WHERE WE LIVE

A HOME GEOGRAPHY

GENERAL EDITION

by

EMILIE V. JACOBS

Supervising Principal of the Richardson L. Wright School, Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, 1913, 1914CHRISTOPHER SOWER COMPANY124 North Eighteenth Street

CONTENTS

 Page Foreword 5 Introduction 7

 PART ONE I. Our School 11 II. The Streets and Roads 17 III. The Buildings 22 IV. The Town as a Whole 31 V. The People 36 VI. Industries and Occupations 42 VII. Animals and Plants 46 VIII. Transportation and Communication 50 IX. Physiography of the Neighborhood 54 X. Direction 66

 PART TWO I. The Earth as a Whole 73 II. The Seasons 79 III. The Zones 82 IV. North America 93 V. Countries of North America 100 VI. Trips 105

MAPS

 I. The Western Hemisphere 74-75 II. The Eastern Hemisphere 74-75 III. The World 82 IV. Surface Map of North America 96 V. North America 100

FOREWORD

Once upon a time as four blind men sat by the roadside they heard thetramp of an elephant's feet, and said one to another, "Here comes anelephant; now we shall know what he is like. " The first blind man putout his hand and touched the elephant's broad side. The second took holdof a leg. The third grasped a tusk, and the fourth clutched the animal'stail. 

"Now do you know what an elephant looks like?" asked a friend. 

"Yes, " cried the first. "The elephant is broad and flat like a barndoor. "

"What!" exclaimed the second. "The elephant is big and round like thetrunk of a tree. "

"Not so!" cried the third. "The elephant is hard and smooth like apolished stone. "

"What are you all talking about?" cried the fourth. "The elephant isjust like a piece of rope. "

Much so-called teaching of geography leads to just such incomplete andfantastic ideas about geographical concepts. Very many children haveonly vague, incomplete and incorrect conceptions of the things they see. Like these physically and mentally blind men we are too often satisfiedwith mere wordy descriptions of subjects when we might study the subjectat first hand if we would. 

This little book is intended to prevent the giving of information bydescription, but to suggest ways of directing attention to those thingswhich lie within reach of the child's senses, things which he might passby, things which are needed now to stimulate an intelligent interest inhis surroundings, things which are needed later for an appreciation andenjoyment of his study of the larger facts and concepts of geography. Ifthe larger geographical concepts are to have accuracy and richness forthe child he must have his attention directed to his surroundings. Thetrite expression "from the known to the unknown" is good pedagogy, butthere must be a "known" on which to build. 

The book is based upon the author's actual experience in the class-roomstudying the children at their geography tasks. It has been herexperience that the efforts of the teachers to build broad geographicalconcepts were of no avail because the pupils did not have accurateintimate knowledge of the necessary home geography upon which to build. To correct this defect she set about collecting and classifying thenecessary material. With the use of this material she not only foundthat the class teachers had much less difficulty in presenting the studyof the earth as a whole, but that an interest beyond all expectation wasapparent in the children. 

The following pages are valuable more on account of the things theysuggest than for any geographical facts which they incidentally present. The book is not a text-book on geography; it is a compendium ofsuggestion on the study of the subject. It makes little effort topresent facts, but rather it tells how to gather, classify and studyfacts. It is intended to be used with children during the age when theyespecially delight in the making of collections, and is intended to turnto a definite use this childish instinct. 

Map study is based entirely upon the child's experiences as he makesplans of his schoolroom, schoolhouse, streets and city. The suggestionsregarding the study of things foreign to the child are based entirelyupon his experience in the study of the types with which he has becomefamiliar in his study of his surroundings. 

 Milton C. Cooper, Superintendent of District Nine, Philadelphia. 

INTRODUCTION

Geographical knowledge should progress from the known to the unknown, from the familiar to the unfamiliar. The world is the home of mankind. We can best understand the larger world by a preliminary considerationof our own small intimate home. We therefore begin to study geographywith an account of the child's immediate environment. The school standsfor the common home of the class. From the school we gradually widen outour teaching to include the immediate neighborhood with its buildings, and finally the whole town or community. 

We study the various types of people whom we meet every day, and theindustries in which they engage in their efforts to obtain the threemain necessities of human life, --food, clothing and shelter. The animalsand plants sharing the world with man and contributing to his sustenancenext focus our attention. 

The home neighborhood has its physiographical features distinguishing itfrom other places and influencing the life of its inhabitants. The landand water divisions in the immediate environment are studied as types, while those not closely related to our home are reserved forconsideration as each one occurs in its local geographical place in thecourse of study. 

We must know something of direction in order to conveniently locate thestreets, buildings and physiographical features near our home. Finally, we will try to realize the great size of the earth, of which our home isbut a small portion, by a consideration of the relationship of ourcommunity to the rest of the world and to some of this world's greatdiversities. 

As geography is a study of cause and effect, the early lessons should bemainly oral. Later, in order to obtain a broad knowledge of geographicaldata, not one but many books should be read. This little book aims toserve as a bridge between the oral lesson and the descriptive text-book. The presentation of many questions leads the pupil to think out causeand effect, and to connect his present knowledge with the realm of theunknown. Special care has been exercised to present facts only whenfacts are absolutely necessary, and only after allowing the pupil theopportunity to first exercise his own reasoning faculties in obtainingthe information. 

The excursion is an essential part of every geography course, and everyeffort should be made to use this effective means of teaching. 

Four types of valuable exercises may be suggested in the use of thisbook:

1. The pupils may read the questions orally and give the answers orally. 

2. They may read the questions silently, answering them orally. 

3. They may read the questions orally and write the answers. 

4. Finally, they may silently read the questions and write the answers. 

All definitions have been carefully avoided as tending to hamper thefree acquisition of ideas. 

 PART I

 TOPICS

 1. Our School. 2. The Streets and Roads. 3. The Buildings. 4. The Town as a Whole. 5. The People. 6. Industries and Occupations. 7. Animals and Plants. 8. Transportation and Communication 9. Physiography of the Neighborhood 10. Direction. 

 PART II

 1. The Earth as a Whole. 2. The Seasons. 3. The Zones. 4. North America. 5. Countries of North America. 6. Trips. 

PART ONE

[Illustration: THE CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON. ]

WHERE WE LIVE--A HOME GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER I

OUR SCHOOL

1

What is the name of our school?

Where have you seen this name?

[Illustration: A TOWN SCHOOL. ]

Why was this name given to our school?

On what street or road does our school stand?

How long have you been attending this school?

See how much you have noticed as you came here each day. Tell what youcan remember of the different parts of the building which can be seenfrom the street or road. Describe each of these parts:

 Walls Roof Windows Chimneys Doors Fire-escape

2

As you look at the school from the outside what materials do you seethat the builders have used? Where have they needed stone, slate, glass, tin, iron, steel, wood?

Now let us think of the garden and playground. Tell about the differentparts and the materials that have been used in making them. 

What great numbers of workmen were needed before a school like ourscould be built! Who procured the stone and the slate? Whose work wasneeded to obtain the iron, the steel and the tin? Who made the glass?Which workmen shall we thank for the wood?

Can you think how the bare lot looked before the school was built? Manymen with shovels and pick-axes dug out the foundation, and numbers ofhorses and wagons were needed to carry out the earth. Then came thebuilders. How were so many materials brought here?

3

1. We will go outdoors together and look at the school building. 

2. We will stand north of the school, south, east and west of it. Noticethe position of the parts, their number, shape, size and color. 

3. As we stand at each side, see whether there are any parts which younever noticed before or any parts which we forgot to mention yesterday. 

4

[Illustration]

Look at this drawing of a school building and grounds. It is called aplan. Before any school or church or home is built a plan must be drawn. This is to show the workmen what to do. See how much of the ground isused for the building. Find the garden. What are in the garden? Which islarger, the garden or the playground? What shape is the playground? Howmany doors are there to the building? In how many ways can you get intothe playground?

Try to draw a plan of your school building and yard, showing the gates, the flagpole, the drinking fountain or pump, and any other parts youthink of. Show which door you use most. 

 _Note to the Teacher. _--The pupils should draw the plan upon paper while the teacher draws it upon the blackboard. Infinite care should be exercised to invest every line with its full meaning. Upon the proper interpretation of this first plan will depend much of the pupil's future ability to correctly read a map as the representation of a reality. 

5

THE INSIDE OF THE SCHOOL

As you walk from the school door to your room what do you see? Tell allthat you have noticed in the corridors, on the staircases, in thecloak-rooms and the class-rooms. 

6

We will go on a little excursion through the school today, walking alongall of the corridors and upon all of the staircases. Look especially tosee anything that you never saw before, and notice anything that youforgot to mention in yesterday's description. 

7

Answer the following questions:

1. How many stories high is our school?

2. How many class-rooms are on each floor?

3. How many other rooms are on each floor?

4. How many staircases does our school have?

5. What materials have been used in building the staircases?

6. What can be seen in the corridor nearest your room?

7. By how many doorways can the children leave the building?

8. How is your school heated and ventilated?

8

Describe everything that you can see in your class-room. 

9

[Illustration: PLAN OF SCHOOL ROOM]

Look at this plan of a school-room. See if you can draw a plan of _your_school-room. 

10

Make a list of all the materials that have been used in building theinside of your school. Remember all of the following parts:

 Floors Windows Corridor furnishings Ceilings Doors Class-room furnishings Walls Staircases

Now write a list of the kinds of workmen who gathered together thesematerials. Name as many of the kinds of workmen as you can think of whowere engaged on the inside work of the building. 

11

Write a letter to anyone whom you know who has never seen our school. Tell all about our building and the good workmen by whom it was plannedand built. 

CHAPTER II

THE STREETS AND ROADS

1

On what street or road does your school stand?

On what street or road do you live?

What streets or roads do you pass on your way home?

What do you think is the finest street or road that you have ever seenanywhere? What makes that so good a street or road?

Name a poor street or road. What could be done to improve it?

2

Why do cities and towns have streets and roads? Where are there nostreets?

Look at the country picture shown on page 19. How pretty it is! Whenwould it be pleasant to walk there? When would it not be so pleasant?Why? What must be done to a road to make it into a good street? Tellwhat you can of the different ways of paving, lighting and drainingstreets and roads, and of the different kinds of name-signs you haveseen. 

Now what can be done to make a street or road beautiful and pleasant inwarm weather?

How can boys and girls help to keep the streets and roads pleasant?

Here is a plan of some of the streets in a large city. 

[Illustration: PLAN OF CITY STREETS. ]

3

Draw the shape of the school lot. Now show the street or road that theschool stands upon. If you live in a town, draw the streets next to theschool. Then draw the next streets, and keep on until you have drawn thestreet on which your home stands. Place a little cross to show yourhome. With your pencil start from your house and make a dotted line toshow how you come to school. 

4

On your plan of the neighborhood place a circle to show the grocerystore or bakery that you pass on your way to school. Make a large dot toshow the nearest store to school, and with a dotted line explain how youwould go there from school if your teacher sent you to buy ink. Make acircle with a cross in it to show where there is a church, a bank, afactory, or any other important building near your school. If there is arailroad near, show it upon your plan. 

[Illustration: A COUNTRY HOME. ]

5

Many streets and lanes have names of trees. Some have been named aftergreat and good men. There are some streets with only numbers for names. Do you know of any streets having names of these different kinds? Canyou think of any street or road that received its name for some otherreason?

Get as many pictures as you can of the streets of your town or any othertown and paste them in your note-book. Get some pictures of countryroads and paste them also in your note-book. 

[Illustration: A CITY STREET. (Copyright, 1911, William H. Rau, Philadelphia. )]

6

In some towns the streets are nearly straight and cross each other likethe wires of a window-screen. In other towns the streets run off fromthe centre of the town like the spokes of a wheel. Some streets androads are very crooked. 

How are the streets in our town arranged? Name some of our best businessstreets. Which streets have the finest homes in which people live? Namesome streets or roads with trolley lines upon them. Are our streetspaved?

7

Perhaps you live in the country where there are very few streets or noneat all. How different is your walk to school each day from that of thecity boy or girl! In town, children walk on paved streets and pass manybuildings. What kind of roads do the country children walk upon? Whatbuildings do they pass? A country school. 

[Illustration: A MODERN COUNTRY SCHOOL. ]

Do you take a pleasant road between broad fields? Do you walk throughthe cool shady woods? Perhaps you run over a bridge with the clear brooksparkling and babbling beneath. What else do you see or hear in thecountry which city folks do not know in their built up towns?

CHAPTER III

THE BUILDINGS

1

What kinds of buildings do you pass on your way to school? Write a listof all the kinds that you have ever seen. 

Look at the pictures of buildings in this book and see if you know forwhat each is used. How can you tell?

2

Of all the many kinds of buildings in town or country, the _houses_ arethe most important. It is more necessary to have good homes to live inthan to have the other buildings large or beautiful. What makes a goodresidence? There must be enough room for the whole family. It needsplenty of light, air, sunshine and water. It must have a good roof tokeep it dry in stormy weather. It should be well heated in the coldwinter. Tell of other things that are needed in our homes to keep thefamily healthy and happy. How can you help to make your home pleasant?

3

Good _schools_, too, are very necessary. The school-house must be builtto keep the boys and girls comfortable and healthy while at work. Namesome of the things needed for a good school building. 

[Illustration: A STREET SCENE IN NEW YORK. ]

4

The libraries and museums also teach people. A _library_ is like a homewhere many friendly teachers live. These friends will talk to you andtell you many useful and wonderful things. Have you ever visited them atthe library? Have you ever taken any of them home with you? Is there alibrary near our school?

The _museums_ are full of many interesting objects. You may seebeautiful pictures and statuary. Some have collections of pretty stonesand of stuffed animals. Curious clothing, jewelry, toys and musicalinstruments used by people in distant lands are shown too. In a museumin Portland you may see the dear little clothing worn by the poetLongfellow when he was a tiny baby. Many books that Washington read arekept in a museum near the city of Washington. Have you ever visited amuseum in a city? What did you see there?

5

No buildings anywhere are more beautiful than the _churches_. Are thereany churches in your neighborhood? Describe the church which you attend. 

6

In town and country there are many ill people who cannot be cared for athome. They go to _hospitals_ to be nursed back to health and strength. The good doctors and nurses work day and night to cure the sick people. How can well people help sick people? Where is the nearest hospital toyour home? What is it named?

[Illustration: INDEPENDENCE HALL. ]

7

Almost every town has a _Town Hall_. Have you ever seen such a building?What is it used for? Here the mayor has his office. Sometimes the TownHall or Court House has a high tower, or a fine dome, or a cupola. Ifyou have ever seen a Town Hall tell how it looked. 

8

Think of the _stores_ that you have seen. How many kinds can you name?What does each sell principally? Where are these things made? Have youever seen a large _factory_? What does it manufacture?

[Illustration: PITTSBURGH OBSERVATORY. ]

It would be fine if all of the buildings in which folks work were sunny, airy and clean. People employed in comfortable stores and factories arehappy and feel like working. 

Alas! there are many miserable places where the workmen are crowded anduncomfortable. The impure air makes them tired and ill. If you have seena good store or factory tell what helps to keep the workers comfortableand healthy. 

9

Old cities have in them many very old buildings that all Americans love. The magnificent Capitol at Washington was built long ago. It is one ofthe finest buildings in the world. It is built of white marble. In thefirst picture in this book notice the beautiful dome and the great highstairs. In Philadelphia is the dear old Independence Hall with theLiberty Bell. Boston has the old Faneuil Hall. Here many great Americansof long ago have spoken to the people. Are there any old historicbuildings in our neighborhood?

[Illustration: LONGFELLOW'S BIRTHPLACE, PORTLAND, MAINE. ]

10

Suppose some friends travel on the railroad to visit us. At whatrailroad station would the train arrive? Are there any other stations?How are they built? Do you think they give a beautiful, clean, friendlywelcome to strangers? All stations should be pleasant and comfortable tocheer the tired travelers that pass through them day and night. AtDenver, just outside of the station, there is a great arch stretchingacross the street. It says, "Welcome, " in bright letters at night and inpretty letters in the day. The visitor is glad to see the friendly wordafter a long trip. 

[Illustration: OLD SOUTH CHURCH, BOSTON. ]

11

When friends come from another town we like to show them the sights. Plan a nice trip around the town. Write a list of places to which youwould take them. You must know where each place is. What could you tellabout each place?

12

One day we should visit some park. Is there any near our school? Arethere any interesting buildings or statuary in the park? Is there anywater near by?

When we visit our town park we should remember that it belongs to us, for a public park belongs to all of the people. Do you not like to havethe things that belong to you as good, as useful and as beautiful aspossible? Do you want your home to look sweet and clean and comfortable, or dirty, careless and unpleasant? Do you want your clothing to bestrong, neat and pretty, or torn and dirty? We should all take pride inhaving the things we own just as good as possible. When you are in thestreet, the school, any public building, or in a park, say to yourself, "This is mine. " Then look around and see whether you like the way itlooks. Think how you can help to keep it looking well or make it lookeven better. 

[Illustration: WINTER SCENE IN FAIRMOUNT PARK. ]

How can boys and girls help keep the grass, the paths, the flower-beds, the trees and the buildings beautiful? Where does the money come from topay the caretakers of the park?

Some people visit the park only in spring, summer or autumn. We all lovethe park in those seasons. Many do not know how beautiful the bare treeslook in winter with their gray or brown branches. There is no moreexquisite sight in the world than to see these trees coated withglistening ice out to the tiniest twig, or to see them ridged withpearly white snow. It is a merry sight to see the jolly coasters andskaters. 

13

Copy the list of buildings given below and mark each kind that you haveseen. Tell where you saw it, of what it was built, or for what it wasused. 

 Residence School Museum Store Church Car-barn Bank Hospital Library Factory Railroad station Office Stable Government building Garage Dairy Barn Ice House

What building is shown on the cover of this book?

CHAPTER IV

THE TOWN AS A WHOLE

1

Think of the times when you have walked or ridden about our town. 

What rivers did you see?

[Illustration: CAPITOL AT HARRISBURG. ]

Which buildings did you think were very beautiful?

What was each used for?

What buildings have we that are very helpful to the people?

What interesting places have you visited in your neighborhood?

What other places would you like to visit?

2

PREPARATION FOR A TRIP TO SOME HILLTOP, OBSERVATORY, TOWER ORROOF-GARDEN FROM WHICH AN EXTENSIVE VIEW CAN BE HAD

What place shall we visit? Why? Draw a plan to include the school andthe place to be visited. 

How far must we go? Shall we ride or walk? In what direction shall wego?

When we are up high we can look over the whole neighborhood. First, tryto find our school. In what direction shall we need to face? Then let usnotice what lies between us and our school. See if you can find any parkor large building which you know. Try to find the street or road uponwhich your home stands. Then look beyond our school for any otherfamiliar building or park, and look for your home if you did not see itbefore. Notice how far the town stretches and try to see what cuts itoff or bounds it. 

Next we shall turn and look in the opposite direction. What directionwill that be? Find any familiar places. How can you know which arehomes, schools, churches or factories? See how far the town extends andwhat cuts off or bounds it on this side. 

In what other directions shall we look? Again we shall notice thefamiliar and unfamiliar places and the town boundaries. 

3

THE TRIP

4

Was the neighborhood view like you expected? What surprised you? Whatdid we see most of? Make a list of all the places you remember seeing. Think of each view separately; north, south, east and west. Tell ofanything you saw as you looked in each direction. Why could we see somuch? How could we see even farther?

5

Do we live in a large city, a small town or in the country? What is thename of our town or the nearest town? Who first settled in the placewhich has grown to be a town? It is hard for us to believe that twohundred and fifty years ago there were no houses, churches, schools, streets or roads where we now live. All this land was wild country, mostly woods. The early settlers were strong and brave men. They had tocut down the forests and build their first homes of rough logs. Thenthey planted fields with corn, wheat and vegetables. They killed thewild animals for food, using the skins for clothing. As soon aspossible the settlers tried to build a small plain church and aschool-house. 

[Illustration: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. From a "Thistle" Print. (Copyright, Detroit Publishing Co. )]

[Illustration: COLUMBUS'S SHIP. ]

Now we have our fine towns which have grown from the early work of thesefirst sturdy settlers. All of the people should love our dear home townand try to make it beautiful, healthful and comfortable. We should loveour neighbors and treat them all like brothers and sisters. If we aretrue to our village or our dear town we will be kind and fair to all, rich and poor, Americans and foreigners, white and colored people. Thatis one way of showing our thankfulness for our comfortable homes. 

CHAPTER V

THE PEOPLE

1

Think of the many buildings which you see as you look over thelandscape. There are people living in nearly all of those houses. Justthink of the many, many people who live here. How many are there? Howmany schools have we in the town? How many people go to your school?

Most of these people look much alike, but some are very different inappearance. Name some of the different kinds of people whom you haveseen. How do you distinguish a negro and Chinaman or Mongolian from awhite person or Caucasian? Tell about their hair, skin or any otherpeculiar features. 

Each kind of people is called a race. The pictures show some of theraces we often see--Caucasian, Mongolian and negro. The Chinese andJapanese are called Mongolians. 

2

THE INDIANS

The Indians lived at this place which is now our home long before therewere any white people here or any towns at all. Where these manybuildings now stand there was wild country, fields and woods. Under thetrees stood the Indian wigwams made of skins and branches. The earlysettlers came to this country from far across the ocean. After WilliamPenn landed with his companions he began at once to make friends withthe Indians. As the red men were living upon the land, Penn thought thatit was only fair and honest to buy from them the land that the Englishpeople wanted for their homes. The Indians could not use money, so hegave them blankets and other presents which pleased them very much. TheIndians promised William Penn to live in peace with the white men andthey kept their promise for many years. 

[Illustration: AN INDIAN FAMILY. ]

Most of the white people who came in those early days to other parts ofour land did not act in this noble way. When they wanted land on whichto build their homes they drove the Indians away, killing many of them. Thus these unjustly treated Indians became the enemies of the white men, and often treated them very cruelly in return. Let us remember that theIndians were the first owners of this land of ours and that they shouldbe treated as William Penn showed us, with kindness and justice. 

[Illustration: INDIAN CHIEF. ]

Those wild Indians of long ago had many noble traits. They were strongand brave and fearless. 

 Read in some of your school books about Indians and their homes. 

3

THE NEGROES

There were no negroes in this country till many years after Columbus andthe other white men began to settle here. Some white men went far acrossthe sea to Africa. They stole the negroes away from their homes, carriedthem to their ships and sailed back to this country. Then these whitemen sold the negroes to other men for money. The poor colored men had towork terribly hard as slaves and received no pay for their work. At lastthey were freed by Abraham Lincoln and others who helped him. 

[Illustration: NEGRO. ]

The negroes have much that is fine in their character. Even when theywere slaves they often grew to love their masters so dearly that theywould do anything in the world, even give up their lives, for theirmasters. We should always remember that God made the negro as well asthe white man. Fair-minded people will try to be honest, kind and justto everyone. 

4

THE CHINESE

[Illustration: CHINESE MANDARIN AND SERVANT. ]

Many Chinamen have come to our country from their distant homes inChina. Their country is so crowded, and it is so hard to earn a livingthere, that most of the people are very poor. 

The Chinese living in our country are peaceful and quiet. They work veryhard in their laundries and other places of business; yet there are manywhite people so cruel and thoughtless as to ridicule a Chinaman wheneverthey see one. These white people should remember that God made theChinaman and that he is a stranger here in our country. Is it not evenworse to ill-treat a stranger than one who is at home? The color of ourskin and hair is not very important. It matters far more whether we arehonest, loving, industrious and fair-minded. 

Not all of the white people living around us were born in this country. Where did your parents and grandparents live when they were children?Do you know any people who came from distant lands? Where were theirfirst homes? Find out how many of the parents of your schoolmates came along journey over the water to reach our land. 

Yes, we have people from many foreign countries. Some are English, Irish, Scotch or French. Then there are the Germans, Italians, Russiansand others. From what country did each of these people come?

Here they are all living together, people from all over the great wideworld. Our homes stand side by side. We work and play together. Truly weare brothers and sisters, for we are all children in the great humanfamily. It matters not from what distant land our people may have come, we should all be bound together like one family by human love andkindness. 

CHAPTER VI

INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS

1

Which members of your family work? Why do they work? For what is themoney they earn spent? Think which of these things are absolutelynecessary to keep us alive. 

We all need _food_. 

We all need _clothing_. 

We all need _homes or shelter_. 

Without these provisions we should die. 

How do we get our food, our clothing and our homes? How did people getthem when there were no stores and no money? Do you know of any peoplewho were compelled to get things in this way?

 In a school reader, read about how primitive people lived. 

2

THE SOIL

We have two kinds of food, vegetable food, which grows from the ground, and animal food. Name some foods of each kind. All plants grow out ofthe earth or soil. The soil is necessary to produce our animal foodalso. The meat we eat comes from sheep, cows, chickens and otheranimals. These animals all live on vegetable food. Without good soilthere would be no grass nor hay. No grass would mean no food for cowsand sheep. So we see that all of our food really comes from the soil. 

Our clothing, too, is dependent upon the soil. The cotton plant grows upout of the ground. The wool comes from the sheep, which eats grass whichgrows from the ground. 

Even our homes could not be built without products from the earth orsoil. Think how much wood is used in the construction of a house. Thetrees which grow in the soil give us all the wood. Much iron, steel, copper, brass and nickel are used in our homes. Stones and bricks formpart of many houses. All of these things come out of the earth. What awonderful thing is the soil! Out of it come our food, our clothing andour shelter!

 In one of your books read the wonderful story of how we obtain a loaf of bread. 

3

Write a list of all the kinds of work you can think of which people do. 

Copy this list of industries and place a cross beside the ones at whichany persons you know work:

 Mining Printing and bookmaking Weaving Iron and steel work Shipbuilding Glass-blowing Lumbering Pottery making Brickmaking Meat packing Farming Dairying Manufacturing foods Manufacturing clothing Ice cutting Manufacturing furniture

Which are town industries? Which are country industries?

4

Would you like to go to-morrow to visit a factory in which some food orclothing is manufactured? Look at the map of the town. Find your school. Find the factory. How far must we go and in what direction? What is thename of the place we will visit? Notice all of the things made there. Try to remember all of the materials needed at the factory, and find outwhere these materials come from. Try to remember just how the articlesare made. Find out what will be done with the things that aremanufactured. Notice the number and kinds of machines used. See how manyworkmen are employed. 

5

AFTER THE TRIP

Write a letter to a friend in another class telling all about yourvisit. Mention these points:

1. Where you went. 

2. What was made. 

3. How it was made. 

4. The materials used. 

5. The machinery. 

6. The workmen. 

7. The usefulness of the factory. 

8. The care and skill of the workmen. 

9. Anything else interesting about the trip. 

6

Every town and every village is a workshop. There are many workmen herethat do good, careful work. Some of the goods of our town may be sentthousands of miles away to other people who need them. The countrypeople, too, do much useful work. Name some of the things which ourworkmen do for other people living at a distance from us. 

 Read about the manufacture of the articles which you saw being made at the factory. 

7

There are many workers in the world who do not make things with theirhands. Most of their work is done with their minds, though, of course, their hands help too. Name some of these. What kind of work does each ofthe following do?

 Teacher Lawyer Minister Doctor Author Banker

CHAPTER VII

ANIMALS AND PLANTS

1

There are many other living creatures in the world besides people. Writea list of all the kinds of animals that you have ever seen. 

[Illustration: AMERICAN BUFFALO. ]

Some of these animals live near the homes of men. They are tame. Mentake care of them and see that they get food. Many of these animals arevery useful to us. Write a list of these tame animals. At the top of thelist write _Domestic Animals_. Of what use is each of the followinganimals when alive? Which are useful after they are killed? Of what useto man is each one?

 Horse Pig Chicken Cow Dog Duck Sheep Cat Pigeon. 

 Read about how our meat is supplied to us. 

2

Write a list of all the _wild animals_ you remember ever having seen. Where did you see them? How were they prevented from harming people?Where was the natural home of these animals? How did they get theirfood? How do they now get their food?

[Illustration: RACCOON. ]

Some of these animals so closely resemble the domestic animals that theyare said to belong to the same family. Read the names of the animalsbelonging to the same family and tell in what way they resemble eachother. Tell which are domestic and which are wild. 

THE CAT FAMILY

 Cat Lion Tiger Leopard

[Illustration: TIGER. ]

THE DOG FAMILY

 Dog Fox Wolf

THE HORSE FAMILY

 Horse Zebra

THE COW FAMILY

 Cow Buffalo

Describe some of these wild animals:

 Elephant Fox Squirrel Wolf Bear Deer

There are also many fish, birds and insects. 

Paste in your notebook any pictures of animals. 

3

Take a trip to the Zoological Gardens and see these animals. 

[Illustration: LEOPARD. ]

4

Which domestic or wild animals are useful to us in obtaining food, clothing and shelter?

5

PLANTS

We cannot live without food, clothing and shelter. Let us see how plantshelp us to obtain these three great necessities. 

Write a list of all the plants that you can name. 

Draw a line under each that is useful for _food_. 

Draw two lines under each that is useful for _clothing_. 

Draw three lines under each that is useful in making or furnishing our_homes or shelter_. 

[Illustration: ELK. ]

Of what use are the plants that are not underlined? Are they beautiful?How dull the world would be without flowers!

We have:

1. Food plants. 

2. Clothing plants. 

3. Shelter plants. 

4. Ornamental plants. 

CHAPTER VIII

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION

1

Think of the foods that you had on your dinner table yesterday. Wheredid each come from? How did it get here? Was there anything which camefrom our own neighborhood, and which did not have to take a long journeyeither to the factory where it was manufactured or to the store where itwas sold?

Examine the clothing you are wearing. Of what material is each articlemade? Where did the materials come from? Where were they manufactured?Which had to come a long journey before it reached your home?

Look around the school-room and name the materials which had to travel along distance before we could have them for our use. 

Imagine trying to get our food, our clothing and our shelter materialsright near our school. How much could we be sure of having?

2

Perhaps you have seen products being brought into the city. You may haveseen the milk trains unloading their many shining cans. Surely you haveseen the freight cars with their signs painted on the outside tellingthat they are refrigerator cars, or coal cars, or other kinds of cars. What do they carry?

Most of the things we need are brought here on trains. Where is there inour neighborhood a freight railroad station? Is it near our school?

Some products are taken from the country to the town in wagons. You haveseen the big hay wagons which go a long way from some farm to take foodfor the city horses. 

[Illustration: CHINESE TRANSPORTATION. ]

How else are products carried? Coffee, rubber, pepper, chocolate andmuch silk are brought here from distant lands in ships. If you go to theharbor of a large city you can see hundreds of busy men unloading thebig steamers. 

3

Ships and railroads carry not only foods but people too. There are manyways of carrying people and products. These are some of the ways:

1. On the backs of animals, as horses, camels, elephants. 

2. In wheelbarrows. 

3. In wagons. 

4. In automobiles. 

5. In trolley cars. 

6. In railroad trains. 

7. On boats, or ships. 

8. In sleighs. 

9. On bicycles. 

10. In airships. 

[Illustration: TRANSPORTATION IN ARABIA. ]

In which of these ways have you traveled? Can you tell what power isused in each case?

In order to travel safely and quickly we need more than something inwhich to carry the people and products. We must have good wagon roads, well built railroads, tunnels through the mountains, and bridges overthe rivers. Lighthouses are necessary to warn the vessels of the rocksat night or in the storms. 

4

When people need things from a distance they cannot always go all theway to the place and bring back the products or articles. It is quickerand easier to send messages asking for what is needed. How would yourmother send an order to the butcher for meat if she did not wish to gofor it? How could a farmer send a message to the city ordering new milkcans and strawberry boxes? How do messages come to your house?

In olden days the persons had to carry all of their messages forthemselves or send them by other persons. The messenger would often runfor miles without resting so as to deliver the letters as soon aspossible. At last the people decided to give all of their letters to apostman who would ride on horseback from place to place with the mail. Stagecoaches were next used. It took a week for a coach to go as far asa train can go now in a few hours. Our mail is now carried from oneplace to another by trains or vessels, and then the letter carriersdeliver it at our city houses or to our town post office or ruralmail-box. 

The quickest way to send a message is by cable, telegraph, telephone orwireless message. Over the electric wires or through the air the wordsare flashed for miles in a few minutes. 

CHAPTER IX

FAMILIAR SURFACE FEATURES

 1. Hill and plain. 3. River 2. Mountain and valley. 4. Ocean 5. Island and peninsula. 

 _Note to the Teacher. _--Consider at this time only such familiar features as belong to the children's immediate environment in or very near their neighborhood. Defer the study of the other land and water forms until later, as suggested in the Introduction. For further details of these features, see Chapters I and IV in Part II. 

1

HILL AND PLAIN

Some streets and roads are flat and level. Others slope like _hills_. Can you name a street which is level, and one that slants or slopes?Which road is easier to walk on? Why? Do you prefer the level or thesloping street when roller-skating? Why? Which is the best when you arecoasting?

You may have noticed that some of the fields in the park or in thecountry are nearly flat. Other fields lie on slopes or hills. We callthe flat part of the land a _plain_, whether it is in the city or in thecountry. The sloping part of the land forms a hill. Have we mostly hillsor plains in the streets of our city?

2

Some plains and some hills are covered with trees. If you were in thewoods, surrounded by trees, how would you know whether you were on aplain or on a hill?

[Illustration: HILLS AND VALLEYS. ]

Some hills look very different from others. Some slope very gradually, while some are very steep. Some hills have city streets on them. Othershave great fields of grass for cows to graze upon. Still others areplanted with corn, wheat, rye or vegetables. There are wooded hillscovered with trees. How do we know that all of these very differentforms are hills?

In the same way plains vary greatly. While some have been made into citystreets, others are large, flat, grassy fields, with streams sometimesflowing through them. Some plains are covered with forests. Others areplanted with grain and vegetables. How can you know when you see a plainif there are so many different kinds?

3

Look through the pictures in this book and decide which show hills andwhich show plains. Which is easier for a farmer to plow, a hill or aplain? Why?

If you were sent upon an errand, would you choose to go by way of ahilly road or by a level one? Which is the pleasantest place for asummer home, upon a hill or upon a plain?

How must a driver help his horses when they are pulling a heavy load upor down a hill?

4

MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS

Some hills are so very, very high that they have been called_mountains_. What are our neighboring mountains named? Have you everbeen to the top of one of these mountains? Describe the beautiful viewfrom the summit. Did you see any wild creatures along the way? Tellabout any trees and other plants that you noticed. 

When people build homes in mountain regions they generally place them inthe low land between the high mountains. Why? This lower land is calleda _valley_. The people in the valley town can often look beyond thefields and see the mountains rising high and steep beyond. Somemountains are covered with trees. At places you may see great bare, rough rocks on the mountain side. The scenery is very beautiful. Thereare often streams and broad rivers down in the valley. 

[Illustration: THE UPPER DELAWARE. ]

Many lumbermen work on the mountains. Why do they cut down the trees?The mountains give the miners work too. The men go far into the mines tobring out the useful minerals. Are there any mines in the mountainsnear our home? What do the miners take from these mines?

[Illustration: AN OCEAN STEAMSHIP. (Copyright, 1911, William H. Rau, Philadelphia. )]

5

RIVERS

What _river_ flows near our home? Have you ever seen it? Where were youwhen you saw it? How did it look? What did you notice along its banks?What was on the river? Was there any way of crossing over to theopposite bank?

Did you see where the boats land? Men have built many wharves on thebanks of the rivers. If you stand on the wharf, you may see greatferry-boats crowded with people. Back and forth these boats go, carryingthe people from one side of the river to the other. 

Sometimes great steamers come up the river. They have carried people, food and clothing on a long journey. Some boats are loaded with coal orlumber. There are many pretty sailboats and rowboats too. In some youwill see fishermen. They bring the fish back for the city people to eat. 

Before the city was built there was beautiful country all along thebanks. If you travel up the river, leaving the city far behind, you willsee some fine scenery. Perhaps you will pass beautiful woods. Some ofthe trees bend over the river as if they were looking at theirreflections in the clear water. At places there are broad fields wherethe cows come down to drink the cool water. Farther up there are hillsor mountains rising far above the banks. You will notice that the riveris growing narrower and narrower until it is but a small stream. If yougo down the river again, you will see that it gradually widens as itflows on to the mouth. 

6

Most cities get their water supply from a nearby river. Do you knowwhere the water in your bath-room comes from? When you take a drink inour school-yard what water are you swallowing? How does this water getto our home and school? Pipes run under the streets from the river toall the buildings of the town. There are big pumping stations on theriver bank to pump the water out of the river through pipes to thehouses. Millions of gallons of water are pumped each day into the homes, schools, mills and factories. For what is this water used?

[Illustration: PUBLIC LIBRARY, NEWARK, N. J. ]

7

Plants need more than good soil to make them grow. They will wither anddie unless they have plenty of rain to keep the earth soft and moist. There are many places in the world where no trees, nor grass, nor plantsof any kind can grow. This is because there is no water to wet theearth. 

We all know that clouds bring the rain; but how do the clouds get thewater? Whenever there is water on the earth, as in the rivers, the airis continually drawing up the moisture in tiny invisible drops. Thismoisture rises in the air and forms clouds. When the clouds get veryheavy, down comes the water which we call rain. In cold weather it ischanged into snow. 

[Illustration: ELEPHANT IN THE "ZOO. "]

Where there is no moisture there can be no rain, for the air cannot drawup moisture to form clouds. Where there are many rivers there has beenmuch rain, and the soil is kept fertile. Plants will grow in it. Do yousee how our food, our clothing and our shelter are dependent uponrainfall? Do you see how we are kept alive by rivers?

8

Think of the many, many uses of rivers. There are thousands of usefulrivers in the world. 

What are the three great necessities of human life? How do rivers helpus to get _food_ and _clothing_ and to build our _homes_ and make themcomfortable?

SOME USES OF RIVERS

1. Water supply; washing and drinking. 

2. Water power; flour, textile and planing mills. 

3. Commerce; transportation. 

4. Life; fish, plants. 

5. Fertility of soil, rainfall. 

6. Beauty of scenery. 

9

Look at the map of our neighborhood. See the lines that represent theriver. Notice how it bends. Does it show where bridges cross it?

10

THE OCEAN

Have you ever stood on the beach and watched the big waves roll in? Thegreat _ocean_ stretches away as far as you can see. It seems to meet thesky. The weaves roll and break, and roll and break from morning tillnight forever. Where there are rocks along the shore the ocean dashesagainst them. The sparkling snowy spray then leaps high into the airwith a boom and a swish!

 _Note to the Teacher. _--See the details for studying about the oceans in Part II, Chapter I. 

11

ISLANDS AND PENINSULAS

[Illustration: THE OCEAN. ]

As you sail up the river you may see large portions of land lying rightout in the water. There are pieces of land lying out in the ocean too. The water lies around them on all sides. We call such portions of land_islands_. If you were standing on the shore how could you go to anisland which you saw out in the water? How could you get there if youhad no boat? Some islands are joined to the shores by bridges. 

Many islands are no larger than this room. Others are so large that itwould take days to travel around them. Whether they are large or smallthey have water entirely around them. 

[Illustration: PART OF A ROCKY ISLAND. ]

Some of us have been to a large island that has been built up into acity. When the New York boys and girls want to leave their city theymust either go in a boat, or over a bridge, or through a tunnel farunder a river. Why? When you visit Atlantic City your train goes over abridge into the city. Why?

12

Look at some pictures of islands and notice how many kinds there are. Some are all wooded. Others are covered with fields. Notice one that isrocky and steep, and another that is level and built into a city. 

Some islands are so large as to have many cities built upon them, andthere are many farms and dense woods besides upon the same islands. Somehave many rivers flowing through them. 

If you were on a large island, how could you prove that it was anisland? If you wanted to leave it, how could you do so? Notice on themap of our neighborhood whether a river with islands in it is shown. 

13

Sometimes a piece of land has water flowing only part way around it. Ifyou take a boat and try to go all around it, you will come to a placewhere the boat cannot go because there is land there. This land that isnearly an island, but does not have the water completely around it, iscalled a _peninsula_. Where have you seen a peninsula?

CHAPTER X

DIRECTION

A LESSON IN THE SCHOOL YARD AT NOON TIME

Face the sun. We are facing the south. Does the sun always lie south ofus? Where was it early this morning when it arose? That was east. Wherewill it be at sunset? That is west. Move your hand to show the sun'sdaily journey from east to south to west. The sun is south of us only atnoon time. 

[Illustration]

Face your shadow. Now the sun is behind you. What direction is back ofyou? You are facing north. Look at the shadows of the school, of thefence, of the pole, and of all the other children. They are all fallingto the north. Can you make your shadow fall east or west or south? Whynot? When only will shadows fall north? Can you think of any time whenthe shadows would fall east or west? Could they ever fall south? Whynot?

2

Draw this diagram on the yard pavement, and mark the parts that arenorth, south, east and west. Stand at the middle of the cross. Facenorth. What is behind you? What direction is at your right side andwhich is at your left side? Learn these words:

"When I face the north the south is behind me; the east is at my righthand and the west is at my left hand. "

If you pass a weather vane on your way home, see if you can read theletters on it and find out what they mean. 

3

With soft chalk draw a line on your desk with one end toward the northand one end toward the south. Mark N for north and S for south. Draw aline across the middle of it, and mark E for east and W for west. 

What is north of you, south of you, east of you and west of you?

In what direction from you is your teacher's desk?

On what side of you are the blackboards? On which side are the windows?

Walk toward the north, toward the east, toward the south, toward thewest. 

Which boy or girl is north of you? Which pupil is west of you?

What is south of your room? What is east of it?

On what side of your room is the corridor? On which side is the street?On which side is the school yard?

What is north of your teacher's desk? What is south of your teacher'schair? What is west of the table? What is east of the windows?

4

[Illustration: POINTS OF THE COMPASS. ]

Draw a plan of your desk. Mark north, south, east and west upon it. Hangit up with north at the top. Draw a plan of your schoolroom. Mark thenorth, south, east and west. Hang up the plan with north at the top. 

Look at the plan of the town. We call it a map. North is at the top. Find the rivers. At which side of the city are they?

Look at a plan of the entire school floor with all of the rooms and thecorridor. How shall we hang it?

5

Men have made plans of the city, the country, and the whole world. Theseplans which show the land and water are called maps. On all maps northis usually at the top. 

Look at the map of the whole world. How can you tell which part meansland and which means water? What direction is at the top of the map, atthe bottom, at the right side, and at the left side?

6

See where we find the north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west. 

PART TWO

CHAPTER I

THE EARTH AS A WHOLE

1

[Illustration]

Long ago wise men found out that the great earth on which we live is notflat, but round like a ball. It is so very large, and we see so small apart of it at one time, that it looks flat to us. Take a piece of paperand tear out a small hole. Hold the hole over your globe so that a smallpart of the surface shows through. Does the small piece of the globelook very curved?

These men noticed ships sailing away across the water. When the shipswere far away the lower part of the boat could not be seen. More andmore disappeared till only the tops of the masts could be seen; and atlast they were gone too. If you make a little paper boat and let it sailflat across your desk and then try it over the globe, you can see howthis proves that the earth is not flat. 

Did you ever see an eclipse of the moon? The big curved shadow was theearth's shadow. Why was the shadow round?

A globe shows the shape of the earth. 

2

Look at all of the globes and maps in the room. Find how the land andthe water are shown. Can you see any islands, any peninsulas? A tiny dotmay mean the whole city with hundreds of homes, factories and otherbuildings. Do you remember how we looked down on our town from a greatheight and saw the many houses? Just think of a tiny dot meaning all ofour town. 

[Illustration: WESTERN HEMISPHERE]

[Illustration: EASTERN HEMISPHERE]

3

How are the rivers drawn? Think of the great wide flowing river with itswharves and its boats. It flows on for miles and miles. Some day allof its water will reach the ocean. This little black line means all ofthat great broad river. 

Why do we have such tiny things to represent such great things?

See this land called North America. It would take five days and nightsin a fast express train to travel straight across it. 

4

We can cut the globe in half and make a flat picture of the two parts asthey look when placed side by side. 

Another name for the globe is sphere. "Hemi" means "half, " so each halfof the globe is called a "hemisphere. "

One half is called the Eastern Hemisphere and the other half the WesternHemisphere. 

In the Western Hemisphere we have the Western Continent, which isAmerica. This Western Continent is made of two grand divisions, NorthAmerica and South America. Why are they so named? We live in NorthAmerica. Find our city and the river nearest to it. North America wasjoined to South America by a narrow strip of land called the _Isthmus ofPanama_. Look at the map and think why millions of dollars have beenspent through many years to cut through this isthmus. Now vessels canpass through this Panama Canal. 

Look at the map of the Western Hemisphere and notice what it containsbesides the Western Continent of America. There is more water than land. This water forms the great oceans. 

Perhaps you have been to Atlantic City or some other seashore place andhave seen the Atlantic Ocean. Do you remember the big waves which rolledin on the sandy beach and the pretty white-caps far out? Did you see thebig nets drawn in full of hundreds of fish? Perhaps you bathed in theocean and got your mouth full of water. It did not taste like the waterwe drink, for it was salty. All of the water of the ocean is salt water, but the water of rivers is fresh. 

The oceans are very large. It would take us five or six days and nightson a great steamer to cross to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Inwhat direction should we go?

5

On the western side of America there is another great ocean, the PacificOcean. It has salt water like the Atlantic Ocean, and it also isconstantly in motion with great waves. 

North of North America, in the intensely cold region, is the ArcticOcean. Great masses of ice called icebergs and ice floes are floatingthrough this ocean. 

Far south of South America is the Antarctic Ocean. It does not touchSouth America. It too is in a cold part of the world. 

6

Do you know of any people who came here from England, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy or Russia? Their homes were in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere has a great mass of land called the EasternContinent. The Eastern Continent is composed of three grand divisions, Europe, Asia and Africa. 

Find the great island named Australia. That is sometimes called theAustralian Continent because it is so large. 

7

The same oceans which are in the Western Hemisphere extend into theEastern Hemisphere. Can you name them? The Eastern Hemisphere alsocontains the Indian Ocean, which is not in the Western Hemisphere. 

8

1. How can people go from North America to Europe?

2. How do the Chinese, whose home is in Asia, come to America?

3. Nearly all of the rubber which we use for automobile tires, overshoes, erasers, and hundreds of other articles comes from SouthAmerica. Over what ocean does it come?

4. On what ocean did Peary sail on his journey to the North Pole?

5. When Amundsen searched for the South Pole, he started from an islandnear Australia. On what oceans did he sail?

6. When the first negroes were brought here from Africa over what oceandid they come?

7. What ocean trip is shortest from Africa to Asia?

8. Of what use is the ocean?

9. Which ocean can we reach most quickly from our home? How long wouldit take us to get to this ocean?

10. How long would it take us to reach the Pacific Ocean?

 "Behold the sea, . . . Splendid and strong, yet beautiful as the rose or the rainbow; full of food, nourisher of man, purger of the world, creating a sweet climate. "--_Emerson_. 

CHAPTER II

THE SEASONS

1

What kind of weather are we having now? What kind will we have in July, in December, in April, in October?

What do we call the warm season? What is the cold season? What are themild seasons? How many seasons have we?

2

What kind of clothing do we need in winter?

What work in your home is different in winter from what is done insummer? What season gives the school janitor most work? Why?

If you live in the country you have seen how different it looks inwinter time and in summer time. Tell how. In what ways do the townstreets and country roads differ in winter and in summer?

Name some winter and some summer sports and games. 

There are certain kinds of industries which can be engaged in only insummer and some only in winter. Decide which of the following are summerand which are winter industries, and which require work in more thanone season:

 Ice cutting Building Farming Preserving Lumbering Fishing

3

What season do we have when the warm summer is over, and before the coldwinter has set in? How do the city streets look then? How do you thinkthe farm looks then?

Autumn or fall is a busy time on the farm. The last of the vegetablesmust be taken in and stored away for the winter. The ripe apples andnuts must be gathered too. The corn is brought in from the fields andstored in the barns for the winter food of the farm animals. 

4

After the long cold winter is over the days grow gradually milder andwarmer until spring has come. Are you glad when spring comes? Why?

In your schoolroom you can tell when spring is here. How pleasant theair feels as it blows in through the window! It seems to kiss us withits warm breath. You can hear the birds chirping as if they were happy. Perhaps a bee will buzz into the room. Many of the children will bringto school the dainty little spring flowers, anemones, blood root, hepatica, violets and buttercups. 

Out in the country all nature is busy. The tree buds are swelling andbursting. The grass and flowers are springing up. The birds are buildingtheir nests. The farmer is ploughing and planting his fields. 

CHAPTER III

THE ZONES

1

All parts of the earth do not have seasons such as we have. If we shouldtravel north we should find the climate growing colder and colder. Aftera long time we should come to a region of intense cold. The ground wouldbe covered with ice and snow all the year through, both winter andsummer. This most northern part of the earth is called the North Pole. The region around it is the North Frigid Zone. There is a South Pole anda South Frigid Zone as cold as the northern one. You can see where theyare on the diagram. 

If we start from here and take a trip south we find it constantlygrowing warmer. At last we come to a place where it is extremely warm inboth summer and winter. That region is called the Torrid Zone because"torrid" means "hot. " This hot zone extends right around the middle partof the earth. The very hottest part through the middle is the Equator. Notice on the drawing that we live in a zone between the very coldregion, or Frigid Zone, and the very warm region, or Torrid Zone. Ourzone is called the North Temperate Zone. We have here spring, summer, autumn and winter. Our weather is seldom so cold as in the Frigid Zones, nor so warm as in the Torrid Zone. Our spring and autumn are mild ortemperate. 

[Illustration: World map]

[Illustration: THE ZONES. ]

Find the South Temperate Zone. Its climate is just like ours. Whatseasons do they have there? What zone lies north of it and which southof it?

Copy the diagram of the zones in your note-book. 

2

THE TEMPERATE ZONE--OUR ZONE

Most of the people of the world live in one of the Temperate Zones, andmost of the great cities are in these zones. People can work better herewhere we do not have either intensely hot or intensely cold weather allof the time. There are two Temperate Zones, the North Temperate Zoneand the South Temperate Zone. In which do we live?

Some plants grow best in the Temperate Zones, while others live best inthe Torrid Zone. Scarcely any grow in the Frigid Zones. Name all theplants you can think of that live in our zone. These plants grow duringthe summer and rest or die when winter comes. 

SOME PLANTS OF THE TEMPERATE ZONES

 Poplar Fruit trees Maple Wheat Chestnut Corn Oak Cotton Walnut Farm vegetables Pine Familiar garden plants

None of these plants can grow well in either the intense cold of theFrigid Zones or the great heat of the Torrid Zone. 

3

Many animals live better in our zone than in any other zone. They needtemperate climate. 

SOME ANIMALS OF THE TEMPERATE ZONES

 Horse Squirrel Cow Bear Sheep Wolf Pig Rabbit Cat Fox Dog Deer Zebra Buffalo Giraffe Goat

Which are domestic and which are wild animals? Describe each and tellhow it is useful to man. 

[Illustration: ZEBRA. ]

4

THE HOT ZONE

If we take a long trip to the south we find it growing warmer and warmeruntil at last we have reached a land where it is warm all the yearthrough. This is the Torrid Zone. 

The plants do not rest nor die in winter there, for there is no coldweather. These plants keep right on growing through the year. Many ofthe trees grow very, very high and have tremendous leaves. 

In some cities there are large greenhouses where the Torrid Zone plantsare raised. The temperature must be kept as warm there as in the TorridZone. These are some of the Torrid or Hot Zone plants:

 Palm Rubber Giant ferns Coffee Bamboo Banana

[Illustration: IN THE TORRID ZONE. ]

In the forests of the Hot Zone the trees grow very close together. Thesunlight cannot shine through. It is impossible to walk through theseforests without first chopping out a pathway with a hatchet. 

5

In these forests live many of the fierce animals which you have seen incages in the Zoological Gardens or at the circus. 

SOME ANIMALS OF THE TORRID ZONE

 Monkey Elephant Camel Snake Lion Parrot Tiger Rhinoceros Leopard Wild Cat

Describe these and tell of what use they are. 

[Illustration: A TROPICAL JUNGLE. ]

Why are some of the buildings in the Zoological Gardens so warm?

6

The Torrid Zone was the first home of the negroes before they werebrought to America. There are many negroes and Indians living in theHot Zone now. Many are but half-civilized. Some are savage. As they donot need large warm homes like ours, some live in small huts made of thebranches of trees, earth and straw. A few of these homes together make avillage. These people get their food by hunting in the forest andfishing in the rivers and ocean. They also eat the fruits that grow wildin the forests. There are some cities in the Torrid Zone, but none ofthem are very large. These towns have been built mostly by the civilizedwhite people. The streets are often shaded with beautiful palm trees. The buildings are generally small, as the people live and work out ofdoors as much as possible. 

7

WHAT THE TEMPERATE AND TORRID ZONES DO FOR EACH OTHER

The people living in the Torrid Zone send to us Temperate Zone peoplemany useful things that do not grow here. These are some of them:

 Cocoanuts Chocolate Bananas Pepper Coffee Palm leaves Rubber Mahogany

In return the Temperate Zone people send to the Torrid Zone inhabitantsthings that they do not have. In the Hot Zone there are no largefactories in which to manufacture goods, so we send there:

 Farm tools Guns Woven goods Knives Books Clothing

8

THE COLD ZONES

[Illustration: AN ESKIMO FAMILY. ]

At the most northern part of the earth and at the most southern part areregions of intense cold. The earth is entirely covered with ice and snowall of the year. The water is filled with masses of floating ice andsnow. Our coldest winter days are not nearly so cold as the climate ofthe North and South Frigid Zones. It is even hard to tell which is landand which is water. 

Of course no trees, nor grass, nor plants, nor animals, nor people ofany kind can live in that intense cold. At the parts near the TemperateZones, where it is slightly warmer, there are some very small dwarfedtrees not more than a foot or two high, and perhaps a little moss. It ishere that the Eskimos live; but most of the North Frigid Zone and theSouth Frigid Zone is a stretch of frozen whiteness on all sides, with noliving thing of any kind. During the summer the sun never sets, so thatthere is twilight all night. In winter the sun never rises above thehorizon, so there are months of darkness. 

[Illustration: ESKIMO BOY. ]

These frozen lands are the regions through which so many brave explorershave traveled trying to find the most northern part called the NorthPole, and the most southern part, the South Pole. Many of thesefearless men have never returned from the Frigid Zones. They havestarved or been frozen to death. 

At last, after trying for twenty-seven years, Robert E. Peary, anAmerican, reached the North Pole on April 6, 1909. All Americans arevery proud of this brave, determined, fearless man, who would not stopuntil he had done what he set out to do. 

Roald Amundsen, a brave Norwegian, reached the South Pole on December14, 1911, after suffering many hardships. 

9

Peary has written a book in which he tells about his travels. Up in thenorth he met the Eskimos, who belong to the Indian family. They live insnow houses in the winter. In summer, which is also very cold, they livein skin tents. These Eskimos dress in warm furs. They have no schoolsnor churches, but they are a kind and peaceful people. They are verygood to the white explorers in the north. 

The Eskimo travels mostly on foot, but carries loads on sledges drawn bydogs. The Eskimo's dogs are his best friends. Without them he could notmanage to carry home the animals he kills for food and clothing. He alsouses boats which he makes of skins. 

Many of the Frigid Zone animals are covered with heavy fur. Why?

SOME FRIGID ZONE ANIMALS

 Dog Polar Bear Seal Reindeer Whale Penguin

10

WHAT THE FRIGID AND TEMPERATE ZONES DO FOR EACH OTHER

Men go to the Frigid Zones and catch seals and other animals and bringback the skins for the Temperate Zone people. 

The whale, which lives in the ocean of the Frigid Zone, is also veryuseful. From it we get the whalebone, oil and also a fertilizer to helpour farm crops to grow. Great quantities of whale meat are eaten by somepeople of the Temperate Zones. 

The Eskimos of the Frigid Zone are glad to have from the Temperate Zonesmanufactured articles like pans, knives and guns. 

11

1. What different kinds of people have you ever seen?

2. Why are the Temperate Zone people more civilized than the Frigid Zonepeople?

3. Name some animals of each zone. 

4. In which zones is it best to live? Why?

5. As you sit at your desk point toward the North Pole, toward the SouthFrigid Zone, the North Frigid Zone, the South Temperate Zone, theEquator, the South Pole, the Torrid Zone. 

CHAPTER IV

NORTH AMERICA

1

Find where we live on the map of North America. Locate our home on allof our maps and globes. 

North America is a very large portion of land. You could sail along itsshores for thousands of miles. At its widest part you could not cross itin a fast express train in less than five days and nights. There arethousands of cities in this great grand division, for there are millionsof people here. Most of them are white or Caucasian. There are also manyIndians, negroes, Eskimos and Mongolians. 

Much of the land is dense forest, and much is fertile farm land. A smallpart has so few rivers and such a scarcity of rainfall that the land isdry and arid. Little grows upon it but coarse grass and cactus. Thisregion is called a _desert_. 

2

North America stretches far up north into the North Frigid Zone and farsouth into the Torrid Zone, but most of it lies in the North TemperateZone. What plants and animals live in North America? It is separatedfrom Asia by a narrow strip of water called Behring Strait. How didNorth America used to be connected with South America? Why is theseparation called a canal and not an isthmus?

3

[Illustration: BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE. ]

Three great oceans wash the shores of North America. Name them. Thecoast line is very irregular. Notice on the map that at places part ofthe ocean extends far into the land, forming _gulfs_ and _bays_. HudsonBay, Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of St. Lawrence are all parts of whichocean? The waves are not so high in the bays and gulfs as in the openocean. The land keeps off some of the wind. Vessels that are waiting tobe laden with cargo lie in these sheltered gulfs and bays. Why?

At many places along the shore the land juts out into the ocean in_capes_. Many of these points of land have special names. Look on themap for them. There are light houses built on most of these capes towarn the ships in the dark and in the storms to keep away from thedangerous rocks and shore. A cape is often a pleasant place for a summerhome. There is so much water around it that the sea breezes sweep acrossit and make it delightfully cool. 

4

Do you remember how we spoke of the river with its many boats andsteamers? There are hundreds of rivers in North America flowing formiles until at last they reach the ocean. 

5

There are many high hills, some so very high as to be called_mountains_. There is a chain of these mountains called the EasternHighlands along the eastern part of North America. They extend for manymiles north and south. The scenery in this region is very beautiful. Themountains are covered mostly with forests of pine, spruce, oak, maple, chestnut and other trees. These are cut down for lumber. In the wilderparts of these forests live squirrels, rabbits, bears and snakes. Atplaces the trees have been cut down to make room for fields of grain. 

[Illustration: SURFACE MAP OF NORTH AMERICA. ]

The mountains are full of useful minerals. Great quantities of coal andiron are mined in the Eastern Highlands. 

6

The highest mountains in North America are the Western Highlands in thewestern part. One great chain or range extends the entire length ofNorth America from the Arctic Ocean down into South America. Greatforests grow on these mountains. In many places are huge masses of rockon which nothing grows, so this range has been called the RockyMountains. It is always bitter cold at the top of some of thesemountains because they reach so high. Even in summer they are cappedwith snow. Nowhere in the world can more magnificent scenery be found. 

West of the Rocky Mountains is the Pacific Mountain System. 

Gold and silver are mined in the Western Highlands. In the wild parts ofthe forests, where no people live, deer, wolves and bears may be found. 

7

The low land between the mountains we call _plains_ or _valleys_. Thereis a Great Central Plain which reaches from the Eastern Highlands to theWestern Highlands. There are many rivers in this valley. The Mississippiand the Missouri Rivers are the largest. 

8

You remember how rivers make rainfall and fertile soil. The GreatCentral Plain has some of the best farm land in the world. In thenorthern cold part hardly anything grows, but in the central part greatquantities of corn, grain, fruits and vegetables are raised. In thesouth the plantations or farms raise sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, riceand coffee. 

[Illustration: SHEEP ON THE PLAINS. ]

On the western plains great herds of thousands of sheep and cattle areraised. 

In the Great Central Plain are hundreds of cities where the farmproducts are sold. Here, too, the farmers buy the farm tools andmachinery which they need. In the city mills the wheat is ground intoflour and the logs from the forests are sawed into planks or made intofurniture. The cattle and sheep are killed and the meat prepared for ouruse. 

9

East of the central part of the Great Central Plain are five of thelargest lakes in the world. When you are in a boat in the middle of anyone of them you cannot see the land on any side. They are called theGreat Lakes. Their names are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie andOntario. They are all joined together, and from the last a large riverruns into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has the same name as the gulf. 

There are many other smaller lakes in North America where the land islow and the water from the rivers and streams fills up the hollows. Nearly all have fresh water like the rivers. A very few, like Great SaltLake, contain salt water. 

CHAPTER V

COUNTRIES OF NORTH AMERICA

1

North America contains several different countries. Each is under aseparate government. These countries are United States, British America, Danish America, Mexico and Central America. Each country has its ownruler and its own laws. Each has a special flag and its own kind ofmoney and postage stamps. 

2

THE UNITED STATES

We live in the best one of these countries, for we have the best ways ofobtaining our food, our clothing and our shelter. Our climate is good, for we are in the North Temperate Zone. Our soil is very fertile. TheGreat Central Plain of North America passes through the central part ofthe United States. We raise fruits, vegetables, corn, wheat, rice andsugar for food. We have immense ranches for raising cows and sheep too. Our clothing is supplied by the thousands of sheep we raise and from thecotton we grow here. The Western and Eastern Highlands pass through ourcountry. 

[Illustration: North America]

We have a great quantity of lumber, stone, coal and iron for making ourcomfortable homes. In what part of the country is each of theseproducts obtained? Why? Right in our own United States is found nearlyeverything that is necessary to make us comfortable and happy. 

[Illustration: COTTON FIELD. ]

We have hundreds of towns with homes, factories, schools, hospitals andchurches. Over every public building floats our beautiful flag, theStars and Stripes. 

Our laws are made in the capital, which is named Washington, afterGeorge Washington, our first president. Find Washington on the map. Howlong would it take to go to Washington from our home? It is a beautifulcity. The Capitol building is one of the finest in the world. ThePresident of the United States lives in the White House. 

Alaska, in the north-west, and the island of Porto Rico, in thesouth-east, belong to the United States. We own other islands in otherparts of the world. 

3

_British America_ is our next neighbor on the north. It includes all ofthe Dominion of Canada and the Island of Newfoundland. It belongs toEngland or Great Britain in Europe. 

[Illustration: MOUNTAIN GOAT. ]

The Great Central Plain and the Western Highlands pass through it, andyet it is not a rich country with many people like the United States. Can you tell why?

There are large crops of fruit and grain in the southern part only ofBritish America. In this part only are there any large cities. The fewpeople in the northern part go there to hunt the animals for furs and tofind gold. Many whales live in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean andHudson Bay. Are they of use to man?

4

_Danish America_ is the name given to the two islands Greenland andIceland, because they belong to Denmark, a country of Europe. 

Greenland lies in which zones? What kind of climate has it? A few whitepeople and some Eskimos live in the southern part. The northern part hasno life at all. 

What do you know of the people, the plants and the animals of thisregion?

In what zone is Iceland? Why is the climate very cold? Many fish arecaught in the ocean around Iceland. The people on the island are able toraise little but grass to feed their sheep and cattle. 

There are many mountains in Iceland. Some of them send out steam andmelted rock and are called _volcanoes_. 

5

_Mexico_ is our southern neighbor. This country has a president and agovernment somewhat like ours. 

Both Indians and white people live in Mexico. The climate is so warm inthe valleys that the people living there cannot work so hard as they doin the United States. So they do not have large factories and many fineschools, hospitals and libraries as we have. Why do they not build theseon the mountains where the climate is pleasant?

They have large plantations where they raise rubber, sugar, cotton, coffee, tobacco and fruit and many cattle. 

The great Western Highlands extend down through Mexico, and silver, copper and coal are mined in them. Some of these mountains arevolcanoes. What does this mean?

6

Central America is still warmer than Mexico. It is entirely in whatzone? The plants and animals are much like those of Mexico. 

7

The West Indies consist of many islands. The largest are Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Porto Rico. Which belongs to the United States? Theseislands have a warm climate. What do you think is raised on theplantations by the white people and negroes?

The West Indies separate a part of the ocean from the main AtlanticOcean. This smaller part is called the _Caribbean Sea_. Notice whatcountries it touches. 

CHAPTER VI

TRIPS

1

Suppose you were to sail from New York City to Iceland. 

1. What would you take with you that the people would be glad to get?

2. What kind of clothing would you need for the trip?

3. Over what water would you sail?

4. In what direction would you go?

5. What countries would you pass?

6. How could you tell when you were getting near Iceland?

7. What would you see in Iceland?

8. Could you bring back to the people at home anything useful?

2

Let us go to visit the Panama Canal, keeping our vessel close to theshore all the way. 

1. What clothing shall we need? Why?

2. What countries shall we pass? What islands, peninsulas and capes?

3. On what water shall we sail?

4. What would the people be glad to have from our country?

5. Where could we stop to get some coffee, rubber and bananas to bringback?

3

Plan a trip along the Pacific Ocean. 

1. Where will you start?

2. Where will you go?

3. What will you see at the place from which you start and at the end ofthe trip?

4. What interesting places will you pass?

4

Let us cross our country by train from the Atlantic Coast to the PacificCoast. 

1. How long shall we be on the train?

2. Describe the scenery as we go west. 

3. What rivers shall we cross?

4. What kinds of industries could we visit on the way across?

5

How far can a boat sail if it starts in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to goas far west as possible?

6

A trip up the Mississippi River. 

1. How would the climate change?

2. What name is given to this part of the land through which the riverflows?

3. What scenes could we expect to see on the shores of the river?

4. What products would the boats we pass be carrying?

 +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's notes | | | | | | Obvious spelling/typographical and punctuation errors have been | | corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within | | the text and consultation of external sources. | | | | Inconsistent hyphenations have been retained: | | school-room/schoolroom, school-house/schoolhouse, | | note-book/notebook. | | | | On page 19 in Chapter II an apparent printing error | | interchanging the section heading "5" and the first line of the | | following text has been corrected. | | | | Re the question at the end of Chapter III: the cover of the 1913 | | edition shows a statue of a man, possibly William Penn, | | surrounded by silhouettes of the six continents. The cover of | | the 1914 general edition shows the dome of the Capitol at | | Washington (cf the frontispiece) in place of the statue. | | | | The original book was published at Philadelphia by the | | Christopher Sower Company, 124 North Eighteenth Street. The | | copyright date was 1913 and 1914. | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------+