kinds of knowledge are needed: 1. Knowledge of the subject matter to be taught. Knowledge of the child to be taught. Teachers may best prepare themselves in the subject matter by at tendance at high schools, normal schools, or other institutions. No one should feel prepared to teach history, even in a rural school, until he has had a good course in United States history, in general European history, and, if possible, in English history in a good high school or school of at least equal rank. The teacher ought also to have received some professional preparation by taking a course in the pedagogy of the subject in a State normal or county training class. However, teachers who have not had such preparation may improve their work very much through reading by themselves. An excellent method is for the teacher to read from day to day some larger book in American history in connection with the work of the class which is being taught. In this way the teacher's knowledge of the subject is broadened and he has something fresh and new with which to supplement the text-book. By reading a different work each year, his historical knowledge is constantly increasing. Reading should also be done in English and European history, if possible, in order to enlarge the historical horizon. As with any other subject, in proportion as a teacher's knowledge of history is increased, his interest in it is stimulated, and his enthusiasm and success in teaching it become correspondingly greater. Many of the books mentioned farther along for school libraries are suitable for the teacher's reading. The following are also good for home reading in American history in connection with the work of the class: McLaughlin-History of the American Nation, Appleton & Co., N. Y. Channing Student's History of the U. S., Macmillan Co., N. Y. $1 40 1 40 1 25 1 25 1 25 Walker-The Making of the Nation, Scribner's Sons, N. Y.... Sloane The French War and the Revolution, Scribner's Sons, 1 25 1 25 1 25 1 25 The Civil War and the Constitution, Scribner's Sons, 1 25 Fiske-Beginnings of New England, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston 2.00 The American Revolution, 2 vols., Houghton, Mifflin & 4 00 The Critical Period of American History, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston 2.00 ... The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, Houghton, 2.00 American Statesmen Series, several vols., Houghton, 1 25 Makers of America Series, several vols., Dodd, Mead & Co., N. Y., Sparks Expansion of the American People, Scott, Foresman & $1 00 1 75 A discount from the above prices can generally be secured. Teachers may gather much historical knowledge in a pleasant and entertaining way by the reading of historical novels. Many a tired teacher would find this sugar-coated method profitable at times when he would not be inclined to hold himself to the reading of more serious history books. Among the many that might be mentioned dealing with American history, the following are good: Cooper-Novels. Churchill-Richard Carvel, Macmillan Co., N. Y. The Crisis, Macmillan Co., N. Y. The Crossing, Macmillan Co., N. Y. Mitchell-Hugh Wynne, Century Co., N. Y. Austen--Standish of Standish, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. Cable-The Cavalier, Scribner's Sons, N. Y. Page Red Rock, Scribner's Sons, N. Y. Parker Seats of the Mighty, Appleton & Co., N. Y. Thompson-Alice of Old Vincennes, Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis. Barr-Remember the Alamo, Dodd, Mead & Co., N. Y. Thackeray-The Virginians. Kingsley-Westward Ho! Hale-Philip Nolan's Friends, Little, Brown & Co., Boston. Fox-The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, Scribner's Sons, N. Y. Many novels dealing with English and European history would also furnish profitable reading for teachers. The writer of this pamphlet would be glad to suggest some upon request. The teacher can likewise do much upon the pedagogical side of the McMurry-Special Method in History, Macmillan Co., N. Y... Clow-History as a School Study, Castle-Pierce Printing Co., Gordy & Twitchell-Pathfinder in American History, Lee & Kemp Outlines of Method in History, Inland Pub. Co., Terre History in the Grades, 1st & 2nd year books of the society for Report of the Committee of Eight of the American Historical $1.50 75 1.00 25 1 20 1.00 50 50 History in the Elementary School, Teachers' College Record, $0.30 These books contain many helpful suggestions and will set the teacher to thinking along right lines. It is suggested that one of them be read each year. The teacher needs not only a good knowledge of the subject matter to be taught, he needs also to understand children so as to be able to give them the kind of history that is suitable and to present it in a manner to interest and benefit them. There are certain phases of history that appeal to children at different ages. A teacher may present the wrong phase of the subject to a class or present the right phase in a wrong manner and the result will be a lack of interest and a failure to secure any great educational benefits. Hence the need of a careful observation of children and a study of the pedagogical side of history. AIDS IN TEACHING HISTORY. 1. The Text-book. A good text-book is needed for the work in the eighth grade but none below that grade. Several good books are now published, any one of which will answer the purpose. 2. Maps and charts. The best text-books contain historical maps which are of use in the preparation of the lesson and should be diligently used. A set of large historical maps or charts for class use is of much benefit. While these are not usually found in the rural schools, they should be there and the interested teacher could doubtless obtain a set in many cases by properly presenting the matter to the board. A modern political map is not sufficient. It contains too many things and is confusing to the pupils. It shows only present conditions and fails to show historical development,-how present conditions came to be as they are. Many rural schools are already lumbered up with useless charts and apparatus and in many schools the teachers fail to make use of the practical aids already there. There is no use in buying historical maps unless they are to be used intelligently. The best sets of large charts illustrating United States history are published by Atkinson, Mentzer & Grover, Chicago, and Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago. The price of each set is $20. A discount is sometimes allowed. Outline maps to be filled in by the pupils are a great help in making historical facts clear and definite. These may be obtained in different sizes and at comparatively small cost from the following firms: McKinley Publishing Co., Philadelphia; Atkinson, Mentzer & Grover, Chicago; D. C. Heath & Co., Chicago; Ginn & Co., Boston. Lists and prices will be furnished upon application to these firms. 3. Pictures. Pictures of the right kind are a great help in getting correct historical ideas and creating interest. The best recent text-books contain good ones. By keeping on the lookout for them, the teacher will find many |