Besides the animals on land, we must remember those of the sea. Whales and many fish dart about through the waves. Some fish live only in very cold water; others only where it is warm.
A growing corn plant: the dark layer at the top is soil; next below comes gravel, then clay, gravel again, and, finally, hard rock.
The water at the bottom of the deeper parts of the sea is always cold, but its surface waters have zones very much like those of the land.
For Recitation.—What is an animal? Where do we find the fewest animals? Name some of the animals of the Frigid zone. Where do we find the greatest number of animals that are useful to man? Name same animals that belong to the Temperate zones. What zone contains the greatest number of animals? Name some of the animals that belong to the Torrid zone.
LESSON XV.
MINERALS AND SOIL.
Preparatory Oral Work.—Get the pupils to report what uses they have seen made of stone, and compare stone with brick. Get specimens of metals and building stones.
Get specimens of loam, of sand, and of clay. Let pupils feel the specimens and see how they differ.
Fill two glasses with clear water, and put in one a tablespoonful of coarse sand, and in the other a tablespoonful of fine powdered clay, or of loam. Notice which settles first.
Get a tall glass jar, fill it with water, and pour into it a well-mixed assortment of small pebbles, fine sand, and finely powdered clay. Notice the sorting of materials that takes place while they are settling.
Minerals—We have learned about many plants and animals that are useful to us. Besides these there are also many very useful things that we dig out of the earth. The coal that we burn in our fires, the kerosene oil that gives us light, the granite and sandstone used in building, the salt that we eat at our meals, the diamond that shines like a sunbeam—all come out of the earth.
The rocks, coal, and other things of which the solid earth is composed are called minerals.
Metals.—Some minerals, such as iron, copper and lead, gold and silver, are called metals. The last two, gold and silver, are called the precious metals. They are made into money.
Soils.—But perhaps the most useful part of the earth is the part that we call soil. You have seen soil in the gardens and fields, and you have noticed its color. If you will look closely at a handful of this soil you will see that it is made of fine grains like those of powdered stone. What is called rich soil often contains also particles of decayed leaves or other vegetable or animal material.
For Recitation.—What is a mineral? Name some of the most useful minerals. Name some of the metals. Which are called precious metals? What is soil?
LESSON XVI.
OCCUPATIONS.
Preparatory Oral Work.—Talk to the class about the occupations most familiar to all. Let pupils visit some factory and tell what they saw. A shoe shop, a tailor's shop, a blacksmith shop, are simple factories. Discuss other occupations, and let pupils bring pictures of people at work in any of the loading industries.
Most people earn their living by doing some kind of work. We call people's work their occupation. Let us see what are the great occupations of the world.
We all eat food made from plants, and from plants we get cotton and linen for clothes.
A plowing scene. The dark soil has been plowed.
Now we all know that cabbages and potatoes do not grow of themselves. Just so wheat and corn, the cotton plant, and the flax or linen
