~Nature Study Walk~  

While outside for recess, the teacher would gather the students and take a walk by the open prairie andstudy the different types of wildflowers. One of the prettiest flowers was    Queen Anne's Lace. The teacher’s lesson might have taught the children that Queen Anne's Lace was brought over on theboat from England by the Pilgrims in the early days of our country. It is pretty as a flower in a glass vase inside, but the true purpose for the early settlers was that it was a quick source for food. When scratching the root with your fingernail, the strong scent of wild carrot comes forth. Though the root was very fibrous and tough to consume, the section above the root was the part mostly used. 

 ~History~ 

 History of the area was a very rich subject in this part of the Illinois. Though Galena and the country was in a depression in the 1930s, the Mississippi Valley area was rich in lead, and the rich soil was perfect for farming. Many lessons were taught in Belden School about General Ulysses S. Grant, President Abraham Lincoln, and, of course, George Washington. The history of this beautifully unglaciated area compares to none and the untold stories were abundant! 

  ~Grammar~ 

Student will study grammar before the end of the forenoon. According to the Graded Literature Readers Third Book, grammar is taught through certain essentials of good oral reading and that is divided into three groups: First group’s essentials were "... an agreeable voice and clear articulation may be cultivated," and secondly, ... "correct inflection and emphasis will appeal when a child fully understands what they read and they will lose their selfconsciousness", and lastly, "proper pronunciation by association or direct teaching" was essential. Clear articulation requires that each syllable be "uttered accurately" and frequentdrill on pronunciation of new words be practiced. Attention "should be called to the omission of unaccented syllable in such words as history (not histry), and  valuable (not valuble)." Vowel sounds should also be a focus. It was the duty of the teacher to make sure the students were interested in grammar through the stories presented in the text.  

                   -Merrill's Graded Literature Readers Third Book 

  "Students, we will begin grammar. As you know Thanksgiving is a wonderful Holiday that comes in November. It celebrates our first feast on American soil with the Indians. We will learn our grammar lessons today reciting the familiar verse Thanksgiving Day. Before we begin our verse, let us look at the words on the blackboard that are written in syllables. Copy on your slates the words that I have written on the blackboard and repeat each word after me. You may begin..."  

drift'-ed          dap'ple-gray         pud'ding         ex treme ly       sleigh           pump'kin 

 1. Over the river and through the wood, To grandfather's house we go; 

   The horse knows the way, To carry the sleigh 

   Through the white and drifted snow. 

 

2. Over the river and through the wood, Oh, 

    how the wind does blow! 

   It stings the toes,  And bites the nose, As over the ground we go. 

 

3. Over the river and through the wood, To have a first-rate play; 

   Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding!" 

   Hurray for Thanksgiving Day! 

 

4. Over the river and through the wood, Trot fast, my dapple-gray! 

    Spring over the ground, Like a hunting hound! 

   For this is Thanksgiving Day. 

 

5. Over the river and through the wood, And straight through the barn-yard gate. 

   We seem to go extremely slow -- It is so hard to wait! 

6. Over the river and through the wood -- Now grandmother's cap I spy! 

    Hurray for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hurrah for the pumpkin pie! 

 

                                                                                -Lydia Maria Child  

              Lunch by the creek or trees-  

A variety of foods were often put in the metal lunch boxes or pail. Once a child settled down on a log or on the soft grasses, the tin lunch box  or pail would hold surprises such as beef jerky, fresh or dried fruits, homemade bread and churned butter, jelly sandwiches, cakes, pickles or cheese. If it was cold out, hard boiled eggs would warm the child up, along with a hot potato in  their coats or mittens. Ginger ale, cider, grape juice, or root beer was often the  lunch beverage. Recess, again, consisted of the usual games, but an occasional game of leap frog might be added in the afternoon. The teacher might join in on the games with the students, or chat by the log while eating lunch, as well.

 

  Boys playing stickball by Belden School 

~Afternoon~ 

~Penmanship~ 

Use of the Palmer Method of 1910 had the students practicing the art of making ovals. This method moved your entire hand, not just your fingers, practicing ups and downs, and it is a uniform style of cursive, writing in a rhythmic motion. If the student is left handed, they were instructed to change to the right hand for penmanship. Though paper was at a premium in the day, the older  children could use available paper, while the younger children continued to use the slate. Younger children were not able to use the pens and ink wells until their handwriting was more developed as the pens would leave big blots. 

  
"Students, it is time for the class to practice your penmanship.  Please sit properly. Sit nice and straight and place your feet firmly on the floor. Those of you that are seated in the front (younger), please place your slates on an angle and begin with your right hand practicing ovals. Students in the back, please take care with your paper and place it on an angle, as well, and practice your ovals with your right hand. You may gently dip your pen in the ink well, taking caution with the amount of ink you extract. Do not allow for large blots on your paper. Let us not waste. Peter! Be mindful with your pen and ink. Please leave Katherine's braids alone." 

    

   




1930's Palmer Method Penmanship Handwriting 'Merit' Award Pin was given to the student who mastered the first twenty-five drills in The Palmer Method Manual.       

 Often ink was made from picked wild berries such as blueberries, or blackberries, adding a half of teaspoon of salt and vinegar of each added to  the mix. The teacher let it drain into a bowl and then placed in a jar with a lid. 

 ~Writing~  

 Teachers gave assignments or 'composition exercises' to two groups of children. The grades second and third were assigned a simpler composition, while the students in the upper grades were expected to write much more in detail, taking care to use proper form and not to misspell any words. In this time period, paper would have been given to the older students, but slates often were used for the younger children. 

  "Students, we will tend to our writing at this time in the afternoon. Please read the assignment on the blackboard (pointing to the older children in the back of the room). You will be writing a letter ordering a football for the boys and a volley ball for the girls of your room. The address is on the blackboard as G. A. Spaulding & Co., Chicago, Ill. Please use the proper form and do not misspell any of the words. You may begin. Students (asking the children of grades first, second, and third in the front rows), please come to my desk for your assignment. You will be using your slates." 

  Children come forward and the teacher gives their assignments and instructs that grade one watch the grades two and three model what they are about to do in writing. 

  "Students, you will write a letter to a friend. Perhaps you will want to tell him or her about the games you have been playing or something exciting that has happened. Maybe something on your farm has stirred a flurry of interest for you this past school year. Children, please have the younger ones sit by you so that they may watch your letter formation." 

  ~Recess~

  "Children, you have deserved another short recess to run outside as you wish. Please listen for the school bell and come in shortly. May I remind you to please stay out of the creek. The water is running high." 

Teacher will appear on the stone steps in front of Belden School, ringing the bell for the children to enter after a brief 10 minutes or so. Sometimes the children may play a quick game called Telegraph. The children would sit in a circle and a leader whispers a quote in the first child's ear and as the quote comes back around to the leader, the children will notice how the quote might have changed. 

~Elocution~

 The correct pronunciation of a word was indeed very important. Elocution was a way to practice tongue twisters one after the other. Write the following tongue twisters on the board, pointing to them as the students say them quickly. 

  "Students, we will now have choral reading. Please enunciate quickly,  following my lead,  as I point with the pointer the phrases on the blackboard." 

 A big black bug bit a big black bear and the big black bear bled blood. 

 

A skunk sat on a stump, the stump thunk the skunk stunk and the skunk thunk the stump stunk. 

 

Two tutors who tooted the flute tried to tutor tow tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutors, "Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?" 

~Physiology (Health) - (lessons from time to time) 

 Home credits were often given to those children who worked hard at home. There was the belief that school and home life were an integral part of a child's development, so it was encourage that students keep a record of home tasks. When a student earned 500 credits or so, a special diploma was issued to recognize their work. Some of those things were tied to the child's health such as 20 points for washing and ironing own clothes, bathing earned 6 points, brushing teeth earned 1 point, retiring before nine o'clock earned 1 point; inclusive was churning butter for 2 points to carrying wood in for one day for 4 points. The list was extensive, but the lesson did focus on health, as well as chores. 

~Spelling~ 

  One of the last subjects of the day to be taught was Spelling. Many of the lessons could have been exercises in Proper Names, derivatives (words built from other words), prefixes, suffixes and root words, to name a few. Today, we will begin with the younger students reviewing their vowels and pronunciation of their words and the older students will prepare for a "spelldown". 

  "Students, today we will have a "spelldown". Before we begin, however, grades first, second, and third will work on vowels. Student (pointing to the older children in the back), you will prepare for the spelldown of the words you have studied thus far.  
Will the grades first, second, and third approach my desk please? Do you remember the five vowels? Name them. Y is also a vowel when having a sound of i such as myth, and type. W is a vowel when following another vowel in the same syllable such as the word now. No word can be pronounced without a vowel. There is a sounded vowel in every syllable. Find and learn other words in which y or w occurs as a vowel."
 

  Students will work at their desks with their slates in hopes of finding other words in which y or w occurs as a vowel.  They may discover the  following words: 

                               style              syllable                shawl             crowd 

  

 "Students, I do believe it is time for the class to have their 'spelldown'."  

Students will put their slates away as it is almost the end of the day. Older students will prepare as they stand on the sides of the classroom by the windows, The younger children will watch. The younger students may be more than watching, however, as they've witnessed this game so many times. The lessons of spelling will stay with them when they become older! 

 

 Children often created the "Never Again List" suggested by their teacher.  Children were ashamed of their poor spelling and wished to improve.  There were many 'hard spots' in words that made them difficult to spell. They  also called them 'demons'. Each day a classmate would check each others spelling to make sure the 'demons' weren't present anymore.   The spelldown would continue for possible 15 minutes or so, allowing  only one trial or error. Students would sit down and add the misspelled word to  their “Never Again List”

.    

~Dismissal at 4:00 p.m. ~ 

  The end of the day has come. Peter, would you please use the drinking water from the spring to wash the blackboard? Thank you. Children, place your readers on the shelves in the back cupboard. William, could you take the coal bucket outside? Mary, please check to see that the floors are kept. The broom is in the cloak room. Don't forget your tin lunch pails and coats. I will see you tomorrow. Please take care to head home to do your chores. Don't dawdle and keep to the road if you can. Oh, and Jacob, please tend to your horse tomorrow in a better manner. The animal needs more lead to be tied up properly.