Jump to: Preparation Procedure Evaluation In Jacob Abbott's book, Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal , Marco's cousin Forester explains to Marco that there are two "modes of acquiring knowledge" -- through books and through observation. Students obtain more complete and meaningful understanding of a topic when provided with experiences that use both primary and secondary sources. Join Marco on his educational voyage in the 1840s, experiencing the Erie Canal and "lessons in life" firsthand. O