Thomas A Edison High School - Talon Yearbook (Fairfax County, VA)

Page 23 text:

rammar, Writing, Dramatics and Public Speaking MISS PENNY NIXON MRS. NATALIE O’CONNOR MISS GLORIA PETERSON MRS. SYLVIA ROSENWASSER Anthea Hailey listens attentively as Dave Lisi reads an original writing in advanced composition cl ass. MR. JAMES SCOTT MISS DORIS SHILLINGBURG Ken Ostrye, Duke Jeffries, and Gary Witt get an opportunity to demonstrate their acting talents in classroom skit. 19

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English Includes Many Things: Literature, Mrs. Greenlee smiles approval as Richard Lee delivers his speech for public speaking. Edison students are fortunate to have an active English Department. The four years of English are scheduled in such a way as to create an interesting and enjoyable series. In freshman classes grammar is emphasized, sup¬ plemented by literature courses. The sophomores have a much more intensive study of literature. In junior and senior years, the pace and depth of the English program increases with the study of American and English litera¬ ture. Panel discussions, debates, and projects are all a part of the curriculum. By participating in these activi¬ ties, a student is given confidence in public speaking, insight into the meaning of prose and poetry, and an ap¬ preciation of the subject. This year a selected group of seniors were given the opportunity to supplement their English work by taking an advanced composition course. This subject is a college preparatory course that encourages creative thought and writing in argument, exposition, and the short story. Another field of English is the public speaking course. The public speaking book used at Edison is a college¬ rated text and makes this course one of the most inclusive and intensive studies in the English Department. Dramatics, a freshman course, presents the students with the challenge of interpretation. This course differs from drama in that it is interpretive reading while drama con¬ cerns theater principles and production. This year the drama students worked on plays which were presented in class. Some of the drama and dramatics students are also members of the Masquers Honorary Society. The English Department aims at increasing the stu¬ dent’s knowledge and appreciation of the humanities as well as the English language. MISS CONSTANCE CONE MISS CAROL DUKE MR. NORMAN FRITTER Department Head MRS. MARY GREENLEE MR. RUSSELL HALL MR. THOMAS KOEHLER 18

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Social Studies Department Adds Two New Courses: MR. JAMES BURDETTE MR. WILLIS CLARK MR. FRANK DAMICO MR. LARRY EIKER Social Studies Department has expanded its curriculum and introduced new teaching methods to meet the needs of the student in today’s complex world. Besides the tra¬ ditional courses of geography, world history, American history, Virginia history, American government, two new courses, psychology and economics, have heen added. Psychology classes deal with the individual and his ad¬ justment to society. The study of economics gives the stu¬ dent an awareness of the principles and problems of economics today. A novel teaching method, team teaching, is used in all geography classes. The participating teachers exchange classes throughout the year so that they can instruct stu¬ dents in their specialized area. For example, Miss Fulcher taught units on Australia and Middle East; Mr. Clark instructed classes on Russia and the Orient and Mr. Bur- dett taught classes on Europe and Latin America. The students in these ninth grade classes rotated every nine weeks. Since the teacher is teaching the same subject to the three classes involved in this program he has more time for preparation and the student benefits by getting differ¬ ent approaches to one class. Freshmen learn of the development of foreign countries and current events. 20