Slate lesson transcript

Lesson XXXIII (Lesson 33)

Slate

Spelling words – pencil, obtained, mountain, mineral, quarries, England, Ireland, Wales, colour, properly, purpose, polished, substance, cisterns, answers

When we go to school, we learn to write upon slates with a pencil, which also is made of slate. The slate we write upon seems hard and smooth, but is easily marked with a pencil.

What is slate? And where is it obtained? It is taken out the ground. In some parts of the world, great rocks, and even whole mountains, are made of slate. Because it is taken out of the ground, and is part of the ground, slate is said to be a mineral. The places from which slate is taken are called slate quarries. When first cut out the rock, the slate is rather soft, but becomes hard after it has been some time in the air.

Many slate quarries are to be found in England, Ireland, and Wales. The best slate comes from Wales, where large numbers of men are employed to quarry it. Slate is also found in New South Wales.

For writing upon, slate is chosen of a dark colour, firm. and hard. But before it can be used for this purpose, it must be properly prepared. It is first made smooth with an iron tool, and then rubbed with a piece of stone, after which it is slightly polished. Pencils are made of a softer kind of slate, which is not likely to scratch. This kind of slate splits easily into long, thin pieces. It will even crack and split if left out in the sun; and it has to besprinkled with water and kept in a damp place, lest it should crumble to powder.

When split into thin sheets, slate is used for roofing houses, for which purpose it answers better than any other substance. But the slates must be hard, so as to keep out the rain, which would soak through anything soft. Then a house would be damp and unhealthy, and the wood work would decay.