Chapter VII: Section IV: Suggestive Teaching Methods in Art Related to the Home (1)

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The test of a real product of learning is this: First, its
permanency; and second, its habitual use in the ordinary activities
of life.--Morrison.

CREATING INTEREST

There is a general conception that art is naturally interesting to everyone. Accepting this as true, a specific interest must be developed from this natural interest for the most effective courses in art training. Whitford[15] says:

Little can be accomplished in general education, and practically
nothing can be done in art education, unless interest and enthusiasm
are awakened in the student. The awakening of interest constitutes
one of the first steps in the development of a pupil's natural
talents.

Some teachers, in attempting to awaken or to hold the interest of girls in related art courses, have started with art laboratory problems which involve considerable manipulation of materials. A certain type of interest may be so aroused, for pupils are always interested in the manipulative processes involved in producing articles and even more in the possession of the completed products, but it may be only a temporary appeal rather than an interest in the larger relation of art to everyday living. While it is true that manipulative problems do contribute to the development of greater confidence and initiative and therefore have their place in an art course, yet the successful completion of most products requires greater creative and judgment abilities than pupils will have acquired early in the course. It is then a questionable use of laboratory problems to depend upon them for awakening the specific interest in art.

Initial interest of students may be stimulated through directed observation of the many things about them which are good in color and design or by discussion of problems which are very pertinent to girls' art needs or desires.[16] However, conscious effort on the part of the teacher is necessary to "open the windows of the world," if pupils are to develop real interest and experience such enjoyment from the beauty which surrounds them that an ideal of attaining beauty in dress and home is established. A definite plan is necessary for stimulating this interest which is said to be possessed by all. Without an interest that will continue to grow from day to day it is difficult to develop the necessary judgment abilities for solving everyday problems in selection and arrangement.

Professor Lancelot[17] suggests the following procedure as the initial steps in the building of permanent interests:

1. Early in the course endeavor through general class discussions,
rather than by mere telling, to lead the students to see clearly
just how the subject which they are taking up may be expected to
prove useful to them in later life and how great its actual value
to them will probably be.

2. At the same time attempt to establish clearly in their minds the
relationships that exist between the new subject, taken as a whole,
and any other branches of knowledge, or human activities, in which
they are already interested.

3. Specify and describe the new worthwhile powers and abilities which
are to be acquired from the course, endeavoring to create in the
students the strongest possible desire or "feeling of need" for them.

If this procedure is followed, in the field of art the teacher will refrain from merely telling pupils that art will be of great value to them later in life. On the other hand, in creating interest it is suggested that class discussion of general topics within the range of pupil experience and of obvious need be used to awaken an interest in the value of art in their own lives.

The teacher must be sure that the topics are of real interest to the pupils. For example, which of these questions would probably arouse the most animated discussion: "What is art?" or "Arnold Bennett says, 'The art of dressing ranks with that of painting. To dress well is an art and an extremely complicated and difficult art.' Do you agree with Arnold Bennett? Why?"

Other discussions may be started by asking questions such as the following:

1. Have you ever heard some one say, "Mary's new dress is lovely
but the color is not becoming to her"? Why do people ever choose
unbecoming colors? Would you like to be able to select colors
becoming to you? How can you insure success for yourself?

2. Movie corporations are spending great sums of money in an attempt
to produce pictures in color. Why do they feel justified in making
such expenditures to introduce the single new quality of color?

3. Do you like this scarf? This cushion? This picture? Why? Why not?
Why is there some disagreement? To what extent can our likes guide
our choices?

4. The class may be asked to choose from a number of vases, lamp
shades, table covers, or candles those which they think are most
beautiful. The question may then be asked, "Would you like to find
out what makes some articles more beautiful than others?"

5. Where in nature are the brightest spots of color found? Have you
ever seen combinations of color in nature that were not pleasing?
How may we make better use of nature's examples?

6. Why do girls and women prefer to go to the store to select dresses
or dress material? Hats? Coats? Can one always be sure of the most
becoming thing to buy even when shopping in person? What would be
helpful in making selections?

The classroom setting for the teaching of art plays a very important part in arousing interest. Attempting to awaken interest in art in a bare, unattractive room is even more futile than trying to create interest in better table service with no table appointments. In the first situation there is probably such a wide variation in the background and experience of the pupils and in their present ability to observe the beautiful things of their surroundings that it becomes increasingly important that the teacher provide an environment which is attractive and inviting. In the second situation the pupils have had experience with the essential equipment in their own homes and so can visualize to some extent the use of that equipment at the table. Bobbitt[18] says--

One needs to have his consciousness saturated by living for years
in the presence of art forms of good quality. The appreciations
will grow up unconsciously and inevitably; and they will be normal
and relatively unsophisticated. As a matter of fact, art to be most
enjoyed and to be most serviceable, should not be too conscious.

Schoolrooms in which pupils spend a large part of their waking hours should provide for the building of appreciation in this way, and it is especially true in the homemaking room. Some home economics teachers have cleverly planned for students to share in the responsibility of creating and maintaining an attractive classroom as a means of stimulating interest in art. It would be well for all home economics teachers to follow this practice.

In many economics laboratories there are several possible improvements that would make better environment for art teaching. Suggestions for such improvements include:

1. More color in the room through the use of flowers, colorful pottery,
colored candles, and pictures, featuring arrangements that could be
duplicated in the home.

2. More emphasis upon structural lines--

_a._ Pictures that are grouped and hung correctly.
_b._ Attractive arrangement of a teacher's desk.
_c._ Arrangement of the furniture so that the groupings are well
balanced and the wall spaces are nicely proportioned.
_d._ Good arrangement of materials on bulletin board.

3. More attention to orderliness--

_a._ When class is not working, orderliness in window-shade
arrangement.
_b._ Elimination of unnecessary objects and furnishings to avoid
cluttered appearance.
_c._ Tops of cases and cupboards or open shelves cleared.

There are few seasons in the year when the teacher can not introduce interesting shapes and notes of color through products of nature. The fall brings the colored leaves and bright berries which last through the winter. Bulbs may be started in late winter for early spring, and certain plants can be kept successfully throughout the year. With such interesting possibilities for using natural flowers, berries, and grasses, why would a teacher resort to the use of artificial flowers or painted grasses?

Morgan[19] pertinently discusses the artificial versus the real:

Some say "What about painted weeds and grasses?" No; that is mockery.
It doesn't seem fair to paint them with colors that were not theirs
in life. One can almost fancy hearing the dead grasses crying out,
"Don't smear us up and then display us like mummies in a museum."
Remember, a true artist, one who truly loves beauty, despises
imitation or deceit.

There are several interesting possibilities for home table centerpieces to be used during the winter months when flowers are not available. Grapefruit seeds or parsley planted in nice-shaped, low bowls grow to make attractive-shaped foliage for the table. A sweetpotato left half covered with water in a low bowl sprouted and made the graceful arrangement of pretty foliage pictured in Figure 7, page 29.

Pupils are more apt to provide such plants in their homes if they see examples of the real centerpieces at school. It is, therefore, worth while for a teacher to direct a class in starting and caring for one or more types of them.

In one State a definite effort is made in planning home-economics departments to have the dining room open directly into corridors through which most of the pupils of the entire school pass at some time during the day. See figure 8, page 30.

This arrangement permits pupils to observe attractive as well as suitable arrangements of the dining room furnishings, and especially of the table. Such a plan should be effective in establishing ideals of what is good and in raising standards in the homes of boys as well as of girls in the community.

A further contributing essential to stimulating interest in art is a teacher who exemplifies in her appearance the art she is teaching. It is said that sometimes our most successful teaching is done at a time when the teacher is least conscious of it. The teacher of an art class who appears in an ensemble of clothing which is unsuited to the occasion and in which the various parts are not in harmony with each other from the standpoint of color, of texture, or of decoration loses sight of one of her finest opportunities for influencing art practices of pupils and developing good taste in them.

There is no more applicable situation for the old adage, "Practice what you preach," than in the teaching of art. One teacher was conducting a discussion on the choice of bowls and vases for flowers as a part of flower arrangement while behind her on the desk was a bottle into which a bunch of flowers had been jammed. Contrast this with the situation in which the teacher had worked out the arrangement of wild flowers and grasses as shown in Figure 1.

DISCUSSION OF METHOD IN THE TEACHING OF ART

In discussing the best methods of teaching art, Whitford[20] says:

As a practical subject art education calls for no exceptional
treatment in regard to methods of instruction. The instruction
should conform to those general educational principles that have
been found to hold good in the teaching of other subjects. Without
such conformity the best results can not be hoped for.

It is anticipated that through the course in related art pupils will have gained an ability to choose more suitably those materials and articles of wearing apparel and of home furnishing which involve color and design. It is through understanding certain fundamental principles of art and using them that the everyday art problems can be more adequately solved. The teacher is confronted with the question as to how to develop most successfully this understanding and ability. Shall she proceed from the stated principles to their application in solving problems or shall she start with the problems and so direct their solution that the important principles and generalizations are derived in the process. The present trend in education is toward the second procedure and in keeping with this trend, the elaboration of method in this section is confined to the so-called problem-solving method. When pupils have an opportunity to formulate their own conclusions in solving problems and through the solution of many problems having an identical element find a generalization or principle that serves as a guide in other procedures, experience seems to indicate that they get not only a clearer conception of the principle but are able also to make greater subsequent use of it.

In their everyday experiences pupils are continually faced with the necessity for making selections, combinations, and arrangements which will be satisfying from the standpoint of color and design. Before they can select wisely they need some standards upon which to base their judgments and by which they can justify their decisions. Before they can make satisfying arrangements and combinations of material they need judgment skill in determining what to do. They also need principles or standards by which they can determine how to proceed. Finally, they need opportunity for practice so that they may become adept in assembling articles and materials into pleasing and harmonious groupings and arrangements.

The more experience pupils have in confronting and solving true-to-life problems under the guidance of the teacher, the greater is the probability that they will have acquired habits of thinking that will enable them to solve successfully the many problems that they are continually forced to meet in life.

It might be well to inquire at this point the meaning of the word problem as used in this bulletin. According to Strebel and Morehart[21]--

Probably there is no better definition of a problem than the
condition which is spoken of by Doctor Kilpatrick as a "balked
activity." This idea is general enough to include all sorts and
phases of problems, practical and speculative, simple and difficult,
natural and artificial, final and preliminary, empirical and
scientific, and those of skill and information. It covers the
conditions which exist when one does not know what to do either
in whole or in part, and when one knows what to do but not how to
do it, and when one knows what to do and how to do it but for lack
of skill can not do it.

In teaching by the problem-solving method Professor Lancelot[22] makes use of three types of problems.

Through the first type, known as the _inductive problem_, the pupil is to determine certain causes or effects in the given situation. In determining these causes and effects, various details of information are needed but these do not remain as isolated and unrelated items. Out of the several facts is evolved a general law, a truth, or a principle. For example, in developing pupil ability to understand and use the underlying principle of emphasis, the teacher may make use of such questions as:

Have you ever tried to watch a three-ring circus? Pupils are
given an opportunity to relate their experiences.

Have you ever seen a store window that reminded you of a circus?
In which of the store windows on Center Street do you think the
merchant has displayed his merchandise to the greatest advantage?
Why?

From a discussion of such questions as these the teacher can lead the pupil to realize the desirability of avoiding confusion in combining and arranging articles used together and to understand at least one way of producing the desired effect.

The next type is the _judgment or reasoning problem_, which offers two or more possible solutions. In certain subjects as mathematics in which there is but one correct answer, the reasoning problem is used. In other subjects in which, in the light of existing conditions, there is a best answer, the judgment problem is used. This best answer or final choice is determined upon the basis of the law or principle established through the inductive problems. Few subjects are more concerned with the making of choices than art. For this reason, judgment problems play an important part in an art training which is to function in the daily lives of pupils. As soon as a principle has been tentatively established, it is desirable to give the pupils an opportunity to recognize the use of the principle in several similar situations and to use it as a basis for making selections. For example, following the establishment of the principle of emphasis, the teacher may ask the pupils:

Will each of you select from these magazines an advertisement
in which your attention was immediately attracted to the article
for sale? Be ready to tell the class why you were attracted to
this piece of merchandise.

The third and final type is the _creative problem_, which makes use of the truth or principle discovered in the inductive problems, so that the pupil is encouraged to do some creative thinking by using the principle as the basis for determining procedure to follow in a new situation. Since everyday living is full of opportunities for making choices and combinations, it is essential that both judgment and creative problems be included in practical art training. For example, to teach the use of the creative problem in the study of emphasis the instructor may say to a pupil:

Choose a partner with whom to work. From the materials I am
providing make an attractive table arrangement for a living room,
and then choose a large piece of wallpaper or a textile that
would make a good background for it.

Lamps, candles, candlesticks, flowers, pottery, and books will be provided for this activity, as well as the textiles and the wallpaper.

Professor Lancelot[23] sets up five standards for determining what are good problems. They must, he says, be--

1. Based on true-to-life situations.
2. Interesting or connected with things of interest.
3. Clearly and definitely stated.
4. Neither too difficult nor too easy.
5. Call for thinking of superior ability.

In addition, there are four other factors to be considered in the planning of a successful problem series;

1. Each problem should score high according to the above standards.

2. The usual sequence is in the order already given--inductive,
judgment, and creative. Since the creative problems call for the
highest type of thinking and are the most difficult, the natural
place for them is at the end of the problem series. At that point
the pupils should have sufficient information and judgment ability
to enable them to solve the most difficult problem quite readily.
Introducing the difficult problem too soon may discourage the
pupil and lessen interest in the course as a whole. Some creative
problems involve fewer art principles than others. For example,
the spacing of a name on a place card is much simpler than the
hanging of a picture in a given space. In art it is desirable to
use simple creative problems as they fit naturally into the problem
series. (See pp. 38-39.)

3. As the problem series develops, there should be an increase in the
difficulty of the problems. It is obvious that the simpler problems
are to be used at the first of the series. To develop judgment to
a desirable extent, the later choices will be determined from an
increasing number of similar situations and from situations in
which the degree of difference decreases as the problem series
progresses.

4. Each problem series should involve as many types of life situations
as possible. For example, applications of art are needed in the
various phases of homemaking. (See Section III, pp. 18-21.) For that
reason it is very desirable to select problems in each series from
as many of these phases as possible. By this means the pupils are
better able to cope with their own problems in which a fundamental
art truth, or principle is the basis for adequate solution.

The following detailed procedure is presented as an illustration of the way in which an art principle may be developed through a problem series. It may appear to be unnecessarily detailed and to require more time than the average teacher would have for planning. However, part of material here given consists of probable pupil replies and a description of the illustrative materials that are to be used.

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE FOR DEVELOPING AN ABILITY TO USE A PRINCIPLE OF PROPORTION FOR ATTAINING BEAUTY

An effort is here made to present the details of a teaching plan by which a principle of proportion may be developed by the pupils. This plan is spoken of as a lesson, but not in the sense that it is to be accomplished in a limited amount of time, such as one class period. The term _lesson_ is used to designate the _entire procedure_ from the introductory problem to the point where the pupils have developed the ability to use the principle of proportion. It will be possible to make more rapid progress with some classes than with others and in some class periods than in others. It is suggested that the teacher endeavor to evaluate the class time and plan so that the end of the period comes not as an interruption but as a challenge to further interest, observation, and efforts.

The lesson suggested below should take not more than three of the short class periods of 40 to 45 minutes. If too much time is spent on one series there may be a lessening of interest because of seeming repetition. On the other hand, if sufficient applications and problems are not used after the principle is established, there is danger that the pupils will not be able to use it in solving other daily problems.

Further suggestions for problems, illustrative materials, and assignments may be found on page 40.

SUGGESTED PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PROPORTION AND ITS USE

_General objective._--To develop ability to--

Select articles which are pleasing because of good proportions.
Adapt and make pleasing proportions as needed.

_Specific objective._--To develop ability to--

Divide a space so the resulting parts are pleasing in their
relationship to each other and to the whole.

Assume that the group to be taught is a ninth-grade class in art related to the home. Very few members of the class have had any previous art training and such training has consisted of some drawing and water-color work in the lower grades. Previous to this lesson, it is assumed that the teacher has developed the pupils' interest in the beauty to be seen and enjoyed in the everyday surroundings of their community, and has developed pupil ability to understand and to use a principle of proportion, namely, that _a shape is most pleasing when one side is about one and one-half times as long as the other_.

The establishment of the above principle has probably given the class an opportunity to read of the Golden Oblong or the Greek Law of proportion in an art reference such as Goldstein's Art in Everyday Life. This will have served to further establish a feeling for interesting shape relationships and also will have made the pupils familiar with the term "proportion." The class may or may not have developed an ability to recognize and use the principles of balance.

=Details of Lesson Procedure=

[Sidenote: Problems and questions to introduce the principle needed to solve this and many similar problems]

The first-aid room in the school is very bare and cheerless. Miss M., the school nurse, and Mr. B., the superintendent, have decided that some thin ruffled curtains at the two windows will soften the light and make the room more homelike. Miss M. has purchased some ready-made curtains and has asked if the class would like to determine the best way to arrange the tie backs. "How many of you think that this is an art problem? Will it be helpful to us to know how to divide a window space with curtains? Tie-back, ruffled curtains have been very much in vogue for some time. The models in the drapery departments and the illustrated advertisements show a variety of methods to use. Since there is so much variation, how can we be sure that curtains are tied back in the most attractive way possible?"

[Sidenote: Use of illustrative materials]

The curtains have been hung at the two windows in the first-aid room. At one window the curtains are not tied back and come to the bottom of the casing, at the other one they are arranged in two other ways designated as A and B. By the A method the curtain is tied back exactly in half; by the B method it is tied back between one-half and two-thirds of the length. The initial question would probably be: "Which of these two arrangements, A and B, do you think contributes most to the appearance of the window?"

[Sidenote: Class discussion]

Some of the class will undoubtedly choose A. Their reasons for this choice may be as follows:

1. The uncurtained window space is more or less diamond shaped.

2. The four sections of the curtains are almost exactly alike.

Others will choose B, and give such reasons as follows:

1. The window space is less noticeable.

2. There is more variety in the curtains.

3. It is more interesting if the eye can travel down the longer part
of the curtain and then come to rest at the part tied back.

These reasons will probably lead the majority of the class to decide that B is more desirable than A.

At this time another arrangement designated as C may be introduced. For this, one curtain at the second window may now be tied back so near the sill that the two parts do not seem to be related. One designated as D may also be introduced, in which the arrangement is exactly like that of B, except that the curtains are tied back above the center instead of below.

A summary of the points which may be brought out by the class on each arrangement of curtains follows:

[Sidenote: Summary of class discussion]

A, in which the curtains are divided exactly in half, is not interesting for a very long time because--

1. The divisions on each side as well as above and below the tie backs
are all alike.

2. It leaves too much of the window exposed.

3. The window space exposed does not follow the lines of the window.

4. The arrangement becomes tiresome the longer one looks at it.

5. One's curiosity is quickly satisfied when it is obvious that the two
areas are exactly alike.

B, in which the curtains are tied back between one-half and two-thirds of the length and below the center continues to be interesting because--

1. The two sides are alike, but the top half is not exactly like the
bottom half. This variation makes it more pleasing.

2. Although the top half of each side is larger than the bottom half,
it does not look top-heavy because the tying back of the curtain
gives a place for the eye to rest. It holds the same amount of
attention as the long length of curtain above it.

C, in which the tie backs are placed at a point below three-quarters the length of the curtain, is not interesting for any length of time because--

1. The eye travels very far down the length of the window, then is
suddenly interrupted by the tie back.

2. This arrangement is top-heavy.

3. The window space is not pleasing.

D is exactly the reverse of B, so it is equally interesting.

[Sidenote: Further use of illustrative material]

"Suppose we now look at these curtained windows from the outside. Do you think that the arrangements which we decided are most pleasing from the inside are equally pleasing from the outside?"

After examining the arrangements of curtains at the windows the pupils may be led to decide that B and D continue to be the most pleasing. "Since we are now agreed that in B and D the tie-backs divide the curtains so that the spaces are most pleasing, would you like to determine just where the division comes in each of the curtains?" Some of the members of the class will be eager to take the measurements and report on them. They will find that in--

[Sidenote: Class determines best division of space]

A the division is exactly in the center of the length.

B the division comes at a point between one-half and two-thirds
of the length.

C the division comes at a point more than three-quarters of the
length.

D the division comes at a point between one-half and two-thirds
of the length.

At this point it will be well to direct the attention of the class to the possibility of space division in other places. "Do you think that there are spaces, other than windows, which could be satisfactorily divided according to the same measurements?" Members of the class may suggest panels in doors, divisions in dress, and the like.

"Marie is making a plain one-piece dress. The narrow belt is to be of the same material. Where would be the best place for her to place the belt?" Try placing a belt on a plain one-piece dress or provide three tracings of such a dress with the belt placed as follows:

In one the belt divides the dress in two equal parts.

In the second the belt is placed so the skirt is a little longer
than the waist.

In the third the belt is placed at normal waistline. (With a long
skirt this makes the skirt very much longer than the waist.)

Measurements may again be taken and compared with the divisions of the window. The class may be led to decide that a plain dress is divided best by a belt which comes some place a little above or below the center of the total length.

[Sidenote: Class develops statement of principle for good proportion]

"If you wanted to help someone to divide a space so the resulting parts would be pleasing, what directions would you now give them?" Each member of the class may be asked to write out a statement of directions. Some of these may be put on the blackboard and the class members given an opportunity to choose the one which they think would be most helpful in obtaining space division. The final statement should bring out the following: _When a space is to be divided the result is most pleasing if the dividing line falls at a point between one-half and two-thirds of the length divided._

To insure real ability to use the principle of space division which has just been developed, it will be necessary to give the class several problems which they may judge as a group. These in turn should be followed by other problems which will call for individual planning and the application of the principle in their solution. The number of such problems will vary with the class, but there should be enough to insure the desired ability. Furthermore, those given should be from as varied fields as possible so that the pupils will be able to make their own applications as needed.

=Series of Suggested Problems to Test Pupils' Ability to Recognize and Use the Principle of Proportion Just Developed=

[Sidenote: Judgment problems given for class solution]

1. "In which of these doors do you think the division into panels
is most satisfactory? Why?"

In this problem, as in the succeeding ones, the solution is not
considered adequate unless each pupil can justify the choice she
makes or the answer she gives according to the principle which was
established in the earlier part of this lesson.

2. "On which of these book covers do you think the space is best
divided? Why?"

3. "Small boxes have a variety of uses in our homes. These are all
approximately the same in size. Which do you think has the most
interesting relation between the depth of the lid and the depth of
the box? Why?"

4. "Helen is planning to make a dress with a cape collar. Her mother
thinks the collar is not deep enough and suggests that Helen change
the pattern. How could she determine the most becoming depth for her
cape collar?"

5. "Jane did not have enough cloth to make a dress without piecing
it or buying more material. She decided to put a yoke in the waist.
How deep on the waist do you think a yoke should come to be most
attractive?"

6. "Mary has some 6-inch glass candlesticks at home. How can she
determine the length of candle that would be most suitable when they
are used on the buffet?"

[Sidenote: Creative problem involving activity]

7. "Arrange the window shades so that the window space and the depth
of the shade are pleasing in their relation to each other. Justify
the arrangement you have made."

[Sidenote: Judgment problem involving activity]

8. "Choose a girl with whom to work during the next few minutes.
Check to see if the dresses you are wearing to-day have the belts
so placed that each dress is divided as well as possible. Suggest
any desirable changes for each other and justify each change."

(At some time in the development and subsequent use of the principle
established in this lesson it will be well to connect it with a
previously established and closely related principle. Such a
connection is made use of in the following problems.)

[Sidenote: Creative problem involving use of a principle previously developed]

9. "I have an odd picture frame that I wish to use for this
landscape which came from a magazine illustration. The picture
is the right width, but it is too long for the frame. How do you
suggest cutting it so that it can be used in this frame and still
retain its pleasing proportions?"

(Such a landscape will obviously have a division of space in it
by the line of the horizon. The problem will be one of retaining
pleasing space divisions in the picture, as well as retaining
pleasing proportions of the whole, while fitting it to the frame.)

[Sidenote: Possible assignment]

10. "Choose a plain card most pleasing in proportion, which may be
used as a place card for the home economics luncheon that the class
is giving to the mothers. Plan the placing of the names on these
cards. Justify your choice of card and the place you have chosen
for the name."

Problem 10 may well be given as an assignment. It may be given
at any desired time in the problem series as a judgment problem
following the establishment of the principle. A definite attempt
has been made to arrange problems 1 to 8 in order of degree of
difficulty. It is evident that those which necessitate creative
planning and manipulation call for greater ability than the
problems of selection.

Although problems 9 and 10 are given last they may be introduced
at any point. They are given last here because they require the use
of two principles of proportion, i. e., relation of length to width
in objects and division of a space into two parts. Problems 1 to 8
make use of only one, i. e., the principle concerned with the
division of a space into two parts.

=Further Suggestions for Problems, Illustrative Materials, and Assignments=

There are various possibilities of introducing this lesson on proportion other than through the arranging of curtains. The curtain problem is used here because it involves a school situation. Such a problem sometimes has as great an appeal for girls as some of the most personal ones. However, any one of a number of problems, such as the placing of a belt on a dress, the depth of a flounce or yoke on a dress, the relative lengths of jacket and skirt in a suit, or the length of candles for candlesticks may be used for the introductory one. Choice will be determined upon class needs and school possibilities. The important factor will be to see that the problem is so stated that it stimulates a desire on the part of the pupil for adequate solution.

If the school windows and real curtains are not available for this problem, some window and curtain models may be borrowed from drapery departments of local stores for class use. If it is not practicable to use curtains or to borrow store models, the teacher might prepare in advance of the class meeting miniature windows for this problem. These may be made of heavy construction paper, cardboard, or beaver board, and should be of a size and scale that will permit accuracy in the conclusions drawn from their use. _The use of miniatures should be confined to emergency situations, when the real things are not obtainable._

With some classes it may be necessary to use additional illustrative materials in which there are no other factors than those of space division. The teacher may prepare rectangles of neutral paper, representing any given space to be divided, in which the division is made by a contrasting line in each of the following ways:

One divided exactly in half.

One with the dividing line between one-half and two-thirds of
the length from one end.

One with the dividing line at a point three-quarters of the length.

One with the dividing line between three-quarters of the entire
length and the end.

Conclusions drawn from a comparison of the above illustrative materials may in turn be applied to other problems in which color, texture, or design may have made it difficult in the beginning for the pupils to focus their attention upon space division.

It is obvious that if choosing candles for certain definite candlesticks is the introductory problem, candles of varying heights, but of the same color, will need to be provided if the class is to come to some definite conclusions. If this problem is used in the judgment series, as in the lesson above, it will serve as another application of the principles of space division.

One possible assignment has been given in the lesson. Other possibilities present themselves as follows:

1. "Where could you find an illustration in which you think there
is particularly pleasing space division? Will you bring such an
illustration to class?" Such an assignment affords additional
training in selection and directs the observation of the pupils
to their environment outside the school.

2. "When you are at home to-night, will you notice the arrangement
of articles on your dresser? If these articles are not as well
arranged as you think they can be, make an arrangement which
is balanced and which divides the space as well as possible. Be
ready to tell the class why you think you have a well-balanced
and nicely spaced arrangement." In this particular assignment
it is assumed that pupils have previously developed the ability
to make balanced arrangements. This is a further application of
that ability but in an advanced form. In developing an ability
to make balanced arrangements, attention was centered on the
placing of articles on either side of a center. Now that the
ability to divide a space has been developed, it is time to take
up the balancing of articles within a given space so that the
proportions of that space are pleasing.

It is highly desirable in the teaching of art that the relationships of principles in the attainment of beauty be established as soon as each is clearly understood. It is not enough that a principle be clearly established and several applications of it made. As soon as this much has been accomplished it is time that problems be used which involve this new principle and at least one of the preceding ones. Such a cumulative teaching plan is essential to make art training function most successfully in the lives of the pupils.

CLASS PROJECTS

Many judgment and creative problems arise in certain group and class projects, providing opportunity for utilizing and showing the relationships of the essential principles of art in their application. They are more often undertaken in connection with home furnishing than with other phases of homemaking. Provision for such projects involving the selection of articles and materials and the arrangement of them to bring about an attractive and harmonious effect can usually be found right in the school. For example, as a class project, the wall finishes, the furnishings, and the accessories may be chosen and arranged for a specific room such as the dining room, bedroom, or living room of the home-economics department if such rooms are available or the rest room for teachers or girls.

In some schools, the separate cottage is used to house the home-economics department. This offers an opportunity for pupils to show what they would do under practical conditions. It is important that the furnishings for such cottages be in keeping with what is possible in the majority of homes in the community. If when the cottage is new the teacher plans with the pupils for only the essential furnishings at first, further problems of selection and arrangement will be reserved for several classes.

In a few schools the home-economics department has cooperated with the trade and industrial department in planning small houses, which were then built by the boys in their carpentry classes. The girls have then selected and arranged the furnishings for such houses as a class project.

When there is no opportunity within the school for such class or group projects, there are other available possibilities to which a teacher of related art should be alert. Better Homes Week is observed in many towns and cities and those in charge are usually glad to turn over the furnishing of one or more rooms for the occasion to the local home-economics department. A center to which so many visitors come affords an excellent opportunity for exemplifying to the community good taste in furnishings at a cost consistent with the income of the average family.

In one school the related art class took over the project of refinishing one of the rooms in the girls' dormitory. It was necessary to use the furniture already provided, which meant the expenditure of a minimum amount of money. There was, therefore, the problem of refinishing some of the furniture to bring it into harmony with the newly planned room. The old dresser was one of the pieces to be remodeled and painted. Figures 9 and 10 show the dresser before and after the class had worked on it.

In a few instances, homemakers have entrusted the furnishing of rooms in their homes to the related art class. Thus it is seen that a variety of opportunities do exist. They should be located and such use made of them as will mean the enrichment and vitalization of the work in related art.

NOTEBOOKS

In the limited time usually allotted for the teaching of art related to the home the teacher is confronted with the problem of how to make the best utilization of that time. One of the first questions which must be decided is whether a portion of it shall be devoted to the making of notebooks. In analyzing the situation she will need to determine the purposes which they serve. The notebooks may be justified on the ground that they--

1. Provide a collection of illustrative and written materials
which pupils may have for future use.

2. Provide a classroom activity through which pupils learn.

3. Measure pupil ability to recognize art applications through
the selection of pertinent illustrations.

4. May supplement or be used in place of a class text.

5. Provide material for the school exhibit.

6. Insure material for competitive purposes at county and State fairs.

7. Maintain interest.

Answering the following questions may serve to determine whether notebooks are of value to the pupil:

1. Does the notebook provide for worthwhile individual experience?

2. Will it pay in terms of time and energy expended?

3. What is the ultimate use of it?

The following chart may serve to aid the teacher in judging whether notebooks are justified:

Chart 2.--_Analysis of the value of notebooks in art courses_

In the light of the analysis of their value it would seem that the use of notebooks should be carefully considered before they are given any place in the teaching of art related to the home. If used at all, they should not be the objective of the course but the voluntary effort of the pupils in attaining other objectives and should take a minimum of class time. From the standpoint of time alone there is certainly a question as to how much routine work in cutting, pasting, or writing should be permitted.

The teacher not only has a responsibility for teaching but for the most efficient teaching at a minimum cost in time and energy to the pupil. The immediate and ultimate uses of collected materials should be the most important criteria as to kind and amount. When the pupils have an opportunity to choose illustrations which show good application of art they are not only developing their powers of discrimination but are revealing the degree to which these powers have been developed. Some practices in judgment are valuable and probably sufficient in themselves. For instance, when a pupil selects two or three good examples of rhythmic movement in design she will have developed a finer feeling for rhythm and will have demonstrated her recognition of it. Of what value would it be for her to make a permanent record of these illustrations?

There are other selections that may be of more permanent value, such as pictures chosen to illustrate some art application. When these are mounted or framed attractively they make desirable additions to the girl's room and home.

Illustrations suggestive of new and interesting ways of applying trimming, or of arrangements for dressing table covers, window draperies, and similar materials are also of more permanent value. They may serve the immediate purpose of illustration in the art class and then be made available for later use if they are filed in some way. One of the most satisfactory means of keeping such materials is in large envelopes or portfolios. These may be provided at small expenditure of time and money by using heavy wrapping or construction paper. The latter may be made very simply by cutting and folding the paper to form a double-pocket envelope.

Rather than encourage the notebook type of collection of magazine illustrations and samples of materials, the teacher may interest the girls and women in selecting simple articles that may be used in their own homes and will give lasting enjoyment.

If a notebook or portfolio is to be used for keeping certain records for later reference, the requirements for it should be limited to those which are easily attainable by all members of the class. However, this does not suggest a restriction of the efforts of the especially-talented pupil. Each page of the simplest notebook offers opportunity for the application of art principles in the planning of good margins, as well as in making attractive groupings of illustrations on mounted and written pages. It would seem desirable to discourage the elaborately decorated type of notebook covers because they consume considerable time for making and have such a temporary use. Portfolios well constructed and of lasting quality may be used later for keeping choice, unmounted pictures, or photographs.

THE PLACE OF LABORATORY PROBLEMS

The "laboratory problem" is a term quite generally used to designate a problem which is carried on within the classroom and involves some pupil activity.

Such problems may involve judgment, a combination of judgment and manipulative skills, or a combination of judgment and creative thinking with some manipulation. They may be used to discover a law or principle, to verify a conclusion, or to test the judgment and creative ability of the pupils.

The term as it is used here is restricted to the type of problem which involves judgment in selection, creative planning, and careful manipulation of materials for successful completion. Such problems are frequently known as craft problems.

Since this type of problem involves so many kinds of ability it is evident that it can not be introduced too early in the course if it is to be executed successfully by the pupils. To the degree that judgment ability in selection has been developed and there has been opportunity to do creative thinking, the pupils will be able to carry out such problems more independently.

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The teaching of art related to the homeChapter VII: Section IV: Suggestive Teaching Methods in Art Related to the Home (1)

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