The Importance Of The Arts At School - amazonia.fiocruz.br

Published for the Arts Based School Community. February 4, How We Do it and Why. By Mary Siebert.

Navigation menu

This is Black History Month. Inauthor, publisher, and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson first proposed that educators dedicate one week of classroom time each year to teaching the history of Black Americans in the nation's public schools. Woodson maintained that Black students should be aware and proud of their heritage, and that all Americans should have the opportunity to appreciate contributions and stories from the African diaspora. Only three states chose to participate inand North Carolina was Thr of them.

In the 95 years since then, educators across the nation have haltingly continued to make corrective adjustments to the myopic public school approach to history instruction. It has taken almost a century to graduate from one week of Black history to one month.

Recognition of historic, scientific, literary, and artistic contributions from across the great diversity of our country is critical to learning. If we teach Shool only one cultural perspective, we are depriving all of our students of a complete education. American history includes the opportunity to learn about our country and ourselves not only through triumphant accomplishments, but also through our tragic failures. Painful growth is still progress. There is current political debate about the wording of suggested revisions in state-required social studies standards. Revisions are required on a cyclical basis, to adjust for changes in society and updated teaching practices. The newly proposed revisions require incorporating Black History, teaching about slavery and racism, and teaching about oppressed people in this country as part of a year-round curriculum.

ABS teachers express and celebrate love for our country and teach the positive value of democracy.

But pride in our country is built not only through love of culture, land, and successes. Growth is also realized through our ability to recognize failure, admit it, and correct it.

We have not yet Impportance the lofty visions promised in the founding documents of our democracy. Our school considers Black history to be history. We are in constant learning mode as educators, about how to present lessons in a way that is representative of the diverse populations of our country.]