Reasonable Highschool Curriculum

[medved]

One thing which gets passed around on the net more than it probably should is a list of things you had to know to get past eighth grade in Kansas around 1890 or thereabouts. To my thinking the list is long on memorization and short on skills and many of the facts in question would be of little use in our present world.

It occurs to me that the education I got in highschool would be pretty nearly worthless in today's world and that whatever is happening in public schools today is probably worse than that. Aside from the problems of political correctness and indoctrination, there's also the problem that public schools with their total change of focus at hour intervals were primarily intended to produce factory workers who behaved like Pavlov dogs, and were absolutely intended to be anticondusive to anything resembling scholarship.

The following is a sort of a list of things which I'd want to be available for a kid I was sending to highschool in today's world:


1. How to use simple tools, hammers, saws, sawsalls, table saws, hand electric saws, electric mitre saws, screwdrivers, socket tools, allen wrenches, torque wrenches, tire pressure guages, pneumatic tools etc.

2. How to pull engines out of old VWs and motorcycles, rebuild them and re-install them. How to fit old VW engines with aftermarket bearings and cranks, oversized pistons and piston sleeves, oil filter adaptors etc.

3. How to use treestands and kill game animals with archery equipment.

4. How to use, clean, and maintain all main categories of modern firearms, including bolt-action rifles, AK and M16 style rifles, semiauto pistols and revolvers.

4. An understanding of mathematics up to (minimally) a fairly intuitive understanding of the two basic problems of calculus and the fundamental theorem of calculus which relates them.

5. Some sort of an English course which stresses reading and writing newspaper articles. In particular, English used to be stressed in American highschools to the exclusion of other more critical and useful subjects; that should not happen.

5. Spanish, and possibly one other foreign language. French, German, Russian, and probably Chinese and Japanese should be available at any reasonable large highschool.

Language courses should be taught like immersion courses, possible twice a week for three hours at a stretch instead of one hour class periods. The one-hour between bells aspect of much of what you saw in American schools was originally designed to condition kids to work in factories and should probably be jettisoned at this point if we're shipping all our factories off to China.

6. Computer basics: How to use and maintain windows and linux systems, and connect them with simple networking hardware, how to use wordprocessors, spreadsheets, and databases, how to use web browsers, FTP software, compression software (e.g. winzip), Adobe Acrobat (PDF software), email etc., how to use PDAs and cellphones etc.

7. Programming: How to program in C, Tcl/Tk, and Python with C++ as an elective: for those interested in software careers, how to use Borland's BCB, Msoft's visual tools, and possibly Kdevelp and Glade on Linux.

8. Some sort of a decent sex education program which is neither prudish nor a course in hedonism; which explains the fact that having 1.3 or 1.7 children is a formula for laying your country open to invasion, that humans are biologically programmed to marry and have children when they're 18 - 22 and not when they're 35, and that people like Paul Ehrlich and Thomas Malthus are basically candidates for stupidest whiteman ever to walk the Earth.

The idea that homosexuality or sex with farm animals or anything like that is somehow "normal", or that good sex should ever have to involve cameras, ropes, handcuffs, chainsaws, electric winches or anything else like that are all simply wrong and should not be taught, protestations of the NEA or ACLU (Anti Christian Libertine Union) or any of their perverted allies notwithstanding.

At a recent scientific conference I overheard Germans bemoaning the fact that Germany's reproductive rate had fallen to something like 1.3 children per woman and suggested the following remedy to them: That they return home and convert the nation to the LDS faith, legalize polygamy, and change the basic sex ratio of the nation from the normal 1 - 1 to something like 1 - 8, or 1 - 10, at which 1.3 or 1.4 children per woman would be more than adequate for replacement. Children would have to be conceived artificially in order to do that of course. Such are the logical consequences of out-of-control yuppyism. Again, the logical consequences of present policies for several european countries is going to be having their nations brought under sharia law.

9. Decent (as opposed to "politically correct") world and American history courses.

10. Some sort of a basic course in electricity and how it works, including house wiring.

11. Some sort of a course in the history of technology going from the mid 1700s to about 1900, including the advances in firearms starting with the percussion cap, the steam engineand telegraph, steamships and trains, the advances in textile manufacture etc. It is said that Caesar could function in Ben Franklin's world but that Franklin could not function in Teddy Roosevelt's world. It would be good for kids to come out of highschool knowing why more or less.

12. Driving, which is probably the most dangerous activity which teenagers HAVE to become involved in to survive. Nobody should leave highschool without knowing how to drive stickshift vehicles as well as those with automatic transmissions. Kids should be able to drive in urban traffic when they graduate.

13. Some sort of a course in modern political questions, political parties etc. in which kids should be exposed to all sides of such questions.

14. Some sort of a course in science controversies, particularly evolution vs intelligent design.

15. Science courses, biology, chemistry, highschool physics as electives.

16. Weightlifting and yuppie sports including tennis, volleyball, and skating on hockey skates.

17. Some sort of a deadly serious course in self defense. The most serious thinking along such lines I've ever encountered involves a group from the Baltimore area whose webpage may be viewed at http://www.learntodefend.com/. I'd recommend inviting them to speak at schools.

That sort of thing should be taught in the junior and senior year of highschool, i.e. past the point at which kids might use any of it for stupid reasons.

18. As an elective, some sort of a course in nutrition and the growing of food, including hydroponics, fish farming etc. etc.

19. Some sort of a course in first aid.


That would be a sort of a minimal list to my thinking. Anybody have anything they'd add to that?

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

1. How to use simple tools, hammers, saws, sawsalls, table saws, hand electric saws, electric mitre saws, screwdrivers, socket tools, allen wrenches, torque wrenches, tire pressure guages, pneumatic tools etc.

It's called Shop Class, an elective course. Would you have it be mandatory?

2. How to pull engines out of old VWs and motorcycles, rebuild them and re-install them. How to fit old VW engines with aftermarket bearings and cranks, oversized pistons and piston sleeves, oil filter adaptors etc.

That would be called Auto-Shop Class, ALSO an elective course. Would you have it be mandatory, too?

3. How to use treestands and kill game animals with archery equipment.

No place for weaponry in public school -- the Game Department offers FREE courses to anybody, all you have to do is sign up. Can't get much easier than that (my son finished his course, and scored a 93% on his final exam to earn his gun safety recognition, but they ALSO have them for bow hunting).

4. How to use, clean, and maintain all main categories of modern firearms, including bolt-action rifles, AK and M16 style rifles, semiauto pistols and revolvers.

Reference #3.

4. An understanding of mathematics up to (minimally) a fairly intuitive understanding of the two basic problems of calculus and the fundamental theorem of calculus which relates them.

For those that are capable -- some people just aren't cut out to be math-whizzes. I am one of them. I do not believe ALL people have to go that far in math to be a success in life. I would rather see complete mastery of math up to the highest point possible, but putting more pressure on a child in areas that are NOT his/her strong suit is wrong, IMO.

5. Some sort of an English course which stresses reading and writing newspaper articles. In particular, English used to be stressed in American highschools to the exclusion of other more critical and useful subjects; that should not happen.

I'm not adverse to this. In fact, my children have to do book reports on each and every book they read. They are not allowed to do a book report the same way for every book. This past week, my son read The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. His "book report" surprised me . . . he did it (of all things!) in the form of a discussion forum log, with entries from Sherlock Holmes, Watson and the other characters in the book. I was very pleasantly surprised by his book report method.

5. Spanish, and possibly one other foreign language. French, German, Russian, and probably Chinese and Japanese should be available at any reasonable large highschool.

I do not agree. I believe American children should master English. If any foreign language should be a requirement it should be Latin, from where most of our language derives. My son has done a course called English From The Roots Up based on Latin and Greek derivatives, as well as two years of Latin. I do think it will serve him better than any other foreign language, unless HE chooses to add another (foreign language) to his repertoire.

I am TOTALLY against learning Spanish, and do believe this country ought to adopt English as our national language, and stop all bi-lingual programs all together. People who come to this country to become Americans, should learn the language and assimilate INTO this country, and should not be afforded special privileges to accomodate their incapacity.

6. Computer basics: How to use and maintain windows and linux systems, and connect them with simple networking hardware, how to use wordprocessors, spreadsheets, and databases, how to use web browsers, FTP software, compression software (e.g. winzip), Adobe Acrobat (PDF software), email etc., how to use PDAs and cellphones etc.

7. Programming: How to program in C, Tcl/Tk, and Python with C++ as an elective: for those interested in software careers, how to use Borland's BCB, Msoft's visual tools, and possibly Kdevelp and Glade on Linux.

I have no problem with numbers 6 & 7.

8. Some sort of a decent sex education program . . .

There's no such thing that would be adequate for groups of children. Sex education belongs in the HOME not in the SCHOOL. Teaching sex education without a moral compass is like giving a teenager keys to a car without teaching them the rules of the road. It should be up to the parents to instill moral values (or not instill them, whatever they choos), and it should be their responsibility to impart information related to what sex entails.

The only thing "sex" related that has a place in school is discussion in biology as to the reproductive system. Other than that, the rest belongs at home.

9. Decent (as opposed to "politically correct") world and American history courses.

HA! There's not a school board in this country that will agree to what is "decent" concerning world and American history. TOO many textbooks have already done such a smashing job of rewriting history and omitting information, you'd be hard pressed to find a curriculum that would meet your standards, I'm afraid.

10. Some sort of a basic course in electricity and how it works, including house wiring.

That would be Shop Class again.

11. Some sort of a course in the history of technology going from the mid 1700s to about 1900, including the advances in firearms starting with the percussion cap, the steam engineand telegraph, steamships and trains, the advances in textile manufacture etc. It is said that Caesar could function in Ben Franklin's world but that Franklin could not function in Teddy Roosevelt's world. It would be good for kids to come out of highschool knowing why more or less.

History -- good luck getting any of it included in the texts though, :smirky: .

12. Driving, which is probably the most dangerous activity which teenagers HAVE to become involved in to survive. Nobody should leave highschool without knowing how to drive stickshift vehicles as well as those with automatic transmissions. Kids should be able to drive in urban traffic when they graduate.

Personally, I think they should up the driving age, and extend the learner's for longer. I agree, driving IS the most dangerous activity teenagers engage in, and I do not believe people take it seriously that they are behind the wheel of a killing machine. I think Driver's Ed should be more than two semesters long (don't know if it has changed since I was in school, that's how long it was back then '79-'80.), and absolute SHOULD include stick-shift vehicles.

13. Some sort of a course in modern political questions, political parties etc. in which kids should be exposed to all sides of such questions.

They used to call that course Civics when I was in school -- is it no longer taught?

14. Some sort of a course in science controversies, particularly evolution vs intelligent design.

Not relative to an academic education, I say no to a separate class. This belongs in a science class. Children should be encouraged to discuss differing opinions and so forth, AND they should be required to give respect to those children who believe in Creationism vs. evolution. (NOT like what I read posted by ANOTHER person on the thread about the evolution comic.)

15. Science courses, biology, chemistry, highschool physics as electives.

Basic science should be taught as a standard class as well as biology. Anything above, I agree, could be taught as elective.

16. Weightlifting and yuppie sports including tennis, volleyball, and skating on hockey skates.

I'd like P.E. done away with completely as a standard course. Recess is fine for the elementary grades. Team sports is good for middle to high school, but those that are not athletically inclined should not be forced to participate. There are enough activities outside of the school that the parents could get their children involved in, and I don't believe PE serves a good academic purpose -- it's mostly a place for athletic children to excell and make fun of the weaker children.

17. Some sort of a deadly serious course in self defense.
That sort of thing should be taught in the junior and senior year of highschool, i.e. past the point at which kids might use any of it for stupid reasons.

You give high schoolers way too much credit, :smirky: . They're just as likely to abuse this as middle schoolers or elementary students. I like the sound of a self defense course, but I don't think it is workable as a standard course, perhaps an elective. I worry about bullies taking this and using it to their advantage.

18. As an elective, some sort of a course in nutrition and the growing of food, including hydroponics, fish farming etc. etc.

Hmmm, sounds like a conglomeration of Home Ec, FFA, and Life Management Principles.

19. Some sort of a course in first aid.

AND certified in CPR and taught the Heimlich maneuver. I like this idea.

That would be a sort of a minimal list to my thinking. Anybody have anything they'd add to that?

More opportunities for children who show special aptitudes for certain things to pursue them. I don't believe each child learns the same way, or is destined for the same things. Students should be evaluated by their ability, aptitude, and learning style, and a course of study tailored to suit (beginning in late middle school 8th grade through high school).

[star2589]

what about the kids that want to go to college? it doesnt seem like they would have time to complete all those requirements in addition to college requirements in 4 years.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

what about the kids that want to go to college? it doesnt seem like they would have time to complete all those requirements in addition to college requirements in 4 years.

In my opinion, when a child goes in to high school, their education should be tailored to them individually, instead of herding them into generic classes. I believe if government got out of the education business and allowed the private sector to take over, new educational and academic opportunities would open up and children would have more opportunity for success, AND preparation for college, vocational training, or career.

[markus3622]

Crikey, I think a good school education would have to cover the following:

Math, science, history, geography, technology (woodwork,etc), (at least one, preferably two) foreign langauge(s), religion and maybe introductory philosophy and of course, some type of sport.

[star2589]

well, if I were to create a highschool, here are the things I would require before graduation.

completion of intermediate algebra

a thorough US history course up to present date

an economics class covering both micro and macro economics

college level grammer understanding

better spelling than mine

an introductory college level 5 page research paper. understanding of how to do research.

essay writing skills at introductory college level

an anatomy class, topics in health would be taught in the anatomy class where they apply.

a laberatory science class

a science research class

computer skills - how computers work, how to build them, how to install operating systems, how to use word processors, spreadsheets, database software, fast typing

a business class that includes things such as book keeping amoung other things.


i think those are the most important things. the rest would be electives.

[Tumblehome]

I believe if government got out of the education business and allowed the private sector to take over, new educational and academic opportunities would open up and children would have more opportunity for success, AND preparation for college, vocational training, or career.

It would have to be carefully monitored. I can picture it now if it wasn't. Home Economics class, brought to you by your friends at Coca-Cola. Typing class, brought to you by Microsoft. Adds on the lockers. School uniforms with corporate logos. Math questions with advertising imbedded, etc. :uhh:

[Tumblehome]

The highschool curriculum in the mythical land of Tumblehome:

1. English. Must be able to read and write properly. Anybody who can not FAILS. Students will further be encouraged in creative writing.

2. Math. Must be able to do basic math along with some algebra and some statistics. Calculus optional. Students will be instructed how to file their tax returns.

3. Physical Education. All must participate in gym class. Sports teams to be encouraged both as a sense of school spirit and for physical fitness. Too many kids are out of shape.

4. Typing and Computers. All must learn how to type. All must learn basic computer skills. Those without these skills will suffer in the future, so they are essential.

5. Choice of French, Spanish, Japanese, or other foreign language. Students will learn how to communicate with those of other languages and cultures.

6. Home Studies. All students will learn the basics of sewing and how to remove stains from clothes and carpets. All students will learn to cook on a low budget. All students will learn about nutrition and what can be found at the supermarket to make a healthy balanced meal. Optional class in parenting.

7. Shop Class. All students will learn the basics of how to care for an automobile (or motorcycle). All students will learn the basics of how to fix simple household items.

8. Cognitive Psychology. All students will learn how to learn. Basic cognitive psychology will show students learning tricks that will help them in all of their other courses.

9. Law. All students will learn the basic laws of the land that effect them, including both criminal and civil matters. Students will learn how to fight a parking or speeding ticket. Students will learn about their civil rights and how to protect them.

10. Science. Science class will teach the basics of biology, chemistry, and physics. There will be no instruction regarding evolution (or creation).

11. Logic and Critical Thinking.

12. Persuasion and Advocacy. Students will develop persuasive writing skills and engage in vocal debates with one another. They will be required to choose a position on a controversial issue and be asked to advocate for it. They will then be assigned an opposing position and be asked to advocate for it. They will learn to see the arguments on all sides of an issue and learn how to advocate theirs.

13. Self Directed Study. This will be a senior year course with little supervision. Students will write a major paper and do a presentation on a topic of their choice. They will be let loose on the school library and be given access to whatever other facilities exist (community libraries). They will be graded on their writing, writing style, persuasiveness, creativity, presentation skills, and use of the resources that were available. Efforts by the student to find information from outside sources (by writing to government or companies or whoever or by doing internet research) will be rewarded.

[medved]

It's called Shop Class, an elective course. Would you have it be mandatory?


Yes. The reason being that todays students have to be ready at least in theory for a post world-war IV world in which many kinds of skills which used to be common and have become less common, will be necessary again.




That would be called Auto-Shop Class, ALSO an elective course. Would you have it be mandatory, too?



Yes. Same reason.



No place for weaponry in public school -- the Game Department offers FREE courses to anybody, all you have to do is sign up. Can't get much easier than that (my son finished his course, and scored a 93% on his final exam to earn his gun safety recognition, but they ALSO have them for bow hunting).



In MY school, assuming I owned one, that stuff would be taught. Same basic reason as for the tools skills.



For those that are capable -- some people just aren't cut out to be math-whizzes. I am one of them. I do not believe ALL people have to go that far in math to be a success in life. I would rather see complete mastery of math up to the highest point possible, but putting more pressure on a child in areas that are NOT his/her strong suit is wrong, IMO.



I believe I could explain basic calculus so that anybody with an IQ over 100 would understand it. It's mainly the way the stuff is taught which makes it sound harder than it is.




I do not agree. I believe American children should master English. If any foreign language should be a requirement it should be Latin, from where most of our language derives. My son has done a course called English From The Roots Up based on Latin and Greek derivatives, as well as two years of Latin. I do think it will serve him better than any other foreign language, unless HE chooses to add another (foreign language) to his repertoire.

I am TOTALLY against learning Spanish.....


English is a totally bastardized language which had pretty much every trace of IndoEuropean grammar stripped out of it before the Norman invasion. It makes a good business language because of its simplicity but, so far as I'm concerned, that's pretty much it. You only have to listen to people speaking English for ten minutes to comprehend why there's no English opera other than for Gilbert and Sullivan which is a joke, and why no meaningful poetry has ever been written in English.

An English grammar book should be like the Polish social register or a book of political ethics for the demokkkrat party, i.e. one of the world's shortest books. The one page it contains should read:

"There ain't no steenkin grammar in English!!! Go study some other language if you want grammar!!"

Moreover, learning ANY language is difficult enough that, unless you plan to make a career out of the history of the Roman Empire, I can't recommend Latin to anybody.

I'll stick with Spanish as the must generally useful language for Americans and a good course of study in my view would be basic English grammar and writing which should be about half a year in the ninth grade, and then Spanish and a choice of one other language through the rest of highschool.

In India, students learn English, their state language, Hindi, and their choice of one other major language which is usually French or German.



There's no such thing that would be adequate for groups of children.



The thing I would like to have in schools might as easily be thought of as part of a civics class although I could picture it being part of sex education. I'd like for kids to have a clear vision of what waiting until they're 35 or 40 to marry and have kids leads to, and to try to avoid that. That was the message which Paul Ehrlich and all those other malthusians tried to drum into the heads of the world in the 60s and 70s, and it has produced horrific consequences.



HA! There's not a school board in this country that will agree to what is "decent" concerning world and American history. TOO many textbooks have already done such a smashing job of rewriting history and omitting information, you'd be hard pressed to find a curriculum that would meet your standards, I'm afraid.


The West Point military history series comes pretty close.



I'd like P.E. done away with completely as a standard course. Recess is fine for the elementary grades. Team sports is good for middle to high school, but those that are not athletically inclined should not be forced to participate. There are enough activities outside of the school that the parents could get their children involved in, and I don't believe PE serves a good academic purpose -- it's mostly a place for athletic children to excell and make fun of the weaker children.


That shouldn't happen. Nonetheless, when I was a kid, a fat or out of shape kid was very rare. Just walking the mile or two miles to school was enough to put all but the most challenged kids into some sort of shape. Learning basic yuppie sports like tennis and volleyball as I suggested is within the range of all but the most backwards, would provide conditioning, and provides a good social melieu. It would be part of any highschool I owned.



You give high schoolers way too much credit, :smirky: . They're just as likely to abuse this as middle schoolers or elementary students. I like the sound of a self defense course, but I don't think it is workable as a standard course, perhaps an elective. I worry about bullies taking this and using it to their advantage.


The consequences of kids NOT having this sort of training are worse than those of it falling into the wrong hands, and bullies don't really need it to cause problems one way or other. I'd still include it.

[star2589]

It would have to be carefully monitored. I can picture it now if it wasn't. Home Economics class, brought to you by your friends at Coca-Cola. Typing class, brought to you by Microsoft. Adds on the lockers. School uniforms with corporate logos. Math questions with advertising imbedded, etc. :uhh:

even public schools aren't that bad. I can't imagine a private school turning that way.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

Tumblehome:
Anybody who can not FAILS.

:unsmile: This should be true for any requirement. Unfortunately, today's public schools don't want students to fail, even when it's clearly the student's fault. In some schools, the teacher ALWAYS gets blamed. Until that changes, the real failure will be the education system.