Hawaii: Kindergarten Standards

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  • HI.SS.K.1. Content Standard / Course: Historical Understanding CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CAUSALITY-Understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history
    • SS.K.1.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Chronological Thinking Explain change and continuity over time, using calendars and simple timelines
  • HI.SS.K.2. Content Standard / Course: Historical Understanding INQUIRY, EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE-Use the tools and methods of inquiry, perspective, and empathy to explain historical events with multiple interpretations and judge the past on its own terms
    • SS.K.2.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: There are no benchmarks for this standard for this Grade/Course.
  • HI.SS.K.3. Content Standard / Course: History HISTORICAL CONTENT-Understand people now and then, here and now (learning, living, working together)
    • SS.K.3.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Celebrations Describe historically significant events and observances in American history
  • HI.SS.K.4. Content Standard / Course: Political Science/Civics GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY, AND INTERACTION-Understand the purpose and historical impact of political institutions, the principles and values of American constitutional democracy, and the similarities and differences in government across cultural perspectives
    • SS.K.4.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Governance, Power, and Authority Identify rules that apply in different settings and the results from complying or not complying with these rules
  • HI.SS.K.5. Content Standard / Course: Political Science/Civics PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action
    • SS.K.5.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Rights and Responsibilities Describe his or her rights and demonstrate responsibilities of self in classroom, school, and neighborhood settings
    • SS.K.5.2. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Civic Participation Demonstrate ways to improve the quality of life in own school or community
  • HI.SS.K.6. Content Standard / Course: Cultural Anthropology SYSTEMS, DYNAMICS, AND INQUIRY-Understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group and understand how cultural systems change over time
    • SS.K.6.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Cultural Systems and Practices Explain how and why people from different cultures observe different holidays/celebrations
  • HI.SS.K.7. Content Standard / Course: Geography WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS-Use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments and understand the nature and interaction of geographic regions and societies around the world
    • SS.K.7.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Physical characteristics in Spatial Terms Identify location and physical characteristics represented on maps and globes (e.g., land, water, roads, cities)
    • SS.K.7.2. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Physical characteristics in Spatial Terms Use terms to describe relative location (i.e., above/below, near/far, left/right, and cardinal directions)
  • HI.SS.K.8. Content Standard / Course: Economics RESOURCES, MARKETS, AND GOVERNMENT-Understand economic concepts and the characteristics of various economic systems
    • SS.K.8.1. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Limited Resources and Choice Explain people's basic needs and how they fulfill them
    • SS.K.8.2. Content Standard / Performance Indicator: Role and Function of Markets Differentiate buyers (e.g., a parent or caregiver) and sellers (e.g., a storeowner or other producer)

Indiana: Kindergarten Standards

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  • IN.1. Standard: History Students examine the connections of their own environment with the past, begin to distinguish between events and people of the past and the present, and use a sense of time in classroom planning and participation.
    • K.1.1. Proficiency Statement: Historical Knowledge Compare children and families of today with those in the past. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
    • K.1.2. Proficiency Statement: Historical Knowledge Identify celebrations and holidays as a way of remembering and honoring people, events and America's ethnic heritage.
    • K.1.3. Proficiency Statement: Historical Knowledge Listen to and retell stories about people in the past who showed honesty, courage, and responsibility.
    • K.1.4. Proficiency Statement: Chronological Thinking Identify and order events that take place in a sequence.
    • K.1.5. Proficiency Statement: Chronological Thinking Explain that calendars are used to represent days of the week and months of the year.
  • IN.2. Standard: Civics and Government Students learn that they are citizens of their school, community and the United States; identify symbols of the nation; and understand the importance of being a responsible citizen who knows why rules are needed and follows them.
    • K.2.1. Proficiency Statement: Foundations of Government Give examples of people who are community helpers and leaders and describe how they help us. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
    • K.2.2. Proficiency Statement: Foundations of Government Identify and explain that the President of the United States is the leader of our country and that the American flag is a symbol of the United States.
    • K.2.3. Proficiency Statement: Functions of Government Give examples of classroom and school rules and explain how each helps us.
    • K.2.4. Proficiency Statement: Roles of Citizens Give examples of how to be a responsible family member and member of a group. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
    • K.2.5. Proficiency Statement: Roles of Citizens Identify the role of students in the classroom and the importance of following school rules to ensure order and safety.
  • IN.3. Standard: Geography Students learn that maps and globes are different representations of the Earth's surface and begin to explore the physical and human geographic characteristics of their school, neighborhood and community.
    • K.3.1. Proficiency Statement: The World in Spatial Terms Use words related to location, direction and distance, including here/there, over/under, left/right, above/below, forward/backward and between.
    • K.3.2. Proficiency Statement: The World in Spatial Terms Identify maps and globes as ways of representing Earth and understand the basic difference between a map and globe.
    • K.3.3. Proficiency Statement: Places and Regions Locate and describe places in the school and community.
    • K.3.4. Proficiency Statement: Places and Regions Identify and describe the address and location of home and school.
    • K.3.5. Proficiency Statement: Physical Systems Describe and give examples of seasonal weather changes and illustrate how weather affects people and the environment.
    • K.3.6. Proficiency Statement: Human Systems Identify and compare similarities and differences in families, classmates, neighbors and neighborhoods, and ethnic and cultural groups. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
    • K.3.7. Proficiency Statement: Environment and Society Recommend ways that people can improve their environment at home, in school and in the neighborhood.
  • IN.4. Standard: Economics Students explain that people do different jobs and work to meet basic economic wants.
    • K.4.1. Proficiency Statement: Explain that people work to earn money to buy the things they want.
    • K.4.2. Proficiency Statement: Identify and describe different kinds of jobs that people do and the tools or equipment used in these jobs.
    • K.4.3. Proficiency Statement: Explain why people in a community choose different jobs.
    • K.4.4. Proficiency Statement: Give examples of work activities that people do at home.

Texas: Kindergarten Standards

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ß113.11. Social Studies, Kindergarten, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012

Introduction

  1. In Kindergarten, the study of the self, home, family, and classroom establishes the foundation for responsible citizenship in society. Students explore state and national heritage by examining the celebration of patriotic holidays and the contributions of individuals. The concept of chronology is introduced. Students apply geographic concepts of location and physical and human characteristics of place. Students identify basic human needs and ways people meet these needs. Students learn the purpose of rules and the role of authority figures in the home and school. Students learn customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity. Students compare family customs and traditions and describe examples of technology in the home and school. Students acquire information from a variety of oral and visual sources. Students practice problem-solving, decision-making, and independent-thinking skills.
  2. To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich material is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
  3. The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
  4. Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
  5. Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), ß28.002(h).
  6. Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of government whose representatives derive their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
  7. Students must demonstrate learning performance related to any federal and state mandates regarding classroom instruction. Although Kindergarten is not required to participate in Celebrate Freedom Week, according to the TEC, ß29.907, primary grades lay the foundation for subsequent learning. As a result, Kindergarten Texas essential knowledge and skills include standards related to this patriotic observance.
  8. Students identify and discuss how the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have either met or failed to meet the ideals espoused in the founding documents.

Knowledge and skills

  1. History:
    The student understands that holidays are celebrations of special events. The student is expected to:
    • a. explain the reasons for national patriotic holidays such as Presidents' Day, Veterans Day, and Independence Day; and
    • b. identify customs associated with national patriotic holidays such as parades and fireworks on Independence Day.
  2. History:
    The student understands how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the community, state, and nation. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify contributions of historical figures, including Stephen F. Austin, George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and JosÈ Antonio Navarro, who helped to shape the state and nation; and
    • b. identify contributions of patriots and good citizens who have shaped the community.
  3. History.
    The student understands the concept of chronology. The student is expected to:
    • a. place events in chronological order; and
    • b. use vocabulary related to time and chronology, including before, after, next, first, last, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
  4. Geography.
    The student understands the concept of location. The student is expected to:
    • a. use terms, including over, under, near, far, left, and right, to describe relative location;
    • b. locate places on the school campus and describe their relative locations; and
    • c. identify tools that aid in determining location, including maps and globes.
  5. Geography.
    The student understands physical and human characteristics of place. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather; and
    • b. identify how the human characteristics of place such as ways of earning a living, shelter, clothing, food, and activities are based upon geographic location.
  6. Economics.
    The student understands that basic human needs and wants are met in many ways. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter;
    • b. explain the difference between needs and wants; and
    • c. explain how basic human needs can be met such as through self-producing, purchasing, and trading.
  7. Economics.
    The student understands the value of jobs. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify jobs in the home, school, and community; and
    • b. explain why people have jobs.
  8. Government.
    The student understands the purpose of rules. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify purposes for having rules; and
    • b. identify rules that provide order, security, and safety in the home and school.
  9. Government.
    The student understands the role of authority figures. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify authority figures in the home, school, and community; and
    • b. explain how authority figures make and enforce rules.
  10. Citizenship.
    The student understands important symbols, customs, and responsibilities that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify the flags of the United States and Texas;
    • b. recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag and the Pledge to the Texas Flag;
    • c. identify Constitution Day as a celebration of American freedom; and
    • d. use voting as a method for group decision making.
  11. Culture.
    The student understands similarities and differences among people. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify similarities and differences among people such as kinship, laws, and religion; and
    • b. identify similarities and differences among people such as music, clothing, and food.
  12. Culture.
    The student understands the importance of family customs and traditions. The student is expected to:
    • a. describe and explain the importance of family customs and traditions; and
    • b. compare family customs and traditions.
  13. Science, technology, and society.
    The student understands ways technology is used in the home and school and how technology affects people's lives. The student is expected to:
    • a. identify examples of technology used in the home and school;
    • b. describe how technology helps accomplish specific tasks and meet people's needs; and
    • c. describe how his or her life might be different without modern technology.
  14. Social studies skills.
    The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
    • a. obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid oral sources such as conversations, interviews, and music;
    • b. obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid visual sources such as pictures, symbols, electronic media, print material, and artifacts; and
    • c. sequence and categorize information.
  15. Social studies skills.
    The student communicates in oral and visual forms. The student is expected to:
    • a. express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences; and
    • b. create and interpret visuals, including pictures and maps.
  16. Social studies skills.
    The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
    • a. use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution; and
    • b. use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, generate options, predict outcomes, take action to implement a decision, and reflect on the effectiveness of the decision.

Oregon: Kindergarten Standards

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(Note: By the completion of third grade, Oregon students are expected to master the following standards.)

Benchmark 1 students focus on basic skills in history, geography, civics and economics relating most to home and community. Students use their local area to explore their responsibilities and rights as citizens of a community, and the history of that community. They use simple maps, locate physical features, and consider how people are affected by the environment and how the environment is affected by people. Students also study the concept of economic scarcity and how people make economic choices. Additionally, they learn the basic concepts of Social Science Analysis, identifying issues or problems, gathering information, comparing perspectives, and considering options or responses to issues or problems.

Civics and Government

  • Understand the origins, purposes, and functions of U.S. government, including the structure and meaning of the U.S. Constitution.
    • SS.03.CG.01 Identify essential ideas and values expressed in national symbols, heroes, and patriotic songs of the United States.
  • Understand personal and political rights of citizens in the United States.
    • SS.03.CG.02 Identify rights that people have in their communities.
  • Understand participatory responsibilities of citizens in the community (voluntarism) and in the political process (becoming informed about public issues and candidates, joining political parties/interest groups/associations, communicating with public officials, voting, influencing lawmaking through such processes as petitions/initiatives).
    • SS.03.CG.03 Identify ways that people can participate in their communities and the responsibilities of participation.
  • Understand how nations interact with each other, how events and issues in other countries can affect citizens in the United States, and how actions and concepts of democracy and individual rights of the United States can affect other peoples and nations.
    • SS.03.CG.04 Distinguish local and world issues.

Economics

  • Understand that resources are limited (e.g., scarcity).
    • SS.03.EC.01 Understand that limited resources make economic choice necessary.
  • Apply economic concepts and principles to issues of personal finance.
    • SS.03.EC.02 Identify ways of making money to buy a desired product and what it will cost in time and energy for each option.

Geography

  • Understand the spatial concepts of location, distance, direction, scale, movement, and region.
    • SS.03.GE.01 View and draw simple maps and pictures to locate, describe, and show movement among places.
  • Use maps and other geographic tools and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
    • SS.03.GE.02 Understand the purpose of maps, globes, and other geographic tools.
  • Locate major physical and human (cultural) features of the Earth.
    • SS.03.GE.03 Identify major physical features and describe how they are represented on maps, globes, and other tools.
  • Compare and analyze physical (e.g., landforms, vegetation, wildlife, climate, and natural hazards) and human (e.g., population, land use, language, and religion) characteristics of places and regions.
    • SS.03.GE.04 Identify physical characteristics of places and compare them.

History

  • Historical Skills: Interpret and reconstruct chronological relationships.
    • SS.03.HS.01 Understand calendar time sequences and chronological sequences within narratives.
  • State & Local History: Understand and interpret events, issues, and developments in the history of one’s family, local community, and culture.
    • SS.03.HS.02 Understand events from local history.

Social Science Analysis

  • Define and clarify an issue so that its dimensions are well understood.
    • SS.03.SA.01 Identify an issue or problem that can be studied.
  • Acquire and organize materials from primary and secondary sources.
    • SS.03.SA.02 Gather information relating to an issue or problem.
  • Explain various perspectives on an event or issue and the reasoning behind them.
    • SS.03.SA.03 Identify and compare different ways of looking at an event, issue, or problem.
  • Identify and analyze an issue.
    • SS.03.SA.04 Identify how people or other living things might be affected by an event, issue, or problem.
  • Select a course of action to resolve an issue.
    • SS.03.SA.05 Identify possible options or responses; then make a choice or express an opinion.

Alabama: Kindergarten Standards

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AL.K. Standard: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities

Kindergarten students are introduced to the world beyond family and home.

K.1

  • K.1.1 Students will:

    Sequence events using schedules, calendars, and timelines (History).

    • Grade Level Example:

      Daily classroom activities, significant events in students’ lives

  • K.1.2 Students will practice:

    Differentiating among broad categories of historical time.

    • Grade Level Example:

      Long ago, yesterday, today, tomorrow

K.2

  • K.2. Students will:

    Identify rights and responsibilities of citizens within the family, classroom, school, and community (Civics and Government).

    • Grade Level Example:

      Taking care of personal belongings and respecting the property of others, following rules and recognizing consequences of breaking rules, taking responsibility for assigned duties

K.3

  • K.3.1 Students will:

    Describe how rules provide order, security, and safety in the home, school, and community (Civics and Government).

  • K.3.2 Students will practice:

    Constructing classroom rules, procedures, and consequences.

K.4

  • K.4.1 Students will:

    Differentiate between needs and wants of family, school, and community (Economics).

  • K.4.2 Students will practice:

    Comparing wants among different families, schools, and communities

K.5

  • K.5. Students will:

    Differentiate between goods and services (Economics).

    • Grade Level Example:

      Goods—food, toys, clothing
      Services—medical care, fire protection, law enforcement, library resources

K.6

  • K.6. Students will:

    Compare cultural similarities and differences in individuals, families, and communities (Geography, History).

    • Grade Level Example:

      Celebrations, food, traditions

K.7

  • K.7. Students will:

    Describe roles of helpers and leaders, including school principal, school custodian, volunteers police officers, and fire and rescue workers (Civics and Government).

K.8

  • K.8. Students will:

    Recognize maps, globes, and satellite images (Geography).

K.9

  • K.9. Students will:

    Differentiate between land forms and bodies of water on maps and globes (Geography).

K.10

  • K.10. Students will:

    Apply vocabulary related to giving and following directions.

    • Grade Level Example:

      Locating objects and places to the right or left, up or down, in or out, above or below

K.11

  • K.11. Students will:

    Identify symbols, customs, famous individuals, and celebrations representative of our state and nation (History, Civics and Government).

    • Grade Level Example:

      Symbols—United States flag, Alabama flag, bald eagle
      Customs—pledging allegiance to the United States flag, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner"
      Individuals—George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Squanto, Martin Luther King Jr.
      Celebrations—Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day

K.12

  • K.12.1 Students will:

    Describe families and communities of the past, including jobs, education, transportation, communication, and recreation (Economics, History, Civics and Government).

  • K.12.2 Students will practice:

    Identifying ways everyday life has both changed and remained the same.

Left Behind: Academic Segregation and the Expanding History Education Deficit

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Recently a physical fitness expert came to a local school to work with staff and students on promoting healthy habits. Before leaving he brought forth a pile of prizes to award to students who were able to answer seemingly innocuous questions. One of his questions, “Who can tell me the capital of California?” was met with blank stares. Finally, one brave young man raised his hand, yelling, “I know! Capital C!” Silence resumed until he was awarded the prize for effort and cuteness. After all, technically, he was correct. The scene worsened as adult onlookers audibly groaned, however, when the students were unable to name our nation’s first president.

Amidst the sadness and humor, the history lovers present recognized the poignancy of the moment: our students often do not even know their geographic location, let alone how we came to be a nation. They might decode words, read short passages, and solve for x in simple equations, but fall short when faced with the task of speaking to other content areas. They learn the basics of what we teach them, gaining the ability to critically tackle tests, moving forward through respective grade levels. In the end, many do not learn the basics of geography, the history of our nation, the importance of civic function, or the meaning of constitutional freedom.

I see a critical point often overlooked: American schools segregate subjects instead of allowing the natural overlap between them.

As an educator and teacher trainer I have taught and observed scores of teachers over the years and have witnessed many debates about our national decline in the quality of history education in America. In the past three years, observing in over 300 elementary classrooms, I witnessed little history instruction—but plenty of reading and mathematics and a smattering of science. In time I began informally asking why teachers were not teaching history and received typical answers: no time, too much emphasis on standardized testing, etc. One teacher retorted, “Can I really be expected to teach history when these students can’t speak English and need to pass a reading test at the end of the year?” When it comes to explaining why our students are falling behind in their history education, time-consuming preparation for standardized reading and mathematics testing seemingly reigns supreme on the list of reasons.

But alas, is testing truly the only culprit here? Among the issues, I see a critical point often overlooked: American schools segregate subjects instead of allowing the natural overlap between them. For example, the single subject of reading currently taught as a skill-based activity through anthologies containing short, irrelevant reading passages, could be instead utilized to teach history and prepare students for civic involvement. Classical Education proponent Leigh Bortins notes that “Whether reciting one of Cicero’s addresses . . . or the Mayflower Compact, since the early 1600s schoolchildren in America were expected to memorize and effectively deliver influential political statements in order to ensure they understood the role of a citizen” (1).

Truthfully, there is no subject that exists apart from history, an all-encompassing and constantly growing subject.

We gasp, however, upon encountering the sophisticated language in these classics and primary sources, and for the same reasons we struggle with the language of Shakespeare, we stumble through the documents, speeches, and accounts of history: we simply do not study them, let alone use them to teach reading or serve as models for our own writing. Moreover, if indeed we write the way we speak, one can easily surmise the sharp contrast between our language skills and those of our forefathers, especially in our world of tweeting, texting, and slang. Thus, the chasm widens and we stand little chance of instilling in students the value and skill of using civic language through the characters, plots, and settings of formulaic reading curricula during their daily block of reading instruction. Therein lies a source of major challenge in our schools: American students inherently view reading as an isolated skill rather than a tool invaluable to further learning.

Truthfully, there is no subject that exists apart from history, an all-encompassing and constantly growing subject. Because every new thought, idea, effort, occurrence, and event becomes a part of its realm, it stands to reason that the less we read, instruct, and learn of the history and legacy of our nation and world, the further behind we fall.

Footnotes
(1)L.A. Bortins, The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
Teaser

Teachers often blame time-consuming standardized testing for the history education deficit; however, school subjects are segregated because we no longer use teaching methods that allow for natural overlaps in content. Specifically, reading should not be a stand-alone subject, but rather, relayed through historic accounts and primary documents to teach history content and model civic language and values.

Making Difficult Decisions: How Much Do We Value Elementary History Education?

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The district I teach for allots a total of 25 minutes per day for me to cover…more than 400 years of story.

The condition of history education in elementary schools is conflicted and fragile. I live and teach in the state of Virginia, where the state requires my 4th-grade students to pass an end-of-year 40-question multiple-choice test, which covers all of Virginia history, geography, and economics from 1607 to present day. The district I teach for allots a total of 25 minutes per day for me to cover all that material. Twenty-five minutes a day for more than 400 years of story.

The Standards of Learning (SOLs) in Virginia were created and implemented about 15 years ago, just at the beginning of my career in 4th grade. As a 4th-grade teacher, my students only had one SOL test to pass: Virginia Studies. We were given 45 minutes daily for social studies. My first year, I had five students out of 25 pass the test, and my class’s passing percentage was the highest of all four 4th grades. According to the promotion/retention policy of my district at the time, a student could be retained solely on the basis of failing that Virginia Studies SOL test. Virginia was very serious about her students knowing her history.

Over the next decade, I worked hard to raise the bar for both my students and myself. With the support of my administration and my district, I took workshops with the Library of Congress, participated in TAH grants, created teaching materials, learned about using primary sources, and even got some hands-on experience through a teacher institute at Yorktown. I spent my summers and weekends traveling around the state of Virginia scouting out potential field trips, as well as just seeing history up close, photographing and collecting information about all those people and places we were required to teach: Monticello, Gunston Hall, Mount Vernon, Natural Bridge, Luray Caverns, Frontier Culture Museum, Richmond, Skyline Drive, etc. I’m proud to say that as a result of all this effort, our 4th graders have maintained an average of about 85% passing for the past five years.

But the cold hard fact is that due to No Child Left Behind and my school’s lack of “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP), the pendulum has definitely swung away from the focus on history in 4th grade. Now my 4th graders are required to take SOLs in math and reading, in addition to the Virginia Studies test. But it's only the scores for the math and reading that count towards our AYP. Now we are given 25 minutes a day for social studies. I have the skills and the knowledge. I know the curriculum, and I have collected primary sources and created lessons with primary sources as the center. What I don’t have is enough time in the day to actually use the lessons and resources I have. In addition, with the focus on making AYP, nearly all of our resources are going towards programs and materials for math and reading.

Less money, less resources, less of everything except expectation of what our 4th-grade citizens should know, understand, and be able to explain.

For example, we used to get money from the district to take our students to Jamestown and Yorktown for a capstone fieldtrip in May. Last year was the first year that we were told that we couldn't have the money for the buses. Consequently, our 4th graders missed the trip. Ironically, last year was also the first year that we were required to implement the revised Virginia Studies SOLs, revised by the state to add content. Less time, more content. Less money, less resources, less of everything except expectation of what our 4th-grade citizens should know, understand, and be able to explain.

Admittedly, I am an elementary school teacher, so I have most of my students in my classroom all day. In order to cover the Virginia Studies material, I have been making good use of the 50 minutes allotted to writing, and the 75 minutes allotted to reading and integrating social studies into language arts. We have done vocabulary study on words like "underground" which my 4th graders are surprised to learn can mean "secret." We have been reading historical fiction mysteries, biographies, and all those Dear America diaries. We have written biographical essays, and letters to Disney telling them all the historical inaccuracies of their Pocahontas movies.

In my mind, historical thinking and citizenship are crucial to raising productive, participating, and aware adults.

But again, two years ago the district adopted a new scripted writing program and so we lost that 50 minutes of writing time. As the district chips away at the flexibility I have in managing my time in my classroom, I lose the ability to integrate the historical thinking and social studies curriculum into other subject areas. The basic problem, as I understand it, is that with a finite amount of time in a school day, something's got to give. It's educational triage; who or what do we make the priority? The federal government tells the state that reading and math are paramount. The state has to follow along or lose federal funding, but they are not willing to let go of their high expectations in the other areas as well. At the district level, we have to answer to both.

In my school, in my classroom, what's my choice? In my mind, historical thinking and citizenship are crucial to raising productive, participating, and aware adults. So I choose to strive and find ways to teach social studies in a meaningful way. But I am highly trained, passionate about history, and experienced. This year my 4th-grade team alone will take on three new teachers. Without the support of the state, the district, or our administration, and with only 25 minutes a day, what will their choices be?

Teaser

As a result of the federal push for qualitative and quantitative skills and the state emphasis on knowledge of regional history, teachers are forced to relay vast amounts of information to their students in a very limited amount of time. Can this issue be solved by extensive teaching preparation? Or is elementary history education beyond repair?

Elementary History Education: A Bridgeless Chasm

Article Body

In U.S. 5th-grade classrooms, students typically study math, language arts, science, physical education and fine arts, and social studies, which is often focused on history from early Atlantic encounters through the American Revolution. In all of these academic and artistic fields, 5th graders engage new material using knowledge and skills they have developed sequentially since kindergarten—that is, in all the fields except history.

Unlike their experiences in the other disciplines, elementary students do not systematically, year-by-year, learn the heuristics or skills to analyze and interpret historic sources; they are not given the tools to develop historic accounts, grapple with historic causation, or learn historical chronologies; and they are not given opportunities to explore relationships between geography and human experiences over time. The fact that we plunge 5th graders into history without allowing them to develop discipline-specific skills and knowledge in earlier grades suggests that we don’t expect them to study the past with integrity or depth of understanding. Instead of teaching history as an interpretive, evidence-based process that requires discipline-specific skills, we teach it as an exercise in memorizing codified narratives and disembodied dates and facts.

[BHH] has engaged all K-5 teachers in systematically teaching historical thinking skills on U.S. topics sequentially across the grade levels.

Since 2001, Teaching American History grants have funded an alternative to the status quo; the Bringing History Home (BHH) K-5 curriculum and professional development project in Iowa. In participating school districts, the project has engaged all K-5 teachers in systematically teaching historical thinking skills on U.S. topics sequentially across the grade levels. K-5 students in BHH classrooms read trade fiction to gain understanding of historical contexts; analyze original sources using an explicit set of heuristics; construct timelines to develop their knowledge of chronologies; illustrate maps with historic events and geographic trends; and construct historic accounts. Formal external evaluations of 3rd through 5th graders in the project have found highly significant student learning outcomes in both historical analysis skills and knowledge of historic events, figures, and eras.

Case studies of small student groups and individual children in BHH schools have revealed detailed pictures of how 3rd graders can learn and explore history. These studies offer a different picture than does much of the existing research. Previous U.S. research focused on children that had not systematically acquired historical analysis skills, and so researchers concluded either that children cannot accurately infer the meaning of historic images, or will use only material culture cues like clothing or car styles to form inaccurate inferences. In contrast, BHH studies have documented that children can learn historic political and economic concepts and events and use them to interpret unfamiliar history sources. Similarly, in contrast with U.S. and British research that has found students' grasp of historical chronology lacking, BHH studies have documented that children can accurately date and situate unfamiliar events in historic contexts with which they are familiar.

Even in light of the BHH project evidence for young children's abilities to study history, however, I have little hope that our education system will embrace teaching history systematically in K-5. One of the barriers to this change lies in existing research on K-5 history learning. It has largely failed to document the extent of children's abilities because it has been based on studies of children who have not studied history systematically. Because the research does not allow social studies methods faculty to form accurate expectations for student learning, the faculty cannot prepare teachers to help students reach their potential.

Another barrier is that in our high-stakes testing era what is tested usually determines what is taught. Multiple-choice tests that can capture middle-elementary children's historical analysis skills have not been designed, and existing social studies multiple-choice standardized tests for 5th graders do not assess historical analysis skills. An overhaul of existing tests to include the skills could provide an impetus for teaching history as evidence-based and interpretive. History testing faces an even more formidable foe, however, and that is the broad disagreement over what should be tested. Because historical interpretation is individual by its nature, and is vulnerable to political manipulation, it provides little or no common ground on which constituents with conflicting values and perspectives can agree.

...the current movement to teach information literacy may offer the best hope for a wider adoption of history in K-5.

Instead of testing, then, the current movement to teach information literacy may offer the best hope for a wider adoption of history in K-5. The skills we use to study the texts of the past also empower us to critically interpret today's ubiquitous online texts. If history professionals joined the U.S. education fray to emphasize that alignment, they might help make the case for history in K-5 classrooms. Meanwhile, in a handful of Iowa BHH school districts, students already systematically study history throughout the elementary grades. In most of the rest of the nation, the gap between what is and what is possible remains a chasm, with no bridge abutments in sight.

Bibliography

Kearney, J. et al. Evaluation of the Teaching American History Project: Bringing History Home II. Iowa City: University of Iowa Center for Evaluation and Assessment, 2007.

Lee, P.J. "Putting Principles into Practice: Understanding History." In How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom, edited by S. Donovan, S. and J. Bransford, J. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2005.

Levstik, L. and Barton, K. Researching History Education: Theory, Method and Context. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis group, 2008.

Levstik, L. & Tyson, C. Handbook of Research in Social Studies Education. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis group, 2008.

Wineburg, S. Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2001.

Teaser

The current state of history education in elementary schools denies students the right to systematically study the past. However, projects like Bringing History Home and an increased focus on information literacy might be able to fill in the gaps in historical study.

Transcending Facts to Discover Knowledge

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Too often elementary history education in America consists of only exposing students to who did what, where, and when in hopes they will remember and appreciate it. The common tools employed in this shortsighted approach to history consist of the textbook, trade books, and possibly a video that present the subject in a predigested form where historical thinking has been subtracted from the lesson and replaced with reading skills at best. Little evidence exists to prove the effectiveness of these instruction techniques, but they continue to be used. If student math skills were equal to their history skills, a call for improved strategies would have been made long ago. Think of how often "man on the street" interviews ask a history question just to hear the dumb answers people give. How did we come to the point of asking history questions for humor?

The reality of testing cannot be ignored, but ignoring history instruction overlooks a valuable test preparation tool.

The pressure to prepare for state assessments in other subjects overcomes thoughts of implementing innovative techniques that will make history not just memorable but also a vital part of the curriculum. These tests are known to narrow the curriculum, usually at the expense of teaching history. In one study, teachers reported spending 30 minutes per week on social studies instruction while enfolding the subject into novel studies or skills instruction the remainder of the time. One teacher admitted covering social studies "superficially in order to cover the greatest amount of material in the shortest amount of time" (1). The reality of testing cannot be ignored, but ignoring history instruction overlooks a valuable test preparation tool.

Elementary teachers work hard at their craft, but new ideas need to be considered when it comes to teaching history. If teachers and administrators understood that history involves skills such as investigating texts, objects, and images with questions, then the problem of replacing history lessons with more test preparation time would be solved. History instruction should be seen as something to be done rather than just something to remember.

The work of historians can be adapted to use in elementary schools as purported by Dr. Bruce Vansledright (2). For instance, in my state instead of focusing a lesson entirely on who fought at the Alamo and the events of those fateful 13 days, students should seek to understand why people would choose to fight against such dire odds and how the battle affected people who were not there. To do so students would have to consult multiple sources. The traditional textbook, trade book, and video formula augmented with a few visual and print primary sources would provide ample resources. In seeking their answers to these subjective questions students would learn the objective information through handling the information for an authentic purpose.

Most children do not have their curiosity peaked by the prepackaged stories in the textbook, but give them something to argue about and they will dig in.

Students who are taught to interpret history instead of recalling it will have no trouble answering questions on a reading assessment. Furthermore, teaching students to write out their ideas in an expository form prepares them for writing tests. My students have done similar investigations and their findings have been exciting examples of "doing history." Their test results also show them to be well prepared without completing daily test preparation worksheets.

Driving history instruction with thought-provoking questions instead of lists of names, events, and stories to memorize gives purpose to learning the past. Most children do not have their curiosity peaked by the prepackaged stories in the textbook, but give them something to argue about and they will dig in. And if they happen to be thinking critically while they do it, doesn't it make us all winners in the end?

Footnotes
1 S. Burroughs, E. Groce, and M.L. Webeck, "Social Studies Education in the Age of Testing and Accountability," Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice (2005): 13–20.
2 B. Vansledright, "Can Ten-Year Olds Learn to Investigate History As Historians Do?," Organization of American Historians Newsletter August (2000).
Teaser

Elementary history education lies in need of a paradigm shift. In a time when critical thinking and problem solving drive instruction, educators need to realize history provides an avenue to practice these skills.

Losing Our History, Losing Ourselves

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American history or any historical study is endangered today in America’s elementary schools. As the realities of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became the driving force behind curriculum, time committed to history shrank. Why is history taught, why is history important? History defines a people. Not surprisingly as nation states emerged, history rose in importance. The elementary school is the first point at which a person engages in the organized study of their country’s history, their past. NCLB has driven that history away—from 45 minutes a day to 45 minutes every other day if that much. History along with science was hit by assemblies, testing, and everything else to preserve math and reading times. The results are becoming clear.

Eight years ago some schools were departmentalizing their 5th and 6th grades, meaning that teachers with expertise in a discipline whether it was history/social studies, science, math, or language arts taught that subject to all the fifth or sixth graders. One could expect that student achievement and interest would rise after exposure to a teacher who had specific training in that subject and was energized by the subject. The state of history was good and appeared to be getting better.

The goal always was to provide a base for identity and for the responsibilities of citizenship.

While history teachers of all ages may wince at the historical generalizations of upper elementary students, at least they had a sense of the national story. That story may have relied heavily on Pilgrims, presidents, and heroic figures, but the students had a baseline from which they could build. They continued through the scope and sequence of adding complexity and ambiguity to the story. The goal always was to provide a base for identity and for the responsibilities of citizenship.

Today, however, middle school teachers talk about having to start from zero. Students come to their classrooms knowing virtually nothing about their nation, its government, or the duties and responsibilities of a citizen. Jefferson is crying in his tomb. How can a democracy survive when its people do not know or understand their past?

...the place one learns about the history and government of his or her state and local area has been in elementary school.

If losing or delaying until eighth grade the ability to know and understand the history of one’s nation is a problem, the state of state history is worse. When one looks at the standard scope and sequence of a K-12 curriculum, the place one learns about the history and government of his or her state and local area has been in elementary school. Fourth grade is typically where students in Wisconsin study Wisconsin history. The next appearance of state history may be in high school where it is attached sidecar style to the motorcycle of U. S. history. The history of the state is an afterthought, often unsupported by a textbook in high school. A popular Wisconsin history for high school courses is now out of print.

From the inception of public education in the United States, teaching citizenship through the teaching of the nation’s history has often been a primary purpose of education. No longer is that goal a true part of most elementary curricula. Teachers are told to teach history by reading sources to increase literacy skills. While practice improves skills, historical reading is about analysis of the content within a context. One must “do” something with the reading. That act of doing requires context beyond the document, as Sam Wineburg’s research has shown (1).

History in the elementary schools needs to be taught as a base for the search for meaning, not just as a method to improve reading levels.

For earlier generations an appreciation of history began in elementary school by learning the stories of Valley Forge and Daniel Boone, exploring the Oregon Trail, confronting and grappling with the pain and sorrows of diverse peoples coming to live together. The stories were often simplified and romanticized, but engaged students found a way to create seed beds from these stories that were ready for cultivation later in their academic careers. In later grades students came to understand the elementary stories as models and lessons to be applied to the world. History in the elementary schools needs to be taught as a base for the search for meaning, not just as a method to improve reading levels.

A nation without history is but an empty shell. The present state of history in the elementary schools is in danger of becoming an empty shell despite the efforts of effective, dedicated teachers. We live in a nation too concerned about the now of commerce and career and not concerned with the spirit of the people we have been and may remain. Acknowledging the important place of history within the elementary curriculum is the first step toward a better education and a wiser nation.

Footnotes
1 Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past (Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2001).
Teaser

A nation without history is but an empty shell. The present state of history in the elementary schools is in danger of becoming an empty shell despite the efforts of effective, dedicated teachers.

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