VARIOUS MODES OF REVIEW

The place of drill in the history recitation

We have long since learned the folly of spending very many of the minutes of a recitation in drilling students in dates, outlines, and charts. Work of this sort never made a recitation vital; never inspired a student with enthusiasm for historical inquiry; never really dispelled the fog which surrounds, for the student, the cabinets and constitutions, battles and boundaries, declarations and decrees, so briefly treated in the text.

Good reviews will develop a knowledge of the sequence of events

But it may be seriously questioned whether many teachers, in their zeal to escape the over-emphasis of dates, have not gone to the extreme of neglecting them altogether. That a student should remember sufficient dates to fix in his mind the sequence of important events is hardly open to question. That he can never do so without some special attention to dates is equally indisputable. Without doubt, drill in important dates is necessary, but it should be so conducted as to take but little time. Each day the teacher has indicated the dates worthy to be remembered and has been careful to select the landmarks of history. He has called attention to the various collateral circumstances which might assist to fix the dates in the child's mind. The student has kept his list of dates in the back of his text or in some convenient place of reference. Once a week for three minutes the teacher gives the class a rapid review on the dates contained in the list. Occasionally the class are sent to the board and asked to write the dates of the reigns of the English monarchs from William down to the point which the class has reached, or the Presidents in their order, or some other similar exercise calculated to give a backbone to the history being studied. The class will know that such a review is liable to be given at any time. They will endeavor to be prepared. The result will be that with the expenditure of a few minutes at intervals in rapid review, history will cease to be a spineless narrative and become for the student an orderly procession of events. Drill in dates is only one method to this end. There may be a rapid review in battles, generals, wars, treaties, proclamations, and inventions. Such exercises encourage the classification of facts and stimulate fluency of expression. It is of the highest importance for the student so to arrange in his mind what he has learned in recitation that he can call to his command at a second's notice the fact, date, or illustration he desires. There will be many times in his school and college career when such an ability will be indispensable; in business or the professions it is an invaluable asset, infinitely more useful than the history itself. It will be well for the teacher to inquire: "What am I doing to cultivate such an ability in my students?"

They will give a view of the whole subject

Few teachers will deny that too little time is spent in giving the student a general view of the whole subject, either in its entirety or in its various phases. The text has been studied by chapters or by months or by movements. The history as a whole has never been seen. By the time the student has reached the "Aldrich Currency Plan" in American history he has forgotten all about the experiments with the first United States Bank. He could no more outline the financial history of the United States as given in his text than he could outline the industrial or political history of the American people. And yet he has studied the facts given in his textbook; he has supplemented the text by his work in the library, and in the recitation; he has done everything that may reasonably be expected of him, except to assemble his historical information and review it as a whole.

If the student in American history is asked to go to the board at intervals and write an outline for the work covered on such topics as the following, he will come much nearer understanding the progress of our people:—

  1. History of the tariff.
  2. Political parties and principles for which they stood.
  3. Things that crystallized Northern sentiment against slavery.
  4. Reasons for the unification of the South.
  5. Diplomatic relations of the United States.
  6. Additions of territory.
  7. Financial legislation.
  8. Growth of humanitarian spirit.

There will easily be sufficient topics so that each member of the class will have a different one. They can all work at the board, simultaneously. The amount of time used for exercises of this sort need not be great, and the value received is incalculable.

If the teacher wishes to review briefly on the military, diplomatic, social, political, or economic history of the people the class have been studying, it is no difficult matter to arrange a set of questions, the occasional review in which will clinch in the student's mind what otherwise would surely be forgotten. Such questions as the following on the financial history of the United States are each answerable with a few words and will serve as an illustration of the method which may be employed in reviewing any other phase of history:—

  1. By what means was trade accomplished before the use of money?
  2. What are the functions of money?
  3. What determines the amount of money needed in a country?
  4. What has been used for money at various periods of our history?
  5. What is meant by doing business on credit?
  6. What is cheap money?
  7. What is Gresham's Law?
  8. What is the effect of large issues of paper money on prices?
  9. What is the effect of large issues of paper money on wages?
  10. Why does the wage-earner suffer?
  11. At what periods in American history have large issues of paper money been emitted?
  12. What were the objects of the first United States Bank?
  13. Did the bank accomplish them?
  14. Why was it not rechartered?
  15. When was the second United States Bank chartered?
  16. Why?
  17. What case decided the constitutionality of the bank?
  18. Did the second United States Bank accomplish the purpose for which it was formed?
  19. Why was the second United States Bank rechartered?
  20. What is meant by "Wildcat Banking"?
  21. What are the dates of our greatest panics?
  22. What were the chief causes?
  23. What was the effect on prices?
  24. What on wages?
  25. Under what President was the independent treasury first established?
  26. Is it in existence to-day?
  27. When were greenbacks issued?
  28. To what amount?
  29. Who was responsible for the issue?
  30. Were they legal tender for private debts contracted before their issue?
  31. When was the Resumption Act passed?
  32. Are the greenbacks in circulation to-day?
  33. What is free silver?
  34. What was the "Crime of '73"?
  35. What was the "Bland-Allison Act"?
  36. What was the Currency Act of 1900?
  37. What is Bimetallism?
  38. What is meant by "Mint Ratio"?
  39. What is meant by "Market Ratio"?
  40. What is meant by "Free Coinage"?
  41. What is meant by "Gratuitous Coinage"?
  42. What is meant by "Standard Money"?
  43. With the market ratio at 30 to 1 and the mint ratio at 16 to 1, which money would tend to disappear from circulation if both metals are freely coined and made full legal tender?
  44. Why is silver not the standard to-day?
  45. What is the "Aldrich Plan"?
  46. What is a United States bond?
  47. Is it a secure investment?
  48. What is its average rate of interest?
  49. By whom is a national bank chartered?
  50. May it issue paper money?
  51. When was the first National Banking Act passed?
  52. Why?
  53. Why should banking business be profitable under the act?
  54. What advantage did the Government expect to receive in passing the act?
  55. Are deposits guaranteed?
  56. May States emit bills of credit?
  57. Is it constitutional for banks chartered by the State to emit bills of credit?
  58. Do they do so to-day?
  59. Why?

Obviously as the year advances, the list of questions for review grows longer. An increasing amount of time should therefore be devoted to work of this sort.

They will insure a better acquaintance with great men and women

The most superficial observation will suffice to convince anyone that high school graduates know very little about the great men and women of history. The character sketches suggested earlier in the chapter, supplemented with occasional reviews, will do much to improve this condition. These drills may be conducted by asking for brief statements on the greatest service or the most distinguishing characteristic of the great men and women met with in the course. The same thing is accomplished by reversing the process and asking such questions as,—"Who was the American Fabius"? or "The Great Compromiser"? or the "Sage of Menlo Park"? etc. Questions on the authorship of great documents, the founders of institutions, the organizers of movements, reformers, philosophers, artists, statesmen, generals, accomplish the same purpose.

They will be economical of time

There are a vast number of review questions answerable with yes or no. The student's knowledge of the subject may be quickly discovered and a rapid review conducted by a series of such questions. The following list on American history will illustrate the method:—

  1. Was Cromwell's colonial policy helpful to the American colonies?
  2. Did the Revolution of 1688 have any effect on the colonies?
  3. Were the Huguenots excluded from Canada?
  4. Were the Writs of Assistance used in England?
  5. Did America ever have a theocracy?
  6. Did the rule of 1756 affect the people of the colonies?
  7. Was the Sugar Act legal?
  8. Was there any effort to amend the Articles of Confederation?
  9. Does funding a debt lessen it?
  10. Did Hamilton's measures tend to centralize power?
  11. Did the members of the Constitutional Convention exceed their instructions?
  12. Is a cabinet provided for in the Constitution?
  13. Does the Constitution of the United States prevent a State from establishing a religion?
  14. Is it possible for a State to repudiate its debts?
  15. Does the constitutional provision for uniform duties protect the Territories?
  16. Was impressment practiced in England?
  17. Did the Whigs favor internal improvements?
  18. Did the North favor the Force Bill of 1833?
  19. Did Massachusetts favor the Tariff of 1816?
  20. Did the Republican party stand for the abolition of slavery in 1860?
  21. Did the Emancipation Proclamation free all the slaves in the United States?
  22. Did the working-men of England favor the South during the Civil War?
  23. Was it necessary for the South to resort to the draft?
  24. Could a man in 1860 consistently accept both the Dred Scott decision and the doctrine of popular sovereignty?
  25. Did Lincoln's assassination have any effect on the reconstruction policy?
  26. Does the Federal Constitution compel negro suffrage?
  27. Was the Anaconda System successful?
  28. Was a President of the United States ever impeached?
  29. Were the claims for indirect damages in the Alabama claims allowed?
  30. Did Calhoun favor the Compromise of 1850?
  31. Did Thaddeus Stevens favor the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution?
  32. Did Lincoln favor the social equality of the white and black races?
  33. Did Grant favor the Tenure of Office Act?
  34. Did Lee make more than one attempt to invade the North?
  35. Was the "Ohio Idea" ever strong enough to affect legislation?
  36. Did Spain have any part in calling out the Monroe Doctrine?
  37. Has the United States any control over the debts of Cuba?
  38. Has a joint resolution ever been used to acquire territory other than that included in Texas?
  39. Has the United States ever resorted to a tax on incomes?
  40. Has the Federal Government ever attempted to restrict the power of the press?
  41. Is it illegal to-day for a railway to give a cheaper rate to one shipper than to another?
  42. Has the Republican party ever reduced the protective tariffs of the war?
  43. Did the Civil Service Act passed in 1883 include postmasters?
  44. Did the Wilson-Gorman Act reduce the tariff to a revenue basis?
  45. Can a railway engaged solely in intra-state business carry a case, involving a reduction of their rates by the State legislature, to the Supreme Court of the United States?
  46. Is Utah a part of the Louisiana Purchase?
  47. If the mint ratio is 16 to 1 and the market ratio is 17 to 1, will the gold dollar be the standard if there is full legal tender and free coinage for both gold and silver?
  48. Is the Canadian frontier fortified?
  49. Are the functions of government in this country increasing?
  50. Is it possible for a man to be defeated for the Presidency if a majority of the people vote for him?

The great disadvantage of this kind of review is that the students have for their answer a choice between two words, one of which is bound to be correct. Knowing nothing whatever of the subject, they will still stand a fifty per cent chance of answering correctly. The alert teacher should be able to reduce this haphazard answering to a minimum, while still reaping the advantages of rapidity and thoroughness which the plan possesses. Few other methods will cover as much ground in as short time. On the Federal Constitution there are infinite possibilities for "yes and no" questioning, which afford a brief and effective means of review in the principles of American government.

They will secure fluency

Review for the purpose of securing fluency is a consideration frequently lost sight of by high school history teachers. It may be too sanguine to expect fluency of the average student reciting on a topic for the first time. But when it is considered how very many important questions are never recited on but once, the wisdom of an occasional review to secure rapid, fluent, and complete answers to topics previously discussed is readily seen. Select a list of topics that will at one and the same time cultivate fluency and strengthen the memory for the important considerations of history. Fluency in itself does not possess sufficient value to justify the expenditure of recitation time. Facility of expression needs to be cultivated in discussion of the conclusions reached in class which need to be clinched in the student's mind. Such questions as the following will serve as illustrations of the kind adaptable for such purpose, at the middle of a year course in American history:—

  1. Give three distinct characteristics of French colonization in America; three of Spanish; three of English.
  2. What things did the English colonies possess in common?
  3. What were the results to the colonies of the French and Indian War?
  4. To what extent was the Revolution brought about by economic causes?
  5. What were the defects in the Articles of Confederation?
  6. Account for the downfall of the Federalist party.
  7. In what ways has democracy advanced since 1789?
  8. What were the results of the struggle over the admission of Missouri?
  9. Discuss the growth of the sentiment for internal improvements?
  10. Describe the social life of the Western pioneer?

What the student may do with "problems" in history

Still another kind of review of great value in strengthening the student's ability to generalize and analyze, consists of what might be called "problems in history." They are given out in much the same way as original problems in geometry, assuming that the student is acquainted with the facts from which to deduce the answers to the question. The object of such a review is to give the student practice in original thinking. He is not supposed to use a library, but only the facts which are in his text or which have been previously brought out in class recitations.

The following are examples of questions adaptable for this purpose:—

  1. Why can the American people be regarded as the world's greatest colonizers?
  2. Why could Washington be regarded as only an Englishman living in America?
  3. Is it true that the South lost the Civil War because of slavery?
  4. In what particulars did Andrew Jackson accurately reflect the spirit or the ideals of the new West?
  5. What is illustrated by the attempt to found the State of Franklin?
  6. What considerations made the secession of the West in our early history a likely possibility?

Questions of this kind, not answered directly in class or in the text, may be given out a day in advance and the answers collected at the next recitation.