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Published byMarian Miles Modified over 8 years ago
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WHY STUDY HISTORY?
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Background In 2008, a group of educators and researchers called Common Core gave a test over the phone to 1200 American 17-year olds about history and literature. There were 32 multiple choice questions total (questions similar to the U.S. citizenship test). Students scored 73% on the history and 57% on the lit. These findings led them to question the emphasis on math and reading tests and the impact of leaving history and other subjects behind.
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Question #1 Who were Plato and Aristotle? A) Hebrew prophets B) Greek philosophers C) Medieval poets D) Roman playwrights Answer: B (86% got it right)
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Question #2 When did Christopher Columbus sail for the New World? A) Before 1750 B) 1750-1800 C) 1800-1850 D) 1850-1900 E) 1900-1950 F) After 1950 Answer: A (74% got it right)
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Question #3 The Renaissance was the period in European history noted for: A) religious persecution B) technological and cultural advances C) widespread famine and pestilence D) the rise of democracy Answer: B (61% got it right)
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Question #4 The first permanent English colony in North America was: A) Salem, Massachusetts B) Jamestown, Virginia C) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania D) Providence, Rhode Island Answer: B (77% got it right)
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Question #5 Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence? A) Paul Revere B) Thomas Jefferson C) Thomas Paine D) George Washington Answer: B (87% got it right)
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Question #6 Where do you find the guarantee of freedom of speech and religion? A) Common Sense B) The Constitution C) The Bill of Rights D) The Articles of Confederation Answer: C (67% got it right)
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Question #7 The idea that each branch of the federal government should keep the other branches from becoming too strong is called: A) the system of checks and balances B) strict constructionism C) federalism D) implied powers Answer: A (80% got it right)
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Question #8 When was the First World War? A) Before 1750 B) 1750–1800 C) 1800–1850 D) 1850–1900 E) 1900–1950 F) After 1950 Answer: E (60% got it right)
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Question #9 During the Second World War, the major enemies of the United States were: A) Vietnam and Korea B) the Soviet Union and China C) Cuba and Iran D) Germany and Japan Answer: D (82% got it right)
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Question #10 Who was Adolf Hitler? A) The German munitions manufacturer between the two World Wars B) The Kaiser during the First World War C) The Premier of Austria who advocated union with Germany D) The Chancellor of Germany during the Second World War Answer: D (77% got it right)
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Question #11 What event led to the entry of the United States into the Second World War? A) the sinking of the Lusitania B) the German occupation of France C) the bombing of Pearl Harbor D) the signing of a secret Nazi-Soviet pact Answer: C (88% got it right)
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Question #12 “I have a dream my…children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” These words are from a speech by: A) Lyndon Johnson B) Martin Luther King, Jr. C) Frederick Douglass D) Abraham Lincoln Answer: B (97% got it right)
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Yeah, so…? Why study this stuff? I won’t ever need it or use it. This stuff is boring. It happened so long ago; it’s done. It’s just dates and dead people. Can’t touch it-learning history doesn’t help build highways or do surgeries. Etc., etc. etc…
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Here’s why. What happened in the past affected you (hand on the stove, family situations, etc.). The same thing goes for countries (Vietnam/Iraq). Most things build on the past and connect to the FUTURE (inventions, knowledge of diseases, etc.). History can relate to people on a personal level (individual stories, general analogies). Moral dilemmas (debate over controversial issues like slavery; controversy today over immigration)
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And here’s more. In a democracy, people need to make informed decisions. (Dumb people=bad voters) “Enlighten the people and tyrrany…will vanish like evil spirits.”-Thomas Jefferson With more immigration and technology, keep a national identity (both good and bad aspects)-- e pluribus unum
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And yet more… Connection/competition with other countries (like China and India). Know history’s connection with the news (Obama/MLK, McCain/Vietnam, anti-illegal immigration group in Albert Lea). Used in any job: research skills, looking at different perspectives, analyzing data, etc. Famous history quote from George Satayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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And if those don’t convince you. The school district and state of Minnesota require it for graduation!!
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