FoodNet

Handbook of domestic science and household arts for use in elementary schools

1900

Page 188

Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
How to turn an Ordinary Schoolroom into a Workshop for the Study of Household Arts. — It will be a great help to the pupils as a lesson in thrift and order, and to the teacher financially, if she can get them to feel that the small apart- ment devoted to the study of household arts belongs to them while in it, and that they must do their part toward furnishing and keeping it clean. They can also help in selecting the materials after a previous discussion with the teacher about the color, design, usefulness, etc. Subdivision of the Schoolroom into Other Rooms. — Having selected the room and decided how much money and help is available, the next thing to consider is the room itself: how large, how light, how many windows and doors, and how high the windows are ; for on these things will largely depend the subdivision of the room into other rooms. For example : if there is only one door, it would seem to be best for it to open into the parlor, having the dining room and bedroom next to the parlor on each side. At the same time it is also necessary to have the lightest rooms for the 390 TO TUKN A SCHOOLROOM INTO A WORKSHOP 391 kitchen and laundry. It is especially necessary to have plenty of light in the latter. As the ordinary schoolroom has from four to six windows in it, — and these on two sides, — there must be one room, and in this case it ought to be the parlor, without a window. BED ROOM Kn CHEtQ AND LAUNDRY PARLOR DINING ROOM -15-ft:- HALL Diagram I J The next thing to consider is the size of the room, and into how many compartments it can be divided, and by what means. If it is a small room about 25 by 30 ft., and divided into four equal parts, each part would be about 12^- by 15 ft. This would give four fair sized rooms to furnish. But they would be too small for class work unless the 392 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE duties of the class be divided among the pupils, so that they can be scattered through the different compartments as in any ordinary house. The laundry work could be taught in the kitchen. This might be a better plan than having a laundry, as the parents of most of the children do their washing, ironing, and cook- r -40-fh- — 1-5-ft7 — BED ROOM - 3 ft.^ 34 ft. i g 5 z 5 3 ft.. T DINING ROOM hi — 20-ft; —i Diagram II ing in one room. Yet it will be very inconvenient to teach a class to wash, iron, and cook under such circumstances. Such being the base, one corner of the parlor could be screened off with an ordinary small screen. Behind this screen could be placed a dining-room table and chairs. This would give an extra room for the laundry. If it is a larger room, or about 40 by 30 ft., which is nearer to the ordinary sized schoolroom, it could be divided very TO TUEN A SCHOOLROOM INTO A WORKSHOP 393