Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools Part 28

Each pupil should provide sufficient denim, percale, huckaback, or other washable material to cover the two sides of a holder 7 inches square, and enough outing or canton flannel for a double lining. About 1-1/2 yards of straight tape one-half inch wide will be needed for the binding and for suspending the holder from the ap.r.o.n.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 20.--The holder]

METHOD OF WORK

The pupils should first carefully measure and turn the material for the covering of the holder and then prepare the lining, basting it all together. They should then put in the running-st.i.tch and finish with the binding. If it is not possible to complete the holder in one period, a second lesson period should be provided, or arrangements may be made to have supervised work done outside of the lesson hours.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 21.--Cap]

LESSON XX: A CAP TO WEAR WITH THE COOKING Ap.r.o.n

SUBJECT-MATTER

The simplest cap to make will be the circular one. A pattern should be made by drawing with a pencil and string on a piece of wrapping-paper a circle 21 inches in diameter. The material for the cap should be cut carefully around the circle and finished with a narrow hem. A tape to hold the draw-string should be placed 1-1/4 inches inside the edge of the hem. A small piece of cardboard cut about one-half inch wide should be used for measuring the position of the tape. Bias strips three quarters of an inch wide should be prepared for the tape, or a commercial tape three eighths of an inch wide may be purchased. The outer edge of the tape should be basted first and the edges joined; then the inner edges should be basted, the edge being kept smooth. Both edges should be neatly sewn with the hemming-st.i.tch by hand or on the machine.

An elastic should be inserted in the band, carefully fitted to the head, and the ends fastened neatly.

PRELIMINARY PLAN

This lesson will give a good opportunity to make a cap that will answer for a dust cap or serve as a part of the cooking uniform. If such a cap does not seem desirable and the former lesson has not been completed, the cap may be omitted and the work on the holder continued.

METHOD OF WORK

The pupils should first make the pattern for the cap and then cut out their material. The hem should be basted and st.i.tched with the hemming-st.i.tch. The bias strip should be basted on and sewn with a running-st.i.tch. It will probably not be possible for the pupils to complete the cap in one cla.s.s period; but, if the material has been cut out and the work started, they may be able to complete it at some other time. The st.i.tches are not new, and the work will serve as an excellent test of the skill they have acquired in the course.

HOUSEHOLD SCIENCE EQUIPMENT

The introduction of Household Science into rural schools has been hindered by the prevalent impression that the subject requires equipment similar to that in the Household Science centres of towns and cities, where provision is made for the instruction of twenty-four pupils at one time and for from ten to fifteen different cla.s.ses each week. Owing to the expense and the lack of accommodation, it is not possible to install such equipment in rural schools. For this and other reasons it has been concluded that the subject is beyond the possibilities of the rural school. That this is not the case is shown by the fact that many rural schools in the United States, and some in Saskatchewan, as well as a number in our own Province, are teaching the subject successfully, with equipment specially designed to meet existing conditions.

The accommodations and equipment required may be cla.s.sified as follows:

1. Working tables 2. Cupboards and cabinets for storing the utensils 3. Stoves 4. Cooking and serving utensils

1. The provision for working tables is conditioned by the s.p.a.ce available, and every effort must be made to economize this s.p.a.ce. The equipment may be placed in the bas.e.m.e.nt or in a small ante-room. In one school in the Province very successful work is being done in a large corridor. When a new school-house is being erected, provision should be made by building a small work-room off the cla.s.s-room. The possibilities of a small, portable building, in close proximity to the school, should not be overlooked.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 22.--Working drawing of folding table]

Where the school is provided with a large table, this may be made of service. When used as a working table it should be covered with a sheet of white oil-cloth. When used as a dining-table a white table-cloth may be subst.i.tuted for the oil-cloth. If the school does not possess a table, two or three boards may be placed on trestles, if the s.p.a.ce at the front or the back of the room permits, and these may be stored away when not required. A table with folding legs, such as is shown in Figures 22 and 23, may also be used. The top of the cabinet containing the utensils or an ordinary kitchen table closed in as a cupboard underneath, may be made to serve. Long boards, about eighteen inches wide, placed across the tops of six or eight desks, provide good accommodation. These should be blocked up level and should be provided with cleats at each end, in order to prevent movement. When not in use they may stand flat against the wall and occupy very little s.p.a.ce.

Separate boards, resting on a desk at each end, may also be placed across the aisles. Each of these will provide working s.p.a.ce for one pupil. Tables which drop down flat when not in use may be fixed to the walls of the school-room. As schools vary in many respects, it is not possible to outline a plan which will suit all; but that plan should be chosen which will best meet the requirements of the particular school.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 23: Folding Table]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 24--Household Science Cabinet for Rural Schools]

2. The cupboards and cabinets to contain the utensils may take various forms. A kitchen cabinet costing from twenty-five to thirty-five dollars may be obtained from a furniture store, or one may be made by a local carpenter. A large packing-case painted brown outside and white inside (for cleanliness) is satisfactorily used in some schools. If covered with oil-cloth, the top of this may be used as an additional table. A few shelves placed across a corner of the room and covered with a door or curtain may be used, or it may be possible to devote one shelf of the school cupboard to the storing of the utensils. It is desirable to have a combination cupboard and table, which will contain most of the equipment, including the stove. Figure 24 is a working drawing of such a cabinet, which may be made by a local carpenter or by the older boys of the school.

The directions for making this cabinet are as follows:

Obtain two boxes and cut or re-make them so that each is 30 inches high when standing on end, 12-1/4 inches across the front inside, and 18 inches from front to back. These will form the two end Sections, A and B. Inside the sides of these boxes nail 1 inch 7/8 inch strips, to form the slides for the drawer. The slides come within 7/8 of an inch of the front edge. Rails may be nailed across the front. Guide pieces should be nailed to the slides, in order to keep the drawers straight.

Divide Section A for one drawer and cupboard. The drawers may be made out of raisin boxes cut down to the required size. To the front of each drawer, nail a piece of beaver board or pine a little larger than the drawer front. Use any handles that may be conveniently obtained. Cut two pieces 4' 9-1/2" 1-1/2" 7/8". s.p.a.ce the Sections as shown, and nail these pieces firmly to the fronts of the larger boxes, _A_ and _B_, top and bottom. Four end pieces 18" 1-1/2" will be required. Fill in Section _C_, in this case, 2' 7-1/2", with the pieces from the box lids or with ordinary flooring. Make a door for the cupboard from similar material. The top is best made from good, clear, white pine. Screw battens across, and screw the whole firmly to the box top from the inside. If more table s.p.a.ce is required, make a similar bench top, which can rest on top of the cabinet when not in use. When required, it may be placed over the desks. Steel or gla.s.s shoes or wooden skids or battens should be fixed under the cabinet, so that it can be pulled away from the stove and replaced easily. The dimensions given are for a two-flame-burner oil-stove which is 30 inches high, 31 inches across the front, and 16 inches from front to back. The middle Section, _C_, and the total height of the cabinet may be enlarged or reduced to fit other sizes of stoves.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 25.--Cabinet, showing stove in position for use]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 26.--Cabinet, with stove behind centre part.i.tion when not in use]

The material required for, and the approximate cost of, such a cabinet, labour not included, are as follows:

2 boxes @ 25 $0.50 5 raisin boxes @ 5 .25 5 handles at 45c per doz. .20 1 cupboard latch .15 or 1 turn b.u.t.ton .02 About 9 sq. ft. flooring .25 About 8 sq. ft. pine for top .50 Pieces for battens, etc. .25 Steel shoes .10

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 27.--s.p.a.ce taken by equipment in cla.s.s-room]

Figure 27 shows another type of equipment and the s.p.a.ce it occupies in the cla.s.s-room when not in use. The cupboard and the back of the cabinet contain the equipment necessary for teaching twelve pupils at one time and also for serving one hot dish at the noon lunch to twenty-four pupils. One drawer contains linen, etc., and the other, knives, forks, and spoons. The dimensions of the cupboard and the cabinet are shown in Figures 28 and 29, and the construction of each is such that it can be made easily by any carpenter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 28.--Working drawings of cupboard]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 29.--Working drawing of cabinet]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 30.--Cupboard with drawers and doors open, showing equipment]

Figure 30 shows the cupboard and drawers open and the method of storing the equipment. The shelves may be covered with white oil-cloth or brown paper, in order to obviate the necessity for frequent scrubbing. The cupboard may be fixed to the wall with mirror plates or small iron brackets, or it may be screwed through the back.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 31.--Back of cabinet with equipment in place]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 32.--Back of cabinet with stove removed]

Figure 31 shows the back of the cabinet, with the three-flame-burner stove-oven, the one-flame-burner stove, and other utensils in place. The folding table, previously described, rests on the top of the cabinet.

Figure 32 shows the back of the cabinet with the stove and oven removed.

The method of storing utensils and the construction of the cabinet are clearly shown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 33.--Three-flame-burner oil-stove, with kettles and one-flame-burner oil-stove on shelf]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig._ 34.--Household Science equipment with drop-leaf table]

Figure 33 shows the three-flame-burner oil-stove with the shelf underneath containing three kettles and the one-flame-burner oil-stove.

Another type of equipment is shown in Figure 34. Each end of the top of this cabinet drops down when the cupboard doors are closed, s.p.a.ce being thus economized. The top of the table may be covered with oil-cloth or zinc carefully tacked down on the edges.

The directions for making this cabinet are as follows:

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Lumber: