Excerpt from Morton's Elementary Geography Geography naturally resolves itself into a description of that part of the earth's surface which is within one's field of observation and of that part which is beyond the home surroundings. The child should begin to study geography as soon as he is old enough to notice to any extent the objects about him. The instruction at first must of necessity be entirely oral. It should gradually enlarge the pupil's mental horizon and lead to conceptions of things far away. The oral work should be continued until the child is prepared to consider the earth as a unit. At this stage of progress a primary book may be placed in his hands. Each lesson, however, should be preceded by oral explanations. The language of the book should be Simple, concise, and accurate. It should begin with and constantly refer to the child's experience and environment. It Should introduce, naturally and in logical order, the various topics pertaining to the earth as a whole. It Should recognize the fact that the relation of the part to the whole is an elementary principle. When the earth is first considered part by part, the parts are with great difficulty, if ever, put into a harmonious whole. While it is true that the immense Size of the earth, its movements, and their relation to' other phenomena, are facts pertaining to a phase of geography which cannot be fully grasped by. Immature minds, yet distinct ideas of the elements which together form the world may be early imparted. It is impossible for children to study their own country intelligently as a whole, or in sections, Without this preparatory world study. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.