Section IV (continued 2)

In the second part of the test (pp. 60-62) magazine illustrations and advertisements proved to be most usable. Illustrative materials have long been recognized as having an important part to play in the teaching of home economics. The possibilities of their use in testing the results of teaching have not yet been fully appreciated. Further suggestions on illustrative materials will be found in Section VI, page 75. The objective type test also has its place in measuring results. 26

As has been suggested, many tangible evidences of the effectiveness of art instruction may be observed and several of them can be noted in the classroom. Others of equal or greater importance can not be measured in the classroom, but can only be determined by the teacher as she visits the home, supervises home projects, and participates with her pupils in the life of the community. The home project has been an essential part of the vocational program in home economics since the inauguration of the vocational program in 1917-1918. It has afforded an opportunity for extending the work of the classroom into the home and has developed additional desirable abilities through practice under normal conditions. The project carried on in the home has therefore been considered a valuable educational procedure.

It is also a measure of results of teaching in that it shows how well the girl is able to apply classroom training to actual situations that arise in her project. Art can contribute to the success of many home improvement and clothing projects. There has been a tendency in some cases, however, for the pupil's interest in the actual manipulative processes involved in the project to be so great that she lost sight of the opportunities for the best applications of art.

In the home project "Redecorating my room," there is evidence that the pupil has consciously applied art for the successful attainment of it. This project, reported as follows, grew out of the unit in home furnishing, which is recommended as an additional study following the first general course in art related to the home.

Name of project.—Redecorating my bedroom.

Plan of project.—Since my bedroom must be repapered and painted, I plan to make it as attractive as possible by following some of the things we have had in our art work in home economics.

The plaster of the walls is not suitable for painting, so I will select some light and cheerful colored paper with figures in warm pastel shades.

The woodwork, which is a pea-green color, is quite dull and cool for a north room and needs brightening up, so instead of having the same color again, I will paint it a light cream or ivory. A dark-yellow paint covers the floor, which is quite worn in some places. I do not like this color, so my plan is to use either light brown or tan, at least something darker than the walls, as I want the floors darkest, the walls next, and the ceiling the lightest.

To make the furniture, which is now varnished, blend with the color of the woodwork and floor, it too will have to be painted a color lighter than the floor or darker than the woodwork.

In place of white tie-back curtains, deep cream or some other color darker than the white will be more suitable with plain-colored draperies, as they will blend with the ivory woodwork and enameled furniture.

In order to contrast the curtains with the bedspread and dresser scarf, I think the spread and scarf can be a lighter cream color.

A cushion for the rocker and a flower by the window will also add color and finishing touches to the room.

Outline of project activities.—

Jobs References

Selected wall paper and helped paper the room, using paper with light background and pastel figures in it. Looked through several wall paper catalogues and samples at the furniture store.

Painted the woodwork an ivory color. I got sample folders of paint and also used the samples in the catalogue.

The House and Its Care, by Matthews.

Painted the floor an inside tan (deep tan color). Used sample folders of paint.

Goldstein, Art in Everyday Life, for suggestion on color.

Painted the furniture with beige enamel. I referred to paint folders.

Made an unbleached krinkled spread, repeating the color of the draperies on the spread. I looked through several magazines and catalogues for styles and my mother and sister gave suggestions.

Made deep cream voile curtains. These were straight curtains, not ruffled. Studied different styles of curtains in magazines.

Made draperies. Referred to magazines and catalogues.

Made cretonne cushion for rocker. Mother gave me suggestions.

Made a dresser scarf, repeating colors that are in the wall paper. Consulted mother and my teacher.

Time for project.—A total of 62-1/2 hours was spent on my project between November 15 and January 11.

Story of my project.—My bedroom is a northeast room, long and narrow, with sloping walls, and had but one window on the north side. This made it dark and cheerless during most of the year. Last summer my father built a dormer window in the east side of the sloping walls. Immediately the room seemed transformed. It did not look so long and narrow and the sunshine drove out the darkness and cheerlessness. This improvement gave me the idea of remodeling the bedroom, and I saw many possibilities of making it into a cheerful and cozy one, where I could spend much of my spare time.

I began almost immediately to remodel. The first thing I started with was the walls. They were not suited for painting, so I chose paper, which I got at the furniture store. After looking through several wall paper catalogues I chose paper with a light background and an inconspicuous, conventionalized design in pastel tones of blue-green, red-orange, violet, and yellow. (Sample attached.)

Before I put the paper on the wall I cleaned and sandpapered the woodwork, floors, and dusted the walls. Father and I then began papering. We had some trouble in matching the paper, but after the first two strips were matched the rest was put on without difficulty. The next job was painting the woodwork. I applied two coats of ivory paint after having dusted the wood so that there would be no dust to interfere with the painting. This was done successfully and without difficulty. (Sample of color used.)

The next step was painting the floor. I chose inside tan. (Sample of color used.)

The furniture was easier to paint than the floor but it took quite a while to give it two coats. I used enamel that dried in two hours, so had to be careful not to rebrush the parts I had painted, as rebrushing causes light streaks after the paint has set. (Sample of color used.)

With father's assistance, I completed the difficult work of papering and painting. Then I began the pleasant work of making a spread, curtains, draperies, and cushion.

I looked through several magazines, catalogues, and books for the different ways of making curtains, spreads, and draperies. My mother and sister also gave suggestions as to what would go best with the room and how to make them. I chose deep cream voile curtains with red-orange (peach) pongee draperies. The curtains are made with a wide hem at the bottom and sides.

The spread is of unbleached krinkled muslin. (Sample attached.) I have a deep ruffle of the same material at both sides and I repeated the red-orange color in two bands near the ruffle.

The rocker needed a cushion. This I made of figured cretonne, which blends nicely with the room. (Sample attached.)

On the floor I have two rag rugs which also have colors of blue, red-orange, and tan.

My teacher came to visit my room one evening and gave me some splendid ideas.

I shall add a homemade wardrobe for my clothes and put a low shelf in it for my shoes. In front of the dormer window a table will fit nicely. I am going to fix this table up with some books supported by book ends, a simple box, and a blooming plant. I will keep some simple and useful articles on my dresser.

All through this report there are many evidences that the pupil can apply the principles of art successfully and also that she knows how to obtain further information as needed. Another interesting feature of this project is that the pupil did not consider this a finished piece of work when her original plan had been completed. She saw other possibilities for her room and was beginning to make plans for further changes and additions in keeping with those that had been completed. There is no better evidence of the success of art training than in the effective use the girl makes of it in her home life. It may be anticipated that a girl who has gone this far in improving a part of the home will endeavor to make other desirable changes. To the extent that the members of the entire family welcome the changes brought about by the project and enjoy the results, the project may be considered successful.

The success of art instruction may then be evaluated by—

1. Evidences in the classroom.

2. Evidences in the home.

3. Tests which call for judgment and creative thinking.

4. Home projects.

HOME PROJECTS

Home projects involving the use of art are to be encouraged, not only as a device for measuring the results of teaching, but as a means of stimulating applications of art in the home. Art training will function in the immediate lives of the girls to the extent that successful applications of it are made through the home projects. However, such applications are not made without the ideal and therein lies the importance of developing in girls ideals of having and creating beauty that will be sufficiently deep seated not only to motivate but to carry through pieces of work in their homes that will bring more beauty and satisfaction to the families. Projects carried on in the home demand more than a repetition of certain processes that have been learned in school. They involve the bringing together of many principles and processes, the exercising of judgment in determining which are needed, and then the applications of these in the new situation. Thus the home project is a creative piece of work.

Much more use of art should be encouraged in many of the projects which girls are choosing in all phases of home activities since it can contribute so much to the comfort and attractiveness of homes, and these are essential factors of happy family life. Lewis Mumford, 27 a distinguished critic of modern architecture and decoration, has fittingly said:

The chief forms of decoration in the modern house will be living things—flowers, pictures, people. Here is a style of interior decoration that perpetually renews itself. For the modern house is built not for show but for living; and the beauty it seeks to create is inseparable from the personalities that it harbors.

It is safe to predict, on the basis of the home projects in which desirable art applications have been made, that through conscious effort the following outcomes may be expected:

1. The ideal of creating beauty in the home will be strengthened.

2. Pupils will recognize greater possibilities for making art applications.

3. Pupils will become more observing and discriminating.

4. Family life will be bettered by those projects in which home improvement has been achieved.

5. Pupils will appreciate that beauty is not dependent upon cost.

6. More successful projects will be carried out.

The last point is reflected in the summary of results that one girl made of her home project, "Improving the Looks of My Room." She said:

The only cost for my project was for the two little pictures that I hung by the mirror. I learned that it is not always the cost or quality that determines the attractiveness of a room. Things must be arranged correctly or much of the beauty is lost.

My mother thought that everything I did to my room was an improvement and encouraged me to do much more. I am planning to do more for our entire house in the future.

The home project which resulted in an improved kitchen in one home had a favorable influence upon the home life of the family. The girl, with the financial assistance of her brothers, had made an attractive and more efficient kitchen in the bare 4-room house, which was the home of the family. The living quarters were naturally limited in such a small space. In reporting on this project the teacher said:

I feel that this project has been very worthwhile to Ethel and her whole family. Her mother was so grateful and told me how much better it made her feel to walk into a bright, cheerful kitchen every morning. She said that her boys were so pleased they had made a living room out of the kitchen on cold winter nights.

Suggestive Home Projects in Which Art is an Important Factor

Clothing projects which include planning as well as construction offer many possibilities. This planning would necessitate such applications of art as the adapting of style, design, and color to the individual, selecting and combining textures and colors in the fabrics, and using appropriate trimmings and accessories. Such projects would also afford opportunity for exercising judgment through the evaluation of results. The same opportunities exist in the "make-over" projects as in the others in which all new materials are used. A few clothing projects involving art are suggested, as follows:

1. Planning and buying or making (a) school wardrobe for self; (b) season's wardrobe for small sister or brother.

2. Making the most of clothing on hand. This will involve cleaning, pressing, and mending, as well as some remodeling.

3. Remodeling clothing on hand and choosing additional garments needed for an attractive and suitable wardrobe.

4. Selecting the accessories to complete a costume for self or for mother.

Home-improvement projects which involve the exterior of the home as well as the interior should have a place in the home-economics program. In this group of projects there is not only great opportunity for the application of art as the basis for planning and selecting, but also for the making of more pleasing arrangements of things already in the home. In view of the fact that in most home-improvement projects the girl needs to make the best use of furnishings and equipment already possessed by the family, and usually has a limited amount of money to spend, her problems are greatly increased. Except in the few cases in which she has the privilege of newly furnishing a room or a part of the home, the starting point is with the present possessions in the home and a careful evaluation of them to determine the good in each. She should appreciate the fact that the home and its possessions belong to the entire family and that any changes she may desire to make should meet their approval or at least be undertaken with their consent. In most cases the proposed changes will be more welcomed by the family if little outlay of money is necessitated and if the largest and best use is made of cherished household treasures.

Joint home improvement projects have been carried out in some States with considerable success. In these projects the girls in home economics have worked cooperatively with brothers who were in agricultural classes. This usually meant greater interest on the part of parents and other members of the family. More ambitious programs for improvement were thus possible, not only through greater family support and encouragement but through the boy's ability to make certain alterations in structure or finishing that a girl could not do alone. Through these projects the boy and girl have learned much from each other. Perhaps the most conspicuous evidence of success has been the spread of interest beyond the homes into community improvement.

Some suggestive home-improvement projects are as follows:

1. Making the home kitchen a more convenient and attractive place in which to work.

2. Arranging home furnishings and accessories so that harmony, balance, and desirable centers of emphasis contribute to the attractiveness and comfort of each room.

3. Assisting in the selection and arrangement of furniture, wall coverings, floor coverings, or accessories for the girl's own room or other rooms in the house.

4. Preparing the sun porch for summer use.

5. Planning and caring for window boxes.

6. Planning and planting a flower garden or border that will contribute to the appearance of the home and also be a source of pleasure.

7. Re-covering or making slip covers for furniture.

8. Assisting in the selection of linen, china, silver, and glassware for the table.

9. Planning the table decorations for special occasions.

10. Keeping appropriate centerpieces of flowers, plants, or fruit on the home table.

Two home-improvement project reports on Beautifying Our Yard and Improving Our Home are given as suggestive of types of projects in which art plays an important part in successful achievement. Only the plans for the first one are given, since they show the significant art applications.

Name of project: Beautifying Our Yard

(Reported by a girl in a vocational high school in Nebraska.)

I. Reasons for choosing this project—

1. The flowers will improve the looks of the yard.

2. It will be an experience in the arrangement of flowers for me and will not only add to the attractiveness of the yard but to the house and surrounding buildings.

II. Aims—

1. To make the yard and house more attractive.

2. To keep flowers watered and weeded and give other care they need.

3. To plant the flowers in the most suitable place and position.

III. Plans—

1. Get all the information I can from experienced gardeners and from books and magazines that tell which are the best flowers to raise, easiest to grow and take care of, and when and where they should be planted.

2. Names of flowers to be planted— Cock's Comb. Zinnias. Phlox. Larkspur. Nasturtiums. Petunia. Sweet William. Cannas. Snap Dragons. Sweet Peas. Poppies. Heliotrope. Asters. Sweet Alyssum. Cosmos. Marigolds.

3. Location of flowers— a. Along the walk (both sides). b. Along sides of the house. c. Along side of vacant lot. d. Around garage. e. Along the driveway.

4. How to plant the flowers— a. The tallest ones in the back. b. The shortest in front.

5. When to plant them— a. Sweet peas, March 1 to 10, or before. b. Others in the middle of April to May. c. The flowers may be started in the house and transplanted to the outside when the weather permits.

6. Care of flowers— a. Water the flowers at least once a day (if dry weather). It is best to water them in the evening. b. Weed them at least twice a week and loosen the soil around them. c. If some insect starts destroying any of the flowers, spray them with a solution which will kill the destroyer.

IV. Approval of guardian—

This project, Beautifying Our Yard, selected by Alta, is a very profitable project, especially at this time of the year when our thoughts are directed toward the planting of flowers, shrubs, etc. A beautiful yard adds so much to the home and makes everyone more happy and contented. This project should create a desire in Alta to take more interest in the yard and in planting it. Also watching the plants grow will make her feel some responsibility in caring for them, while at the same time every member of the family will enjoy the realization of the project. I wish her all success in making this project come true.

Note.—An excellent planting plan worked out on squared paper accompanied this project.

Name of Project: Improving Our Home

(Reported by an Alabama high school girl.)

In the spring I took as my project home beautification. I thought when I started there was very little I could do to improve the old barnlike house and unsightly grounds, but the more I did the more there was to be done. I began by removing the old overgrown hedge from the side and front of the yard. After grading the ground we sodded the whole yard in Bermuda grass. The house was next underpinned with rough strips of lumber which were painted. A lattice fence was also built from the house to the garage (about 40 feet).

Between the fence and the lawn a space about 30 feet square was left for a flower garden. Just in front of the fence several rambling rose bushes, jonquills, and chrysanthemums were planted. All around the garden I had flower beds about 4 feet wide filled with marigolds, zenias, bachelor buttons, asters, and phlox.

In the summer we decided that we could afford a concrete walk and steps. This was a little expensive but it has helped the looks of the place so much that we have never regretted the time and money spent.

The interior next received attention, beginning with my own room. The furniture consisted of an iron bedstead, an oak dresser, table, and chairs. There was a faded rug on the floor. I moved the dresser to another room, then from an old washstand I made a little dressing table. With rough lumber I made a window seat which I covered with bright cretonne. The furniture was very attractive after a coat of paint and two of enamel were put on. I have very light curtains at the windows. The old rug was turned over and looks almost like new.

The walls in the living room and hall were painted in buff, the dining room and kitchen are to be the same.

One of the greatest improvements of the interior is the built-in cabinets. A very convenient one was made between the dining room and kitchen, where an old chimney used to be. The bricks were used to build a basement. The part of the cabinet in the dining room is to be used for dishes, and that in the kitchen for the cooking utensils. Both are to be painted cream inside and oak outside.

Next spring I am going to plant more flowers and keep working on everything that I think can be improved, for I love home projects. It not only has helped me, but has helped my entire family and even our neighbors.