American history is complicated, and now Idaho history teachers have access to a new supplemental curriculum called “The Story of America” to help explain it.
Gov. Brad Little and Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield said the optional material is both fair and factual, that it does not shy away from the realities of history.
An initial review shows the material does cover subjects such as the Jim Crow laws of the South, women’s rights and immigration/rejection of various groups, such as the Chinese in the 1880s. The interactive book/website/video project is funded through three years of federal money; no state money is being used in either the development or distribution of the materials.
But — and here is the rub for many critics — the material is optional. It still allows school districts to ignore certain aspects of American history. Still, other critics will complain that conservative former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett (under President George H.W. Bush) is behind the project, questioning its reliability.
No matter what the political persuasion, we must recognize that far too often unsettling facts involving race and culture tend to bring out a knee-jerk, “that’s un-American” reaction by people who, for whatever reason, do not want history explained.
Since when is telling the truth not patriotic? Why must the inclusion of other groups who helped build America be fought?
For many years at the University of Idaho, I would talk about media coverage of the war the Kootenai Tribe declared on the United States to get federal recognition and save their people. Far too many of my Idaho-born students would say they had never heard of this event; some were angry it was not taught in high school. The Kootenai War was in 1974, not exactly ancient history. They complained it would help them better understand issues in Indigenous America, which is in all 50 states.
For the most part, students said they would rather understand why things happened, not just know who won a particular conflict or issue. Students are generally curious, and they want solid answers rather than fuzzy explanations.
An additional reason to teach this or another supplemental material giving a broad explanation of American history is a report from the National Association of Educational Progress (also known as the National Report Card). The NAEP’s 2018 report showed 66 percent of the nation’s eighth-grade students performed “at or above basic” while only 15 percent scored as proficient in U.S. history. The recent pandemic made those numbers even worse.
The same report said 70 percent of all U.S. eighth-grade students only read at or just above a basic level, the largest drop in reading scores since 1992 when the assessment was first administered.
These numbers generally do not improve as the students’ progress through high school and college; sometimes the percentages are even worse if students lose interest.
For school districts who decide not to use the free supplemental material, the question must be asked: Why fear it? There are several excellent reasons for exposing students to factual history, these reasons include:
— Improving critical thinking skills.
— Improving writing and communication skills.
— Improving reading and comprehension skills.
— Especially in history, explaining why there is distrust by some racial and cultural groups of white Americans.
— Giving students a solid historical base to help them make future decisions involving other cultural groups.
This proposed program is interactive, it helps students see history through videos and other connections, which includes literacy skills alongside historical information. Interactive programs help students better understand issues and concepts.
For people who are ultimately concerned with how students do on the state tests (often a key to legislative funding), such a program also helps students prepare for the state assessments.
Granted, in the long run it will take time to see if this program is a good fit for Idaho schools or not. But hopefully, Idaho’s middle and high school history teachers will eventually find materials that do work and tell the complete history of this multifaceted, complex country.
After all, expanding minds and developing the quality life skills of critical thinking, writing and understanding always have good educational value.
(57) comments
The National Archives is releasing thousands of emails that Biden sent to Hunter under a pseudonym that prove he was giving government secrets to Hunter to relay to foreign governments
For those millions in bribes. And the walls come
Tumbling down......looks like the deep state wants
Another candidate. I hope ya'll haven't put up the
Biden signs yet.
All I asked Ian for was a level playing field....
You two annoying leftist gnats have known who
I was and where I live for 20 years. And now I know where you live. I expect red in blue will be
A bit more polite from now on. He's been pretty
Nasty for an 80 year old grandpa.....you kiss your
Granddaughter with that mouth? From what you've said......pink tutus are a hot item in the military.....Putin is going to clean our clock.
Until the Patriots unleash the Kraken. Ya....
She shouldn't have used that line until she
Got subpoenas and forced those leftist activist judges to release voting records. You democrats
Cheated.....we just haven't been allowed to look
At the records to prove that you cheated....
Only in America!
Cool story, I've shared it before but I feel like sharing it again. My high school coach Morris Abrahams was a typical affirmation action hire.
Well he got busted for screwing around with the
Girls basketball team. He finally got fired, I guess he didn't have tenure. His white wife wanted a divorce and he wasn't happy about that. They separated and he moved out of the house. One
Day after a frequent fight, which ended up out on
The front lawn.......he killed her with a pick axe
To the skull........a freaking pick axe. Cops had been called earlier because of the fight and watched the entire thing. They didn't shoot him
To save his wife.....he was an ex-football player
For U of M......so a little celebrity status. And
In that town there was such a thing as Black privilege.....because you know......that 400 years
Of oppression thing you always hear about.
But anyway it never ceases to amaze me that my
High school coach.......murdered his wife.
Moral of the story......date within your own race.
My brothers, when the bamanazi FBI, IRS, ATF
Shows up at your door.....livestream on utube...
Then they can't get away with illegally shooting you like that crippled old man in Utah. These feds
Don't use body cams.....as if the cops don't conveniently delete those all the time. And if
You livestream.....them making your phone disappear won't matter. I believe that the feds
Do have machines that shut down wifi.....but
It's your only chance at letting the truth out.
Hang on brothers, Trump is coming to the rescue
The bamanazis are going down.
No.....I saves a $1000 and figured it out on my own. Cause I'm smart. And public education didn't build that.....life built that.
Idahoans......if you send your kids to the University of Idaho.....they are guaranteed to
Come out communists. Better to send them to
ISU.....where they have a 30% chance of being a normal American patriot.
To any and all who have had on-line feuds with
red in blue......formerly blue in red. Steve Bevan
Is RED IN BLUE! Savor the flavor my brothers.
What do a lot of these Communist Journal letter
Writers and columnists have it common....
They conveniently were indoctrinated at the
University of Idaho in Moscva. Just say no to
This radical democrat agenda to take over Idaho.
Boot them out.
It's no coincidence that a lot of idaho communists
Went to school or taught in Moscow. Could we cede that city to Washington?
Paradise Valley was cool......he-ll Hog Heaven was
Better than Moscow Idaho. Too many commies in
This state.
Tallent even looks like she comes from Moscow....
Not in Idaho, the other Moscow. Speaking of which.....that city really needs a name change.
The original was better.....I slips my mind....
But anything is better than Moskva.
We came, we saw, we conquered. Nothing to be
Ashamed of, all races did it. I believe that I read a statistic that said there are more slaves today than at any time in history.....and instead of trying
To stop that, you liberals are dwelling on what
Happened 200 years ago. You are really a bunch of idiots. Blue eyed devils shall inherent the 🌎.
"For the most part, students said they would rather understand why things happened, not just know who won a particular conflict or issue. Students are generally curious, and they want solid answers rather than fuzzy explanations." Tallent
That's the reason that maga is going to lose on this issue too. You can't hold young people down. And they'll dig it up and remember who it was that hid it from them. That is until they get old and and give up. Only in America!
There's a difference in informing them and harping incessantly on a subject.
Don't worry......400 years of oppression 101 will
Always be taught by these leftist activist teachers.
Basically.......white man is the devil. It's a great thing for race relations. Kinda like having to go
To a school in the 70s with a large black population.......in the week that Roots aired...
Good times. Made me the man I am today.
A sheltered idaho liberal didn't get to experience
School assemblies with black kids on stage waving black panther flags and black nationalist flags.......fists in the air......chanting in unison....
Red represents the color of our blood
Black represents the color of our skin
Green represents the color of our land.
That attempt at radical leftist indoctrination just
Didn't take.
Red represents the color of my neck
White represents the color of my skin
Blue represents the color of my eyes
You see, that racial identity BS goes both ways.
A step in the right direction. "A Peoples History of the United States" by Howard Zinn should be required reading.
I don't even have to Google him to know that he was a freaking communist.
Ding ding ding......Socialist Intellectual......
Ha ha ha........you are so predictable. What a freaking scumbag you are.
That dude never showed, but I just offered Ian
A $1000 for your identity.....tic toc tic toc tic toc tic
Time. Now the time has come......Time...
No place to run......Time....
Time has come today......Time.
If you just give it to him red, he'll be like the dog who caught the tire.
And chewed it to shreds....along with the prius it
Was attached to.
Mike- here's the update- Ewe-Gene still hasn't cleaned up the dog sh*t in his yard. See you next time or sooner if something changes.
I'll meet you at the Exxon in Arimo and you can give me the $1000. That way, you can find out who I am. But you shouldn't let one moment of courage f**k you up for the rest of your life.
I'm in poky right now, I'll save you the gas. Where you at?
Intimidation only works if you're scary. You're about as scary as my pink tutu. BTW what's the name of your band and where do you work?
You such a tuff guy!!!
JJ Evans.....I know.
So, think about my question mr eugene sant 50 N Meadowview Dr, Arimo, ID 83214.
I love death threats.....makes me feel alive.
You leftist losers have been doxxing me for over
20 years......Mike Mathews Creamery Road Rockland. See.....I can do that too.
Don't get dramatic p u s s. Think of it more along the lines as a can you get by on your SS threat.
You're the KING of threats and doxing. Ya just don't like it when the shoe's on the other foot. I've got an idea why don't we all just stop both. Ball's in your court champ.
Clear to everyone who the big hairy puzzzzy is....
And it's you. You admitted to wearing a tutu. Your
Daddy must be so proud.
No house payment, no car payment.....yes I can get by with social security.....what's it to you?
Can you get by without giving $5 hummers on the
Corner?
I wear a tutu in you pea size brain because I don't have a problem with people living and enjoying their own lives.
So, you figure it out. If you keep it up I'll keep it up too and we'll see who comes out on the bottom.
Says the bottom bi--tch.
I don't know why it matters to me but maybe you shouldn't give up that easily.
So does your 'band' play paid gigs or do you just go over to Doyle's house and play in the back yard.
You know because if I was a business owner dependent on sales I wouldn't really be interested in the politics of my contractors affecting my bottom line. Or, maybe your just playing in the back yard.
Does your employer know that you're a Trump
Hating, America hating, commie in a pink tutu?
All my stuff is paid off. Don't need one.
I love America enough to show up and serve my country when I was 18. How about you?
And it's not really about who you support that will get ya it's who you are. A separatist who apparently thinks only white men drink at the bar.
Most people who have the runs simply go to the
Bathroom.......yet here you are spewing all over the internet.
Let's see.....bands bands......too many to remember.......mis-led.....mirrors.....bromptons cocktail, Agatha Bones, Wages of Sin, Cochise, cowboys from he-ll, rockin horse....
I haven't picked up a guitar in years....
My new gig is destroying democrats.
I'm the king of threats and doxxing? I just found out which mike mathews you were a few months ago. You and red in blue have been threatening me and doxxing me for 20 years, cyber stalking me, stalking my property and reporting your surveillance on line. You two really seem to have
A lot of free time on your hands if you can drive
All the way out here just to spy on me. No matter
How you spin it, you two are villains of this story.
What is it that you don't understand about making threats? You think I'm going to set something up when you're making the threat? NO you said you're coming to my house so get your a s z out here. You know where it is. you've published it and I promise I won't shoot you I'll just beat you to a pulp. End of story idiot.
Awww cuckboy Mike Mathews disappeared because his backup just got outed and disappeared. It's difficult for leftists to fight one
On one huh cuckboy? You fight just like Detroiters......7 against 1 is n-word fun. Well I
Grew up fighting those odds sucka.
Here's what I think you're trying to say... "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."
Sorry, I couldn't just go away while you're in such crisis.
I figured you as a ringer for Stewart Smalley. Now
That pink tutu totally makes sense.
BTW who is Steve Bevin and when did we drive past your house. Are you fingering another poor children's book author with your rant?
So, all of your talk about the pink tutu is just now starting to make sense to you? And Ian took a thousand dollars to reveal the personal information of a commenter in the ISJ? Go to the mental hospital.... fast!
I really think that you've been fingering Steve Bevan.
d am n delay.
So who is Steve Bevan and when did we drive past your house and does Ian know you gave him one thousand dollars to out Mr Bevan. Or, is the check in the mail and you pulled that guys name out of your a s z?
I bet your entire family disowned you. Poor
Cuckboy.......nobody loves him.....her.....it....
Just what are your pronouns.....dip.....ch-it?
Always default to the weird sex stuff. Ya got nothin ya are nothin.
Sorry, Sherlock-WRONG AGAIN. You sure I'm not Hackworth? Or Corrigan? Or the gun shop guy? Jesus Christ, if brains were dynamite, you couldn't blow your nose. Time........Time.......Time.......My aching a**.
That's ok.....I enjoy destroying democrats in your
Name, maybe they will finally out your chicken ch-it azzz. I'll trash this guy for a few weeks especially for his idiotic letters and I'll move on
To another leftist douchebag. When you attack
Me.....I'll attack them. It works out for both of us.
This Steve Bevan guy is a POS commie.....it makes you wonder if he ever gave military info to Russia.
How in God's name do these communists infiltrate our military? Oh right.....Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, brobama, Biden.
John Brennan and James Comey both voted for a communist party member for President.....that
Just shows the levels that these commie bastards
Can reach in our government. Only in America.
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