One thing the podcast explained was social studies focuses on things like civics, and government, geography and economy, and even behavioral science. I am in practicum right now and we do social studies every day. Currently, we are learning about geography and exploring the hottest and coldest places on earth, as well as learning about civics and the government. When reflecting back to my elementary days. Anther comment she made was that social studies often focuses on the main narrative, or the “winner” of society. I agree with that, looking back, even in high school, we rarely focused on what the working class does, what they think, how they live, and what they wanted and pushed for to change their society, things that worked or things that didn’t. Now that I am older, I often look up different cultures, right now I am big into the Egyptian culture, and how they lived, what they did, and how they communicated with other. I also have been seeing a lot of people online, and major publishing sources claiming they have found ancient Egyptian artifacts in Grand Canyon – this is something that we never really talked about – the trade items, and expeditions of the ancient people. These topics might intrigue students into learning further in their free time. One thing I’d like to discuss is the lack of social studies knowledge in elementary education certifications and school curriculum. She brings up a good point it is hard to teach what you do not know, and it is very difficult for students when they go to middle school to be able to actively engage in social student's and have some prior knowledge before the new school year starts. A couple things I am puzzled by is why are there not strong curriculums for science and social studies? We see almost scripted curriculum and lessons that hit all the strong, or required, points for subjects such as math, writing, and English, but when it comes to these, like she said, it is often times outdated. If there is ample evidence to support social studies and science being as significant as the podcast claims, why aren’t more school districts, or the state education boards talking action? Another thing I am puzzled by is why does the school not allow ample time for each of these subjects? Maybe instead of teacher all 5 subjects in a day we go to a block schedule where all subjects are equally yoked. 

One thing I disagree with is her statement where she is explaining the reasoning behind anti-CRT, trans, LGBTQ movements is solely based on power dynamic that those in power do not want to give up. Now, I do think those in power do not want to give up their power, but to blanket statement that because it is of Christian beliefs totally paints Christianity as evil and pushes the narrative that we should be teaching children about inappropriate topics (at this age). Also pushing the idea that these kids know their identify, who they are, what they like, is crazy to me because I see students in the classroom daily trying to just figure out their emotions, creating an identify for themselves would be too much for their minds to handle. 

She had some great points over social studies and science and argued that it should be taught in schools. 

The first thing that I liked about what Noreen Naseem Rodríguez had to say is that having students read something related to science or social studies during reading instruction is not an adequate form of instruction. I know that many teachers look for ways to integrate subjects together, but this is a completely ineffective way to do so because there is only instruction in one subject. There needs to be an actual lesson focusing on social studies content. The second thing that I liked was her suggestion that teachers should begin educating themselves on social studies content by researching something that interests them. When I was in elementary school, I was really interested in Abraham Lincoln for a while. I used to read tons of books about him. Later in college, I started researching him again for a big history paper. I honestly enjoyed it, and I learned some new things that hadn’t been included in the books I read as a child. Finally, I liked how she pointed out how all of the individual content areas of social studies are connected. I never really considered how all of the subjects found in social studies could be very closely linked to one another, since I am used to viewing them as separate subjects. 

One thing I am puzzled by is a comment that Jill Anderson makes. She asks what families and caregivers should do to advocate for more social studies in schools. She implies that the lack of social studies is commonly known. How commonly known is it? If it is commonly known, why aren’t more families advocating for it? Something else I am puzzled by is how educators determine what is and what is not age-appropriate. Does it rest entirely upon personal opinion?

Rodríguez discusses an assignment she did with her students where she asked them to draw their dream classrooms. Most of them drew what is considered to be a typical classroom. Have younger generations become less imaginative? If so, why would that be? That part stuck out to me while reading, and I thought it would be interesting to discuss. 

2. When I think of my favorite moments in history it was a class I took in Highschool about the cold war era. It was awesome and taught me a lot. It was fun and engaging and wasn't simply long lectures. I remember being happy on the days I had this class because I was excited about the class. My teacher was engaging and knew when to lecture and when not to lecture. He was a great speaker and was funny to cultivate out interest in the topics we were learning about. I am really glad I got to experience his class as it made me want to be exciting like him. When I think of the worst moments in history I think of all the classes I've had that gave me packet after packet in high school and write it off as a good history curriculum. I believe a lot of history classes is a lot of boring lectures with packets to back them up. I believe this is why a lot of people tend to not like social studies because the classes can be very hard to pay attention to and the class will come with a lot of written work/ packets. 

3. 

Three

I really liked how the speaker addressed the current issues with social studies content in elementary school and talked about why that was an issue for students and schools. 

I really like how the speaker addressed that history only talks about the rich and well-off white people in society. It doesn't ever talk about the poor or minorities and their experiences in life. 

I like how the speaker talked about the difficulties and reasons why teachers don't have social studies courses in elementary school. It's not always the teacher's fault. Sometimes they lack the time or the background to teach this content. Since there are not a lot of requirements for social studies many elementary education teachers don't know a lot about it. 

Two

I find it interesting that some students have no idea what social studies are. I did social studies in school. I actually believe I had a large social studies curriculum that after watching this video was much more than others. 

I found it very interesting that there are not a lot of standards behind social studies in elementary schools. 

One

Why are there no requirements to teach social studies in elementary school? What are students missing out on by not getting a social studies curriculum in elementary school?

My name is Theresa Blase and I am in my senior year here at UMSL! My official degree path is in elementary education with an emphasis in special education. I have to say over Winter break I most enjoyed Christmas. I got to spend so much time enjoying the love of my family, and my boyfriend has upgraded to fiance! He proposed on Christmas Eve, so we had a ton of fun celebrating with our loved ones. 

I remember the most exciting thing that I ever participated in for social studies class was a reinactment of life as a pilgrim. We got to pretend to be people and make decisions for our village. Lastly, we hosted a huge Thanksgiving party right before break with students and parents bringing in tons of food to share with one another while we explained what we learned. This was my favorite because I felt like I got to really understand what it meant to be part of this lifestyle. In doing so, I was able to relate while gaining knowledge of the time period which I never would have done if we just read it out of a textbook. 

My worst memory of social studies class was when I was in high school. My teacher assigned a 30 page packet (I couldn't even tell you the topic) that we were to read overnight and come back prepared the next day to debate in a class circle in which everyone had to speak five times. I did not learn anything because I was so overwhelmed and nervous about hte debate. I didn't feel prepared to conduct this form of meeting after one day of preparation, nor did I have the time to finish this gigantic task for homework. Although I worked diligently and effortfully in high school, I have always been a slow reader. 

As a social studies teacher, I hope to be more engaging like my first teacher. By being immersed in the history, i was able to learn so much more and can still tell you about it to this day. I wish to avoid being the second teacher because I don't want to induce stress and anxiety of such high levels for student learning. As I can clearly see, I didn't take anything away from it that was knowledgable. I hope to create an atmosphere in which my students are excited about learning social studies, whether they develop a love of history lessons or have a passion for the science based aspects of the subject. 

 

Three things I liked about the speaker's perspective: 

1. Holidays can be a great entry point to topics. I personally got to experience this in my Practicum because Martin Luther King Jr. Day was to be celebrated the following week. My coop teacher shared with me ways that she incorporates new readings so that the students are still learning about the history while reading fresh texts. 

2. I enjoyed the point that she made about people not worrying about improvement of social studies lessons because it is so often being ignored in general. It is a sad concept that requires immediate change. 

3. We need to set students up to be able to form their own opinion. Regardless of our beliefs, we have to allow students to discover their own path.

4. We have to remember who we're [teaching] for.

Two things I am puzzled with:

1. So I haven't gotten very far into the podcast, but she has mentioned that so many schools are lacking in their social studies education programs, if they exist at all. I am wondering why this would be something that is getting cut when it is important to have a base knowledge at the very least in this subject. 

2. She mentioned that a great way to incorporate social studies when there may not be time in the day is to use various children's books. While I agree with this idea, I am puzzled by what types of books would be most applicable to our students. 

 

One question I would like to discuss with others:

1. It is mentioned that students are learning based on a predominately white based narrative. My question is this: how can we ensure that we are fulfilling curriculum requirements for learning while creating an inclusive atmosphere for all?

I'm Angel!  I'm majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education.  I've worked for 
Special School District as a paraprofessional as well as Hazelwood School District as a TA.   I'm passionate about teaching and creating memorable and engaging lessons that are bound to stick with my students. 

During the winter break, I studied abroad in Costa Rica and I took a cooking class with other students where we made homemade empanadas using a Costa Rican condiment called "Bomba".  Those empanadas con frijoles y queso were definitely the most enjoyable thing I had over winter break.  

I first remember really learning social studies in the 7th grade.  Hardly ever in elementary school.  In social studies I remember enjoying learning about different cultures and landforms.  Some other topics that are sticking out to me were lessons on the potato famine and the bubonic plague.  In the future, I want to be the type of social studies teacher that allows open discussion in class on all topics.  A social studies teacher that can generate a curiosity in students to want to know more about the topics being introduced an in return myself seeking adequate information to fulfill the students curiosity.  Also, I want to be a social studies teacher who is willing to show students different aspects of social studies as well as the histories of all different backgrounds.  I want to give my students lessons that are not always apart of the curriculum through means other than the textbook, for example, through children's literature. 

 

3:

I like that the speaker spoke about incorporating children's literature to introduce tough or uncommon topics relating to social studies that are also not always addressed in the curriculum.  

I like that the speaker spoke about how important it is to explore tough topics with children because children probably have already been exposed to the topic and it's best to give them information on these tough topics, support them, and allow them the space to ask questions. 

I like that the speaker realizes that all aspects of social studies is important and that today's social studies lesson are built upon dominant narratives and lack substance when it comes to people of color. 

 

2:  I am puzzled with the speakers conversation about teachers introducing certain topics with students because it's what is best for the student.  It seems as though the speaker disregards the parents wishes are for what the student is learning inside the classroom. 

Although I agree that some lessons should be taught to children/ students at school that may seem difficult, I believe some lessons should not be taught at school, but at home, for example LGBT.  I also believe parents should always be aware and have say- so in what their child is being taught or learning at school.  

 

1:  Why are textbooks filled with dominant narratives such as Christopher Columbus etc.  but not with the histories of indigenous people/people of color/etc.  Why when people of color are seen in textbooks they are always shown as being oppressed or as slaves? People of color were not always slaves. Why don't certified teachers know ways of addressing these tough topics and are only versed in teaching dominant narratives? 

 

Angel  Dallas

 

My name is Haley Hosea! I am working towards my Elementary education with an emphasis on special education degree. I am currently a junior and will graduate spring of 2024. The most enjoyable thing I did over winter break was celebrate Christmas with my family and my boyfriend's family. The past few years it hasn't really felt like Christmas to me and this year was awesome and I got to see many family members that I haven't got to see in a long time! 

My experience with social studies wasn't great, mostly I remember it being really boring in elementary school. When I got to college my experience changed a little. I took a class called American Politics and really enjoyed my professor and the way he ran the class. He was relaxed and keep class open conversations versus reading from a textbook or lecture style, like I was used to. I'm not a social studies lover, but he grew my interest in what was happing in today's word and how it compared to past history. I want to be a relaxed, open, and hands on social studies teacher and get away from the boring textbooks for students but still get the same information across to students. This could be by using activities or looking at images and talking about them or using small articles during class time. 

Three things I liked that about the speakers perspective were the breakdown of what social studies even is, moving minorities to the front of social studies, and that a  common excuse for not teaching social studies is that elementary students are too young. She explain that social studies isn't just history but many people view it that way. Social studies includes government, politics, geography, economics, etc. I really like the idea of moving minorities to the center of social studies because as she stated, most children in public schools are minorities right now. What student wouldn't want to learn more about their culture or people who look like them. This also allows students to learn more about other people and their cultures as well. We shouldn't be hyper focused on the white male anymore, our society is hopefully growing away from just white males in power. I totally agreed with her answer to why elementary students aren't taught about social studies more and the excuse we often hear from parents or school boards is that they are too young. This statement irritates me because as someone who has worked with K-5 students their level of understanding is greater than what people want it to be. Parents mainly are the ones who are scared that their child might stray from their believes. 

Two things I am puzzled with is the lack of social studies and science curriculum in schools and that professional development isn't typically offered for these two subjects. Students shouldn't only be learning one of these topics for 6 weeks then switch to the other. Social studies and science are just as important as math or reading. 

One question I have is, how can we get away from parents and school boards controlling what we can teach? Everything in schools has become so political instead of informal. I truly believe if you haven't worked with children in a classroom setting you shouldn't get to make laws and decisions about what is taught in a public school. Public school was designed for all people and all people should be represented in a public school setting. 

-Hi fellow classmates! My name is Vince Mott and I am enrolled to get a degree in elementary education.

-The most enjoyable thing I had during winter break in terms of food was my favorite dish: Chicken Tetrazini. You have to try this stuff, it is to die for. The most enjoyable thing I did was have all my brothers home for the holidays and spend valuable time with family and loved ones.

2.

-I remember fun projects surrounding social studies in elementary. And after that I remember the bill on capitol hill. In high school, topics got a bit more complicated as we looked at government. My best memories were when I got A's on work I did which wasn't terribly common. As well, I enjoyed the jovial projects we did as elementary students, but I would've liked a more historically accurate account of the marginalized groups that Professor Rodriguez talks about. My worst memories usually involved seventh grade geography class. Not fun, but if I gave it more of a chance, then maybe it could have been.

-I think harkening back to the days where fun projects and plays were associated with the social studies would be a good way to go about things. That would be the surface level of my social studies instruction, but I would like to put a great deal of effort into translating all of the issues that Professor Rodriguez discusses and implementing her topics of concern into the instruction.

3.

-Her perspective as the child of a man from Pakistan who lived through a historic event was interesting. She herself never learned about about this event through school and rarely heard anything on the partition showing just how marginalized many historic events around the world are.

-Her passion on the subject is very motivating. She has a wealth of knowledge on all the things that fall under the blanket term of social studies and clearly exhibits competency in the field.

-The speaker has a very respectful perspective towards kids and their ability to relate to adult and complex concepts. Speaking on their struggle to identify their sexuality among other difficult topics.

--It is puzzling to hear that students aren't learning proper social studies by this point. We are trying to grow as a society and while we need everyone giving their best effort to move forward it is understandable that people will have different ideas on what should be a priority in education.

--It's puzzling to think of a good way to get this through to teachers on a large scale, but showing this in University classes is a good start. Districts should put more of an emphasis on social studies and an anti-oppressive lens for their schools.

---When you first get your class, it will inevitably be very difficult to remember all of the valuable things we've learned from these courses. So it's important to organize your thoughts and new ideas as they come to you. What are some ways that you organize these new concepts to best help yourself to remember to apply them?

I love social studies, but I do not feel comfortable discussing US history because it's complex, and I wasn't born here.  However, through my years over here, I have learn a lot, and also all the courses from STLCC; I know a bit. My pressure is that I like to know my fact before discussing it, especially  the US history. I want to the teacher that focus on movements that made our words the way it's and students to comprehend the present will be one day history, therefore be part of what they want the world to be. The dates will follow; I wasn't a fan of remembering the facts by dates, and it almost made me hate social study until I had a teacher that made me love it. I guess I want to teach like her, she taught as she was telling a story, and we remember stories and what touched us.   

The speaker wants social studies to be taught in full, and she's concern about some part of the history being erase because it is not comfortable for teachers . She believes that children literacies which are people stories can be  a great tool to social studies. Noreen Naseem Rodriquez  said that teaching social studies is to teach democracy, and the students are being prepare to become active members of our democracy. Which is true and it bring the question of do we like our democracy? then how to keep it? and I believe is to prepare students to defend and protect it.  I really like how she explain the importance of social studies, and the idea of using children literacies to do part of the work. The two things that puzzled me are social studies not being taught in elementary because teachers are focus on reading and writing. This's concerning because other countries are teaching their students their history and the United's history; yet our children are not learning it, which's dangerous.  Because how are we going to not repeat horrible things that happen before? How to protects the country if we don't know its story? The last one is the fear of getting  fired, I didn't think of it. it's scary out there. I think I may get the book at the end of the semester as a resources if we don't get other resources. I want to read her book, and see the tips she has for teachers. To finish, it's checking that social studies is not be taught, and not I am pay attention, or ask questions to elementary students in my live. It interesting that I haven't pay attention or asked my children; I guess I assumed they learning everything they need to learn.

2. I always enjoyed social studies class. My earliest memory of social studies class is learning about the community. I remember my teacher had stations where she had dress up clothes that went along with a certain occupation and then we did some sort of activity to correlate with that occupation.  My favorite part of social studies class was learning about geography. I found it easy to memorize the names of countries. I enjoyed learning about the terrain and different cultures. I work at a grade school and I spend a lot of time in the elementary classrooms. I saw one of the activities the second-grade teacher did with her class and I thought it was a really great idea. The students completed a flip book throughout one of their social studies units. It went through focusing on themselves, their neighborhood, community, state, country, and world. It showed how each part is connected and needed to make a well-functioning community. 

I hope to be the kind of social studies teacher that creates hands-on lessons that are engaging for students. I want my students to understand how each member of a community plays a unique role that creates a functioning community. I also want my students to learn about other cultures and other parts of the world. I want my students to understand our government system and be well educated concerning politic matters so they can defend their beliefs and opinions. 

3. 3 Interesting Things: I honestly found the whole interview to be interesting. She called out the parents as also being responsible for the lack of social studies being taught to elementary students. In my opinion the majority of the teaching should be done at school but it’s also the responsibility of the parents to teach their children about the content covered in social studies. Parents could  include stops to landmarks while on vacation or places around the city where they live. Parents can have nonfiction books at home that are diverse. It could also be as simple as the conversations had around the dinner table. Rodriguez shared how she advises her preservice teachers about the importance of building  strong relationships with families. This so important because if strong relationships are built between the teacher and families than the teacher can effectively communicate with families about the topics that will be discussed in class. The other interesting thing was how Rodriquez suggested that when teachers are deciding to introduce non-oppressive social studies lessons in the classroom they start small and focus on concepts or events that interest them. 

2 Puzzling Things: I’m confused as to why and how the lack of social studies in classrooms has gotten to this level. It’s such a disservice to the students that they aren’t receiving a well-rounded education. I do think a lot of it comes down to fear of offending families. The other thing I’m puzzled about is why is there  are only discussions about this and no action being done to rectify the situation. We should want our students to learn about democracy and our history to help them form their own opinions and beliefs. This doesn’t just fall of the shoulders of the teachers this mainly  falls on the shoulders of administration, parents, and those that write the curriculum. People need to not be so quick to blame the teacher. 

1 Question:  How do we support teachers to allow them to bring non-oppressive social studies lessons into the classroom? 

-I like that the speaker talked about bringing marginalized people to the center of social studies. This is very important because marginalized people have greatly contributed to society. Marginalized students will be interested in social studies if it is something they can relate to that is positive and not negative all the time.
-I like that the speaker talked about the dominant white narrative in social studies. The people that write those books are mostly white, and I’m not sure if they purposefully do that or if they have not done enough research on people of color to include them more in the textbooks.
-I also like that she talked about kids deserve to see themselves in what they learn in school. This is very important because it makes them feel like they are part of the school environment. When the teacher is teaching social studies, she needs to ensure that every student in her class is represented in the lesson plan. She will have to research and learn about her students to achieve this.

-I am puzzled with social studies being taught less in the classroom over the years. This is an important subject like math, reading, etc. It should be every day of the week instead of only 30 minutes once a week. This explains why my nieces and nephew did not know much about history.
- I am puzzled by the anti-CRT movement and why there is a push to exclude it in schools. This is something that exists in society, and research suggests students benefit from discussing racism.

Why can’t elementary schools be set up like some countries where there is a teacher for every subject and not one teacher teaching all the subjects? That way, social studies will get the same amount of time as other subjects, and it will be taught by a teacher that specializes in it.    

 

Three things I liked: 

Two things I was puzzled with:

One question I had:

I don’t really remember much about my social studies classes honestly. I remember in 5th grade, we used to switch classrooms and one one was social studies. We had an hour long class every day which I feel like is more than most people had. In high school I took world geography, history, and civics but wasn’t required to take anything my senior year. I want to be a social studies teacher that my students actually remember. I want to make it fun while still making sure that my students are learning. 

Three things I liked: 

Two things I am puzzled with: 

One question I want to discuss with others: 

2. In Elementary School I only remember starting science and social studies in the 4th grade. My favorite memory was learning about the pilgrims and we had a day where we all dressed as pilgrims, learned dances, churned butter and so much more. I have a lot of memories of that day and that lesson because we were very involved. The whole school knows about that day for 4th grade and makes a big deal about it! I do feel it is hard for young students to really understand history because times are so different, so something like that really got us excited. I want to do the same thing for my student in social studies. I want to create a relatable moment for them to connect with and create a memory. 

 

3.I really liked the talk about the dream classroom.  Future teachers were asked what their dream classroom would look like and they drew 4 walls, desks, and usually flex seating. But when she was asked to do this assignment years ago she drew a slide and a tree in the classroom. It really put in perspective how the structure of classrooms and school is placed in my mind as well. I have done this assignment and drew a traditional looking classroom. I liked that the speakers gave both points of view over the topic of science and social studies being taught. They raised a common question, "Why do elementary teachers decide not to teach these topics?" But they also mention how teachers are not in control of the curriculum and are usually not specialized in certain areas anymore. I liked that Jill mentioned asking her own elementary aged child what they knew about science and social studies and they didn't know much. She said she realized that this responsibility of these topics are not solely on the teachers, these topics lack being talked about at home compared to math and reading.

 

Something that puzzled me is that they mentioned is adding these topics to lessons and activates, but now-a-days a lot of schools are going scripted (like my clinical school) , and there is not room in the schedule of the scripted day. Another thing puzzling me is, would it be appropriate to ask about flexibility in curriculum and adding science and social studies within the school day at a job interview?

Something I would love to discuss with other is the idea of adding science and social studies. My elementary school would switch classes to teachers who feel comfortable in each area, I think that is a great idea! 

2. I don't remember too much pertaining to social studies from grade school but one vivid memory I have is reading Number the stars as a class. History had never really struck any chord but that story really moved me. I still to this day love reading WW2 books fiction and nonfiction. I want to be a teacher that gets students excited about learning in all areas. Social studies help us learn from and adapt from the past to avoid making the same errors as well as advance as a society so any way I can help my students to move society forward is about as much as I can ask for. 

3. I too never understood the idea of withholding the true history behind our holidays or just our heritage in general. I understand in the past trying to keep a more positive spin on things but I believe it is important to be as upfront as possible to avoid repeating the past. Now I'm not saying to terrify your students but be honest with them as the truth is more interesting anyways.

Why don't we integrate science and social studies more into other subjects in elementary classrooms? It's a disservice to our students to alternate between subjects. Why still in this day and age is it so rare to find narratives about those other than white men? 

One of the most important quotes from this podcast that I have heard in many of my classes is "you can't teach what you don't know". What worries me though is this is the first social studies class I have been placed into and I have only been placed in one science course. Even at Umsl, this narrative that these two very important subjects aren't as important is clear as day. We not only have work to do in the elementary classroom but in higher education as well. 

-Adrianna Collins

One thing that puzzled me is how there are future teachers graduating that do not know social studies or are not educated enough on it. I think it should be 
one of the main classes to be in the program. Another thing that confused me is how do we as educators try to "make everyone happy" when it comes to teaching social studies? 

My question is: to bring social studies back into the classroom, should we try for half an hour, or what/how do you think we can get this into the classroom? 

I have always loved social studies but mainly only things that have to do with American history. I was never a big fan of world history. When I was in elementary school, my class took a field trip to a place that reenacted the civil war and they had all of these different stations that talked about facts and things that happened during the war. That is when I knew that I really liked American history. I don't plan on being a social studies teacher but it would be nice to know different ways that I can go about teaching information to children that is age appropriate. 

Three things I liked: 

-I liked how she talked about how elementary teachers do not just teach one main subject. Not knowing everything about one subject can make it hard to know how to teach properly. I love math and history but I am not a big fan of science. Knowing the information makes teaching it a lot easier. However, if you teach the same grade for years after awhile you get the hang of the topics and can teach it from knowledge. 

-I liked that she also talked about the fact that science and social studies are not always taught in elementary schools. This is a big questions that a lot of teachers have, but we are living in a world of how much can I say since most things are blurry. This makes things a little bit more frustrating because history should be taught and how our country was started. 

-I think that fact that she brought up that curriculum is white based is interesting to me. A lot of curriculum is made by people who have never once stepped foot in the classroom and I think that is something to really take into consideration. The curriculum has also become very scripted. Is that because they do not want things to slip out that are out of the lines of what is appropriate?

Two things I'm puzzled with: 

-One thing that puzzles me the most is the fact that teachers seem to not have enough time in the day to get to all of the subjects and when they need to get other things done science and social studies should be the first things to skip. 

-The other thing that puzzles me is that there is not a huge push to make sure that students are learning history. Is that not something that they should know? I think that is the number one thing students should be learning since it is all about their life. 

One question: 

-How can we start to make teaching history a priority in schools?

2. When I was in school, social studies was my favorite subject. In elementary school, the main thing that I remember was doing projects. One project that I remember doing in elementary school was learning about different Native American tribes. We worked with a partner and chose a tribe to research, then did a short presentation about the things that we learned. I also remember that we took a field trip to Cahokia Mounts which was really fun. Over my high school years, I took an interesting mix of social studies classes including American Government, World History, And History of the Americas. Out of all of these, History of the Americas was my favorite (and honestly one of my favorite classes that I ever took in high school). This class was a two year course that I took during my Junior and Senior years and covered the history of North and South America. One reason that I found this class interesting was because I had never learned much about the history of other American countries in other classes. The teacher of this class was also the film teacher, so we often watched movies related to the unit that we were covering. 

My World History class was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the content of the class but the teacher wasn't great. First, he mainly just focused on European history and we had to take these ridiculous tests every week. We also had map quizzes where we would have to memorize and then fill in the locations on a map vaguely related to the unit. The teacher was in his last year before retirement and the district had let him know that he wouldn't be reimbursed for all of the personal days that he had saved up over the years, so he decided not to show up at least one day a week. Since this was an AP class, we weren't at all prepared for the test. 

3. I liked that she touched on the fact that Social Studies, along with Science, are often pushed to the background in schools to focus on subjects like Reading and Math. I think that this is a huge issue. I also liked her explanation of teachers being asked to draw their dream classrooms. Most teachers drew a standard classroom with flexible seating but when the teacher did this activity, she drew a slide in the center of her room. One final thing that I liked was that the speaker discussed the need for a greater focus on non-white people in social studies because I think that these perspectives are often ignored. Two things that puzzle me are the lack of professional development in social studies and why people are so resistant to teaching students accurate versions of history. One question that I have is how can we incorporate more social studies instruction into schools without sacrificing time devoted to other subjects?