3. Conversion of foreign weights and measures

to the national system.

Knowledge of the old systems of measures still used in Mexico and
their equivalencies with those in present use.
The most usual money-
changing operations.

4. Precise knowledge of the powers of numbers: square and cube. Extraction
of square root.

5. The use of multiplication tables and tables of equivalencies.

6. Measurement of angles. Calculation of plane surfaces, including the circle. Finding areas and volumes of the most common geometric bodies, including pyramids, truncated cones, and the sphere.

II. SKILLS

1. Upon completing the sixth grade, students should have learned to prepare
their assignments in the arithmetic manual and to consult mathematics
books for solving problems presented to them from real life situations.
2. Carry out accurately and rapidly the following calculations:

(a) The 4 fundamental operations, using whole numbers, common
fractions, and decimal fractions. Mastery of the most frequent
abbreviations used in calculating.

(b) Change common fractions to decimal fractions and vice versa.
(c) Change from the metric system and the Mexican monetary system
to foreign measures and coin denominations in use in the
Republic.

3. Handle with ease the multiplication tables, tables of equivalence, and the
most common formulas used in calculating.

4. Handle with ease the geometric formulas most used in daily life.

5. Interpret or construct simple graphs of quantitative facts and phenomena and interpret and read construction drawings. Draw to scale simple plans and sketches.

6. Carry out calculations needed in daily living and establish the habit of proving the results.

7. Ability to analyze numbers and quantities.

Instruction in science is divided according to (1) man and the preservation of life, including study of the body and hygiene; and (2) man in relation to things, facts, and natural phenomena, including vegetable and animal life and meteorological and physical data. Elements of botany, zoology, physics, chemistry, and biology are introduced from the second grade on.

Geography gives general orientation in time, place, seasons, etc., in the first grade followed by the geography of Mexico in the second, third, and fourth grades, geography of the American continent in the fifth grade, and world geography in the sixth. The study of history in the first and second grades starts with the meaning of the national flag and coat of arms, the life of the first inhabitants of Mexico, the story of the founding of Tenochtitlán, biographies of Indian heroes, and the significance of national holidays. The third grade learns some local history

and takes up the discovery of America and the Spanish conquest. Colonial life and the period of independence up to 1917 are covered in the fourth grade. The fifth and sixth grades review the pre-Colombian era and the conquest and begin a comprehensive view of the modern world, extending their study to important historical events in Europe and the other American nations.

The program in civics is planned about the conduct of the child in the home, the school, and the community, and his relations to the family, school companions, public services, and local and Federal Governments. The fourth grade learns about the individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution and how the Government functions. In the third cycle the new material centers on Article 123 of the Constitution, which sets forth the laws relating to labor. Throughout each year emphasis is placed on the development of habits of industry, punctuality, cooperation, responsibility, courtesy, and other characteristics of good citizenship. Patriotic themes and observances of special days are used to instill a love of country. Along with great national figures like Miguel Hidalgo, José María Morelos, Benito Juárez, Francisco I. Madero, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and others, the children study the biographies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Simón Bolívar, Antonio José de Sucre, José de San Martín, and other outstanding heroes of American independence.

Drawing occupies a prominent place in the school program both as an aid to learning in other subjects and as a means of self-expression and development of the child's capacity to observe and appreciate form, proportion, and color harmony. Music and singing also contribute a great deal to the life of the school and afford enjoyment along with training in rhythm, esthetic taste, and ability to read music and sing or play simple compositions.

The manual arts activities are chosen by the boys with the guidance of the teacher, who considers the aptitude of the student along with the resources of the community and the equipment of the school. The following are among the possibilities:

The objectives of the manual arts program are (1) to encourage manual work as a means of learning; (2) to exercise the functions and skills that

work demands; (3) to channel the excess and spontaneous energies of the child; (4) to establish habits of order, precision, and attention; (5) to develop sensory and motor coordination; (6) to awaken interest and encourage observations useful in other studies; and (7) to develop a liking for manual activity and provide vocational orientation.

The classes in home economics for girls are intended to provide the most necessary knowledge of home management so that those who receive no further schooling will not have to learn entirely by experience how to plan meals, do the marketing, cook, sew, care for children, attend the sick, and solve household economic problems. The first- and second-grade girls learn by playing house, making doll clothes, preparing juices and salads for refreshments, and arranging seeds and foods according to basic classifications. In the third and fourth grades they prepare soups and roasts, cook vegetables, wash dishes, embroider table cloths, care for a child under 1 year of age, follow directions for giving medicines, and learn the dangers of relying on home remedies. In the fifth and sixth grades they bake, make simple desserts, prepare chocolate and coffee, and finally serve a complete meal. They knit sweaters and socks; make clothes for a child of 2; begin to use the sewing machine, wash, mend, dye, and iron various types of garments; embroider a bedspread; learn how to bathe and dress an infant; practice first aid; and make budgets for food, clothing, recreation, school supplies, and savings.

Physical education in the first cycle begins with marches, dancing, free play, trips, and excursions, fiestas, and games involving imitation, rhythm, and singing. In the second cycle these activities are continued and gym

nastic drills and sports are begun. In the third cycle military drills are added and students participate in interscholastic games of volleyball, basketball, and softball.

The urban schools for the most part maintain the full offering of three cycles of studies, but in the rural areas many schools have only four grades or fewer. Those which have all six grades are often designated as model schools or centros escolares, serving as a pattern for others in the area. The Escuela Chapultepec, for example, is a model school for elementary education in the Lomas de Chapultepec in the capital. It is attended by 475 children under the guidance of 10 teachers-6 women and 4 men. Rich and poor study there without distinction of economic or social class, children of high officials and outstanding businessmen with children of manual laborers. The building is modern, with 12 well-ventilated classrooms. Behind a beautiful garden on the lower floor are three wide patios used for playgrounds and special programs. The classrooms are well equipped and all is order and cleanliness. The dining room accomodates 100 children and is comfortable, spacious, and light. At 7 o'clock each morning breakfast is served to 70 children. Those who can do so pay 20 centavos, those who cannot pay receive the meal free. The breakfast consists of a quarter liter of milk, 2 sandwiches (one of ham and one of marmalade), a fruit in season, and once a week a boiled egg. The school director, aided by the Parents' Association, gives the poorer children 2 or 3 pesos on Fridays to supplement their home diet over the weekend. On the upper floor of the building are several conference rooms, the library,

and the assembly room, where the director and staff meet once a week to study and discuss educational problems of the school. The active Parents' Association helps greatly in creating a civic spirit.

SCHOOL YEAR

The school year is 10 months in length and is regulated according to the climate, with one schedule, Type A, applying to the tierra templada and another, Type B, applying to the tierra caliente. Schools operating on the "A" calendar begin in February and end in November with vacation periods of 10 days in May, 10 days in September, and during the months of December and January. Those on the "B" calendar begin in September and end in June with vacation periods of 10 days for Christmas, 10 days for Easter, and during the months of July and August. The total number of school days per year is about 190. Some schools have tests scheduled every 3 months and others every 6 months. All of the primarias are required to observe the following special days with appropriate ceremonies. Classes are dismissed for the legal holidays (marked with an asterisk) and for Teacher's Day.

In addition to the observance of important dates in the civic life of the nation there are many special days of local or religious significance that influence the school activities. Every village celebrates the seasons, the new year, the patron saint, the carnival season, Easter, and Christmas, and many have festivals and ritual dances dating back to the pre-conquest period. In the State of Michoacán, for example, during the latter part