Citizenship is as Basic as Reading,
Writing, and Arithmetic
Kelly Curtright
President of the
The Spring Social Studies Conference
Oklahoma University Center for Continuing Education
Saturday, March 28, 2015
1
“Citizenship
is as basic
as reading,
writing, and
arithmetic.”
- Kelly S.
2
Not all of our students will become
mathematicians or scientists, but it is a
certainty that ALL of our students will
become citizens.
3
We must be diligent and
purposeful in developing
citizenship literacy among our
youngest citizens.
Our state and our nation can ill
afford to raise up a generation of
civic amnesiacs.
- Kelly S.
Curtright
4
If we do so, we
will have failed
in passing the
torch of freedom
to the next
generation.
5
6
The Crisis by
Thomas Paine
THESE are
the times
that try
men's
souls.
7
The summer soldier
and the sunshine
patriot will, in this
crisis, shrink from
the service of their
country; but he that
stands by it now,
deserves the love
and thanks of man
and woman.
8
Tyranny, like hell, is not
easily conquered; yet we
have this consolation
with us, that the harder
the conflict, the more
glorious the triumph.
What we obtain too
cheap, we esteem too
lightly: it is dearness only
that gives every thing its
value.
9
During this session, there has been a concerted
attack on Citizenship Education by the
Oklahoma Legislature.
• 2 bills/2 resolutions on AP United States
History
• 2 bills to require a “citizenship test”
• 10 plus bills on testing with the goal of
eliminating all 4 statewide social studies
assessments at Grades 5, 7, & 8, and HS
• A Senate Joint Resolution to repeal the
2012 Social Studies Standards
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11
12
What You
Do Matters.
13
What You
Do
Matters.
14
Contact your State Legislators
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“In times like these, it's helpful to
remember that there have always
been times like these.”
- Paul Harvey
16
This too
shall
pass.
17
The Case for the Social Studies
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Background
Content Knowledge
19
“Knowledge about our
government is not
handed down through
the gene pool . . . .”
– former U.S. Supreme Court Associate
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
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Background Knowledge Base
The Arts 6.9%
Technology 2.6%
Phys. Ed. 3%
Health 3.5%
Mathematics
Math
8.6%
Science
Science
9.8%
Economics
4.3%
ELA
History
Geography
Civics/Govt.
7.7%
ELA 10%
Geography
10.8%
Civics/Govt.
Economics
History 32.6%
Health
Phys Ed
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
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Background Knowledge Base
The Arts 6.9%
Phys. Ed. 3%
Health 3.5%
Technology 2.6%
Math
8.6%
Science
Science
9.8%
ELA 10%
Social
Studies
55.44%
Mathematics
ELA
Social Sciences
Health
Phys Ed
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
22
Background Knowledge Base
Grades K-2
Technology
2.90%
The
Arts
Phys. 6.90%
Ed. 7%
Math
Math 10%
Health 7.60%
ELA
Science 12.70%
ELA 10.60%
Social Studies
41.50%
Science
Social Studies
Health
Phys Ed
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
23
Background Knowledge Base
Grades 3-5
Technology
2.00%
Phys. Ed. 4.10%
Health 2.80%
The Arts
8.30%
Math
7.90%
Science
6.90%
Math
Science
ELA
ELA 10.20%
Social Studies
Health
Social
Studies 58%
Phys Ed
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
24
Background Knowledge Base
Grades
6-8
Technology
2.30%
Phys. Ed. 2.10%
Health 3.10%
The Arts
8.40%
Math
Math
8.50%
Science
Science
9.60%
ELA 10.50%
Social
Studies
55.20%
ELA
Social Studies
Health
Phys. Ed.
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
25
Background Knowledge Base
Grades 9-12
The Arts 4.10%
Phys. Ed. 1.40%
Technology 3.30%
Math
Math 9%
Science
Science
11.80%
ELA
Social Studies
ELA 9.30%
Social
Studies
57.80%
Health
Phys. Ed.
The Arts
Technology
Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement,
©2005, p. 115.
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We Need a Paradigm Shift!
“What if we only
tested social
studies and
science?”
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How would this
change
elementary
instruction?
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Whatever a system
values, it allocates
resources to support.
- Kelly S.
Curtright
29
Since the Russians
launched Sputnik
in 1957, (57 years)
the United States
has poured
hundreds of millions of dollars down
the tube of reading, math, and
science education initiatives.
This must change!
- Kelly S.
30
The academic priorities
we have, are they the
academic priorities
we should have?
- Kelly S.
Curtright
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When citizens of a democracy
are deprived of an effective
Social Studies education, it
places our citizens, our
democratic principles and
institutions, and our Republic
at risk.
- Kelly S.
Curtright
32
Citizenship
illiteracy is
no less
destructive
than reading
illiteracy.
- Kelly S.
Curtright
Bebelplatz, Berlin
33
“That was only a
prelude; where
they burn books,
they will in the end
also burn people.”
-Heinrich Heine from his play, Almansor, 1821
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“If background knowledge
comes from social sciences,
social studies is not a ‘nice-tohave.’ It is an absolutely core
component of instruction that
we ignore at our own peril.”
– Cheryl Sattler, Ph.D.
35
Curriculum that focuses
too tightly on skill building
and not enough on
building background
content knowledge
eventually fails on both
counts.
36
Children in poverty need content
more than most. “The decline in
social studies education is
troubling for all students but
especially those who are poor,
migrant, neglected, delinquent,
English-language learners or
otherwise at-risk.”
– Cheryl Sattler, Ph.D.
37
The impact of not building enough
background knowledge hits
disadvantaged children especially
hard, since they have fewer
opportunities to do so on their own
through trips to museums and art
galleries as well as travel to distant
parts of the United States and
around the world.
38
“Content is not
adequately addressed in
American schools,
especially in the early
grades.”
- E.D. Hirsch
39
“. . . . This neglect of
knowledge is a major
source of inequity, at the
heart of the achievement
gap between America’s
poor and non-poor.”
– E.D. Hirsch
40
Comprehension — the
goal of decoding — won’t
improve unless we also
pay serious attention to
building our students’
word and world
knowledge. – E.D. Hirsch
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Why Should
Students Learn
History,
Geography, Civics,
and Economics?
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Reason 1: Studying History and Social
Studies is essential for good citizenship.
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Reason 2:
History,
Geography,
and Social
Studies help
students
understand
people
and societies.
44
Reason 3: History and Social Studies
help students understand change and
how their community, our nation, and
the world we live in came to be.
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Reason 4: History
and Social Studies
inspires students.
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Reason 5: Social Studies teaches
students essential reading, writing,
and critical thinking skills.
47
Why Should Students Learn History,
Geography, Civics, and Economics
• These are the skills of the real
world!
• These are the very skills that
businesses want in their employees.
• This alone is enough to justify the
teaching and assessment of the
Social Studies!
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Knowledge about our
government is not handed
down through the gene
pool. . . . every generation
has to learn it and we have
work to do.”
– U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
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Resources
Kelly Curtright. Comments to the Oklahoma House of Representatives Committee on
Common Education. April 06, 2014.
Susan Griffin. Letter to the Oklahoma House of Representatives Committee on Common
Education. National Council for the Social Studies. April 02, 2014.
Oklahoma State Department of Education. Social Studies Building Academic Vocabulary.
Oklahoma State Department of Education, ©2012. Accessed April 109, 2015.
Oklahoma State Department of Education. The Oklahoma Academic
Standards for the Social Studies. Oklahoma State Department of Education,
©2012. Accessed April 08, 2015.
Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D. Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, ASCD,
©2005, p. 115.
Broad Knowledge Drives Literacy: Building a diverse academic knowledge
base contributes to the ongoing development of reading and writing
skills. The Herff Jones Achievement Series, © February 2012.
The Oklahoman Editorial Board. Report highlights Oklahoma's education needs. The
Oklahoman. April 7, 2015. Accessed April 8, 2015.
Calvert County Public Schools. The Reasons Why We All Must Learn History and Social
Studies. Calvert County Public Schools, Maryland. Accessed March 3, 2014.
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Kelly Curtright
Email: [email protected]
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