Cali hates Messy-potamia

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

HiPointDem (20,294 posts)

Holy Mesopotamia Batman: First Grade Common Core Social Studies vocabulary
 
Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2013, 06:09 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

 I have been giving the New York State Education Department’s new Common Core curriculum modules a study over the last few weeks. I see these modules as an insulting scripted curriculum that favors test preparation skills over learning. I teach middle school social studies so new reforms such as the Common Core have not had much of a direct impact on my classroom yet, but as a parent the Common Core and its related high-stakes testing machine has my full attention.

I came across this First Grade curriculum module on Early World Civilizations that I have found troubling. I have my doubts about the historical content of this ELA module. I am putting together a piece I hope to finish soon on the random nature of the history topics contained in the NYSED modules so I will pass on analyzing if the social studies content is appropriate for six year olds for now.

So primary grade educators: I need your help:

What do you think of the vocabulary contained in this unit of study? 



http://atthechalkface.com/2013/07/29/holy-mesopotamia-batman-first-grade-ccss-vocabulary/


aside from the fact that the vocab seems a bit of a stretch for the average 1st-grader, some of the subject matter seems a bit outside the comprehension or experience of the average 1st-grader, and the apparent emphasis on christianity & religion seems inappropriate for a 1st-grade public school classroom in NYC.

cali (84,332 posts)

2. holy (wholly) ridiculous is what I think. insane. pukeworthy.
 
Idiots. What the hay is all the religious shit about?

If I designed a first grade curriculum (not that I'm remotely qualified), it would involve a lot of reading to student and encouraging them to read aloud. It would involve real books not iPads or tablets. I'd choose books that children love- from Charlotte's Web and Mistress Masham's Repose to children's books that feature minorities and other cultures. Basic math skills such as counting, addition and subtraction. If I designed a first grade curriculum, it would feature time outside. If in a city, trips to the park. Outside time is important. If in the country in an amenable climate, I'd plant a little garden with them.

What I wouldn't do is have stupid outcomes that aren't appropriate to 6 and 7 year old kids. I'd want them to learn that school and learning can be fun. The outcomes I'd like to see are children who are interested in books and reading and can, well, read. Fun science stuff. There are lots of books that make science fun for kids. Nature. To care about science, an introduction to the natural world, be it outside the school room door or a park or growing things in the classroom

Jaysus I ****ing hate the assholes who force this shit down the throats of teachers and kids.

from the letter section following the article you posted:

<snip>

This is just one “domain” of 10 in first grade? And 16 lessons that cover the following points? All taught in one month? Who are they kidding? Why Mesopotamia and then Egypt, and then Judiasm, Christianity, and Islam? That is so unnecessary. Here are the items 6 yr olds (I have one) are to be able to explain. My 9 yr old said, “no way!”
By the end of this domain, students will be able to:

Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on a world map or globe and identify it as part of Asia;
Explain the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the use of canals to support farming and the development of the city of Babylon;
Describe the city of Babylon and the Hanging Gardens;
Identify cuneiform as the system of writing used in Mesopotamia;
Explain why a written language is important to the development of a civilization;
Explain the significance of the Code of Hammurabi;
Explain why rules and laws are important to the development of a civilization;
Explain the ways in which a leader is important to the development of a civilization;
Explain the significance of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and priests in Mesopotamia;
Describe key components of a civilization;

<snip>

cali (84,332 posts)

3. kick because I HATE this so much

Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2013, 06:29 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

I'd call it "How to crush any incipient love of learning".

HiPointDem (20,294 posts)

5. "How to crush any incipient love of learning" = the objective...

cali (84,332 posts)

4. so gobsmacked by this I have to kick it- again.

erodriguez (557 posts)

6. kids will be tested on this stuff to grade their teachers
 
Teachers whose kids do poorly will be fired.

I think it is obvious this is not about higher standards. its about removing veteran educators form the class in order to replace them with cheaper alternatives.

longship (19,049 posts)

8. That's NCLB in a nutshell.
 
NCLB == No Child Left Behind.

Actually, it's just Blame the Teacher, or more accurately, Blame the Teacher's Union.

mainer (6,791 posts)

9. Beyond the fact it seems too advanced

I have absolutely no objection to these words or themes being taught. Much of early civilization's monuments and burial practices revolve around religious beliefs and hopes for the afterlife. Why wouldn't you talk about tombs and pharaohs and cuneiform. I don't remember when I learned the word cuneiform, but it didn't hurt me any.

And I turned into an atheist.

HiPointDem (20,294 posts)

10. i have no objection to them being taught either. however, i wouldn't teach mesopotamia as
 
the first grade social studies unit.

i'd think you start with home and move outward.

mainer (6,791 posts)

11. But if you want to teach in chronological order, Mesopotamia must be taught
 
before American history.

Frankly, my favorite part of history as a youngster was ancient history. Which kid doesn't like to hear about mummies?

cali (84,332 posts)

14. first of all what's so important about teaching history in choronological order to
 
6 year old children? How about teaching them to read and going from there? First grade is when most kids learn the rudimentary skills of reading. Is it really important that they learn the words on that list? It takes a lot of context and time for those words to mean anything to most 6 year old kids when they're just learning to read. It's a stupid, meaningless goal.

HiPointDem (20,294 posts)

16. why do you think you need to teach civilizations in chronological order? that would mean they
 
wouldn't learn about their own country until they were seniors. it's completely senseless, another example of subordinating the needs of the actual children to the needs of some curriculum designer. there is no real need to teach history 'in order'.

yes, kids like mummies. but not taught in the context of 'learning goals' like these:


Explain the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the use of canals to support farming and the development of the city of Babylon;

Describe the city of Babylon and the Hanging Gardens;

Identify cuneiform as the system of writing used in Mesopotamia;

Explain why a written language is important to the development of a civilization;

Explain the significance of the Code of Hammurabi;

Explain why rules and laws are important to the development of a civilization;

Explain the ways in which a leader is important to the development of a civilization;

Explain the significance of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and priests in Mesopotamia;
Describe key components of a civilization;

cali (84,332 posts)

18. "Explain the significance of the Code of Hammurab"

"Explain the significance of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and priests in Mesopotamia;
Describe key components of a civilization"

I almost put an rofl smilie in here, but I'm too pissed off at this nonsense to laugh about it.

I'd bet that 98% of American adults (yes, I'm totally guessing) couldn't do what these assholes are demanding of first graders.

cali (84,332 posts)

12. is it remotely appropriate to 5 and 7 year old children? **** NO
 
It's fine to learn the word "cuneiform", but the totality of that idiot ****ing soulless, mindless modality or whatever the assholes call it, is absurd and has shit to do with learning or fostering a love of language, learning. My son loved mummies at that age and we had some great books for the Met and the Museum of Natural History that were fun, so he did learn some of the words on that list, but that wasn't my goal. My goal was to foster his curiosity and to let his curiosity drive the process and I do believe that can be translated into a classroom but not through the rigid, unbelievably stupid common core dogshit- which as others have pointed out is all about "teacher effectiveness" and "teaching to the test".

cali (84,332 posts)

15. How about teaching them to read, to count, to add?
 
how about fostering curiosity and a love of learning?

Social studies in the first grade? Take them on a field trip to the fire department and the post office.

Arkansas Granny (15,091 posts)

21. I realize that kids need to be challenged to learn new things, but this seems extremely
 
ambitious for a 1st-grader. I don't recall studying ancient civilizations, or any history, at that early level. I would think that basic skills would be more appropriate for first graders.

Start them with something simple like -- how to properly unroll a condom on fruit

LibertyLover (4,159 posts)

22. 1st grade is too early for most of this vocabulary

although I would have been in heaven had I had lessons in Mesopotamia and Egypt at the age of 6 because I was already interested in those civilizations - my mom was a world history teacher and I was used to seeing her text books and stuff. But for the average 6 year old - meh!

All the average 6 year old needs to know is that Heather has 2 mommies and that cars killed the dinosaurs unless those cars were built by union labor.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023377883

[Chris_]

How are children supposed to learn if they're not challenged?

"vocab"?  Really?

[Carl]

To leftists the only teaching one needs to do is Marx and the summer of love.

[Gina]

cali (84,332 posts)

2. holy (wholly) ridiculous is what I think. insane. pukeworthy.
 
Idiots. What the hay is all the religious shit about?

Um......Early World Civilizations.......... 

[franksolich]

longship (19,049 posts)

8. That's NCLB in a nutshell.
 
NCLB == No Child Left Behind.

Actually, it's just Blame the Teacher, or more accurately, Blame the Teacher's Union.

<<<wonders if the long-lipped primitive knows whose idea that was, this no chlld left behind thing.

[miskie]

<<<wonders if the long-lipped primitive knows whose idea that was, this no chlld left behind thing.

That isn't an answer I expect them to grasp, especially since it was 'so long ago' as compared to the author of 'the sequester'.

If they are incapable of remembering the latter, I see no chance of them remembering the former.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

<<<wonders if the long-lipped primitive knows whose idea that was, this no chlld left behind thing.

It would be easier to teach them a list of vocabulary words about ancient Mesopotamia.

[seahorse513]

How about we teach them US History first? I think those words are little steep for 1st graders. Teach them the basics(reading, proper ( )grammar,math, simple words first, and expound on that...

[miskie]

Being this is a page out of 'Common Core', I figure by 4th grade they will learn that all the great advancements made by ancient people  were wiped out by white Europeans, and if it weren't for them dumbing down the world, Egypt would have had a man on the moon about 500 years ago.

And America is where all the Cracka-ass Honkeys who were too dumb for white Europe ended up.

[Gina]

How about we teach them US History first?

Yeh snowballs chance in hell.  The only American History they will teach is the crap they have re-written.

[Aristotelian]

How about we teach them US History first?

Like how the peaceful Red Indians were deliberately given small-pox infected blankets as part of the genocide perpetrated against them?

/DUmmy mode.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I have to say it does seem rather esoteric material for a bunch of kids who are mostly still struggling to master the basic tools down well enough to digest the cultural and factual material they'll be faced with in the rest of their primary education.

[thundley4]

cali (84,332 posts)

15. How about teaching them to read, to count, to add?
 
how about fostering curiosity and a love of learning?

Social studies in the first grade? Take them on a field trip to the fire department and the post office.

Dummies always talk about instilling a love of learning, but they never want the kids to actually learn anything.  That is why they still think 1 +1 = potato.

[Karin]

I agree with cali for the most part.  This is ridiculous for a six year old.  The code of Hammurabi? 

But what I'm really thinking is "Can most of the teachers themselves grasp 5% of this material?" 

When cali said "start with the home and work outwards," (in ref to social studies), she sounded downright conservative. 

[seahorse513]

Come to think of it, I don't remember starting Social Studies, until 4th grade mebbe?
 Maybe they want to start off with a wider curriculum earlier..
This is why it is so important for parents to be proactive in their children's education, taking them to museums, theatres(musicals, live broadway, etc)
I understand that finances can get in the way, there are too many parents that rely on the teachers for too much..

[txradioguy]

To leftists the only teaching one needs to do is Marx and the summer of love.

Exactly.  To hell with learning the three R's....school should all be about the one I...as in Indoctrination.

[98ZJUSMC]

and the apparent emphasis on christianity & religion seems inappropriate for a 1st-grade public school classroom in NYC.

Ahhhhh.....finally.  You could have just said this and cut right to the quick.

I teach middle school social studiesMarxism,

There.  Let's be accurate, comrade.

[GOBUCKS]

Sure it's a first grade vocabulary list.

After all, the cardinal rule for understanding DUmp democrats is, "DUmmies tell the truth, all the time they tell the truth." Oh, wait...

There is not one union elementary school teacher out of ten thousand who could explain all those terms. Not one.

To maintain DUmp cred, DUmmies cannot express skepticism if an OP follows the democrat line, regardless how ludicrous it may be.

[Dori]

If this is true, and I'm not buying it, a lot of first graders will be repeating first grade. Over and over and....

[jukin]

The DUchebags do know that Common Cause is an 0bama regime diktat and has been part of the regressive game plan for decades?

Do they also know that evil Texas is not using Common Cause?

I guess the ignorant useful idiots haven't gotten their talking points form the evil elite leaders of demokrat party.