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has roiiiuined over since in Spanish hands, The people of today aro greatly mixed with Catalonian and Moorish traits dominating , Tho rural districts still use tho Catalonian dialect, although Spanish is the official language. Geography in the Secondary Schools of the Pacific Coast States JAMES F. CHAMBERLAIN Pasadena, California Tho "Conference on Socondary School Geography" rocommonded, in 1893, that physic.nl geography bo a required subject for all students in tho first year of high schools. As a result, increased attention was givon the subject and modern texts were written, the first of these by Tarr and the second by Davis and Snyder. In 1808 a second national committee made a report similar to that of the "Conference ." Physical geography was' to bo offered in the first or second year, with laboratory and fiold work, but was to bo c.loctivo for students taking classical courses. The texts written and tho courses given in response to the recommendations of these committees, wcro too technical and presented too little of human interest. With a view to improving this condition, the Science Section of the National Education Association appointed anothor committee. In M)OO tho writer, as chairman , presented the report which recommended as follows: (1) That geography should bo a required subject in secondary schools. (2) That tho minimum ยท timo devoted to it should bo one year. (3) That there should be a minimum of five periods weekly. (4) That geography should be a first-year subject. (5) That approximately ono-fourth of the time should be dovoted to field and laboratory work. (6) That one-haIf year should bo given to a humanized physical geography, followed by a study of tho chiof countries, with emphasis on North America and Europe . In 1935 an inquiry was sont to the superintendents of public instruction and to 55 city superintendents in the Pacific Coast Statos. A summary of tho 47 replies received indicates that in Washington .19 per eont of tho junior high and 1.8 por cent of tho senior high school students ware studying geography. For Oregon the figures aro 25 and 3; for California, 2.7 and 1.5. In Washington and California, political geography predominates, but in Oregon physical geography holds first place. Generally speaking, social science has taken tho place of geography. In some cities commercial geography is required of senior students who aro taking a commercial course. In their attention to secondary school geography the schools of many states are in advance of ours, as nre those of tho countries of western Europe. Tho writer believes that geography should be a required subject, preferably in the eighth or ninth years. A humanized course in tho physical environment of man should bo followed by a study of natural resouTcos, production, manufacture and distribution and concluded by the regional geography of the United Statos or North America. A second course of ono year, dovoted to tho regional geography of the remainder of the world, should be required of senior students. This emphasis is justifiod by the recognized valuo of ?? knowledge of the subject. As individuals and through organized effort we should endeavor to secure for' geography a more prominent place in tho secondary ."chools of the Pacific Coast Statos. (21) ...

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