Breck School - Mustang Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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Mr. Foote Mr. Dolen Mr. Beech

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HISTORY Head Of History Dept. The History Department this year, under the leadership of Mr. Beech, was one of the most active in the school. The Breck student now has the chance to take history from their first year in the Upper School through their last. This provides a thorough background in all phases of this discipline. The first history course is offered as a three year program. This is a world history class which is designed to provide a background for the more specific courses to come. The next course offered is Mr. Dolen’s Modern European History. This class covers the period from the rise of Napoleon through the Second World War. and gives a good introduction to the next class, American History. Phis class, taught by Mr. Beech, presents history as a scries of topics. The class studied such topics as power, the President, foreign policy, economics, and others. I'his class climaxes the actual history courses but two other classes arc offered within the department. The first of these was Economics. This was pre- sented in two parts. The first was a study of the basics of economic science, concentrating on such things as business cycles, depressions and inflations. The second part was a study of the practical application of economics to political science and sociology I he other course was Social Seminar, taught, and created by. Mr. Beech. The class, in a definite break with tradition, met only once a week and was conducted as an informal seminar. The subject was social deprivation and many prominent Twin City social workers, businessmen, and leaders spoke to the group. For field work the members of the class were volunteers in Project Motivation, a type of Big Brother organization run by the University Y.M.C.A. Throughout the course the emphasis was on the human clement in social work and on practical solutions to problems. I’his class is representative of the activity and imagination which made the History Department one of the most dynamic in the school. 26

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LANGUAGE Head Of Language Dept. In the old Breck School years ago, the Language Department began with only two courses. Since that time the offerings have expanded to include French, Spanish. German, and Latin. In the last year the department has dropped Latin in favor of consolidation toward a modern foreign language curriculum. This curriculum extends back into the sixth grade, where a student can begin an introductory course in French with Miss Raske, continuing, if he wishes, up through his senior year with Mrs. Blackburn. Or he may elect to begin any of the three languages in the L'pper School and continue as long as he wishes after his three required years. The Language Department, like the rest of the school, is constantly at work striving to create new and letter course offerings, some of which may well be quite different from anythingthestudent has encountered before. The German Program, for example, is now in its second year of operation and has changed in some respects from the year before. The student now makes out a contract with Mr. iN’eher for the work of the term and is expected to fulfill the contract. As of last term, if the student falls behind in his work, he is permitted to attend the infamous Saturday Session where hecan get additional special help. The student is still allowed to go at his own individual rate of speed through the text and supplementary material, the fast student going as quickly as he can and the slow student taking as much time as he needs. The beginning course in Spanish as well has been largely individualized this year, and Mr. Uram is currently devising an expansion of this program which will go into effect next year. In both French and Spanish effort is made to group students by ability; and grouping will presently depend far more on ability than on grade level. 28