History in the Classrooms

[Chessa]

Re: History in the Classrooms

Well, we educate at home. :)

As do I. My mother has taught me since I was 5. I have never personally been in any school system other than my mom's, but I have a friend who is. One day, I said something about Robert E. Lee. She said "Who is Robert E. Lee? Is he some character in a book you're reading?" :sarcastic So she got a mini lesson in the life of Mr. Lee. I asked her a little later if she had studied anything about the U.S. and she said they had learned about the Native Americans, a *little* about the Revolution and then skipped to WWI. Thats a MAJOR gap...

[Chris Suppelsa]

Re: History in the Classrooms

The question pertains to required education. I'm not talking about battles and/or dates, but, hows and whys, and reasons individuals did things.
We

Strangely enough, in my required classes, we didn't go into World War 2 much either.

[NC5thCav]

Re: History in the Classrooms

I teach 10th grade civics and economics and several of my friends teach US history. The main problem is that the state tells us what to teach. Our students have to take an end of course test, which they must pass to pass the class. When you consider that my civics class has well over 400 vocabulary tterms that they are responsible for at the end of the semester, you can see how we cannot spend more time on things that the state doesn't think is important. Our kids have to pass EoC tests and we need a job.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: History in the Classrooms

In Iowa, we do not have to teach to a test.
Spent a month on WWII in American Studies.
(1900-present) In my Civil War class I spend more time on the Western Theatre and the Trans-Mississippi. Disappoints the Gettysburg kids but the east is all they hear about in junior high.

I became a teacher because I felt I missed out on some aspects of our history. Do I blame my former teachers? No, it just made me even more curious about OUR history.

My suggestion to all of you who are upset about what your childs teacher, your teacher are doing talk to them. Ask them why they do not spend more time on different topics. I have students/parents come to me all the time and ask if we are going to learn about this or that.(When we talk about WWII many of my students want to spend weeks on battles. Because we have 180 to study 100+ years of history we cannot. I have to pick those that I think are most important for my 100 students. (Four classes) I give them suggestions of books to read that could further their interest.) I am truthful with them and give them my reasons why or why not. Most of the time when I explain my schedule parents/students understand.

Now that the weather is starting to improve, lets start talking about the upcoming season!

[Jerry Ross]

Re: History in the Classrooms

Hello ,
In Tennesse there are curiculum standards that we have to teach. Each subject area has it 's own standards. We also have 180 days per year to teach.

I teach 5th Grade students this year . I now have to teach all of the subject areas . Before this I was teaching 6th,7th and 8th Grade Science Students. All of this was teaching the standards because of state mandated standardized tests. Teachers in TN are evaluated each year on their scores of how well the students performed.

I was not happy about what the time frame I had to teach the Civil War. I wore my period clothes to school for two weeks. (Yankee, Confederate and Civilian ) While I am Pro Southren, I made sure to present all sides fairly.The Class wrote about the war(Langauge ), read about the War (Reading) ,learned to drill (P.E and recess).Then we learned about the war in Social Studies. I will try to add more next year. I would like to add Science and Math to the mix next year.

The good thing about wearing the period clothes for two weeks the students are always asking questions in the hall, lunchroom,playground ,office . This ,I think makes them have a interest . Maybe they will want to learn more on their own ????

I hope I did not make any grammer errors.I always tell my students to double check their work. That would be too funny.

[Milliron]

Re: History in the Classrooms

I have long considered becoming a History teacher. I haven't in large part because of the low morale I perceive from almost every teacher I meet. I have been out of school myself for a long time, back before there were these standardized tests. My experience is that they are loathed by teachers. Can you tell me what specifically the test (I realize these may vary from state- to state) requires you to teach about the ACW or History in general?

I consider my own experience regarding my ACW instruction. I remember specifically learning about Pickett's Charge in the 5th grade in 1979. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school that actually offered a class entitled "The American Civil War" (be still my beating heart). I was a thorough CW nut by then so there never was an "A" more easily earned. My History instruction, I felt, was excellent. I went on to earn a B.A. in it. I get the impression, however, that this kind of instruction simply doesn't exist anymore.

Is it me or does it seem like we are turning our children into godless technocrats with no identity or sense of who they are or where they came from?

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: History in the Classrooms

Is it me or does it seem like we are turning our children into godless technocrats with no identity or sense of who they are or where they came from?

Seems like most kids don't learn enough about our country and what it means to be an American. Grade schools can only teach so much, usually because they have to get every time period in before the semester is over. That's why most teachers only spend a week and a half teaching about the civil war. Parents now days don't talk about our past as much either, and they let the kids play video games and watch MTV. The question is, where's the new generation of patriots now days? These kids have no idea who they are, or where they came from. They don't learn about the duties our ancestors have gone through in order to make our country as good as it is.

I blame the parents!

[NoahBriggs]

Re: History in the Classrooms

where's the new generation of patriots now days?

Take a peek in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Korean DMZ, and the Southwest Border of the United States. If you can find them amongst the camouflage, that is. ;)

[Rear Guard]

Re: History in the Classrooms

This entire subject is the very reason I started contacting local schools and asking if I could come in and make living history presentations to their History students. I have found in my own school district here in So. Cal. that you have to be proactive in the schools or nothing changes. My ultimate hope is that I inspire the students to become interested enough in the subject of the Civil War that they will learn on their own outside of the classroom. Don't even get me going on State standards!

[Charles Heath]

Re: History in the Classrooms

The question is, where's the new generation of patriots now days?

Not to hijack this thread, but I, for one, am very proud of this current generation of uniformed volunteers who are out there getting the job done around the world.

Now, back to "teaching the test."

[majdoc]

Re: History in the Classrooms

I'm note sure this is much help. I do some living hx for several of the small private schools in and around the Chattanooga area. Most of the teachers say it the Civil war hx is at times not even in the hx books any more or just a short paragraph. So they like it when myself and some of my pards can help out or a morning or even a whole day. I's say our kids are not being taught right.

[KyCavalier]

Re: History in the Classrooms

My son goes to public gov'ment school. He has dressed the part in uniform, and everything and did some talks to the class about the Civil War. His teachers respond well to his interests and kids know him for his reenactments, etc.

I do have to admit that he told his 7th grade history teacher one time.."That's not what my dad says." Hey, you got to teach 'em at home...I am not the graduate of history and definately not the PhD, but I need to teach him. For the first 8 yrs of school I had to supplement home schooling and Sylvan Learning Center to teach him. When I asked the teachers if there are any others in his grade that were like him for the first few years(ADD/ADHD) they would agree, "No." I would ask, "What's the problem of making sure that he is taught?" I never got a good answer.

Right now he is in the position of knowing what he knows.....Doing pretty good. He is most well mannered and liked, so his teachers have had him in their classes several times to do some Civil War history talks in his Union :cry_smile uniform.

Do I feel that the things they teach now resemble anything I learned or the the way I was taught is the same? NO!!! But, the times are a changin' and we need to teach them at home like others have mentioned.

Tony Downs
6th Ky Cavalry
if they will let me admit it...Critters a few times (great guys )

[csuniforms]

Re: History in the Classrooms- Some do, Many do not.

Hello, Had a sad experience a few years ago at a young hunters outdoors day we were having for grade shcoolers here in Wisconsin. The kids were very good. We had a display of Militaria and antique firearms going back to the American Revolution. One young man around 9 or 10 years old was adimiring the firearms, and I chimed in, "that gun was used in the American Revolution, by George Washingtons Army". He gave me this puzzled look!?? I said, "American Revolution? George Washington? the Father of our Country, the First President?" The kid did not know who George Washington was.

I understand that in the 21st Century the kids today need more time in shcol for math, science, Computer technology and with our shrinking world, more time spent on world cultures and social issues. The question is at what cost, and is there an agenda amongst certain indiviuals in education to channel what "they" feel is most important to them and not the kids-- To semi brain wash our students.

I am a product of the educational system of 40 years ago. It was reading, writing, and 'ritmatic English literature, and lots of political science and US History. Our generation without the advanced math or science courses, [and social programming] gave to the country and world, The Civil Rights Movement, the Computer, put a man on the moon etc., etc., all with just "readin, writin, and 'ritmatic," taught in school. We also had John Wayne movies every Saturday morning on TV.

What has this got to do with the Civil War? Everything and Nothing-- It is just my opinion that American Traditions and Beliefs are being eroded and as stated in this thread, it is going to be our job to be ready and willing to teach US History to US students. {BUT GET IT CORRECT!}

Thanks
CSUNIFORMS
Tom Arliskas
CADET GRAY AND BUTTERNUT BROWN

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: History in the Classrooms

Take a peek in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Korean DMZ, and the Southwest Border of the United States. If you can find them amongst the camouflage, that is. ;)

Just to be clear, I was talking about grade school children....

[Andrew Keehan]

Re: History in the Classrooms

I don't know...I agree that most of the education has to come from outside of the schools. Can't we come up with a better system than we have? The history curriculum is set up so that you get precolonial to revolution in elementary school, revolution to civil war in middle school, and civil war to present in high school. I don't know a single 10 year old who can grasp the concepts of colonialism or revolution. Can you? The Civil War is far too complex for a smartass 13 year old to handle. So aren't we just wasting our time teaching these subjects to preteens. How about instead of history, we teach the young ones math and reading. That's all rote and memorization anyway. Let them learn that stuff first, and they will be more prepared to grasp abstracts like history and literature and politics. Reframing the question.