Common Core and History Courses
With the introduction of Common Core, the curriculum in English and Mathematics courses have dramatically changed, English classes are now expected to give students access to non-fiction texts, and Mathematics courses require more reading, writing and critical thinking. For History courses, we've been teaching both approaches for years, so we have experienced only subtle changes in curriculum. There is no State or Federally mandated exam for History courses, so we serve as another way for students to gain access to different reading and writing experiences.
In my classes, students will have to read, interpret, analyze and then explain their interpretations of primary sources, whether they be as famous as the Declaration of Independence, as personal as letters from the Western Front of WWI, or as obscure as accounts of Child workers in the Industrial Revolution.
History classes have moved past the practice of simply memorizing the date and then regurgitating the information on a multiple choice tests, students have to produce essays, create projects, collaborate with others on presentations, skills that are useful in not just school, but the professional world as well. Students who are reluctant to be involved, refuse to produce, are unwilling to collaborate will not just fail the course, but they will find themselves also unprepared for the working world.