CHILDRES OF THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 8

CHILDRES OF THE EMPIRE.

_ A Canadian forest with wild beasts creep* ing about, Indian • wigwams, Kaffir kraals, pyramids standing on tiptoe .to gaze across the desert at a lovely camel several sizes too large for them, little South Sea Islanders surf-riding, an English farmhouse with duckEond.and all complete, 'an ancient Hindu o.use, and many other big things reproduced on are some of the object lessons devised by the Thorndon Normal School to give their little pupils a faint idea of the sizo and. the variety, of the British Empire. '■•■•. •■lf one comes to think of it the Empire, seen through a child's eyes, must bo very like a fairyland,' without any divisions of time or 1 space that are worth considering— just a glorious jumble of wonders, and il* is with the hopo of sorting out their ideas of the different huge dependencies'which make up our; Empire that tho students at the school have worked 1 very hard during the last week, preparing elaborate object lessons. Tho olackboards round the classrooms are covered with drawings in coloured chalk, of homes and people arid animals and products of the-different lands, and sand tables, cleverly contrived, have provided the best lessons or all. Africa has a room to itself with a beautiful sand desert,- decorated with one'-or two lonely palms, and prowling lions, zobra and giraffe, while; another table shows a Kaffir' kraal with real mud huts. Canada has a fine representation of a homestead with pino' trees all about and salt scattered for snow, and, close by, a forest of fir where little toy beasts skulk—fascinating things for a child 1 to look at. India has a junglo of withered, grass, and still more lordly beasts, and an old Indian village, with house built on piles. The children will bo taken from one room to another and shown everything in detail. Yesterday some of them were asked to come in character, and prizes woro offered for the best costume. There were little Maoris, several little negroes, a Parseo family, and people of other nationalities, and the children wore tnado to salute in character. They •thought it great fun. Only tho simplest lessons aro given to tho tiny children, but theso are altered with tho standards, till the older children are told about tho Empire's heroes, and talked to about tho ■'responsibilities or Empire. Down in quite - " young classes the children havo been 'asked to bring specimens of products of tho Empire, and somo of them have taken _ infinite pains to . prepare neat little collections of things animal; vcgetablo, and mineral. Tho fact that rico, sugar, sagoj and other pantry treasures aro, grown within tho Empire's borders was impressed on everyone, but somo quito out-of-the-way thingß woro unearthed. / There is no doubt that, during this Empire week, _ tho children will learn a great deal that is very practical and stimulating to their imaginations. ■