Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-12-19
In Our Schools
Here's How They
Teach the 'Isms
BY Dorothy Waleslxi
staff Reporter

but ABOUT communism.
This, however, is the only sign left of the
fear which few years ago made communism"
an uncomfortable word in a public school class
room
A reaction to this fear set in about the time
of the Mccarthy hearings in 1858 and the death
blow was delivered this year with Sputniks
and H.
The American public has evidently decided
that the younger generation must know what
kind of people the Russians are and what makes
them tick.
Throughout the period of fear and reaction
the professional educators in the county have
quietly gone about their business of emphasizing
the positive by teaching democracy
Their premise has been that knowledge of
all forms of totalitarian government or the "isms
is best taught i'm an atmosphere of practicing
democracy.
According to Jacob Rabnovich, secondary SUI
pervisor who has taught social studies in Mont
gomery for II years, the best way to prevent
children from being sold bill of goods" on any
of the "isms' is to give them the ability to do
critical thinking.
The teaching philosophy here according to
Rabinovich is ito try to instll into the child the
scientific approach to social questions as well
physical problems. This approach gives him tech
niques for gathering data and doing practical
thinking"
1.-The child will learn how to evaluate on
the basis of facts" 1t is this ability that makes
good citizens in democracy, says Rabnovich.
He also contends that the younger genera
ton more than any previous generation has eX-
perience in the slills of democratic living
Modern classroom techniques offer daily ex-
periences in such democratic procedures how
to chair meetings, prepare agendaS, and work out
the will of the majority.
The study of communism is not an official
part of the curriculum until the 18th grade
course, called Senior or Social Problems in De
mocracy. Actually, at any grade level from 7th
up communism be investigated as a natu-
raj result of interest in current events
Or it arise in normal class discussions
during 9Th grade United States History 9th grade
Civics, 10th grade World History or 18th grades
detailed study of the complications of United
States foreign relations
Social studies teachers on any level are pre-
pared to use the childrens natural curiosity as a
means of teaching them about the world in which
they live Until the 18th grade the emphasis is not
to force this curiosity but by all means to salts
fy it once aroused, the questions about totali-
tartan governments.
AS aid to these teachers last spring
) tmonths before Sputnik) the School Board ap-
proved summer workshop that would provide
a list of available resource materials, books,
pamphlets and audio-visual aids, on Democracy
and its Totalitarian Competitors" to supplement
social studies courses in grades through II.
Rabinovich and 10 county teachers worked
through some 300 items to come up with an
approved list of $50 books, etc. that are readily
available to the county's social studies teachers
All of the various "isms" are explained
This September, this resource bulletin mo
144) was distributed to all social study teachers
F1odo 1ob1o fI,o
A concrete explanation of how communism
is taught in Montgomery is set forth in a United
States History teachers work sheet:
The subject of communism is usually
brought up by students in the discussion of the
common storehouse experiment in Jamestown
AT this time the teacher usually defines the term
and the class may want to find out more about it,"
I'm our daily news summaries the term
communism is frequently mentioned. News
about communstic countries is discussed and
analysed
Owens experiment at New Harmony is dis.
cussed. brief study of communism in the
United States is made in connection with our
history of the 1905 and World War H."
mo separate unit on Communism nor any of
the other isms is taught at this time except where
their influence has played part in certain his
torical period or setting"
Senior year high school students are felt to
oe mature enough 10 take a more concentrated
dose in their Problems of Democracy course
The study of communism at this level in.
cludes:
History of communism as practiced in Rus
STA and her satellites
Communism an economic and political
system
Comparison of democracy and communism.
The usual approach to the subject in the 18th
grade is as follows:
list is made of the things that the stu.
dents want to know about communism
Books and pamphlets that contain helpful
information are collected
Where possible, speakers with personal ex.
perience of Russia, either before the 1917 revolu.
ton or in the present day, give their impressions
OF the people and country and answer questions.
Films can be used also at this point
committee does additional reading and
presents report to the class based on these read
ings.
Some of ha