One Room Schoolhouse by Raymond Bial
Product Description
48 pages hardcover
Bial's photo-essays depicting the mostly rural American scene are always a visual and informative delight, and this one is no exception. In smoothly written prose, Bial recounts the history of the American one-room schoolhouse from the early 1700s to the 1950s. He discusses the reasons such schools flourished, typical methods of instruction and activities for students, and expectations for teachers. Clear, beautifully composed photos on every page transport readers back to bygone days. They range from shots of the exteriors of brick-and-frame structures and pictures of desks, coal buckets, textbooks, and dunce caps to artistic images that take careful advantage of natural lighting. Most are full-color depictions taken at sites near Bial's home in central Illinois.
Several well-chosen black-and-white period photos showing children are also included. A good choice for units on pioneer life, with the bonus of browser appeal. Sources for further reading are appended. Kay Weisman
Bial's photo-essays depicting the mostly rural American scene are always a visual and informative delight, and this one is no exception. In smoothly written prose, Bial recounts the history of the American one-room schoolhouse from the early 1700s to the 1950s. He discusses the reasons such schools flourished, typical methods of instruction and activities for students, and expectations for teachers. Clear, beautifully composed photos on every page transport readers back to bygone days. They range from shots of the exteriors of brick-and-frame structures and pictures of desks, coal buckets, textbooks, and dunce caps to artistic images that take careful advantage of natural lighting. Most are full-color depictions taken at sites near Bial's home in central Illinois.
Several well-chosen black-and-white period photos showing children are also included. A good choice for units on pioneer life, with the bonus of browser appeal. Sources for further reading are appended. Kay Weisman