Social Studies

     I always liked and did well in Social Studies but never understood what the term meant. I could understand Civics but for some reason that term stopped being used.

     Until the 1960s, it was common for American high school students to have three separate courses in civics and government. But civics offerings were slashed as the curriculum narrowed over the ensuing decades. We also lost cooking or Home Economics and Auto Shop. I could understand the latter because cars today are just huge computers with thousands of lines of code and the inner workings require much more than the old wrench set. Though the loss of  Home Economics was and remains a tragedy. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to utilize one of the baking techniques I learned in my cooking classes in Junior High School. It's funny to recall they kept us boys separate from the girls for some reason. Doubtful the classes wouldn't be co-ed if they existed today. Look, I understand budget cuts and the expenses of stoves, refrigerators and food.  But where is the money going instead? My guess is to buy computers and build computer labs.

     Just a hunch, but I suggest fewer computers and more stoves would make our kids more responsible and civic-minded.

     Who know? Maybe the trend will reverse itself and our public schools will begin teaching Civics and Home Economics again. All I knew back then was that my cooking skills would come in handy the rest of my life, and they have!