Social studies courses to emphasize civics, history
By:Nicole Taylor
Elementary students will know more about the way that state, local and national governments work, as the district begins to update its social studies curriculum, said administrators at Monday night’s school board meeting.
Alan Friedman, district social studies supervisor, presented the changes made to the curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade. His presentation listed the current curriculum items and explained what the new or improved curricula would be.
"It’s a process that will begin this fall," said Mr. Friedman. "It is going to take some time before it is totally complete."
New elements of the elementary school curriculum will be introduced when school starts on Sept. 7.
"In kindergarten through the fifth grade, we will infuse more components of civics, economics, geography, and New Jersey, U.S. and world histories," he said.
Mr. Friedman said that a new program called Kidsvote will be introduced.
"We’ll provide elementary teachers with a series of activites that they will use to help our students understand things about local, state and national governments, and about the role of citizens in their community," he said.
At the middle school level, no substantive changes were anticipated for sixth and seventh grades, but changes may be made at the eighth-grade level to "more closely align the curriculum to reflect state expectations for our students," he said.
State expectations are reflected in the content of mandated tests given at certain grade levels.
"There are a number of areas – civics, U.S. history, economics, geography," he said. "When the state creates its eighth-grade test, those areas are represented by test questions. We want look at how to make sure all of these elements are in place for those kids."
At the high school level, the world history and U.S. history courses will be "realigned to state standards," he said.
The curriculum "will also move in the direction of including more Advanced Placement electives," he said.
These electives could include AP economics, AP European history and AP world history, said Mr. Friedman.
At the end of his presentation, Mr. Friedman recommended the board continue its "support for professional curricular development, and support for the purchase of materials that support changes in the curriculum."
Superintendent Robert Gulick asked Mr. Friedman for an assessment of the district’s program.
"At the high school, we’re in the best shape," said Mr. Friedman. "As far as the ninth grade, the standard level course is in desperate need of a new textbook that reaches state expectations."
He said sixth and seventh grades were "in very fine shape," but that he may need to ask the board for more materials for eighth and fifth grades.
"Part of the reason that there is low participation at the polls is that people don’t know how our government works," said Mr. Gulick. "How are we doing in preparing out students for participation in government?"
Mr. Friedman said civics is included in the curriculum at most levels.
"In the ninth through 12th grades we are fine in terms of civics," he said. "In the middle school level the topical approach has a government section. We may have a weakness in our K-5 program as it relates to civics."
Board member Lou Possemato agreed with Mr. Gulick that participation in government was a problem.
"If we’re doing a good job why don’t our young people vote?" he asked. "What can we do to make them get involved more when they get out of high school?"
Mr. Friedman said the social studies curriculum did an adequate job of preparing students for participation in government, but studies have shown that many young people have low expectations for the government.
"We also do an exceptional job with our extracurricular activities, such as Model U.N. or Model Congress," he said. "Studies show many different reasons why there is low participation. I think that some responsibility for the lack of interest lies with the political parties."
See Tuesday’s story:
Schools revamping social studies curriculum