Rensselaer High School - Chaos Yearbook (Rensselaer, IN)

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Departments agricultural J. IRA COE, A. B. Indiana University. Purdue Summer School. In the construction of the new high school building half of the second floor has been devoted to the work of the biological subjects. It is called the agriculture department although zoology is being taught there in addition to straight agriculture work. Beginning with the school year, 1913-14, an agriculture course was planned for the high school to take the place of the agriculture class of the preceding year and at the same time agriculture work was introduced into the grades under the name of elementary science. The agriculture work of the Freshman year consists of a required preparatory class of agricultural botany: the Sophomore year, of a class of general agriculture: the Junior year, of chemistry, and the Senior year, of advanced agriculture (for boys). The Ag class of the Sophomore year is open to both girls and boys, but following the Ag course into the Junior year, the girls take household chemistry in preparation for the Senior Home Economics class, while the boys take general chemistry preparatory to the advanced Ag class. The agriculture course as planned aliovc has been realized this year only in part: the Sopliomorc and Senior Ag classes not being given. In the agricultural botany work much emphasis is being laid upon judging, storing and testing seed corn and other crop seeds. It is hoped that the custom will become estab- lished of testing seed corn for the farmers of the community each spring. The work of the zoology class is quite agricultural in nature; some of the Sophomore Ag work on poultry and dairying being given during the second semester. The poultry work is introduced from a zooligical standpoint thru the study of birds in general, and the dairying work introduced thru the study of mammals in general. Some of the features of the work are the building of a poultry house and park, the care and feeding of poultry, poultry judging, dairy cow judging and milk testing. The outlook of the agricultural department, and, Rensselaer being an agricultural community, insures excellent opportunities for the growth of this department in these schools. £t)cmt0trp C. M. SHARP, A. R. Wittenberg College. Chicago University Summer School. The chemistry department felt that it had entered upon a new era when it moved to the quarters now occupied. The conveniences now enjoyed namely, individual lockers, water at each desk, well lighted room for lal oratory work and improved apparatus, have proven themselves great time savers and conducive to a more scientific atmosphere. With the new conception of what a high school course in chemistry should be. we have endeavored to accomplish two objects: first, to impress the fundamental principles of the PAGE NINE Algebra, Latin. English, too. History, Science ever new.

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J. IRA COE NAOMI OREOO PEARL ETHEL O. DYER Che faculty c. M. SHARP RUIHLEY C. R. DEAN OLIVE O. WHITE CARL CLEAVER F. GRACE E. STOVER EDITH O. BURCHARD L. WAIVE MALLORY EASTHAM Surely ye arc the wise men and wisdom will die with you! PACK EIGHT

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science so that the student from this school may continue his work in college without loss of time; second, to make the work as practical as possible for those whose education ends with graduation. This first object has been accomplished by a study of Brownlee’s Elementary Chemistry; the second, by a selection of laboratory exercises from outside sources such as: (1) testing of fertilizers ami soils, (2) milk testing (Babcock pro-cess), (3) testing of foods for adulterers ion, (4) testing of paints and oils. (5) removing of stains. (6) dyeing, etc. At the present time the tendency is to require a high , school subject to justify its existence by showing of what practical value it is. We believe that chemistry can prove its right to exist by the above test. By this statement we do not claim that a high school graduate is enabled to sell his services as a chemist, but we do claim that the course is practical in that it. to a greater extent than any otiher science, touches the many phases of life into which the student goes, regardless of what his calling may be. IMstorp C. R. DEAN', A. B. Indiana University. To the great majority of students and pupils, history is an entertaining ami interesting subject. Its scope is broad and much of the subject matter is rich in biography, which always adds itrterest in a subject. One might say that the aim is at least two fold:—1. Namely to enable one to enter into an understanding of the present thru a sympathetic study of the past. 2. To sec the development of man and his various institutions step by step as they have come down thru the ages. In teaching such a subject as history, the text hook is used very much as a manual or guide. The interest in history is largely determined by the outside or collatcrial reading. Of course the main topics in the text are always discussed but much time is spent on the subject from information obtained in other texts, biographies, historical fiction, pictures and stories. In most of the courses rite students are asked to read so many books on historical fiction ami each book lias a certain value. The History Department docs not aim to uncover a Hcrodrtus, a Tacitus or a Rhodes but to have each pupil get the so called historical point of view. By a sympathetic study of tlic past, as mentioned above, together with a brief analysis of the various institutions of the |»st, pupils are able to understand something of the present. This is accomplished thru debates, class discussions and reports. Altogether, there arc two and one-half years of history offered by this detriment. 'Hie student’s first taste of the subject comes in the Sophomore year and that is Ancient History. All students are required to take this course. It commences with the earliest history ami concludes with the breaking up of the Roman Empire. The Mediaeval work comes in the Junior year and continues thru the first semester and is followed by the Modern History in the second semester. This is an elective course open to all students who have ] asscd in the Ancient History. The Seniors are required to take the third years work which consists of American History the first semester and Civics the last semester. In the Civics much time is spent on the study of the local governments of Rensselaer. Marion Township and Jasper County. This is used as a basis for the study of the state and national governments. We aim to show that the principles underlying the local governments arc the same as those in the state and nation. The facilities for history work arc very good in Rensselaer. The city library has many excellent books which are accessible to all history students’ The department has good maps in the class rooms which add much to the work. PACK TEN “From a woman’s standp(o)int! —Miss White.