While reading the introduction and first chapter I was getting quite annoyed and realized this is the feeling Loewen wants to present. Though I had a feeling it was coming, Loewen begins this piece claiming that high school student's least favorite subject happens to be social studies. This is incredibly odd to me because it is such an extremely diverse subject area with so much to offer. He addresses many areas of concern especially with how famous people throughout history are presented in high school classrooms. He presented facts and questions about Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson's lives that were entirely new information to me. His point was to prove in this first chapter that high school students do not receive the whole picture.
In relation to my teaching and classroom, I would focus my time and attention on the truth, especially in regards to debatable events and topics. This truth can be found in primary sources and secondary sources o than the textbook.
http://www.loc.gov/
Big Question: What can educators and administration do to move past the textbook and dig deeper into a new era of teaching high school social studies?
My AP U.S History textbook which was read from cover to cover my Junior year of high school.
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