I’d say not enough history of any kind is taught, but then usually the way schools teach it is dry and boring anyway. I didn’t know I liked history until I started reading it on my own as an adult.
US history is actually just about my worst subject–I suppose I know as much as your average shmoe but I know a lot more about other places. On the bright side, I visited Sutter’s Fort for the first time today. (I grew up in So Cal and thus knew nothing about the Gold Rush before this year–and I never want to see a mission again.)
In NY, 7th grade social studies covers from the pre-Columbian era to Reconstruction, and 8th grade covers Reconstruction to present. It’s a lot of ground to cover, and most kids have little to no knowledge of the subject when they arrive in middle school. There is a state exam on it at the end of 8th grade.
I’m not sure exactly how it’s covered in HS now, but I do know they are required to go over US History again at least once. I do not think it’s too much coverage, but that’s just MHO.
Whereas in my British history classes, the US doesn’t crop up until WWII! It wasn’t until I came upon this board that I ever got to hear about some war with you in 1812 (we were a little busy studying Napoleon in that period)
Exactly. Heck, I’m not sure we ever made it to Vietnam in one of my classes. Forget anything from the 1980s (and I’m talking mid to late 1990s for my classes.) I didn’t understand what the heck Iran-Contra was all about until I saw it explained in a song on American Dad.
Francis Fukuyama wrote a book about this. It was a bestseller. But now it’s so far in the past it doesn’t matter–because nothing since Vietnam enters “History.”
Or maybe part of the problem is the way that it’s taught? “US History” as is taught in school basically covers about 400 years, starting from European settlement. In elementary and middle, you usually have to memorize stuff as opposed to analyzing, discussing, and examining events from different viewpoints - I remember being bored by mining the marrow out of such a small historical time frame and in such a narrow context. On the other hand, I remember enjoying my AP European History class a lot more in high school, since it discussed overarching themes - I guess since it covered more countries and a larger time frame, it wasn’t taught the same way.
My parents always liked to tell me how they had to study thousands and thousands of years worth of Chinese history when they were schoolchildren. Heh.
This made me laugh right out loud. We had to build replicas of each of the missions with sugar cubes and toothpicks and things. The rich kids’ parents either bought them fancy styrofoam kits or just built them themselves. :mad:
On the bright side, I loved Sutter’s Fort! If you ever have the chance, visit the Empire Mine, really a neat tour.
I moved to Florida from England in 1996, when I was 13 (turned 14 very shortly afterwards). They stuck me in the 10th grade, and my guidance counselor told me I was supposed to take World History, so I did. Easiest class ever- there was absolutely nothing in it that was new to me. I got an A despite napping twice per class (block scheduling makes this not only possible, but necessary).
The next year, the guidance counselor made me take Honors American History. “But I don’t know any American History!” I said. “The other kids have been doing this for years and they only taught us about the New Deal in England! The only other stuff I know I learned from The Simpsons!” However, he assured me that I’d be fine.
On the first day of class, the teacher gave us a “let’s see how much crap you know from middle school US history” quiz, with 30 questions on it, just so she could figure out what we needed to re-cover.
Three students got more than 20 right. One got more than 25. Can you guess who?
Yep, my Simpsons-watching had apparently covered enough ground (Who shot Abraham Lincoln? John Wilkes Booth! Bart played him in the Springfield Elementary tribute to the presidents!) that I knew more about American history than 40 American honor students. It was a bittersweet moment for me- sweet, because I was proud of myself, but bitter, because I realized that I had thrown away my chance of getting the teacher to grade me on a personal curve since I was a foreigner.
You’ve only got ~400 years of history to cover, but apparently you’re not doing very well at it.
