APPENDIX V.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ORAL LESSONS

LESSON I

Teacher (holding up any object, as a pen, a book, a pencil, etc., sa that it may be seen by the pupils). What is the name of this object? What is the name of this? Of this? Of this?

Pupils (successively). Book. Slate. Pencil. Pen.

T. (Writing the names upon the blackboard, or requiring the pupils to write them.) Now read the names of the objects. P. Book. Slate. Pencil.

T. What are these words?

P. The names of things.

Pen.

T. Can we talk of things without knowing their names?
P. We cannot.

T. You see then how necessary it is that everything should have

a name, and that we should have a correct knowledge of the names of things.

Now you may write the following:

1. Five names of parts of your body.

2. Five names of parts of the chair.

3. Five names of things which you have seen.

4. Five names of flowers.

5. Five names of fruit.

6. Five names of places.

7. Five names of persons.

[Require the pupils in writing these names to commence each with a capital, and place a period after each word. Everything should be done with care and accuracy.]

LESSON II.

Teacher (holding up a book). What is the name of this?
Pupils. Book.

T. Can you say something about this book?

P.

The book is new. The book is green. The
The book has leaves, etc., etc.

book has covers.

[In the same manner let the pupil say or write something about other things the names of which have been mentioned in Lesson I. In writing these statements care should be taken that they are correct as to capitals, spelling, and punctuation.]

The teacher now writes on the blackboard:

The birds is pretty.

was going home.

T.

Bees makes honey. My pen are bad. We

Read what I have written on the blackboard, and tell me what you think of it.

P. It is wrong.

T. Tell me what is wrong.

The pupils mention what is wrong in each statement, and correct it.

T. Now you may write on your slates these statements as you have corrected them.

T. Can you tell me why it is wrong to say, The birds is pretty, -why it should be, The birds are pretty?

T. That is true, children. You do not know this yet. Do you know what you must study to learn this?

LESSON III.

Teacher writes on tne blackboard,

Birds fly.

T. Read what is written on the blackboard.

Now, when you say, Birds fly, of what do you speak i

T. Writes on the blackboard, Bees make honey.

What is spoken of here?

T. Writes on the blackboard the following, or similar sentences:- William plays. John studies. Mary sews. Bears grinol Bees sting. Boys run.

Tell me what are spoken of in these statements, and I will write nem, one under the other, on the blackboard.

Now tell me what is said of each, and I will write it by he side of the other on the blackboard.

[This exercise should be continued sufficiently long to impress the distinction designed to be taught clearly on the minds of the pupils. They should also be required to give such expressions, and separate them as above. It will be observed that the term sentence is not yet employed.]

T. Whatever is spoken of is called the subject.
Whatever is said of the subject is called the predicate.
Now write predicates for the following subjects:-
Trees. Flowers. Apples. Oranges. Henry. Sarah.

P. There is no predicate

T. Is the sense complete in this:-Runs.

P. No; because there is no subject.

T. Is the sense complete in these words, On the table.
P. No.

T. Why not?

P. Because there is neither subject nor predicate.

T. Whenever words make complete sense they form what is called a sentence.

Define a sentence. [Text, page 43.]

T. Find the subject and the predicate in each of the following:

Boys run. Do boys run? Boys, run.

T. Is the subject the same in each, then?

Is the predicate the same in each ?

How do they differ, then?

P. The first affirms; the second asks a question; the third commands.

[These answers will readily be obtained from the pupils by a little skill on the part of the teacher; and nothing should be told the pupils which they may be made to diacover themselves.]

T. Then you can join the same subject and predicate together so as to make different kinds of sentences, introducing a small word occasionally, such as do or does, which does not essentially vary the meaning.

Make questions from the sentences given in Lesson III.
Make commands from the same or similar sentences.

T. What name is given to each of these kinds of sentences? [See text, page 54.]

LESSON V.

T. The names of persons, places, and things are called nouns. What is a noun ? [Text, page 42.]

T. Must the subject of a sentence be a noun ?

[This may be considered a thought-question. Let, therefore, the pupils have time to consider it, and the exercise should be varied to suit the answers elicited.]

P. It must be a noun or something used for it.

T. Give an example of each.

P. John runs. He runs.

T. What word is used for a noun in these sentences?

T. Give other examples of sentences containing words used for nouns.

T. Such words are called pronouns. Pro means for.

What is a pronoun? [See text, page 42.]

Write a list of all the pronouns you can think of.

Teacher writes on the blackboard:

John gave John's book to John's brother William.

Are there any pronouns in this sentence?

P. No.

T. Can you use pronouns for any of the nouns!
P.

Yes.

T. Read [or write] the sentence with as many pronouns as can be used.

P. John gave his book to his brother William.