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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I teach 6th grade US I.  For the most part, these standards do not look that different from the old standards.  However, these are written more broadly than before, and I need to see the full framework to know exactly what has been included and removed.

A few thoughts on the current document:

Geography: So are we doing the 8 geographic regions and 7 major rivers, or is it a more general view of geography?  While I'm not opposed to learning all the states capitals, I'm not sure that is the best use of limited instructional time.  As it is now, my school usually cuts the geography unit significantly anyway in order to make room for projects like National History Day.

Early Cultures of North America: I notice the land bridge theory is not mentioned, which I'm fine with, since recent evidence has thrown that into question anyway.  But I hope there is something about how the first humans got to North America.  I presume so, since Cactus Hill still made the cut.  I see the language has shifted from "American Indians" to "Indigenous Peoples."  Are we still doing the 5 nations (Iroquois, Lakota, Pueblo, Kwakiutl, and Inuit), or is it a broader and more general view of how people lived?  For European colonization, the Dutch were added, which is fine.  It also seems like the slave trade is discussed earlier in the curriculum than it was before; seems like it is part of the exploration unit as opposed to colonies.  They've also added the specific details about where the first Africans arrived.

Colonial America and the American Revolution: I don't see anything about the early colonies specifically in this document.  I can't imagine that they would have cut Jamestown out of the curriculum, so I'm assuming it will be included in the details later.  Same goes for Roanoke and Plymouth, and maybe some of the other colonies, like Pennsylvania.  Otherwise that seems like a big omission.  When it comes to the Revolution, there is more emphasis on the ideas behind the Revolution and how they fit into the context of history.  That was probably needed, though I worry some of it will go over the heads of many 11-year-olds and will require a lot of explanation.  Everything in these standards is written very vaguely, though.  Like, which specific "causes, course, and consequences of key events and battles of the era" are we supposed to cover?  This is why I need to see the full framework.

A New Nation and its Expansion: The standards around the Constitution look pretty much the same, and in any event, the kids will get all that info again in civics and government in later years.  Westward expansion also looks pretty similar, with perhaps more emphasis on the War of 1812 and interactions between settlers/US government and indigenous people.  However, the standard for abolition and suffrage is so vague that it is hard to tell if anything was added or cut.  Like, are we still covering people like Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, and William Lloyd Garrison?  What about the Seneca Falls Convention?  I see that Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman are now in the Civil War unit.

Civil War: I'm glad to see that "states' rights" has been completely removed as a cause of the war, and that the emphasis is on slavery.  However, there doesn't seem to be much on the political debates and failed compromises over slavery that lead to the Civil War.  A few people and  have been added to the curriculum here, but overall this looks pretty much the same.  Again, though, the specifics are lacking.

The 2020 update added several African Americans to the curriculum, some of whom appear to have been removed.  I have mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand, some of the people added were not essential to the overall story we were trying to tell.  On the other hand, I teach a lot of minority students, and I think it was important for them to see themselves in American history.

Overall, I am fine with these standards, but I am very curious to see the framework in detail.  My biggest question, though, is whether US I must be taught in 5th grade.  For a long time districts have been allowed to teach it in either 5th or 6th grade, and my district teaches it in 6th.  If it must be taught in 5th, then I will have to learn a whole new curriculum, and I'm not excited about that.
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I teach 6th too and am also curious if 5th will teach US History 1. I will say, if that is the case, 5th will be an incredibly hard grade to teach with having the Science SOL. 5th grade spends way more time on Science than SS. [/quote]

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