Unique Display Features Foods Of World

Chronicle (Levin), 7 October 1948, Page 2

Unique Display Features Foods Of World

Friday last was parents' 'day at the Otaki State School and some 150 parents congregated to view the display of work, which dep.cted ^he foods of the world, a project carried out by the entire school, commencing in t'ne infant division with the production oi food in and around the Otaki district and concluding with the products of India by Form 2. Those who were privileged to witness the display were loud in their praise of the results attained, and the staff and pupils alike are deserving of the highest commendation. The display was a veritabie eye-opener. The floor of the infant room contained a complete modei of Otaki, showing the area from the Tararua Ranges to the sea, the farms, factories processing the products, roads and railways, modeis of the township, transport and gardens, all made by the t.ny hands of the infants under the direction of the staff of that department. This exhibit was truly worthy of the commendation given freely by those who saw it. A table containing the various products of the distract had ribbons running from each product to the source of suppiy, tnus giving the children the connection between the source and the finished article. Such places as a .dairy farm milking shed, with a model of a motor truck loaded with milk cans, were connected with the butter factory, which in turn was joined by a ribbon to a pound of butter on t'ne. table. Although the very young children would not comprehend the whole of the project, some of the facts shown would be fixed in their minds for future understanding. Every little detail had been carefully attended to. Plasticene milk cans had lids on and handies attached, the piggeries were literally alive with little pigs, the utiiity four-wheeier cou.d be discerned, with horse and driver on an excursion through a shady belt of trees, and it was not hard to imagine the look of fond affection bestowed by the "j.ustin" cow, with her calf busily partaking of its miik. Standard 1 followed on with the food of the North American Indian. A model of an Inddan camp, tepees and canoes, reindeer and birds, very cleverly showed the way the Indian lived before the white man changed his mode of living. The blackboa-rd > drawings were of a very high standard. Standard 2 chose the South Sea Islands, a tropical area, and With an excellent sand tray showed a model of a native vihage, native huts being made with straws and paper, people made of plasticene, and an outrigger canoe, and- trees giving the food, being the main features. On the boards were sketched dn large pictures, painted by the children, the plantations of bananas, pineapples, coconuts and breadfruit. Standard 3 developed a Chinese scene, the children dreSsing in costume to bring in the personal element. A model made of clay was an exact replica of the Chinese village, with the paddy fields terraced and junk used for transport of the rice and beans. The food of the Maori pioneer settler was the subject taken by Standard 4, where a vast amount of work had been done to show the gradual development of New Zealand from early Maori times to Che present day. The rnodels, which included a Maori village, a pioneer's home, a modern dairy Earm, a sheep farm and an orchard, were connected with a factory nodel to show how the products vere processed. In this class the ase of maps was introduced, Some carticularly good pictorial ones aeing done. The modern dairy iarm was a work of art and showsd a very keen sense of present iay needs and met'nods. One dissernihg mother was heard to renark: "So that's where all my iticking plaster went to." It was ised on cowbail doors that opened md on- farm yard gates that ilosed. Here again the attention ,o detail was most marked, a,nd ipparently there are many rising armers in this class. Production leeds of the future appear , to be n quite capable hands. The effort of Form I took the orm of the three main foods of lustralia, mostly by the use of llustrated maps, but the tiny nodels were well done, showdng he production of wheat, from arm to its manufacture into tolay's. loaf, meat from farm to able, and fresh and dried fruits rom orchards to the table, includng the drying and canning processes. Form 2, by the use of illustrated naps and sand trays with card>oard figures, showed the producion of the main foods of India. ?he map work was • especially vorthy of 'praise. Each class .ccompanied by the teacher in harge was able to see the work hroughout the school, thus gainng a knowledge of the work done iy the different classes and learning by modern methods the subect of Social Studies. The en- 1 husinsm and jintprest. of the chil-

dren leaves no doubt about this method being a popular one, and jby doing the work themselves the j facts aimed at were fixed better in j their minds. It is the intention of jtne staff of the school to retain |most of the materials collected as a record for future class teaching. ' At the oompletion of the tour of jthe various classrooms, parents j showed a reluctance to disperse. >Comparisons between their- day and today just had to be discussed, ppinions favouring both jperiods, but there was one topic jon which all were agreed, and it was that parents are pleased to be afforded tne privilege of vi&iting the school and inspecting today's methods, and many expressions of congratulation were offered the headmaster, Mr. J. E. James, ahdt his staff.