Social Studies

Social studies, a subject that had been demoted in Maryland schools in recent years, will regain some of its past educational stature under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Under the legislation — one of hundreds of bills O'Malley signed into law — high school seniors will have to pass an assessment in government to be able to graduate starting with the Class of 2017. The Maryland State Department of Education dropped the test last year. Advocates said the test was eliminated as the result of a de-emphasis on social studies stemming from passage of President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind bill, which threw federal support behind the instruction of reading and math at the expense of other subjects.

Social studies, a subject that had been demoted in Maryland schools in recent years, will regain some of its past educational stature under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Under the legislation — one of hundreds of bills O'Malley signed into law — high school seniors will have to pass an assessment in government to be able to graduate starting with the Class of 2017. The Maryland State Department of Education dropped the test last year. Advocates said the test was eliminated as the result of a de-emphasis on social studies stemming from passage of President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind bill, which threw federal support behind the instruction of reading and math at the expense of other subjects.

Having learned the tough lesson that my taste in clothing, jewelry and even toys does not match that of anyone in my family, I often retreat to my fallback gift: books. My choice for the young women in my life right now is "Why We Broke Up," written by Daniel Handler with wonderful illustrations by Maira Kalman. A couple is breaking up, and she sends him a letter and a box filled with totems from their love adventure, each one carrying a clue about why they broke up. Totally cool.

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future has launched a free, online curriculum for high school teachers to use in their classrooms. Teaching the Food System is designed to be inserted into anything from social studies, to environmental science and biology classes. The center which is part of the Bloomberg School of Public Health is offering $2,000 grants to teachers who need money for materials or field trips. 

Last summer, the Maryland State Department of Education held "Educator Effectiveness Academies" for all public elementary and secondary schools across the state. The purpose of these academies was to provide professional development for teachers about the new Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English/language arts. Invited to participate in these meetings were principals, along with representatives from English/language arts, mathematics, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)

B eth K. Currie, a popular Lansdowne High School social studies teacher who believed it was important to get students out of the confines of the classroom and textbooks, died of pneumonia Tuesday at St. Agnes Hospital. She was 78. Beth Kopelke, whose parents were grocers, was born in Aurora, Ill., and spent her early years in the family grocery store. When the business failed during the Depression, the family moved to Florida, where members found jobs on a dairy farm, and then to Baltimore in the 1940s, when her father went to work for the Bettar Ice Cream Co. as a master ice cream maker.

Luther Franklin Sharp, a retired high school social studies and humanities teacher, died of a heart attack Wednesday after shoveling snow at his Columbia home. He was 67. Born in Elizabethton, Tenn., he earned a history degree at the University of the South and a master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also studied at Duke University. While serving in the Navy in New London, Conn., he edited the base newspaper. Mr. Sharp taught world history and philosophy for 35 years at Catonsville High, where he also founded and coached the school's speech and debate team.

Calling all travel buffs who are charting courses overseas in August and September. If you have room in your suitcase for a small stuffed animal, plus a little extra money to buy a postcard and a stamp, Maren Aukerman of Union Bridge needs to hear from you.The energetic young teacher is embarking on a social studies project with her sixth-graders and she needs help to transport small stuffed animals abroad. A little space in your suitcase, plus five minutes to write a postcard will mean a lot to Ms. Aukerman's students.

Ten-year-old Carolyn Page sat with her legs tucked between her and the thick green carpet in the media center at Benfield Elementary, listening attentively to tales of what life is like in Peoria, Ill.Peoria, population 100,000, recently earned the "All American City" title. Peoria teacher Jean Miller, visiting the school yesterday, shared information about its natural resources, tourist attractions and history."I had never heard of it (Peoria)," Page said after the discussion at the Severna Park school.

DAVID Rosenstein was working toward his doctorate at New York University when he decided that being a history professor was not the right job for him. It involved too much time with books, and not enough time with people. "I really hated it," said Rosenstein, a graduate of Centennial High School. "I'm definitely much more of a people person." So Rosenstein dropped out of the program and got a teaching degree from the Johns Hopkins University instead. When he graduated, he became a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Ellicott Mills Middle School, a job he has held for the past five years.

Having learned the tough lesson that my taste in clothing, jewelry and even toys does not match that of anyone in my family, I often retreat to my fallback gift: books. My choice for the young women in my life right now is "Why We Broke Up," written by Daniel Handler with wonderful illustrations by Maira Kalman. A couple is breaking up, and she sends him a letter and a box filled with totems from their love adventure, each one carrying a clue about why they broke up. Totally cool.

Last summer, the Maryland State Department of Education held "Educator Effectiveness Academies" for all public elementary and secondary schools across the state. The purpose of these academies was to provide professional development for teachers about the new Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English/language arts. Invited to participate in these meetings were principals, along with representatives from English/language arts, mathematics, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)

Gerald "Jerry" Smith, a retired Baltimore County social studies teacher whose career spanned 25 years, died Oct. 4 of renal failure at St. Agnes Hospital. The Charlestown Retirement Community resident was 81. The son of a Hecht Co. painter and a homemaker, Mr. Smith was born in Baltimore and raised on Stricker Street. After graduating from Calvert Hall College High School in 1947, he served in the Navy. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from what is now Towson University and a master's degree in 1967 from what is now Loyola University Maryland.

Louise H. Jackson, a retired city public school educator, died May 13 of cancer at her Ashburton home. She was 88. Louise Hare, the daughter of a groundskeeper and a homemaker, was born and raised in Charlotte, N.C. She was a 1940 graduate of Second Ward High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 1946 in French from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She later earned a master's degree in French from New York University. She began her teaching career at Plato Price High School in Charlotte before moving to Baltimore in 1954 when she married the Rev. Benjamin Franklin Jackson, who was pastor of Fulton Baptist Church.

A Mount Washington Elementary School teacher whose fifth-graders engage in lunchtime book club discussions and embody historic figures in social studies lessons has been named Baltimore City's 2011 Teacher of the Year. Margaret May, who has taught language arts and social studies at Mount Washington Elementary for five years, was surprised with the honor Monday with a visit and a bouquet of roses from city schools CEO Andres Alonso, a chorus of ecstatic exclamations from excited students, and tears of happiness from principal Sue Torr.

Ethel L. Sellman, a retired Harford County French teacher who was known for her elaborate dinners, died April 28 of complications from a stroke at her Aberdeen home. She was 92. Ethel Onetta Estelle Lauterbach was born in a Biddison Avenue rowhouse and later moved with her family in 1928 to Mount Airy, where her parents owned and operated Hillside Poultry Farm. Mrs. Sellman was 14 when she graduated in 1933 from Mount Airy High School and enrolled at Western Maryland College, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1937, majoring in French, algebra and social studies.

BROOKLYN PARK Middle School pupils Krystina Engel, Danielle Evans, Jessica Horton, Richard Rebstock, John Cosner, Emily Fador, Scott Mauller, Victoria Vykol, Crystal Marion and Patricia Wood were inducted last week into the school's Society for Social Studies Scholars. The society is a program designed by Brooklyn Park teacher Jan Meaney to reward and encourage pupils in the study of history, geography and other social studies. To achieve this honor, the pupils were required to successfully complete a study of ancient Egypt and present their findings in a PowerPoint slide show with animation and sound effects.

Third- and fourth-grade pupils at Clarksville Elementary School competed in the Social Studies Olympiad this spring, and the fourth-grade class placed second in the nation based on cumulative scores of the top 10 participants. "We've always done quite well, but we've never placed this high, so we're quite proud of ourselves," said fourth-grade social studies teacher and team leader Diane Miller, who coordinated the contest. The fourth grade also participated in the National Geography Challenge.