The reason ordinarily is that they say that any of the boys may answer instead of that all of them may.  The boys do not get the idea that it is wished that a universal reply should come from all parts of the room, in which every one’s voice should be heard.  If the answers were feeble in the instance we are supposing, the teacher would perhaps say,

“I only heard one or two answers; do not more of you know where the Rocky Mountains are?  Will you all think and answer together?  Which way are they from us?”

“West,” answer a large number of boys.

“You do not answer fully enough yet; I do not think more than forty answered, and there are about sixty here.  I should like to have every one in the room answer, and all precisely together.”

He then repeats the question, and obtains a full response.  A similar effort will always succeed.

“Now does the sun, in going round the earth, pass over the Rocky Mountains, or over us, first?”

To this question the teacher hears a confused answer.  Some do not reply; some say, “Over the Rocky Mountains;” others, “Over us;” and others still, “The sun does not move at all.”

“It is true that the sun, strictly speaking, does not move; the earth turns round, presenting the various countries in succession to the sun, but the effect is precisely the same as it would be if the sun moved, and, accordingly, I use that language.  Now how long does it take the sun to pass round the earth?”

“Twenty-four hours.”

“Does he go toward the west or toward the east from us?”

“Toward the west.”

But it is not necessary to give the replies; the questions alone will be sufficient.  The reader will observe that they inevitably lead the pupil, by short and simple steps, to a clear understanding of the point to be explained.

“Will the sun go toward or from the Rocky Mountains after leaving us?”

“How long did you say it takes the sun to go round the globe and come to us again?”

“How long to go half round?” “Quarter round?”

“How long will it take him to go to the Rocky Mountains?”

No answer.

“You can not tell.  It would depend upon the distance.  Suppose, then, the Rocky Mountains were half round the globe, how long would it take the sun to go to them?” “Suppose they were quarter round?”

“The whole distance is divided into portions called degrees—­360 in all.  How many will the sun pass in going half round?” “In going quarter round?”

“Ninety degrees, then, make one quarter of the circumference of the globe.  This, you have already said, will take six hours.  In one hour, then, how many degrees will the sun pass over?”

Perhaps no answer.  If so, the teacher will subdivide the question on the principle we are explaining, so as to make the steps such that the pupils can take them.