I have just had the pleasure of reviewing the work of a thirteen-year-old student who put a great deal of thought and effort into a multi-page civics assignment.

Government and life in the United States was the main subject explored in this document.  It was all hand written, beautifully inscribed and accompanied by newspaper and magazine articles and pictures. It is a study of how we live in a democracy trying to take care of the many wants and needs of people.  Work performed by a teen ager, it is a document that would put most children to shame for its encyclopedic and far ranging effort to cover news that breaks daily in the press.

How many children, or adults for that matter, know the names of the members of the Supreme Court? How many are familiar with the high officers of the nation’s government including the Presidents from the beginning and in order? This is an unusual youngster for the quality of work and the interest in finding the facts as presented in columns and reports is striking. This record covering daily research for a school year clears away the detritus of advertisements that dominate what we call the media.  Stripped of the calls to buy, buy and buy some more, essential news is hard to find, but sharp eyed students can, if they will do the work, learn about our country and its problems.  Solving these problems comes after we get the knowledge to give substance to all the political activity that takes place in the give and take by parties and groups that think they have the answers. Teen-agers need assignments of this kind to grow into concerned adults. Good teachers challenge and encourage individual work such as this.

Quick – what are the names of the Supreme Court Justices who will soon retire? What are the philosophical positions of possible candidates nominated by the Republican President and most likely endorsed by the present Senate?  These are hardly the topics of interest of young people. Today they flock to movies, buy music and spend much money and time on becoming obese.  Yet, here is a teen-ager who did the work assigned in class and looked to become an active participating citizen in our democracy.

This civics hand written notebook was created in 1939 on the eve of World War II. Carol Joan Lane was a new student in Erasmus High School in Brooklyn and was out to make her contribution to society by studying and working hard to fulfill her assignments. The record of this year in school ended on the note that war was in the offing with local Nazis wanting to set up camp near our schools to teach the brand of totalitarianism that was transforming Europe. Ms Lane cut out a cartoon that asked the question if Nazi Germany would permit camps teaching democracy and tolerance in its midst while conquering its neighbors. This thirteen-year-old is a bit older today and is Carol Joan Lane Bloomgarden Schectman living with the author of this essay.