Here, our 4th Grade History lessons are on Florida History. When I've subbed in those classes I try as much as I can to turn the lessons into history lessons. I will admit the teachers have a huge overload with so many new mandated things this year but, we are in big trouble. We also have a large number of children who have one or both parents in the military so I can see if they're a bit confused on Florida's info. It's the National info that is scary. They do not know it. When I tell them the property the school is on was once the 'range' my GGrandfather and my Grandfather rounded up cattle on they just don't get the concept. They are more concerned because I said we did not have a tv til I was 10 or 11 and no air conditioning in the home I grew up in. They think that's bad. They don't get that it was 'typical'.
If we want our children to know anything about the history of this country, the world and even our little area in that world, we have to teach it ourselves. Big Bro starts the teaching in the 1960's and that's not a nice place to begin. When people who go through the system the correct way to get citizenship, they know more of American History than the average high school student in today's world.
Pam