SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The South Dakota Social Studies Standards Commission has finished its work.
They have met numerous times this past summer coming up with recommendations for the Social Studies curriculum, and have submitted them to the State Department of Education.
Professor Jon Schaff of Northern State University says they are happy with the outcome of their work.
Schaff says that they spent a lot of time getting the Native American story right.
“I think we did right by our Native American population,” Schaff told KELO.com. “I would say that of all the discussions the Commission had over the course of the summer…there’s nothing we spent more time on than making sure we got that story straight.”
Additionally, Schaff said, “ (We’re) Kind of raising the bar,” in reference to the new standard, “to (create) culturally literate, civically knowledgeable (citizens).”
Schaff is disappointed with the historical literacy of incoming Freshmen, though, noting that, “you can’t assume students…have a basic historical literacy.” He hopes that the new standards will improve this.
With the 21st anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Schaff noted that today’s young people don’t have a “visceral” connection to those events, and that he must teach 9/11 as “an older historical event.” Most young people in college today were either not yet born or were not aware of the attacks in their early youth..
The Commission presented their recommendations last month.
