You wouldn’t think that the Super Bowl would be a source of
inspiration for discussion of high school curriculum, but there it was, in the
pre-game, a public service announcement/commercial for the Declaration of
Independence! As celebrities, athletes, team owners, and politicians all took
turns reciting text from this world altering document I was reminded of
American Studies I curriculum at WW-P South, dictated to a great extent by the
State’s Core Content Curriculum Standards. And as I remember it, teachers
allocated 2 class days to cover what is generally regarded as one of the most
influential global documents ever written. TWO DAYS…at most.
Personally, if I had the freedom to design my own U.S.
history courses, two come immediately to mind. One I might call “The Political
Thought of American Statesmen,” a course that would identify important figures
from our history and use their life story and ideas as a springboard for
teaching critical moments, movements, and controversies. The second might be
called, “Great Document That Helped Define Our Nation.” The Declaration,
Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Federalist Papers, Emancipation
Proclamation, Seneca Falls Convention’s
Declaration of Sentiments, Four
Freedoms, Reagan’s Speech/Eulogy of the
Challenger Disaster, and so many others can similarly be used as a foundation
for teaching aspects of our history.
The important point is that we have to rid ourselves of the
notion that we have to teach “everything,” placing the content on an equal
footing with skills, and that we need to teach chronologically. We are not
teaching students to become history scholars.
No less than 2-3 weeks could be spent on the Declaration.
There are so many issues and debates, both historical and contemporary, that
can be taught drawing on the Declaration. Then look at the Constitution; is
there any question that an entire history course could be designed built around
the objective of teaching the Constitution. If my son spent a year in history
class and came out of it with in depth understanding of nothing more than the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and events from our history where “constitutionality”
was at issue I would be ecstatic.
The bottom line for me is that we need to discard the
emphasis on quantity that defines our CCCS and give teachers the intellectual freedom
to design their own unique history courses. Other than those required documents
and “movements” that define us as a Nation, why worry about what is taught? Much
of what is taught today is quickly forgotten, and that can be directly traced
to the CCCS. The content is the vehicle to teach important salient skills,
skills that have practical application to one’s future. I'm imagining a real read social studies teacher with a degree in history, or economics, or some other specialty. Giving them the freedom to design their own courses would be like giving a kid the keys to a candy store. Right off the top of my head I can remember in depth units I taught(admittedly I was given a lot of freedom) on the History of Public Health, The Impact of Nature on History, The Struggle Over Jerusalem, Deviant Behavior in American History, The Religious Wars of France, for example. And then I think of our CCCS and
State DOE, and am them reminded of several lines from the Declaration:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect
their Safety and Happiness. ….But when a long train of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute
Despot ism , it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,
and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient
sufferance of these Colonies.” Switch out a few words and you'll know what I mean. It is time for our Declaration of Independence
from the State DOE. Period.
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