I’m looking for anyone who went through the Md school system around this time because my memory of the course structure is hazy.
I vaguely remember that I took four core subjects (math, science, English and … history?). Exactly what kind of science you studied (bio, chem, phys, etc.) depended on your academic year. I think 10th grade was biology, 11th chemistry and 12th physics (general life sciences and Earth science were in junior high school; a different school altogether). I remember going to each subject for one period every weekday. As far as I can remember, the schedule was the same every day meaning I would have studied math five periods each week, and at the same time every day. The school day was 8 am to 3 pm or thereabouts. That makes sense for six subjects + lunch.
I was talking to a friend who remembers differently. He says we only studied each subject two or three periods each week, meaning the schedule would be different from day to day. In his memory, math was (for example) period 3 on Monday and period 5 on Thursday. That leaves a lot of extra room for more than the six subjects I remember taking.
Can anyone else get into their way-back machine and tell me if my memory is more or less correct?
It would also be interesting to know how it’s structure now, if anyone has teens in junior/senior high school and cares to comment.
I graduated from Montgomery Blair in 1978.
I had biology as a freshman, physics and chemistry as a sophomore, and adv. physics and chemistry as a senior.
My folks probably still have my report cards somewhere…
I graduated from Gaithersburg HS in 1991. It and every other school I knew of had the seven period schedule, where you had every class every day.
My kids’ schools have all gone to the “A Day, B Day” schedule. I guess the rationale (and it makes sense to me) is that with 90 minute periods rather than 45 minute, kids learn more because the first and last five minutes of each class period (typically a time of transition and distraction) comprise less of the total class time.
Well I was in 1st grade around that time, but what you described is how I remember middle and high school. Every day we’d have the same classes at the same time. I believe I had to graduate with 4 English classes, 4 math, 4 science and 3 social studies classes, along with a couple of fine arts/music and PE.
A few years after I graduated they switched to having 4 periods a day for half a year so the classes were longer, but instead of 7 classes a year they got through 8. Not sure if they still do it this way or not.
I went to school in Frederick county so it might be a bit different elsewhere.
I do remember that 10th grade was biology year for me at Wootton. IIRC, we had same classes 5 days a week. Can’t remember if Frost Intermediate did the alternating days thing.
Well, I’m a little later than the time period you’re asking, but I want to throw in my two cents anyways. I went to Pyle Middle School at the tail end of the nineties, and my brother was at Whitman High School. In middle school, we had a seven-day rotating schedule, and on each day we would have four ninety-minute class sessions. (We had seven classes in a marking period, but only four on any one day.)
High school, if I recall correctly, had a standard schedule of each class every day, 45 minutes per class period. So if you and your friend are remembering differently, is it possible that one is remembering middle school and the other is remembering high school?
Parkville class of '72. We had 7-period days, with core classes (English, math, science, social studies) every day of the week, electives 2 or 3 times a week, PE 3 times a week (I think), and the possibility for a few study halls thrown in there. I was in the college prep track, so I didn’t hit business classes at all. The progression for math was Algebra, Trig, Geometry, Calc. Science was General Science (9th grade), Biology, Chemistry, Physics. I hated Social Studies with a passion - World History in 10th, don’t recall what was taught in 11th, and I think 12th grade was civics/government/stuff like that.
It’s too long ago, so I don’t remember the hours. I do remember the gawd-awful mustard colored gym uniforms the girls had to wear - they were like little dresses over bloomers. I also remember that unless you had a broken bone or some other medical excuse from a doctor, you dressed for PE and you participated, and you were expected to shower before going back to class. Apparently, these days, gym class is very different, at least based on my daughter’s experience.
I think standards were by county, not statewide. So you and your friend could both be right, if you were in different counties.
I graduated from Woodward HS (Montgomery County) in 1983. 7 periods a day, same schedule every day, from 7th grade until I graduated.
To graduate high school, you needed 4 full years of English credits, and lesser amounts of math, science and social studies - don’t remember the exact amounts. My science curriculum was the same as yours - bio 10th, chem 11th, physics 12th.
Math went 10th algebra 2/trig, 11th pre-calc/elementary functions, 12th calculus.
I had totally forgotten about PE. But now that you mentioned it, I totally remember those musty, blue/yellow reversible (so that you could have two sides in team sports) gym clothes. shudder
That means I must’ve had seven periods per day, and since there was no state-wide standard, I may never get to the bottom of this.
Side note: by 1987, your high school was a dead duck.
I know because I spent my 9th grade year (1987-88, while Gaithersburg Junior High was being renovated) attending classes in the defunct shell of Woodward HS. ('Twas a damn long bus ride, too!)
For a bunch of kids who were used to a junior high building from previous years, Woodward was ridiculously spacious, and its high school-spec track and football field were impossibly luxurious.
Wife went to school in Howard County (graduated in 1984). I’ll try to remember to ask her. Kids are in Montgomery, and take 8 unless they have study hall. I usually took five, and six was the max (this was in TN).
Randallstown High (so, Baltimore County), class of '88. I wouldn’t swear under testimony, as my memory of it is rather vague, but I do remember it like your friend does. I don’t think we had every subject every day.
How can any of you people not know if your high school schedule alternated or not? The only way it even makes sense is if you went to one school that alternated, then transferred, and are now unsure of which was which.
You should all be in your 50’s, right? So is 50 the new 80?
Severna Park High, class of 79. I don’t remember if we alternated schedules. That was a long time ago.
I do recall I never took biology, taking Chemestry instead in 10th grade, than Physics in 11th and AP Chem in 12. We had US History in 11th. I think I took some sort of Constitutional law class as an elective in 12th.
I graduated in 1996. We switched to semesters during my high school- 4 periods at a time for 1/2 a year, then new classes (similar to most colleges). Prior to that it was the 7 periods most other posters recalled. In high school you had some flexibility, but it was those 4 Core subjects plus some required “electives.” We actually had tracks and each class was a level 1, 2, or 3. For example I was on a “College Prep” track, which required Calculus and Foreign Language (IIRC) and I took all level 3 classes. I also think everyone had to take a year or 2 of gym. In 9th grade I took English- which was actually called MLA, Biology, Algebra 2, I think Civics, Gym, Spanish, and a required “elective” rotation (like health, sexual health and something else that rotated every quarter).
When we went to 4 periods I liked that better. You could have 2 or possibly even fewer (not everyone took 4 sciences) “real” classes at a time. Or you could even double-up your math or foreign language or whatever. Take pre-Calc 1st semester and take calculus 2nd semester. Though some people would have a schedule like: English, Gym, Yearbook, Drama or Math 10, Gym, Agriculture, Woodshop
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Wheaton MD. Late seventies.
We had an unusual 6 day rotating schedule. Days were named A thru F.
The first day of the school year was “A” day and continued on from there.
If the first day of school (“A” day) was a Monday , then the second week of school, Monday was “F” day. Sounds complicated and it was.
You’ve been issued a warning for trolling (and not for the first time). I’m not sure why you felt the need to come in here just to criticize folks who were actually contributing to the thread, but in the future, don’t.
