The terracotta army near Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its 2,200 year old soldiers regarded as treasures of world art. This class will explain what the army consists of and what it is guarding, using facts from ancient Chinese texts and modern archaeology. It also will present the fascinating figure of the First Emperor of China, who still casts his shadow on recent Chinese history.

This is an introductory course to Spanish language and the culture. The purpose is to facilitate the practical application of the language in everyday oral and written communication at the beginning novice level.  The focus will be on basic communication skills, while becoming familiar with the Spanish-speaking world. Students will learn structures that will enable them to function in Spanish in an everyday context.  Course Goals and Objectives:  Students will be able to communicate both orally and in writing with Spanish-speaking persons about common everyday topics. Students will be able to discuss and relate to a variety of aspects of Latin culture at a beginning level.  We will use the textbook, "Easy Spanish Step-by-Step" by Barbara Bregstein.   Students are expected to purchase this book.

The Mapping Segregation Project aims to help Montgomery Planning document and explain how the real estate industry, laws, government programs, and other institutionalized and systemic actions have led to inequitable development in Montgomery County. By examining racial restrictive covenants recorded in the land records, historians in the Planning Department have built a mapping tool that allows property owners to access these documents and see patterns of racial segregation at the neighborhood level.

Politicians use language in ways that sometimes seem rather . . . unusual. But word meaning isn’t just what you find in a dictionary. Rather, it’s created by the frameworks of background knowledge and beliefs that the audience brings to it. We’ll explore some of these frameworks and see what we can learn from how politicians use their words.

Since 1980, hurricanes and tropical cyclones have caused the more damage and deaths in the United States than any other type of weather or climate disaster. This presentation will cover how and where these tropical systems form and why the resulting damage can be so extreme. We will review some of the most extreme U.S. events, as well as hurricanes that impacted the mid-Atlantic coast.

Join us for a guided walking tour of the enchanting historic National Park Seminary, once a private women’s school, then Walter Reed’s rehabilitation center, and now a unique residential community.

At the Academy, you will meet the men and women who train Montgomery County Police Officers on use of force.  There will be a brief classroom presentation followed by an actual demonstration conducted by the Montgomery County Police regarding de-escalation tactics and police use of force and then a tour. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.  The Academy is located at 8751 Snouffer School Rd, Gaithersburg, MD.  Please meet in the front lobby of the Training Academy no later than 10:30 am. Participants will receive an email with more details shortly before the trip.  Limit:  75  

During the mid 1900s the Osage tribe in Oklahoma were targeted in a murderous scheme to steal their oil rights by assassinating or poisoning key members of the tribe. Not until the FBI under the direction of J.Edgar Hoover was justice meted out to the killers, yet hundreds of Osage people were killed. The presentation will follow the Reign of Terror from the the early days of the Osage to the intervention of the FBI.

The lives of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, two of the greatest baseball talents of the Negro Leagues is the focus. Included is a snapshot of the founding and demise (after integration) of the Negro Leagues.