I fully agree. Since testing arrived, history and geography have been seriously squeezed for time by “reading skills”. Daniel Willingham will tell you how critical this is and to top it off in his opinion, content areas like h&g are more important for reading than overdoing Reading classes.

It forces reading for meaning. Testing is the enemy of deep learning and understanding.

Hmmmm….they’re talking about Mali in the news. Nah, I’ll switch to the Simpsons. You don’t really need to know where Mali is or what’s going on. It has absolutely no significant bearing on Toronto.

In fact, we should remove history from schools as well as geography, cuz the kids gotta learn to think critically, and hey, history - it already happened in the past and has no bearing on us today. Better learn something useful that will bring money later, like a trade, and ya don’t need history for that.

You don’t need to know about the cover up at Katyn, with the massacre of tens of thousands of Polish aristorcracy, elite, and officers. The fact that it was covered up so well, and lied about for 70 years has no bearing on us whatsoever. Neither does Smolensk. It was a really bad accident - that’s all.

Nor do you need to concern yourself about the Ribbentrop-Molotov secret pacts, as again, even though the proof surfaced recently, it had no bearing on us here in Canada whatsoever.

You also really don’t need to know about the massacre in Rwanda either. The fact that our Canadian general was involved, was the only connection with Canada, otherwise it didn’t affect us.

Do we also need to study the American Civil War and it’s causes and effects? Nah, they too have no bearing on modern Canada.

What about the crusades? Nah! Not important; that one will for sure have no bearing on Canada.

Should we even care where Fukoshima is? Earthquakes? Nope, has nothing to do with Canada. We didn’t feel ‘em.

Port-au-Prince - to invest or not to invest? Voodoo history or political mismanagement and corruption? Who cares, doesn’t affect us here.

And the fact that Ra was the Son God, ready to riseup and Resurrect back in the days of long forgotten Ancient Egypt, shaped nothing in our modern day.

Colonialism in India and Africa? Nope! Don’t care. No impact on Vancouver.

Oh, here’s one more, and all but forgotten, the fact that McGuinty, Premier of Ontario was keen on and about to introduce Sharia law right here in Ontario. What was that all about? Who cares? Didn’t happen after all. 

Who cares where the Volga lies, or the what the capital of Zimbabwe is, or even where Kuala Lampur is. It doesn’t matter.

The fact that the Native Canadians are up in arms over money, what does that have to do with any of our Canadian history, past, present, or future?

As long as I have my big screen T.V., my cable or satellite shows, my NHL and baseball games, my steak and potatoes, and my bottle of vino or brewski, I am a happy camper. I go to work and put in my time, and send my kids to school so they learn something. Eventually we all grow up and do alright. If my bills are paid, keep my power on, and my Internet is always there at my disposal to fill me in on anything I desire to know.

Safe to say, our education is the best in the world, as is our economy, our healthcare, our natural resources, our defenses, our governmental democracy, and there ain’t nobody gonna take it away from us Canucks - no siree Bob.

And I pay taxes, so there, I’ve done my civic duty, and need to know no more because I AM CANADIAN!

Give yourself a break Joe - I saw the serious decline in geography knowledge long before testing was a reality. Simply put, geography went bye-bye in elementary grades in grade 4 and up, and by the late 1980s, geography reduced to one credit and now it is optional.

Saw it in everyone of my children, but what was truly shocking the state of my youngest child geography knowledge. When I undertook the serious home reteaching and tutoring starting when my child was in grade 6, geography knowledge and all aspects of it became an important feature, to understand social studies. The geography knowledge is disconnected with the other foundation knowledge of history, social studies and science. Geography knowledge is all over the place, causing major problems for students. Like the G/M article concludes, “If we continue to shortchange Canadian children in terms of a solid education in geography, we’re essentially robbing them of their potential and capacity to engage fully in society as part of an informed citizenry. Not only is this grossly unfair to today’s students, but it also unduly compromises Canada’s future in a globalized world.”

In the article Location, Location, Location, the author concludes, “Students without geographic
knowledge are helpless when confronted by adult issues, whether in school or outside of it. Geography is vital to the examination of economic
competition, poverty, environmental degradation, ethnic conflict, health care, global warming, literature and culture and, needless to say, international relations.”

A lot of Canadians, including the public sector kind of the federal kind, have a hard time locating NL on the Canadian map, much less its location. Yes, where some Canadians think Ontario is the center of the universe. Or phoning a call centre for hotel reservations, and by sheer coincidence its a Canadian call centre, who will asked where is NL? Is NL in Canada? 

I stumbled along back in 2006, without the handy article authored by Malkin, Mapwork,  and to which is excellent advice. I somehow shaped the home geography learning into short stops of learning, to aid in social studies achievement. including all the aids that Malkin stated in Mapwork. I went all hog over wall maps, the same kind that used to be hanging in each classroom when I went to school. The kind that gives a sense of distances and just how big Earth is, to the smaller distances between neighbouring towns. Always on the hunt for geography aids, in the discount bin at the local grocery chain, a small book of all the terms of physical geography, in excellent graphics to a web site, plus a CD where images can be printed off. Best buy for under $4.00, and eventually my youngest child did developed a firm foundation in geography knowledge. Plus she has the skills to read topographical maps, and the one and only high school geography course, taught how to pinpoint location on longitude and latitude points.

In the comment section of the G/M, “After reading a similar article a few days ago I was wondering about my 13 years old daughter’s geographical knowledge. So I casually brought up a conversation about the continents. To my astonishment she even pointed out the location of the continents during the Jurassic Period which they had just learned in school!!”

But the kids can’t locate and named the 7 continents. Progressive and constructivist pedagogy won’t allow the knowledge of the present 7 continents,  so content is reduced to bits and pieces of geography knowledge. Not a great deal of help when learning about Pangea without having to know and locate the 7 continents of today.

As to Joe’s comments, its the curriculum right across the span of subjects that needs serious redressing, and as Malkin had stated in Mapwork, it the serious lack of general knowledge, that handicaps students in comprehension of reading material. As I noted with my child, general knowledge of geography improved her overall achievement in social studies and in physical earth sciences. As well as understanding the geo-politics of the globe, and other adult issues one reads in the media. Real pity though, it is up to the parents, because the public education system just won’t do it. I was mocked for my purchased of wall maps, and atlases until the day the geography teacher borrowed my child’s atlas, instead of the school’s issued one.

Yes, Joe its about the content but what really counts if the content quality and how effective it is for steady learning to advanced knowledge. It has nothing to do testing, or should we revoked the educator certificates and other degrees, which are based for the most part on tests and exams. Students after 12 years of schooling, should come out with a firm base of general knowledge, to navigate in the adult world. Instead, the public education are failing the students by not providing a firm base for grade 12 graduates to stand on.

I actually agree with most of that. I am a history teacher you know. When I was in high school, 4 courses in history were required, only grade 13 could escape.Now only grade 10 is required plus a half in civcs. Harris wanted to cut even more but the outcry stopped him. Testing makes teaching history and geography very difficult by testing. The adage “what gets tested get s taught” could not be more true. I would require a full course in history and in geography every single year from grade 1 to 12.

Dear Joe,

I do know that some private schools teach history starting in kindergarten with the “Story of the World” program (Susan Wise-Bauer). It starts in the times of the first Nomads, and by grade 4 the kids have covered it all right up to present day. This cycle repeats from grades 5-8 and then again from 9-12 only with increased material, difficulty, and more cause and effect, as well as critical thinking.

And if we had school choice, your wish could materialize….history and geography every single year from grade 1 to 12.

Assuming we had School Choice that is.

School choice is too high a price to pay since nobody really wants it. The world works by mandate and command. It needs to be mandated into the ps system or it doesnt count.

Bauer history would be considered fat too religious for public schools. Public schools are secular.

” The world works by mandate and command. It needs to be mandated into the ps system or it doesn’t count.”

If so, than the public education system from top to bottom need to be reconfigured, because once again the public education system is the laughing stock.

The crime? - a suspension of 10 days for a 5 year old.

On all national media to all the blogs to the international media, all making fun of the progressive approaches. Found an amusing blog - Progressives on the Move - It concludes - “Neither pointed fingers nor Hello Kitty Bubble Blowers are protected by the Bill of Rights/US Constitution, so liberal educators are having a field day in their relentless persecution of children who might some day be disposed to own firearms. Never mind that none of the suspects accused of pointing fingers or discussing bubble blowers (that were never brought onto school property) are five and six years old, respectively. Persecution of small children can’t begin too soon if they’re suspected of “conservative leanings”.
http://symbolic-mirage.blogspot.ca/2013/01/guns-in-schools-progressives-on-move.html

What is really sad today, children are permitted to be children in today’s public schools, but even sadder children are not permitted to learn according to the best practices based on research and effective outcomes. No, as Joe has stated, by mandate and command of the adults with the teachers’ certificates.

Choice will be the siren call, because it would be a nice change to worried about your children’s learning, their knowledge and what they are struggling in learning, than worrying about if their child gets arrested and suspended from school for acting like children. Somehow, in the current public education system, children must learned the knowledge on their own, and follow the progressive edicts of the public education system, guarding against conservative leanings, in learning knowledge and playing with toy bubble guns.

2013, is shaping up to be an interesting year. Choice in the United States should blossom. and in Canada it is just a matter of time. Considering drawing a gun is now a crime in some school districts, and deem as a crime to arrest the offending parents. It soon become a crime when the progressives go after the kids who are insisting to get out of their wheelchairs and the use of crutches to obtained knowledge, using methods that have not been mandated by the progressive education establishment.

You should follow the debate in the USA more closely Nancy. Choice is falling apart. Charter schools are now doing worse than ps, There is no real value added from vouchers, Michelle Rhee is totally discredited, the charter movement spends most of its time now trying to put bad charters out of busines. I wont comment on the grammar and syntax of your posts.

Yeah Joe, totally discredited, but choice keeps on expanding and advancing year in and year out.

Yeah Michelle Rhee is totally discredited. January of 2013, on Frontline (PBS) FRONTLINE examines the legacy of one of America’s most admired & reviled school reformers.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/education-of-michelle-rhee/

Ravitch is way too busy going from one talk show to the next, defending the status-quo to protect the teachers’ unions at the expense of the students’ education and their future. 

Over on the disability front, the public education system of keeping the status-quo are way too busy defending their education offerings of second, third and fourth best of lower education quality. Can’t have that eh Joe?  What would the teachers’ unions do if they did not have 40 % of the student population having various low levels of literacy and numeracy?  Gotta maintained the low literacy and numeracy rates for the future jobs and increased revenue streams for teachers. Too bad civil rights and human rights are getting in the way of the cozy setup of the monopoly called the public education system.

Yes Nancy the reform movement is in serious trouble because, as Rick Hess say, a tendency to over promise and under deliver. I assume I am banned now because the reform movement cannot stand up to a researched critique since it is built on sand.

I am in agreement with everybody that our kids need more geography and history taught in a structured way and with some minimal standards or achievement enforced. Personally, I think elementary is the time to start, grade 4 or grade 5 at the latest and have it every year.

The “Story of the World” program (Susan Wise-Bauer) is very good. Initially I was reluctant about the book because of Susan’s religious background. There is nothing religious in the “Story of the World” and she writes well. What’s expecially good about the books is that they are written for and well-suited to 5 to 10 year olds.