LESSONS AT EXHIBITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1940, Page 2

LESSONS AT EXHIBITION

REGULAR VISITS BY SCHOOLS. The almost unlimited educational value of the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington is being explored as fully as possible by local schools. Regular visits are being planned by some teachers with the idea of combining lessons in geography, history and cultural subjects with inspections of the various excellent displays in the exhibition. The several pavilions, the Government court and the Dominion court lend themselves admirably to this scheme.

A party of 83 children, comprised of pupils, from standards three, four, five and six from the Karori West school, spent four hours at the exhibition in the charge of three teachers. The first part of this time was occupied by an inspection of the United Kingdom pavilion, which tells the history oi transport through the ages on air, land and sea. The large, illuminated map of the world, with tiny ships sailing along the main trading routes and tubes of light indicating the - air routes, is indeed a treat for school children, when compared with the orthodox wall maps used in the average class-room. This feature alone would be worth a visit by a party of school children to the exhibition, but it is only one of many similar displays that convey in a few minutes what might not be accomplished by many hours of orthodox instruction in the school.

The study of the geography of New Zealand is being graphically presented to many Wellington school pupils by systematic inspections of the Dominion Court. The Karori West children compared the geographical nature of the North Auckland area and the Taranaki province in relation to their dairy farming productivity. The models of these two areas, in the Dominion Court show the typical formation of the land, and miniature cattle and models of dairy farms in both localities are so constructed that they are characteristic in every detail. This particular school plans to make regular visits to the exhibition and will in time have gained a vivid impression, both geographical and historical, of not only New Zealand but also the .United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Fiji, and California. Wellington school teachers have available to them at the exhibition displays of unequalled excellence and adaptability to class-room instruction, and it is pleasing to the exhibition authorities to see that these advantages are being fully appreciated.