ships of man in the service of humanity. Because of this it is a needed foundation for the unraveling and the understanding of the story told in history. It is a value study and gives the child standards of value to measure the worth of the historic events as they are met. It enables history to assume larger significance than it otherwise could.

In like manner it is not civics, though civics may be articulated with it as a phase of social study. For illustration, botany is nature-study but the reverse is not true because the whole is greater than its part. Nature-study, proper, opens up all sections of concrete nature to view. It is the basis of all the sciences, physical, biological, and anthropological. The same is true of social study. It gets at all parts and phases of community life, not merely the political or governmental. There are five or six fundamental phases of social life, or we may call them interests, which are expressed in human institutions or organizations, namely, the means or instruments through which men operate to satisfy these various wants. Some of these important segments of society are domestic, political, economic, religious, aesthetic, cultural, and sociability or "social." Civics covers that small section included in the political. It gives but a fragmentary view of man in his social relations. Social study would therefore supplement this valuable study.

It would also be a foundation for civics. Civics takes up the somewhat specialized study of the functions in society of a section of society, as was just said. Social study would first establish the idea of a larger entity called society, its interdependent, organic, and co-operative nature; secondly, give the idea of the function or service of every person or organization as a part of society; third, give ideals of what society and community life should strive to be, what the individual should be, and what his attitude should be to make possible the realization of progress and betterment. As Professor Small says of sociology:

Sociology declares that every thing which every man does is connected with every thing which every other man does. Before it is possible to learn this truth except by rote, we must get acquainted with a great number of facts which exhibit the principle. We must learn to see how one act affects another in our own lives; how one neighbor's conduct has to do with another neighbor's

comfort; how the things that we do depend on the things that others have done [A. W. Small, Introduction to Thurston, Economics and Industrial History, p. 13].

The following outline for a course in social study must be regarded as being only tentative in nature. It is intended to be a suggestion of what such a course might possibly be. No doubt if others were to undertake the task of formulating an outline, quite different results would ensue. Theoretically, a multitude of such courses might be formulated in which the contents would be somewhat different from course to course. But it is not so easily conceived that the principles involved in their organization could vary greatly. A thorough consideration and discussion of this particular outline would doubtless result in suggestions which would greatly improve and strengthen it.

A course of study of this nature is not entirely theoretical at the present time. At least one state in the Union is conducting an experiment in giving social instruction in its public schools. The essentials of this present social study course covering the first six years' work have been placed in the state course of study for the elementary schools in North Dakota. The experiment is in its second year and the writer of this article has gathered considerable information relative to its use and success. Since this topic is to be a matter of discussion in one of the sessions of the American Sociological Society meeting at Minneapolis in December, the data gathered will be reserved for that occasion. The bibliography which appears in connection with the various portions of the course is intended for the use of teachers. It is apparent that much of it is not adapted to their intelligence, or is inaccessible to them. The greatest difficulty is experienced in finding accessible and usable helps and readings in this line. Special effort will be required to develop it.

B. FIRST FOUR YEARS

In the first four years of school life the child is at the beginning of the larger conception of the world, the idea that there is a larger world of activity than he has enjoyed in the home. The child of six must have played with other children to a degree and discovered that similarities and differences exist between himself

and others. He has found satisfaction in the presence of other children and in carrying on activities with them. Now he is to carry this farther and to gain a larger insight into his powers of enjoyment and action and of pleasure which comes through closer concord and identification of interest. The object of social study in this period is not to get the child to build up and formulate a doctrine of social life or of social give-and-take, but to establish such conditions that the advantages of co-operative action and of mutual usefulness may be recognized.

FIRST YEAR

Expression of the associational sense and the beginnings of converted volition should be accomplished in this year. In so far as the children have attended kindergarten previous to this year, these preparatory steps have been made in a measure. In most cases this privilege is denied. The most natural and obvious means of accomplishing the object mentioned are play and games. Games of the simple sort are especially adapted to put into effect a germinal organization in which a common aim is set up and each participant has a part which makes or mars the success of the whole enterprise. Hence the child discovers that he must control himself and his bodily members in order to play successfully, his disposition is improved, he gains some understanding of human nature, picks up some technique of plans of procedure, may develop some initiative and leadership and some idea of group zeal, loyalty, and devotion. It is perhaps possible in this first year that the intelligent teacher may lead the children to discover the facts of interdependence and co-operation as facts.

It is assumed that play in the succeeding years will be used to further develop the social sense and associational ability. As this is an outline of social study the play phase will be dismissed.

The following suggestions of works helpful to teachers may be made:

Giddings, Inductive Sociology, Book II, Part II, chaps. iii and iv, shows the origin of the consciousness of kind and of concerted volition. Fundamental to give insight and understanding.

Johnson, Education by Play and Games (Ginn & Co.). Deals with nature of play and games, play ages, and lists and description of games for each play period.

Bancroft, Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium (Macmillan Co.). Gives repertoire of games and also social and pleasurable elements in them.

Heller, Mrs. H. H., The Playground as a Phase of Social Reform, Russell Sage Foundation, No. 31. Proceedings of the Third Annual Congress of the Playground Association of America, a very full outline of all phases of organized play.

Mangold, Child Problems, Book II, chaps. i and ii, on play and the playground

movement.

The Playground, November, 1912, "Rural Recreation."

Perry, Wider Use of the School Plant, chap. vi, "School Playgrounds." Mero, E. B., American Playgrounds, etc. (American Gymnasia Co., Boston, 1908).

SECOND YEAR

A Study of the Home Group

It is quite as obvious that the home group is the social group with which to begin to teach the facts of association as that play is the place of expression of the sense of association and the power to act in concert. It is the medium in which the child has developed thus far, and it enfolds him during the extra-school hours. Further it is the epitome of the larger world in its simpler terms and phases. The beginnings of the larger social life and institutions may be laid bare, such as the common welfare, need of co-operation and division of labor, mutual rights and obligations, law, government, culture, religion, and protection.

Common welfare. This is probably represented by the word "living" to the child, and may be brought into sight by questions as to what articles and material things are needed for the health, happiness, and support of the home, and as to what is most needed and what the family could get along without.

Co-operation and division of labor.-What does father, mother, sister, brother, hired help do to furnish the things and services needed to make the home? Suppose one should get sick or die or go away, what would happen? What article or service would be missing?

Mutual rights. How much belongs of food, clothing, heat, room, etc., to father, mother, brother, sister? May one eat all the butter or cake or pie and why? Should mother do all the washing, cooking, etc., if children are large enough to help her? Why? And so for each member of the family.

Law and government.-Are there any rules in the home? Who makes them? Who enforces them? Who decides if the offending member is guilty and what the penalty is? Are there any witnesses in trials? Who is the judge? Do all obey the same rules? May father come in with muddy feet if Johnny may not?

Culture. Is there a library? Books? Papers? What for? Does anyone talk, tell stories, teach any child? Why? Suppose no one talked or read in the home. Is there music? Pictures? Is not home a kind of school?

And so for religion and protection in the home.

Some helpful books on this year's work for giving suggestions of the function and importance of the family are these:

Small and Vincent, Introduction to Sociology, Sections 83-87 (American Book Co.).

Henderson, Social Elements (Scribner), chap. iv, "The Family."

Elwood, Sociology and Modern Social Problems (American Book Co.), 2d ed., chap. iii.

Sealey, The Sociology of the Family (Macmillan).

Gillette, The Family and Society (McClurg, 1913), chap. i.

Cooley, Social Organization (Scribner, 1909), Part I, chap. iii, "Primary Europe."

THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS

A logical advance over the work of the second year is the study of the neighborhood. This should be expansive and suggestive as in the case of the family. Ideas of relationship should develop without dogmatic teachings. The essential ideas obtained through a study of the domestic group may be discerned in the next larger and more complex group, the neighborhood. Questions should be asked to bring out the nature, location, means of carrying on, the purpose, and authorization of the work of the various kinds of workers of the community. Further questions elicit information as to the mutuality of the work done by each, whose needs are fulfilled by it, whether those of the worker, the employer, the neighborhood group, or larger society, or all.

Compensation for service in various ways and the exchange of products and services may also receive interrogations.

The average rural community furnishes the following workers or functionaries who may be the object of the questions: farmer,