The Colored State Normal Schools

Excerpt from the catalog of the North Carolina Colored State Normal Schools (now Winston-Salem State University, Fayetteville State University, and Elizabeth City State University), 1906. Includes historical commentary.


Tuition.

Tuition in all the normal schools is free to those who intend to teach in the colored public schools of North Carolina. Those who do not intend to teach must pay $10 a year tuition. These schools are maintained for the purpose of training teachers for the elementary public schools. It is only just and right that those who take advantage of these schools, and who do not intend to teach, shall pay the tuition charges.

Purpose.

The Colored State Normal Schools at Winston-Salem, Fayetteville and Elizabeth City are maintained by the State for the purpose of training teachers for the colored elementary public schools of North Carolina. The school at Winston-Salem was established in 1895; the school at Elizabeth City in 1891, and the school at Fayetteville in 1877.

Regulations.

The following general regulations apply to all the normal schools:

  1. Pupils of both sexes are to be admitted, but all boarding pupils must consult the local principal before making any arrangements for boarding outside the school dormitories.
  2. Only pupils of good moral character will be admitted or retained in the schools.
  3. No pupil will be admitted to any of the schools after the opening week, except upon examination, which examination will cover the previous work of the class to which admission is sought. All such examinations and their result must be approved by the superintendent.
  4. No pupil will be advanced to a higher class except upon the satisfactory completion of the work of the preceding class. All tests and examination questions shall be first approved by the superintendent, and no promotion to a higher class shall be valid except approved by the superintendent.
  5. The school year shall consist of eight months of twenty school days each. No holidays except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day shall be given. A Christmas recess not exceeding ten days may be given, but such recess shall not be included in the school year of 160 days.
  6. Three unexcused absences or tardies during the year shall cause any pupil to be suspended from school for the remainder of the year. No principal shall accept any excuse for tardiness or absence except the serious sickness of the pupil or his immediate family. The superintendent shall have the power to define the terms absence and tardiness.
  7. No substitute teacher shall be employed, except upon the approval of the superintendent, and no student shall be permitted to teach any normal class.
  8. All students who receive free tuition shall sign a pledge to teach two years in the colored public schools of the State.
  9. The satisfactory completion of the work of the fourth grade of the elementary school as set forth in the State Course of Study will be required for entrance on the work of the normal course of study.

Beginning of Session 1906-'07.

The session of 1906-’07 will begin at Fayetteville, September 17, 1906; at Elizabeth City, September 17, 1906, and at Winston-Salem, October 1, 1906.

Courses of Study.

The following courses of study are offered in all the normal schools, subject to present limitations as to equipment. The normal school begins with fifth-grade work, the high school with ninth-grade work, and the primary school with first-grade work.

Normal Elementary Course.

First year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics (spelling, writing, diacritical marks): Harrington's Spelling Book, Part II, pp. 1-48, including the words found in the reading and other subjects of study.
    2. Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha, Francillon's Gods and Heroes, Ruskin's King of the Golden River, Hawthorne's The Great Stone Face.
  2. Language:
    1. The Story (oral and written).
    2. Copying and dictation by sentences and paragraphs. The copying and dictation must not take the sentence out of its place in the paragraph. The relation of sentence and paragraph must be retained in all the work. Use the readers as the basis of the work.
    3. Hyde's Lessons I, pp. 1-158, for formal work, omitting all composition and picture lessons.
  3. Drawing:
    1. Use Normal Drawing 1. The pupils are not simply to draw lines, but learn to draw real things, using lines.
    2. Book 2 should be taken up after Book 1 has been completed.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Review notation and numeration; formal addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers and fractions, and take up:
    2. Decimals, compound quantities and percentage, using Colaw and Ellwood's Primary, pp. 228 to end. Teachers should own Werner Arithmetic 2.
  5. History:
    1. Read Hansell's Primary History to get a general view of the subject.
    2. Study—Colonies. The teacher will take up the study of the Colonies after plan of Guerber's Story of the Thirteen Colonies.
  6. Geography:
    1. Home Geography. Teachers will follow plan of Tarr and McMurry's Geography 1.
    2. Pupils must study the life histories of a number of common plants and animals by means of the school garden.
    3. Use Maury's Elementary Geography to give pupils an idea of the world as a whole. Teachers should own Tarr and McMurry's Geography 1.
  7. Science:
    1. Agriculture, Cooking, Sewing.

Second year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics (spelling, writing): Harrington, Part 2, pp. 49-92; words from other subjects.
    2. Clarke's Story of Troy, Guerber's Story of the Greeks, Warren's Stories from English History.
  2. Language:
    1. Story (oral and written); copying and dictation.
    2. Hyde's Lessons 1, pp. 159-206, omitting all picture and composition lessons.
  3. Drawing:
    1. See first year.
    2. Use Book 3 after 1 and 2 have been completed.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Take up no new subjects. Use Colaw and Ellwood's Advanced Arithmetic to strengthen and extend work already done, omitting all reviews and supplementary exercises.
  5. History:
    1. Study Revolution, using biographies of Washington, Adams (Samuel), Franklin, Henry.
    2. Read Hansell's Higher on Revolution.
    3. Teachers should own Fiske's War for Independence.
  6. Geography:
    1. Study North America, using plan of Tarr and McMurry's Geography 2; Maury's Manual to end of North America, with North Carolina Geography.
  7. Science:
    1. Elementary Agriculture, Physiology, Cooking, Sewing.

Third year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics (spelling and writing); review Harrington; words from other subjects.
    2. Poems of Knightly Adventure, Irving's Knickerbocker Stories, Guerber's Story of the Romans; Selections, Whittier, Holmes.
  2. Language:
    1. The Story (oral and written); copying and dictation.
    2. Buehler's English Grammar begun; study Parts 2 and 3, and then Part 1.
  3. Drawing:
    1. See first year.
    2. Use Book 4 after 1, 2 and 3 have been completed.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. See second-year work. Review of subject.
  5. Geography:
    1. Study Europe and the other continents after plan of Tarr and McMurry's Geography 3; Maury's Manual from end of North America to end of book.
  6. History:
    1. Read Hansell's Higher, from Revolution to end of book.
    2. The Nation: Use biographies of Jefferson, Boone, Fulton, Whitney, Morse, Lincoln, Lee.
    3. Civil Government should be studied in connection with history.
  7. Science:
    1. Agriculture, Cooking and Sewing, Physiology.

Fourth year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics and complete review of spelling, with instruction how to teach children to read, spell and write.
    2. Holbrook's Hiawatha Primer, Claxton's Grimm's Fairy Stories, Baldwin's Fairy Stories and Fables, McMurry's Robinson Crusoe, Moulton's Bible Stories, Cook's Story of Ulysses, Pratt's Legends of the Red Children.
    3. The object of reading the above books here is to make students thoroughly familiar with their contents and with the methods of teaching and using the books in the primary grades 1-4.
  2. Language:
    1. Buehler's English Grammar completed.
    2. Oral and written language work, based on the reading of this year, with methods of teaching language grades 1-4.
  3. Drawing:
    1. Book 5, Normal Drawing.
    2. Review of Books 1-4, and instruction in how to teach drawing, grades 1-4.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Werner Arithmetic 3. This book contains work in elementary algebra and concrete geometry, as well as in higher arithmetic.
    2. Review of the subjects of notation and numeration; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions; simple decimals, simple compound quantities, simple percentage, and how to teach these subjects, grades 1-5.
  5. History:
    1. Read Myers’ General History.
    2. North Carolina History and review of the subject of history as contained in this course.
  6. Geography:
    1. Review of subject as studied in this course.
    2. Geography, grades 1-4, and how to teach it.
  7. Science:
    1. Agriculture, Cooking and Sewing, Physiology.

Outline of Normal High School Course.

First Year—

  1. English—
    1. Literature (reading), 3.
    2. Grammar and composition, 2.
    3. Spelling and phonetics, 2.
  2. Mathematics—
    1. Arithmetic, 2.
    2. Algebra, 3.
  3. General History, 3.
  4. Physiology, 2.
  5. Physical Geography, 3.
  6. Drawing, 2.
  7. Agriculture, 3.
  8. Domestic Science, 2.

The Arabic figures mean the number of recitations a week. The recitation periods for agriculture and domestic science are to be each 60 minutes in length; for the other subjects, 45 minutes each.

Second Year—

  1. English—
    1. a. Literature (reading), 3.
    2. b. Grammar and composition, 2.
    3. c. Spelling and phonetics, 2.
  2. Mathematics—Algebra, 3.
  3. General History, 3.
  4. Botany, 4.
  5. Drawing, 2.
  6. Agriculture, 3.
  7. Domestic Science, 2.

The recitation periods for agriculture and domestic science are to be 60 minutes for each; for the other subjects, 45 minutes each.

Third Year—

  1. English—
    1. Literature (reading), 3.
    2. b. Grammar and composition, 2.
    3. c. Spelling, etc., 2.
  2. Mathematics—Geometry, 3.
  3. English History, 3.
  4. Drawing, 2.
  5. Agriculture, 3.
  6. Domestic Science, 2.
  7. Teaching (theory and practice), 5.

The recitation periods for agriculture and domestic science are to be 60 minutes each; for the other subjects, 45 minutes each.

Fourth Year—

  1. English—
    1. Literature (reading), 3.
    2. Grammar and composition, 2.
    3. Spelling, etc., 2.
  2. II. Mathematics—
    1. Geometry, 2.
    2. Arithmetic, 1.
  3. History—
    1. United States History, 3.
    2. Civics, 2.
  4. Drawing, 2.
  5. Agriculture, 3.
  6. Domestic Science, 2.
  7. Teaching (theory and practice), 3.

The recitation periods for agriculture and domestic science are to be 60 minutes each; for the other subjects, 45 minutes each.

Primary school course.

It is sometimes necessary, on account of the poor preparation of those who apply for entrance to the classes of the normal schools, to have a good primary school in connection with each normal. It is also necessary to have such a school in which candidates for graduation from the normal schools can be required to teach successfully prior to graduation.

First year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics—spelling and writing.
    2. Holmes’ First Reader (third month), Holbrook's Hiawatha Primer (Geography), Claxton's Grimm's Fairy Stories (History).
  2. Language:
    1. The Story (oral only).
    2. Copying by sentences and paragraphs.
    3. Dictation by sentences and paragraphs.

    Teachers should use the readers for this work. The copying and dictation must not take the sentence out of its place in the paragraph. The relation of sentence and paragraph must always be retained.

  3. Drawing:
    1. Permit and encourage children to draw live objects such as they desire.
    2. Let the writing be introduced by means of drawing.

    Use Book 1, Normal Drawing.

  4. Arithmetic: See second year.
  5. History: See Reading.
  6. Geography:
    1. See Reading.
    2. Let the children have a garden and by that means study the life histories of at least four common plants. Let the location determine what plants are to be studied. Plants that furnish food, clothing or shelter will be most interesting to children. The life histories of some animals should also be studied. The moth, the butterfly, the toad and any animals which furnish food or clothing will be interesting.

Second year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics—spelling and writing; Harrington, Part 1, pp. 20-40; also words from other subjects.
    2. Holmes’ Second Reader, Baldwin's Fairy Stories and Fables (History), McMurry's Robinson Crusoe (Geography).
  2. Language: See first year.
  3. Drawing: See first year.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Counting 1-100, using real things.
    2. Notation and numeration, 1-1000.
    3. The thirty-six addition facts.

    The teacher should use Colaw and Ellwood's Primary Arithmetic, pp. 1-109, omitting pp. 66-76 and pp. 1-6.

  5. History: See Reading.
  6. Geography:
    1. Let the children have a garden. See first year.
    2. Children learn direction and get ideas of distance, form, color. See Drawing Work.
    3. Weather Chart: Cause of wind, rain, frost, dew, change of seasons, should be learned and discussed in connection with the weather chart.

Third year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics—spelling and writing; Part 1, Harrington, pp. 40-78; also words from other subjects.
    2. Holmes’ Third Reader, Cook's Story of Ulysses, Moulton's Bible Stories (History).
  2. Language:
    1. The Story (oral and written).
    2. Copying and dictation. See first year.

    Teachers should do formal work. Hyde's Lessons 1, pp. 1-70, omitting all picture and composition lessons. Children must not have the book.

  3. Drawing: See first year.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Formal addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
    2. Colaw and Ellwood's Primary, pp. 109-203. Children may have the book for first time. Teachers should own Werner Arithmetic 1.
  5. History:
    1. Bible Stories. (See Reading).
  6. Geography:
    1. Home Geography—local soil, land and water forms; roads, railroads, trade and manufacturing; relation of plants and animals to soil; life histories of some common plants and animals. See first year.
    2. Teach children to draw to a scale the school-house and grounds; the township and county, locating the roads, the railroads, the postoffices and their own dwellings.

Fourth year.

  1. Reading:
    1. Phonics—spelling and writing, diacritical marks; Harrington, Part 1, pp. 20-78, in review; also words from other subjects.
    2. Holmes’ Fourth Reader, Francillon's Gods and Heroes, Moulton's Bible Stories (New Testament).
  2. Language:
    1. The Story (oral and written); copying and dictation. See first year.
    2. Hyde's Language Lessons 1, pp. 1-70, omitting all picture and composition lessons. Children may have language book in their hands for the first time.
  3. Drawing:
    1. See first-year work.
    2. Use Book 2 after Book 1 has been completed.
  4. Arithmetic:
    1. Review previous work and teach common fractions.
    2. Colaw and Ellwood's Primary, pp. 209-227. Add many practical examples. Teachers should own Werner Arithmetic 1.
  5. History:
    1. Bible Stories. (See Reading).
    2. Exploration and Discovery: Use stories of Columbus, Cortez, De Soto; Cabot, Drake, Raleigh; Cartier, Champlain, La Salle; Hudson. Teachers and pupils will find Shaw's Discoveries and Explorers, Eggleston's Great Americans, and Montgomery's Beginners’ American History helpful-books.
  6. Geography:
    1. Use Home Geography in Tarr and McMurry's Geography 1.
    2. Continue to study life histories of some common plants and animals by means of the school garden.
    3. Begin to study Maury's Elementary latter part of year.

    Teachers should use Tarr and McMurry's Geography 1 for supplementary work.

The Primary School will be in charge of a supervising teacher, working under the superintendent and the local principal. The regular normal teachers and the fourth-year normal pupils will assist in the teaching. The daily programmes will be made by the superintendent to meet local needs and conditions.


Primary Source Citation:

Second Annual Catalogue of the North Carolina State Colored Normal Schools for 1905-'06 with Announcements for 1906-'07. Raleigh: E.M. Uzzell & Co., State Printers and Binders, 1906. Joyner Library Special Collections, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/13579

 

Credit text

Second Annual Catalogue of the North Carolina State Colored Normal Schools for 1905-'06 (Raleigh: E. M. Uzzell & Co., for the North Carolina State Board of Education, 1906), pp. 7–17.