Memory Gems

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"Memory Gems?" Until I began researching the role of a schoolmarm for my job in a local schoolhouse museum, I hadn't encountered the term that I understood  as "aphorisms." Curators handed me a list of activities and referred to these sayings as Memory Gems, historically correct and a might easier term for scholars of all ages.  It was apparent they were, and still are, an effective way to teach a moral lesson. Teachers in the past used them regularly as daily lessons and actual Memory Gem books were readily available.  

In District #1 School, we use memory gems for our penmanship lesson with dip ink pens and memorization lessons for recitation. Short and thoughtful, these intelligent moral guides are great for story starters and discussion.  Admittedly, I was surprised and encouraged by the mature responses these gems elicited from our young visitors!
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If you'd like to add memory gems to your program or simply need more resources for variety, here are some suggestions.

One immediate resource for Memory Gems, if you need more, can be found for free on Google Books.
Memory Gems: A Compilation of Five Hundred Short and Easy Quotations from Three Hundred Authors
William Anderson Bowles
Jan 1908 · Goodson Gazette Press

Two paperbacks that I've added to my collection are:
Training for Citizenship: Memory Gems for Character Building-by William Alexander Smith
Memory Gems for Children: Based on Nature and Ethics (Classic Reprint)
Both are available on Amazon ($14.70) &  Alibris and Abe Books, but are a bit higher in price.

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