I teach American History to seventh-graders. With a zest for life and no care about Common Core Standards, students cut to the chase. Why learn obscure facts? Why show text evidence and analyze primary sources? Common Core states I have to teach these things. So I do. But I teach more.
Teaching American History reaches beyond facts and skills. Kids need to understand and actively live out their own American Dreams—to create worlds that do not exist yet.
Jefferson stated three unalienable rights, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I challenge seventh-graders to define dreams beyond the stereotypical professional athlete or mansion with a pool.
More than stuff, the American Dream is a desire to live fully, pursuing what will make us our own unique selves. Linking our unique selves to historical dreamers provides ways to innovate and create the future.
Even when it’s hard, when they don’t understand or aren’t interested, students work to apply a pragmatic realism to their fantastical dreams. Witnessing their struggles, I see they are the American Dream—with opportunities to consider any option, choose any path, put their minds to it, and accomplish something with their own lives.
Given a chance, these kids reach. With proper guidance, they strive for excellence and find success. I provide those chances, offer that guidance. I create those moments where kids connect to dreams, risk, fail, and know it’s OK and risk again.
These should be the standards everyone incorporates into their lesson plans.
I'm Elsa Glover