Child's "Middletown"

Favorite subject of progressive educators is social studies--how and why people live and work together. Modern schools start teaching this subject early, explaining it to moppets by describing a simple society like that of Eskimos. Centerville, a textbook published last week,* brings social studies closer to U. S. children by analyzing a simple society in the Middle West's corn belt. For nine-year-olds in the third grade, Centerville is a story of a '"typical" (but unidentified) village of 309 people in Indiana. Authors of this child's Middletown are Stanford University's young Professor Paul R. Hanna, progressive education's No. 1 curriculum expert; University of Chicago's Professor William S. Gray, a top-rank expert on reading; and Genevieve Anderson, a Des Moines assistant elementary school director.

Chief problem in Centerville is poor dirt roads, which keep a traveling library away, make newspapers and mail late, compel farmers to do their own carrying to market. When Farmer Hand, trucking strawberries, gets stuck in the mud and his strawberries spoil, Centerville's people decide to build a concrete road. Crotchety old Farmer Banks (who is unpopular among Centerville's children because he chases swimmers from his creek) stalls progress by refusing to let his barn be moved out of the way, but finally gives in to avoid accidents at a sharp turn in the road near his farm. He becomes the village's traffic policeman. The plot ends with a surprise staged by Farmer Banks at a Community Day in Centerville's new school. He gives the village part of his land for a swimming pool. Aim of Centerville's subtle propaganda: to wean the younger generation from rugged individualism to cooperation.

* Scott, Foresman and Co. (92'''')

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.