The state superintendent, the county superintendent, and the one-room school teacher each contributed to classroom instruction in North Dakota. In 1895, the "School Text Book Law" provided for free text books and school supplies for all pupils; however, the law was not mandatory. Specific courses of study and elaborate handbooks on all subjects became common publications of the State Department of Public Instruction by the 1920s. Long periods of adjustment were necessary to balance grades, classes, and time when students in one-room schools were divided into classes one through eight (daily programs for 1901, 1908, 1918, and 1928 are included). Efforts of county superintendents of schools like Mattie Davis (1896) to initiate programs for teachers and students resulted in improved education. Teaching of patriotism and moral values was integral to the curriculum. In 1927, the state legislature passed a law requiring the conspicuous posting of the Ten Commandments where classes convened. Great emphasis was placed on phonics and penmanship. A former student, Ross Bloomquist, recalled that teaching materials he remembered from his school days included a dictionary, a globe, and a case of maps. Leila Ewen, a former teacher, recalled some unexpected teaching aids derived from the farm character of the land. (Author/CM)