Ever look at your state's history standards?

[Rivka]

I got in a discussion elsewhere about whether homeschoolers ought to be expected to take the same tests public schooled kids take. In the course of writing my response, I took a look at Maryland's state standards for one of our favorite subjects: history.

 

Holy cow. I knew they didn't follow a WTM-style sequence, but you just wouldn't believe how incoherent it is.

 

For grades K-3, the history standards focus on developing an understanding that people lived differently in "the past." In fourth grade, they study Maryland history up through the Civil War. In fifth grade, they cover American history from the early explorers through the American Revolution. In sixth grade, inexplicably, they cover ancient world history, the Middle Ages in Europe, and world religions. After that massive endeavor, in seventh grade the history standards are minimal and just call for an examination of contemporary conflicts and events. Eighth grade is history-heavy again: they pick up where they left off in fifth grade and cover American history from the Louisiana Purchase to about the end of the 19th century.

 

No, seriously. That's the history sequence mandated in the state standards. So much for the idea that homeschoolers ought to model their curricula on public school standards.

 

Do your state's standards make more sense?

[Hen]

our State standards look pretty good, but I get the feeling, from seeing State testing scores, talking to kids and from going through the Ca public school system myself..that most schools don't live up to them and never finish them. Also, there is a lot of flowery edu-speak in there.

[Dmmetler]

My brother, the history major, commented that many of the VA state SOLs for history were ones that you could put a dozen historians in a room and they'd all have different answers.

 

Like "The student will explain the causes of the Civil War".

 

I've decided, based on the TN Social studies standards, that anything I do will exceed them. I still recall a section of the 1st grade test from about a decade ago requiring that kids identify which stylized drawing of a public building provided a specific service. Except that their picture of "City Hall" looked like a bank not too far from the school, their picture of a bank looked like the public library, and their picture of a school looked more like a nearby church. The kids who could read the labels on the building were fine. The rest guessed incorrectly.

 

OTOH, my DD is almost certainly deficient in Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman-who I believe were studied every single year in the elementary school I taught at.

[mom31257]

Looking at the standards, the focus in elementary is solely American history, geography, and economics. The history is limited, though, to significant figures, native American cultures, civil rights and suffrage, with some American history in 4th and 5th.

 

My dh teaches world history in public school here in GA. He says his students all know who Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harriet Tubman are, along with what happened at Seneca Falls, but they don't have a clue about Martin Luther, Julius Caesar, or anything significant from non-American history.

 

He was certified years ago and had to take subject tests in World and Georgia history. He knew very little of GA history, but said he answered every negative answer with any name that seemed like the white male. Any positive answer he picked the female or non-Caucasian answer. He scored higher on the GA part than the world history part, which he loves and had taught recently.

 

I have given a standardized test to my own child and another for several years. On that test, 5th through 7th grades, all had the same question about what happened at Seneca Falls. How can Seneca Falls be so important that it needs to be asked 3 years in a row?

 

My conclusion from all these experiences is that the political correctness of the day will determine school standards, not what would truly benefit the kids the most.

[mommycheryl]

I have been looking at mine (NC Standard Course of Study) lately and desperately trying to convince DH that at least my 7th grade dd would benefit from being homeschooled next year. 8th grade social studies is totally North Carolina focused. Not just a part of the curriculum, the whole thing is NC. American History through the lense of NC. First, I am not from NC. I have lived here for 3 years, the rest in New England. So while I think it is great to learn about your state, I think a whole year is kind of egocentric. Second, I have been reading the textbook for next year online. Lots of really important points in history left out to leave room for NC figures. The one that caught me is that Thomas Paine is not even in the textbook. And so far I have only read through the Revolutionary War.

 

7th grade is Africa, Asia, Middle East. She has spent a month on middle eastern religions and conflicts.

 

Elementary isn't much better. Ds in 3rd can tell me bits about Japan and Australia, but the only history I see being taught (and I work there): Pilgrims, Lincoln and Washington, Martin Luther King and various people during Black History month. I agree with the above poster, my kids certainly have learned a lot about Martin Luther, Harriet Tubman, etc. Much more so than when we lived in Maine.

[Leav97]

I know the standards for my local school. But only for 1st Grade.

 

1st Grade

 

 

1. Mesopotamia
   
2. Ancient Egypt
   
3. Three World Religions
   
4. Mexico Today
   
5. Early Civilizations of the Americas
   
6. Early Explorers and Settlers
   
7. From Colonies to Independence
   
8. Exploring the West
   
9. Geography
   
10. Language Arts – Fiction and Sayings
    

 

The other grades haven't put the course of study on the web site.

[Perry]

Do your state's standards make more sense?

You might enjoy this:

The State of State U.S. History Standards 2011

 

February 16, 2011

by Sheldon M. Stern, Jeremy A. Stern

 

• Download Copy

 

 

Foreword by Chester E. Finn Jr. and Kathleen Porter-Magee

Presidents’ Day 2011 is right around the corner, but George Washington would be dismayed by the findings of this new study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Reviewers evaluated state standards for U.S. history in grades K-12. What they found is discouraging: Twenty-eight states—a majority—deserve D or F grades for their academic standards in this key subject. The average grade across all states is a dismal D. Among the few bright spots, South Carolina earns a straight A for its standards and six other jurisdictions—Alabama, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia—garner A-minuses. (The National Assessment's "framework" for U.S. history also fares well.) Read on to learn how your state scored.

 

 

State Reviews:

 

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia

Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia

 

 

 

Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

[Renee in NC]

I know the standards for my local school. But only for 1st Grade.

 

1st Grade

 

 

1. Mesopotamia

2. Ancient Egypt

3. Three World Religions

4. Mexico Today

5. Early Civilizations of the Americas

6. Early Explorers and Settlers

7. From Colonies to Independence

8. Exploring the West

9. Geography

10. Language Arts – Fiction and Sayings

 

The other grades haven't put the course of study on the web site.

 

Core Knowledge school?:D

[Jyniffrec]

I dimly remember having a look at the TN state standards for learning about TN in the grammar stage. I followed the links they provided and found that they didn't have much there. I concluded that teaching about state history would take less than a month.

[JennyD]

I just looked up the scope and sequence for social studies New York City K-8 and high schools -- it looks fairly reasonable. K-8 is structured more around geography than history (which seems fine to me) and they spend a LOT of time on family and immediate community in K-2 (less enthusiastic about this), but on the whole it seems pretty good, especially in the attention to world history and geography.

[Virg]

Oregon gets an F too. I am sure it deserves it but thank goodness I went to a private school that used it's own curriculum and standards so I don't know personally.

[Leav97]

Core Knowledge school?:D

 

We do have a core knowledge choice school but, the one we are zoned for only uses the social studies portion. If they would combine the year round choice school and the full core knowledge school, I might actually be tempted to use the PS.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Leav97
added more.

[Perry]

You might enjoy this:Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

The document I linked above ranks the states by grade in Appendix B. It didn't copy well, but after the state name is the letter grade, the "Grade Content and Rigor Score" (out of 7) and "Clarity and Specificity Score" (out of 3).

 

South Carolina A 7 3

Alabama A- 6 3

California A- 6 3

District of Columbia A- 6 3

Indiana A- 6 3

Massachusetts A- 6 3

NAEP A- 7 2

New York A- 6 3

Oklahoma B+ 5 3

Georgia B 5 2

Michigan B 5 2

Arizona C 4 1

Florida C 5 1

Hawaii C 5 1

Kansas C 4 1

Louisiana C 4 1

Maryland C 3 2

Minnesota C 5 1

Nebraska C 4 1

New Jersey C 4 1

Tennessee C 4 1

Utah C 4 2

Virginia C 5 1

Arkansas D 3 1

Illinois D 3 1

Kentucky D 2 1

Nevada D 3 1

New Mexico D 2 1

Ohio D 2 1

South Dakota D 2 1

Texas D 2 1

Washington D 2 1

West Virginia D 3 1

Alaska F 0 0

Colorado F 0 0

Connecticut F 1 0

Delaware F 0 0

Idaho F 1 0

Iowa F 0 0

Maine F 0 0

Mississippi F 1 1

Missouri F 1 0

Montana F 0 0

New Hampshire F 0 0

North Carolina F 1 1

North Dakota F 1 1

Oregon F 1 1

Pennsylvania F 0 0

Vermont F 1 0

Wisconsin F 0 0

Wyoming F 0 0

Rhode Island* N/A N/A N/A

* Rhode Island had not adopted official statewide U.S. history standards

[MtnTeaching]

The history standards and the incoherent, unrelated bits and pieces that my children were taught in ps are some of the main reasons why I homeschool.

 

I strongly believe that we MUST learn from history and to have it hacked to bits with no flow is not teaching history. The events that lead to a certain moment in time are as important in most cases as the event itself.

 

i.e.- Lincoln's or Martin Luther King's assination, Seneca Falls July 1848, the Holocaust... how do we just snapshot these events in time and not learn about the events that lead up to them in any order?

 

I believe that the lack of history knowledge in this country is much more dangerous than any lack of math or grammar.

[cherylw]

You might enjoy this:Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

 

 

Wow! I just briefly read ours (TN)...not good.:confused:

[MtnTeaching]

Colorado gets an "F".

 

Thank you for posting the grades, Perry. This homeschooling thing gets better and better! Unfortunately, my fear for the future of this country gets bigger and bigger.

[myfunnybunch]

Do your state's standards make more sense?

 

Oregon's standards look almost exactly like what you're describing. And the document I looked at was a draft, as they are revising the current standards, so this isn't some leftover dinosaur.

 

Ack.

 

Cat

[jujsky]

According to that State of the State report, NH got an F. I looked at the NH state scope & sequence and it was completely disjointed. The report nails it! It explains it much, much better than I ever could. NH deserves an F.

[*Jessica*]

NY's score is an A-, but the history education that I received was terribly disjointed, missing a ton of content, repetitive of certain content, and is one of the reasons I started homeschooling. I graduated with high honors, but my first grade son already knows more than I do about world history and knows much of what I know about American history!

 

I hope NY's standards have improved immensely since I was in school, because it didn't deserve an A- for the years I was there. I graduated in 1997, BTW.

[Barb_]

You might enjoy this:Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

 

Pennsylvania scores an F. Ironic.

[mo2]

Where do you find your state's standards?

[twoxcell]

This is a quote from the link that was shared on the first page:

"Oregon’s U.S. history standards are vague to the point of absurdity. The content—

assigned to grade bands, not individual grades—is scanty, gap-ridden, and hopelessly

general, not even approaching a usable historical outline. And what little content there

is focuses heavily on the mistreatment of minorities, all but ignoring other aspects of

the nation’s past."

They gave Oregon an F, and so would I. Quite honestly from the experience I have with public schools in Oregon they barely even touch on history in elementary school. It is very limited to holidays, and a few key people. As well as a quick overview of Oregon history.

[Rivka]

Where do you find your state's standards?

 

Try googling "__ state standards" or check your state department of education's website.

[Perry]

Where do you find your state's standards?

Click on your state below, which will take you to a review of your state's history standards. On the right sidebar it will say "DOCUMENTS REVIEWED" and have a url of the website.

 

Also, you could google "your state name" and state standards, and you should be able to find it that way. There are also math and language arts standards, among others.

State Reviews:

 

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia

Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia

 

 

[Rivka]

I see that CO got an F. Perhaps that has something to do with the standards mentioning that the Bantu migration is terribly important???

 

I checked the CO state standards, because I was curious to see how history standards could possibly be organized around the concept of Bantu migration, and I found this:

 

describing the demographic changes resulting from major migrations in history (for

 

example, migration of Chinese south; Islamic nomads into Northern India; Germanic

migrations into the Roman Empire; Bantu migrations south; Amer-Indian migrations into

 

 

Central America; trans-Pacific migration).

 

Bantu migration is one example of what might be studied under one standard, in a 31-page document full of standards. So I really don't understand your comment. It seems to be based on the assumption that there is something inherently ridiculous about studying African history. :glare: Am I missing something?

[Parrothead]

You might enjoy this:Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was too stupid to interpret. I tried looking at the standards on the state website and there was nothing that made good walking around sense. My state scored an F.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Parrothead

[Chris in VA]

I always keep an eye on my county's Program of Study--since we've made the decision to homeschool year by year, I want to know what is studied each year. It's kinda like Rivka said about Maryland--sort of all over the place, with so much American History.

 

3rd and 5th study Ancients,

4 is VA history, which is basically some geography and Early Am history

6 is Early Am, 7 is later Am, 8 is Civics (which is basically dumbed-down 12 grade gov't).

[Ellie]

No way. I already know that public schools don't do a good job of teaching history (or most anything else...just sayin'...) so I see no reason to waste my time going there.

[mcconnellboys]

No state standards for any subject I've ever looked at make a whit of sense to me. They are all just so much gobbledy-gook and the thing that makes me most angry about them is that there are folks being paid for thousands of hours of "work" to come up with such garbage....

[Mejane]

CT failed miserably. No big surprise there.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

MD here also and.... :glare:

 

History is one of the reasons I decided to homeschool. I love history (clearly this is why I'm a history major, intending on becoming a history professor!), and the way it is (not)taught in local schools is just sad.

 

As a PP mentioned, I can't understand how children can learn about the important events without knowing what led up to them. For example, how can one come to a true understanding of WWII without first learning about WWI, particularly the outcome.

 

Also, I dislike the focus on local, state, and even national history, without putting in a larger context.

[Garga]

I have a friend who is a principal of a private school. We had a very dissatisfying discussion about history. (Ok--it was a just a few sentences, not really a discussion, because we both quickly realized that we Just Didn't Agree.)

 

He said that he doesn't believe that 1-4th graders could possibly understand history chronologically and that a 1st grader cannot understand ancient history. But you have to do so much backpeddling and filling in the blanks if you teach history out of order, that I think it's much more confusing to a child.

 

In fact, as a principal of a Christian school, he should know that starting in ancient hx in 1st grade is perfect timing. Finally, a child can sort out when all those biblical events took place and make better sense of them. If we study history, we can understand things like why it was such a big deal that Esther was afraid to confront her (easily enraged) husband. We know from history that her husband was a fruitcake when he got angry. Then, when we read about her having to confront him, we can understand her bravery much better. And yes, I think that 6 and 7 yo's can understand that.

 

Sorry for the rant. I guess I'm saying here what I didn't get to say to my friend.

[petepie2]

I have been looking at mine (NC Standard Course of Study) lately and desperately trying to convince DH that at least my 7th grade dd would benefit from being homeschooled next year. 8th grade social studies is totally North Carolina focused. Not just a part of the curriculum, the whole thing is NC. American History through the lense of NC. First, I am not from NC. I have lived here for 3 years, the rest in New England. So while I think it is great to learn about your state, I think a whole year is kind of egocentric. Second, I have been reading the textbook for next year online. Lots of really important points in history left out to leave room for NC figures. The one that caught me is that Thomas Paine is not even in the textbook. And so far I have only read through the Revolutionary War.

 

7th grade is Africa, Asia, Middle East. She has spent a month on middle eastern religions and conflicts.

 

Elementary isn't much better. Ds in 3rd can tell me bits about Japan and Australia, but the only history I see being taught (and I work there): Pilgrims, Lincoln and Washington, Martin Luther King and various people during Black History month. I agree with the above poster, my kids certainly have learned a lot about Martin Luther, Harriet Tubman, etc. Much more so than when we lived in Maine.

 

Did you notice that fourth grade is also totally devoted to NC geography and history?! :eek:

[QueenCat]

I grew up in Howard County, MD. What I remember from middle school social studies is memorizing the counties and county seats of Maryland. I'm sure we did other things but that's what I remember. And still do know the counties, but not the seats, for the most part.

[mommycheryl]

Did you notice that fourth grade is also totally devoted to NC geography and history?! :eek:

 

I did notice that, my DD already went through 4th here. Maybe it is just me and the particular teachers at our school, but it didn't bother me as much for 4th. Probably because they still switch back and forth between Social studies and science, so it wasn't a full year subject.

[TravelingChris]

I had a friend in college who came out of New Haven CT public schools. We (her friends) were so surprised when she made some comment about a black person from the West probably coming from Montana. Everyone looked puzzled- was this some lame racist joke but she had grown up in a mostly black neighborhood so that seemed unlikely. So one of us asked why she thought that the black person would be coming from Montana and she replied since there are so many black people there. At that point, no one understood her since Montana has to be one of the least black populated states. Well upon further questioning it turns out that since she went to mostly black schools, they did a lot of black history and not much other US history. So she had only heard about black cowboys and had gotten the impression that because of the Civil War, there had been a large migration of blacks to Montana. She wasn't a stupid girl= she was attending one of the best colleges in the country and has since then become a PhD scientist. But her history was so skewed that she had profound misunderstandings about the US. I just wonder how many other kids get this too.

 

I looked on NM history standards and it seems focused on Iroquois governing system as a basis for US government structure (totally false). It also divided US history into three time periods and taught pre Revolution in fourth grade, Revolution to Civil War in eighth grade, and Reconstruction forward in 11th. It got a D.

[unsinkable]

I got in a discussion elsewhere about whether homeschoolers ought to be expected to take the same tests public schooled kids take. In the course of writing my response, I took a look at Maryland's state standards for one of our favorite subjects: history.

 

Holy cow. I knew they didn't follow a WTM-style sequence, but you just wouldn't believe how incoherent it is.

 

For grades K-3, the history standards focus on developing an understanding that people lived differently in "the past." In fourth grade, they study Maryland history up through the Civil War. In fifth grade, they cover American history from the early explorers through the American Revolution. In sixth grade, inexplicably, they cover ancient world history, the Middle Ages in Europe, and world religions. After that massive endeavor, in seventh grade the history standards are minimal and just call for an examination of contemporary conflicts and events. Eighth grade is history-heavy again: they pick up where they left off in fifth grade and cover American history from the Louisiana Purchase to about the end of the 19th century.

 

No, seriously. That's the history sequence mandated in the state standards. So much for the idea that homeschoolers ought to model their curricula on public school standards.

 

Do your state's standards make more sense?

 

I only look at the state standards when I feel the need to gouge my eyes out and flail around the house in pain and aggravation.

[Renee in NC]

You might enjoy this:Maryland gets a C. Iowa gets an F. Which it clearly deserves. :cursing:

 

Do you realize that Iowa always gets "Fs" in these types of things because they don't have state standards at all except in reading, math, and science (to meet the requirements of NCLB?) These standards are broad by design to meet the Federal law while still allowing the local LEAs to set there own standards.

 

ETA: There was some talk in IA of foregoing federal funds in order to *not* have to meet the law. Iowa has long allowed local school districts to set their own standards. This could be good and bad, but my experience with IA schools was positive overall.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Renee in FL

[Rhonda in TX]

I just looked ours up.

 

K-2nd: study of community (some study of historical figures - all American from what I can tell)

3rd: heroic individuals

4th: Texas history

5th: American History

6th: people, places, societies of contemporary world

7th: Texas history

8th: American History to Reconstruction (high school has Reconstruction to present)

9-12th: geography, world history, American history, govt., economics (also psychology and sociology)

 

Holy cow. NO World History before high school? That's incredible!!

[DawnM]

I taught History several times in CA. There was no way to actually cover what was all there. Sigh. Now, I did teach in a very inner city high school, so take that for what it is worth. With over 30% of the students absent on any given day and a lot of hand holding on my part, it just didn't get close to finished.

 

I don't think schools in the more affluent areas finished either though.....it sure does look good on paper! We even had to put up on the board which standard we were covering for the day in case an administrator walked in. It didn't matter if it took a week to finish that one standard, as long as it was on the board!

 

Dawn

 

our State standards look pretty good, but I get the feeling, from seeing State testing scores, talking to kids and from going through the Ca public school system myself..that most schools don't live up to them and never finish them. Also, there is a lot of flowery edu-speak in there.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My brother, the history major, commented that many of the VA state SOLs for history were ones that you could put a dozen historians in a room and they'd all have different answers.

 

Like "The student will explain the causes of the Civil War".

 

 

 

I was getting an ed degree around the time that the SOLs were being implemented. Many of my class assignments involved taking SOLs and writing lessons or units to teach them.

 

I remember picking one section of SOLs that involved the Byzantine Empire. After a little study I decided that the SOLs alone were very little help in determining the content, quality or depth of the expected answer.

 

There were several similar categories. I think that the state has developed an entire line of material that is supposed to show the classroom teachers what the expected answers to the SOLs are.

 

The integrated history/lit class that I did the Byzantine project for was what convinced me to homeschool. The concepts held up as ideal in that class were very difficult to pull off in a classroom, but much more achievable in a homeschool setting.

[Perry]

Do you realize that Iowa always gets "Fs" in these types of things because they don't have state standards at all except in reading, math, and science (to meet the requirements of NCLB?) These standards are broad by design to meet the Federal law while still allowing the local LEAs to set there own standards.

We didn't used to, but we do now. Iowa Core Curriculum- History

 

In the past, we have received grades of N/A. We only started getting Fs after 2009, when the core curriculum was published.

 

Overview

Iowa had no published U.S. history standards before 2009, and for all practical purposes,

it still has none. Its “content areas” contain no content, and its hopelessly broad and

theoretical expectations lay out no specifics whatsoever—not even defining the basic

historical material to be taught in different grades. Iowa’s history standards are, in short,

almost devoid of history.

Goals and Organization

Iowa’s social studies standards are divided among “five core social studies content

areas,” or strands: behavioral sciences, economics, geography, history, and political

science/civic literacy.

Each core content area is further divided into broad grade ranges: Primary (K–2);

Intermediate (3–5); Middle (6–8); and High School (9–12). Within each, conceptual or

thematic content headings are presented, called “Essential Knowledge and/or Skill”

(these headings are frequently identical for a given strand across the different grade

blocks). Under each such heading, various conceptual examples are supplied. Suggested

classroom exercises, described as “illustrations,” appear under selected “essential

knowledge” headings.

For example, one high school heading directs students to: “Understand the role of

culture and cultural diffusion on the development and maintenance of societies.” Socalled

“examples” under this heading include: “Understand the ways groups, societies,

and cultures have addressed human needs and concerns in the past” and “Understand

societal patterns for preserving and transmitting culture while adapting to environmental

or social change.” Finally, an illustration provided for this heading suggests various ways

in which students might examine 1920s consumerism.

Since no specific content is assigned to any particular grade block, no course scope can be

discerned at any grade level.

Evaluation

“The history component of social studies,” Iowa’s core curriculum document declares,

aims to “build upon a foundation of historical knowledge,” in order to “describe the

relationship between historical facts, concepts, and generalizations. History draws upon

cause and effect relationships within multiple social narratives to help explain complex

human interactions. Understanding the past provides context for the present and

implications for the future.”

If, however, Diogenes searched with his lamp through the Iowa

standards for an honest attempt to create this substantive

“foundation” he would discover a startling fact: There is no

history whatsoever in the Iowa “core curriculum.”

Instead, the state offers little more than a series of vapid

social studies concepts and skills. Students are expected to

understand these concepts without having to bother with

historical information.

At the high school level, for example, students are expected to

analyze macro-historical questions such as change over time,

cultural diffusion, promotion of change or stasis, the effects

of economic needs or wants, and the effects of geography and

innovation. Yet the examples provided under these headings

are entirely divorced from any knowledge or subject-specific

historical content.

Teachers and students are directed to respond to such vague

directives as the following: “Analyze the actions of individuals

and groups in the development of historical events,”

“Identify significant individuals who have affected historical

development in positive or negative ways,” “Analyze the ways

various societies have met their economic needs and wants

over time,” and “Identify and analyze the role geography has

played during historical events.” Students are to “understand

cause and effect relationships and other historical thinking

skills in order to interpret events and issues,” but they are

evidently to do so with whatever substance a particular teacher

may happen to introduce.

The closest we come to specifics in the standards is a reference

to a few of the founding documents in the civics section.

Otherwise, the only references to actual history are random

and isolated examples mentioned in suggested classroom

exercises. For example, students might examine historic

railroad maps, make a worksheet on “major events of the Civil

War,” or list their most important rights and responsibilities.

In short, students are to analyze and understand history

without being required to actually learn anything about it.

Content and Rigor Conclusion

The so-called “core curriculum” contains neither core nor

curriculum. No subject matter is clearly assigned to any grade,

resulting in no measurable grade-specific levels of substance

and/or rigor. The standards do not even make a meaningful

distinction among American, world, and other histories. As a

result, there is no Iowa U.S. history curriculum to assess—or

indeed any historical curriculum at all—and the state’s

standards cannot be awarded more than a zero out of seven for

Content and Rigor. (See Common Grading Metric, Appendix A.)

Clarity and Specificity Conclusion

Iowa’s purported standards are an affront to the state’s

teachers, parents, and students. The state offers no clear

historical guidance and lays out no specific curriculum for

any grade, never even beginning to define a workable scope

or sequence. With no specifics to examine, clarity is not a

meaningful category: The state earns a zero out of three

for Clarity and Specificity. (See Common Grading Metric,

Appendix A.)

 

[Perry]

These standards are broad by design to meet the Federal law while still allowing the local LEAs to set there own standards.

 

Iowa has long allowed local school districts to set their own standards.

My district doesn't have any social studies/history standards. The neighboring district has them, but they are vague and meaningless. So the idea that they are deliberately broad so that individual districts can set their own doesn't work out so well.

 

Here's a snippet of the Cedar Rapids district's social studies standards for grade 6:

Sixth Grade Social Studies Standards

STANDARD A: Culture

6.A.1 Compare similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures meet human needs and

concerns.

6.A.2 Give examples of how language, literature, the arts, and artifacts contribute to the transmission of

culture.

6.A.4 Explain the importance of cultural diversity and unity.

STANDARD B: Time, Continuity, and Change

6.B.2 Analyze key concepts such as chronology, change, and conflict to explain and show patterns of

historical change and continuity.

STANDARD C: People, Places, & Environments

6.C.1 Use and apply the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction,

movement, and region) as it applies to specific regions.

6.C.2 Use various representations of the Earth, such as maps, globes, and photographs.

6.C.3 Use appropriate print and online data resources and geographic tools to create and interpret information

from charts, graphs, and maps.

6.C.5 Identify the importance of various landforms and geographic features across different ecosystems.

6.C.8 Describe how human and environment interactions have influenced events both historically and

currently.

STANDARD D: Individual Development & Identity

6.D.6 Compare and contrast examples of stereotyping, conformity, and altruism.

I still have no idea what they're supposed to learn in 6th grade. Edited March 9, 2011 by Perry

[vonfirmath]

I was (and still am) very impressed, looking back at my year of Texas state history in 7th grade. They went through details that are still not mentioned often in discussions. I don't remember any other year of history that clearly (or even exactly what we did for history in high school) but I know when I cover Texas state history, I want to do just as well as my 7th grade teacher (evidently Texas also covers Texas state history in, like, 4th grade. But I don't remember that)

 

However, I am also perfectly okay not covering history in specifics until 3rd or 4th grade -- leaving it as stories and reading books about real people that have some connection to their lives without the chronological context. There is time enough for adding chronology later. Sure, if I had older children, I'd fold the younger ones in. But for my oldest, we'll be going more gentle on history in the early years.

[DawnM]

Actually, I DO get that! I would have fun with that. But, you are right, it isn't specific.

 

Dawn

 

My district doesn't have any social studies/history standards. The neighboring district has them, but they are vague and meaningless. So the idea that they are deliberately broad so that individual districts to set their own doesn't work out so well.

 

Here's a snippet of the Cedar Rapids district's social studies standards for grade 6:

I still have no idea what they're supposed to learn in 6th grade.

[Perry]

Actually, I DO get that! I would have fun with that. But, you are right, it isn't specific.

 

Dawn

It's not that those things aren't important. Absolutely I want them to use globes, maps and photographs. It just says nothing about content.

 

Compare 6th grade to 7th grade:

Seventh Grade Social Studies Standards

STANDARD A: Culture

7.A.3 Based upon their culture, explain how individuals and groups react to changes within their environments

(physical and social.

7.A.4 Explain the importance of cultural diversity and unity.

STANDARD B: Time, Continuity, and Change

7.B.2 Use chronology, change, and conflict to explain and show connections across history.

7.B.3 Compare and contrast patterns of change within and across cultures.

7.B.6 Apply knowledge of historical past to improve understanding of current public issues and events.

STANDARD C: People, Places, & Environments

7.C.1 Use and apply the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction,

movement, and region).

7.C.2 Use various representations of the Earth, such as maps, globes, and photographs.

7.C.3 Use print and online data resources and geographic tools to create and interpret information from

charts, graphs, and maps.

7.C.4 Apply a map scale in estimating distance with a variety of maps.

7.C.5 Identify the importance of various landforms and geographic features across different ecosystems.

7.C.8 Evaluate how human and environment interactions have influenced events both historically and

currently.

STANDARD D: Individual Development & Identity

7.D.2 Give examples of the ways social, cultural, and historical influences contribute to the development of

personal identity and influence daily lives.

They're almost exactly the same! What do they learn in 6th grade? What do they learn in 7th grade? I have no idea. And if your kid transferred from one school to another, they'd be studying completely different things. If they're studying anything at all, which is debatable.

[DawnM]

It sounds like they are focusing far more on sociology and anthropology than any actual History, although History as it relates to both would certainly would fit in there.

 

Dawn

 

It's not that those things aren't important. Absolutely I want them to use globes, maps and photographs. It just says nothing about content.

 

Compare 6th grade to 7th grade:

They're almost exactly the same! What do they learn in 6th grade? What do they learn in 7th grade? I have no idea. And if your kid transferred from one school to another, they'd be studying completely different things. If they're studying anything at all, which is debatable.

[Renee in NC]

We didn't used to, but we do now. Iowa Core Curriculum- History

In the past, we have received grades of N/A. We only started getting Fs after 2009, when the core curriculum was published.

 

Ahh...didn't realize that. I think that what I said still applies, though. IA has broad, sweeping standards with no content because they didn't want to have state standards to start with. To me, it's almost as if they are thumbing their noses at the US Dept. of Ed.:D

[Perry]

IA has broad, sweeping standards with no content because they didn't want to have state standards to start with. To me, it's almost as if they are thumbing their noses at the US Dept. of Ed.:D

I think that's true, and I wouldn't have a problem with that if they were actually teaching history in the schools. But they aren't. At least not in the 2 districts we've been involved with, and they are supposed to be among the best in the state. :mad:

[RachelFlores]

I just looked ours up.

 

K-2nd: study of community (some study of historical figures - all American from what I can tell)

3rd: heroic individuals

4th: Texas history

5th: American History

6th: people, places, societies of contemporary world

7th: Texas history

8th: American History to Reconstruction (high school has Reconstruction to present)

9-12th: geography, world history, American history, govt., economics (also psychology and sociology)

 

Holy cow. NO World History before high school? That's incredible!!

 

I went to Texas ps from K-12 and even though it's been a few years, this is exactly what I remember. As a kid I knew Texas history great, American history ok and only the barest minimum about world history.

 

I didn't graduate from a state college, but the history requirements for an undergrad degree don't get much better. You are required to have 6 hours of American and Texas Government and 6 hours of American history. No world history is required at all.

 

At the college I went to I took 6 hours of world history and learned tons of stuff I never knew I never knew. I'm still learning things as I teach my dd history. I'm starting to read history books just because I'm learning how terrible my history knowledge really is and I don't want to pass that along to my children. I also don't want her to think that Texas is THE most important place in the world. It has an interesting history, but Texas pride is taken to extremes around here and you can see why with the history that is taught here.