Chapter 5: What Is Taught? Notes

Chapter 5 defines curriculum and what it entails. The chapter discusses the different content areas that teachers must teach, and the standards that each state has for each area. Each state has a content standard for each subject, from grades K-12. Examples of these standards are highlighted in the chapter. An example would be the second grade mathematics standard of using place value concepts to represent, compare, and order whole numbers using physical models, numerals, and words in Ohio. Present day curriculum is divided into subject-matters, each of which are presented with issues and trends that the schools must face. With language arts and English, some teachers are choosing literature that is relevant to student interests while other teachers argue that English courses should focus on what they call the whole language approach. In Mathematics, teachers are using multiple approaches that give students the tools for solving real world problems. They are integrating different approaches to emphasize problem solving while using technology as an aiding tool. In Science, teachers are trying to base their curriculum on key concepts and principles while posing two questions: "Where will the next generation of scientists come from?" and "How can all students be prepared to make informed judgments about such critical and science-based issues as environmental pollution, energy sources, and biotechnology?" Social studies continue to draw upon various social sciences while focusing on History. A concern for non-European cultures is that current social studies and history curriculum focuses too much on European history rather than Asian, African, and Latin American history. Foreign languages are trying to make the subject more appealing by integrating the study of the culture and not only focus on the language. Technology continues to be a pioneer in foreign language curriculum. Physical education and health focuses on fitness and health education topics such as injury prevention. Most high schools offer elective courses that are aimed towards non-college bound students. There are many people that are critics of contemporary curriculum. Many studies are rising that attempt to judge the academic performance of United States students. Some of these studies and statistics show that despite the efforts of school districts, some students are still lacking in the areas of history and geography. Compared to the academic performance of other countries, the United States scores relatively low. Because of this, teachers are trying to become more innovating in their approaches. Two different concepts that have arisen are interdisciplinary curriculum and integrated curriculum. There is also a growing emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking. The end of the chapter poses the question "is the existing curriculum relevant to today's society?" The answer that it presents is that the relevance of the curriculum depends on the philosophy of the educator.