The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/311328
20 SAR MAGAZINE By Larry G. Stevens, Chairman, NSSAR Education Committee W e in the SAR know that a lack of awareness of our national history, civic principles and values is a serious threat to the future of our country. We search for realistic ways to help correct this problem. The Why America is Free Curriculum is an extraordinary, rich program for upper-elementary students. It is an answer to this problem that we can bring to our communities. "A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people." — James Madison Fewer than one in 10 high school seniors can pass the United States Naturalization Test, which assesses basic knowledge of U.S. history and government. This is a crucial matter because a democratic republic is not automatically self-sustaining. Our government absolutely requires an educated and responsibly involved citizenship for its long-term health and survival. Yet, even as the population of the nation is becoming increasingly diverse, much that defnes and unifes us as Americans—the world-changing history of the founding of our country, the treasure of outstanding role models from that time, and the underlying Enlightenment principles on which our nation depends—is being taught less, now usually only twice in all the years of schooling. With other mandated subjects taking up the teaching schedule, states do not recognize the need to prioritize this feld of study. The only answer is better teaching methods and content. Values Through History (VTH) has found a solution. VTH is a nonpartisan, nonproft, educational organization. 1 VTH has created the Why America is Free Curriculum, an enrichment program that is revolutionary in its approach, producing extraordinary results. It integrates the teaching of American Revolution history into existing curriculum and does not adversely impact mandated state requirements, but rather complements them. The Why America is Free Curriculum already is having an impact on educational programing in 109 schools in 11 states. 2 It is correlated to state standards in every subject. It is a unique and powerful interdisciplinary curriculum. In it, no subject is taught in isolation, but rather as tightly integrated elements of a whole. It is unparalleled in providing the most comprehensive, engaging, accurate account of the founding period, including the infuence of the scientifc revolution and the Enlightenment. For six weeks, the students are immersed in the era in every subject—science, math, social studies, language arts, music, philosophy, visual arts, performing arts—in a study that brings this period to life. Through these meaningful connections, real learning is achieved and retained. Students learn deeply, live what they learn, and make it their own. Students come to understand how, why, by whom, and at what cost our nation was born. When they have completed the course, they understand the language of the time, major issues from diverse points of view, and the world views of the founders. They comprehend the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the principles embodied in those two documents. They grasp their ownership, their stake in this nation. They are acutely aware of the responsibilities they must assume as citizens and are inspired to embrace those responsibilities. Simultaneously, they gain critical principle-based reasoning and social skills that will help them throughout their lives. The volume of what students learn during weeks of nonstop experiences in the Why America is Free Curriculum is remarkable, and it is lasting: Students retain more of what they learn through the curriculum than through more traditional instruction. Students become excited and discover that many subjects—history, science, math, language arts, music, philosophy—can be fascinating, relevant and integral parts of one another. The methodology used in the Why America is Free Curriculum has been championed as a blueprint for broad-based use in curriculum development. This methodology also is known as "Understanding by Design" curriculum development. Among the educators who have reviewed and advocated this methodology are former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and his staff; the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; the principal or head of every school using the Why America is Free Curriculum, as well as the curriculum The Why America Is Free Curriculum: A Solution to an Educational Predicament SPRING_14_sar5-21.indd 20 5/7/14 4:14 PM