Umm, Polski3, how exactly can the kids "do" history if they can't read? Even some people who are not part of the vast right-wing NCLB conspiracy would allow that that reading and math are "gateway" subjects: without proficiency in them, students are not likely to make much progress in subjects like history and (real) science.
If you want to improve history teaching, get rid of "social studies" and teach real history. Bring in the interdisciplinary aspects: a little art history, archaeology, music history, etc. will help with the purely politico-economic approaches.
DuhProf: Any world history teacher that's any good already does what you've suggested.
Oh, and by the way? Many of us conduct "strategic reading" lesson plans that help to further the student's reading and comprehension skills.
Yarg. I hated the "Across the Centuries" books when I had them. Seeing the newer additions my younger siblings have, I am even more glad that good teachers don't really use them. Bunch of PC crap, for the most part.
I wonder if DuhProf will think this through. The study of history is based on documents, which reinforces reading. I teach both my AP and regular students vocabulary and reading skills nearly every day. Lack of vocabulary is one of the main reasons our students are struggling-- to say nothing about the hallowed TEST SCORES.
My state no longer provides funding to test students in history, and at first blush, you would think this was a good thing. But what it really means is that the teaching of history and the study of history no longer counts in the educational calculus. My school just reduced the graduation requirements for social studies. And yet electives requirements remained untouched, when there's defintiely fat to be trimmed there if we're concerned about "the three R's." And I wonder what effect this will have on the teaching of writing and reading that we do in our history classes?
A science teacher in my building stated during the meeting of the graduation requirements committe that requiring student to study history was unimportant, since students could learn history on their own. I wonder if that attitude is inspired by meanspiritedness over the fact that social studies actually had about 20% of students scoring at the top level on the state tests, while science had 1% at the same level.
So what's the answer? Destroy what is working.
By the way, I may be a veteran teacher, but I'm not old-- I'm "chronologically enhanced."
Thanks for your insightful posts. They make me think.
Happy back to school!
I am not a teacher but I am a mother of three grown children. I think history is important. I believe in the old saying..."if you don't learn from your mistakes, you are doomed to repeat them." People need to know about how our county got started and why. They need to read and study the Constitution and understand why it is important to follow it. They need to know who the framers of our Constitution are. One night on Jay Walking, Jay asked some people on the street, who signed our Constitution. Most of the people couldn't even give one name. Several weeks ago on Sean Hannity, Sean asked some callers if they could name some of the Supreme Court justices. Most of them know Sandra Day O'Connor because she had just resigned from the court, but they couldn't name others.
I am grateful for my dad who helped my son gain a love for history. When he had his heart attack, he stayed with us for three months. He watched the History Channel on TV and got my son to watching it. He also got him watching Modern Marvels. Now my son loves watching these shows.
I live in Houston and we studied Texas history in 7th grade. My parents took us to Huntsville to see the home of Sam Houston the first president of the Texas Republic. I took my children there and to other places of Texas history.
One of my daughters favorite teachers was her 7th grade History teacher. He made history come alive to her and she has loved it ever since.
I do believe that history is important and I hope they don't change the history books to be "politically correct".
Keep up the good work.
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