I am an English teacher, but I often give extra credit questions about current events, pieces of knowledge I think every American should have, or facts about government. They think it’s terribly unfair because I’m not sticking to English, but frankly, I don’t care. Maybe if they can get points for it on a quiz, they’ll start to be interested in the world around them and how this country works.
Anyway, one of today’s extra credit questions was, “Name 3 First Amendment rights.” Not ONE of my 93 students could do it. Several of them got two, but no one got three.
How common is this knowledge? Can most adults name all 5? Should I be appalled that my 12 and 13 year olds don’t know this, or is this fairly typical across demographic groups in America? I really don’t know what to think of all this, and wanted to get some more input. Thanks.
That’s sad. On first reading, I though the OP was talking about the 3rd Amendment. That one I could see people not knowing, since the Gubbmint hasn’t gotten arround to violating that one on a regular basis. But 7th graders should be able to name 4 of the 5 without a struggle.
BTW, I also throw out random stuff as extra credit questions in my AP Euro History class. My kids have learned to expect the strange. Last quiz had “When was the last year the Cubs won the National League Pennant?” and “Who shot Jesse James?”
Well, they might be rolling speech, petition, and assembly into one. They kind of go hand in hand. I bet lots of folks can’t name 5 distinctly, but still get the thrust. So I don’t think it’s so bad if they think petition and assembly are the same thing. On the other hand, if you have a lot of students listing their inalienable right to party, that might be a problem.
I think it’s a good idea for teachers to do this kind of thing. Quite Neat-o.
I was once leaving on a flight out of San Juan, PR and about to go through customs (why they have customs going from one U.S. territory to another I don’t know but I digress). Anyway, one of the customs guys pulled me out of line and said “So, are you an American?” I said, “Yes, sir”. He said, “OK, then tell me what the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution is.” I replied; “The right to bare arms”. He said that I was the first person to get that right all day and he proudly waved me along. Come to think of it, that was kind of a weird question to ask in an airport.
In any case, the moral to this story is that you are fine not knowing the First Amendment if you know the 2nd Amendment if you are going through customs at the San Juan airport.
i think you should be appalled by your discovery, and most importantly be upset with teachers before yourself who should have made sure they were educated properly on the matter…
i don’t feel it is fair to say that it is sad of kids that are 12 or 13 not knowing them…
honestly, at 12 or 13 years old did you really care about what the first amendment rights were? i didnt, but maybe that is just me
far too many times have i had teachers who made me feel bad about myself for not knowing something, when really- at a young age- am i really that ultimately responsible for what i should be learning? i dont think that really starts to occur until high school and college, unless youre some sort of prodigy
this is really just a reflection of the school system,
the kids really should know this information, by all means
but kids are kids- their education isnt fully their responsibility at 12 yrs old-
they need to be pushed and parents should be involved with making sure their homework is being done and good grades are being brought home…
if this is so important- and at this age to know, then someone should be making sure they know them
as to your other questions, i have no idea, and
sorry- for ranting in your thread, but i thought it was relevant
i grew up in west virginia public schools,
you want to see true sadness?
boy, did i learn the hard way my first years of college.
ruby, just wanted to let you know i started a pit thread on this topic,
i really meant to respond within this thread but somehow got confused with the multiple windows i had opened…
One of my instructors enjoys asking trivia questions at the end of class with each correct answer netting the individual one extra point on the test. I’m am constantly amazed by questions that I consider easy and others have difficulty answering. Though to be fair, when the questions turn towards hip hop artist, most of Africa, or black clothing designers I invariably fail to get the answer right.
Asian students sometimes put on those exhibitions using an abacus to solve math problems. They whip beads back and forth at blinding speed figuring complex problems as they are called out. The student stands and says, “In my country, math is very valued. My ancestors passed these skills down through the generations”. An American student stands up and says “That sounds like a lot of work. My ancestors just invented a calculator”.
Likewise, no one really needs to be able to point to a painted ball on a spool to identify their country. Americans invented the GPS and internet for that sort of thing and we should be proud. We should never weep for those lost skills just as we don’t weep when little girls can’t churn butter like they used to.
I’d bet you good money (well…twenty bucks or so) that more than half of all American college students couldn’t name the first three Amendment rights. Seriously.
Mmm, not so sure I agree with you here. Whether or not they identify their country on a globe or a 3-D digital map, I think all Americans should be able to identify their country on some type of representation of the earth. And they should at least understand the principles in how the functions of their calculators work (at least as far as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division go) and if need be be able to work out the solution by hand. I’m not eloquent enough to justify why I think those skills are more important than knowing how to churn butter, I just think they are.
Being able to read a map is a “lost skill”? I had no idea I was such a practicioner of the Ancient Arts. Just hope you don’t forget your GPS at home when you are lost in the woods, and all you have is a dumb old cartograph. And heaven help you if you are caught without your Sharper Image FireMaker 2.0.
