Films Prove Aid in Geographical and Social Teaching

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 18

Films Prove Aid in Geographical and Social Teaching

MANCHESTER — Movies are among the best- teachers for young children a xeport issued by the Manchester Education Committee • claims. ' ' ' . Tracing the reactions of school-chil-dren,ta Teport issued' by the "Industrial Britain, " " Couutry Comes to Town, ' ' "Conquerjng. Space, ' ' "TTp-stream, ' ' and "Story of the_ Wheel," tho. report sthtes:. '' 'The teachers whose .. pupils saw the films agreed that' the " display , " was in'structive and that the "chil(|ren gained much from it. "This was 'clearly. demonstrated in the many references to the film that occurred in ordinary les^,oxis . afterwards, apart .from follow-up wdrk. There were; deflnite points of c'qntvact.in geography and history lessons, and cotiapositions "■ showed the acquisition of new words and ideas froin the -films. In oue' school answers to ■ examination questions oh' the agrieultural revolution 'were . obviously ! cob oured by'the filiu lCountry Comes to Town.'.

"Delayed tests given one month after v the showing of the films in the elementary schools .showed a satisfaetory learned from the- film. It is felt that one or more films o^ the - same theme or a double showing of one film with an intcrval for questions and comments would be of great value. "Increased interest in the subject matter -presented by. the film and1 increased interest in-. lessons in which films- are used .have been generally observed,',' is ■ another of the conclusions reached by the report. So far as Manchester . is concerned, immediate heeds "appear to be (l) ,purchase . of films to f orm. a large film library,; (2) .more pro jectors, so that films can be used more easily in normal school work; ' (3)- equipping of more rooms for visual instruction purposes; (4) • further inv'estigation into the problems enumera,ted, the first one being to sift out 'the w'orth-while educational films from those. available and to-sug-gest definite" topics for new f films."