Plainfield High School - Silhouettes Yearbook (Plainfield, IN)

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Sharon Spencer finds that a lot of outside reading term paper. Texts in the library are good sources and research is necessary in writing her sociology of reference for required reports. Psychology and Sociology Study Behavior Understanding man's behavior and his roles in society is covered in the fields of psycology and sociology. Psychology students learn reasons for behavior, both normal and abnormal; they learn of personality development; and they learn of the workings of the mind and nervous sys- tem. Sociology attempts to discover the basic social institutions and shows man as a member of groups. Sociology ex- plores such subjects as religion, demo- graphy, race relations, juvenile de- linquency, and other fields of interest in society. Both classes have much outside reading. During the year, they also take field trips to various places of interest where first-hand knowledge of their subject is gained. Greg Kolodziej, Joe Cutrell and Louise Bowman try to decide what the shapes are in the Rorschach ink- blot test. This is a method of study in psychology. 21

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The Past Gives Insight for the Future World history class views a filmstrip on an ancient civili- zation. In social studies classes, students learn of people, places, and events, both past and present. They are benefiting from both mistakes and accomplishments of their predeces- sors; they can draw upon the knowledge of what has gone before to try to im - prove the future. World history, an elective, deals with civilizations from ancient times to the present. Required United States history imparts knowledge of the Ameri- can heritage and the building of this country. A new course this year, American Problems, keeps students up to date with current affairs. Government and economics, both required for the senior year, give an understanding of the American system: government explains the functioning of the democratic process on local and national levels while eco- nomics describes capitalism and free enterprise. Wanda Jobst and Alan Klay show their government class sample ballots for the general election.

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Reading, Writing Teach Self-Expression Mrs. Craig helps her sophomore literature students check out books for outside reports. The realization that the major link to one's fellow man is verbal and literate communication enables one to see the importance of the courses of English, literature, and composition. Although students in English classes often felt swamped with endless rules, memorizations, and tests, the end re- sult was a more complete knowledge of a socially acceptable usage of the Eng- lish language. Literature students journeyed through pages of the works of authors from Chaucer to John Steinbeck. They gained a deeper insight into and appreciation of the various types of literary works. Composition students wrote, and wrote, and wrote some more, until it seemed that their cerebral resources must surely be exhausted. But these resources continued to produce fresh ideas for increasing the force of their written self-expression. These courses offer PHS'ers a chance for appreciation and improvement of the written and spoken word, thus improv- ing their intra-personal relationships. In English Literature class, Tom Cain, Pam Linden and Leo Dohogne visualize a trip to Britain. 22