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November 9, 1979 NEW SOLIDARITY Page 7

Education for Citizens:

History Turned Into Social Science

HOW HISTORY TURNED INTO SOCIA STUDIES

!y Cornelia Reynolds

Are t"ese #ra$$ar sc"ool c"ildren !ein# tau#"t t"e A$erican Syste$ in

t"eir social studies course%

In a recent surve !n a "!g"# rate$ suburban sc"oo# $!str!ct, 7% &er cent o'

"!g" sc"oo# sen!ors res&on$e$ to a mu#t!e c"o!ce (uest!on b !$ent!'!ng

A#e)an$er *am!#ton, t"e '!rst secretar o' t"e +S Treasur, as a Pres!$ent

o' t"e +n!te$ States T"!rt '!ve &ercent !$ent!'!e$ -eorge Was"!ngton as

Pres!$ent $ur!ng t"e .!v!# War an$ /% &ercent sa!$ T"eo$ore Rooseve#t 0asPres!$ent $ur!ng Wor#$ War II

T"e accurac o' t"!s surve can be ver!'!e$ b ta#!ng to v!rtua## an

Amer!can "!g" sc"oo# stu$ent It 0!## (u!c# become obv!ous to ou t"at

0!t"out t"e ass!stance o' mu#t!e2c"o!ce o&t!ons t"e resu#ts o' t"at test

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0ou#$ "ave been 'ar 0orse T"e rea#!t !s t"at "!stor !s no #onger be!ng

taug"t !n our sc"oo#s

It !s not on# t"e stu$ents 0"o are !gnorant, but t"e teac"ers as 0e##

Recent# a stu$ent !n t"e Ne0 Yor &ub#!c sc"oo# sstem to#$ t"e 'o##o0!ng

stor 0"!c" !nvo#ves bot" "!stor an$ #!terature3 A teac"er gave anass!gnment to t"e c#ass to rea$ a boo b a 'amous aut"or T0o 0ees #ater

t"e teac"er ase$ t"e stu$ents 0"at aut"or t"e "a$ c"osen 4ost o' t"e

stu$ents 0ere rea$!ng boos b t"e #!es o' Ste!nbec, *em!ng0a, an$ 5ac

Lon$on W"en one stu$ent ans0ere$ s"e 0as rea$!ng TheOdyssey, t"e

teac"er re!e$3 6The Odyssey W"o 0rote t"at6 T"e stu$ent ans0ere$

t"at *omer 0as t"e aut"or, to 0"!c" t"e teac"er sa!$ 0!t" annoance, 68ut I

to#$ ou to rea$ a boo b a 'amous aut"or6

T"e Creation of &Social Studies&

T"e roots o' t"!s stor #!e !n a /%2ear2o#$ e''ort to reace t"e ser!ous stu$

o' "!stor 0!t" #!bera# $octr!nes 'rom soc!o#og an$ ant"ro&o#og

T"at e''ort began 0!t" t"e creat!on o' t"e so2ca##e$ 6soc!a# stu$!es6 course

:e0 Amer!cans remember no0 t"at be'ore t"e 19;%s, "!stor, geogra&",

an$ c!v!cs 0ere taug"t as se&arate sub

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sc!ent!'!c soc!o#og!ca# categor!es to &ortra t"e nat!on as $!v!$e$ 'rom !ts

!nce&t!on on t"e bas!s o' c#ass, race, an$ sect!ona# $!''erences

T"e comm!ss!ons re&ort an$ severa# boos b 8ear$=s assoc!ates o&en#

ca##e$ 'or us!ng a ne0 soc!a# sc!ence course, base$ on rev!s!on!st conce&ts o'

"!stor an$ #a0, as t"e ve"!c#e 'or !n$octr!nat!on o' our nat!on=s out" !nant!re&ub#!can !$eas to create a ne0 6co##ect!v!st6 soc!a# or$er T"e !nten$e$

e''ect 0as $escr!be$ as a b#oo$#ess revo#ut!on b e$ucat!on

8 t"e 19@%s / m!##!on stu$ents 0ere ta!ng courses mo$e#e$ on t"!s

&ro&osa# 8 t"e 19/%s, soc!a# stu$!es "as reace$ "!stor an$ geogra&" !n

t"e e#ementar sc"oo#s, an$ 0as !ncreas!ng# 'oun$ !n t"e "!g" sc"oo#s In

t"e 19?%s rea# "!stor 0as e#!m!nate$ a#toget"er as a re(u!re$ course

6Re#evant,6 6consc!ousness ra!s!ng6 e#ect!ves suc" as 6Women=s Stu$!es,6

68#ac Stu$!es,6 an$ 6Surv!va# .onsc!ousness6 became commonace

To$a,