Don't like the curriculum? 
Then get off the track

   Once again there's flap about a new social studies curriculum. I've hated the current one for the last ten years, and I'm thankful all my kids experienced the old one.
   The way it used to be, kindergartners learned about themselves and their families. Each year their circle grew to their neighborhood and school, then their city and community workers. In fourth grade the curriculum expanded to Georgia, in fifth grade the United States, then in middle school Gwinnett students took on the world.
   Middle school teachers still reminisce about the unit on the Renaissance. It was fun for the kids and their annual festival was a great way to get parents involved. And since religion played a big role in the Renaissance, teachers invited clergy in to help integrate religion with history at a time when many students were preparing for their confirmation or Bar Mitzvah. It all made sense to me. 
   So now what do they do? Rather than start with what children know and work outward, they present history chronologically. Five-year-olds who cannot comprehend three-digit numbers study cave men who lived tens of thousands of years ago. Kids developmentally too young to relate to a timeline study ancient Greece and Rome. Youngsters still at the concrete stage of comprehension are expected to internalize the philosophies of ancient cultures. Children have become observers from afar rather than participants from within.
   But as Mark Twain said, you shouldn't let your schooling interfere with your education.
   Opportunities for real social studies abound outside the classroom. In scouting students can earn citizenship badges. Participation in drama like Brookwood's spectacular presentation of "Les Miserables" can help students relate to history.    "We didn't exactly study the history, but we really had to understand the times in order to play our part," said Gretchen Swanson, a senior who performed in the ensemble. "We also had to design our own costumes which required a lot of research on the Internet."
   Another excellent way to connect with what's happening is through TeenPact, an organization founded by Tim Echols in Atlanta in 1994 and now has programs in over 30 states.( www.teenpact.com  or 706-636-1989) Students interview legislators, identify bills and study parliamentary debate from the perspective of a biblical worldview. Teens may participate in a one-day or four-day session. Most participants have been home-schoolers, but all students with their principal's blessing are welcome.
   Rebecca Maxwell, age 19, of Lilburn said, "I really loved the hands-on approach and it led to a job as a legislative aide at the Capital." Rebecca also noted that TeenPact helps students understand the biblical principles on which our government was based, something not included in the public school curriculum.
   "Curriculum" comes from the Latin word for racetrack, on which one goes around in circles. While educrats spin their wheels on their curriculum, if students look around a bit, they can do a little sidestepping and get grounded in a real-life education.

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