George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

Page 149 text:

CURRICULUM 145 Opposite page: Mr. Kenneth Freeman checks over the day’s homework. Left: “No, I won’t draw the line any longer,” says Mr. Raymond Branscome. Below: Mr. Antone Gallaher explains the answer to a test ques¬ tion. Bottom: Mr. James Earl displays his yule cake, made by appreciative students. i you can always get the answer on the slide GCM

Page 148 text:

GCM 144 CURRICULUM Even if you were only going to need math to do your income tax, the Mathematics Department of¬ fered a wide variety of progres¬ sively useless courses. General Math was an individu¬ alized course, helpful to some students because they were al¬ lowed to work at their own rate. Al¬ gebra afforded two choices: stu¬ dents could take the course in one year or spread it over two years in Algebra Parts I and II. Algebra was followed by Geometry, and, for those who wished to continue math, Algebra II or Algebra II and Trigo¬ nometry. ' Functions, Analytic Geometry, Probability and Statistics, and Com¬ puter Science were all one se¬ mester electives. Mr. Paris Rasnic taught basic computer program¬ ming in which the student learned to “communicate” with the com¬ puter by writing simple commands and running them through the unit. Although there was no actual com¬ puter at Marshall, there was a ter¬ minal connected to the computer by telephone. For those seniors who had completed all of the prerequisites, Calculus AB or BC (for college credit) was available. The math department was one of the few departments to utilize student aids — some seniors with study halls came into the classrooms to give extra help. Although only two math credits were needed to graduate, many students furthered their math edu¬ cation, and it was reported that math college board scores were very high.

Page 150 text:

GCM 146 CURRICULUM Individuaiization of instruction was the theme carried throughout the Foreign Language department. French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish courses were available to all grades. Marshall pioneered an experi¬ mental program of unit progress that enabled students to study in groups that progressed as their ability allowed. The department’s goals were to teach the student to communicate with a level of compe¬ tency, and to help each student be a successful one. With several groups traveling at different speeds there was a reduction, hopefully, in the number of below average grades. As a result of the program there was an opportunity to learn in a student — oriented environment where the teacher became a con¬ sultant rather than a director. Cards and tapes were used to supplement the textbooks. Right: Miss Laurie Williams keeps trying. Below: Mr. Keith Barney records grades in his deep blue book. Opposite page, below left: Mrs. Mary Allen gives extra help to an interested student. Opposite page, below right: Mrs. Alba Farfaglia makes lesson plans for the next day. Basic materials v '