American students think First Amendment is no big deal

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:51 pm

Interesting stuff:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/01/31 ... index.html

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:57 pm

Hey. I'm an American student. What's the First Amendment?

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:05 pm

Sad, but not surprising. The US Constitution and Bill of Rights were barely mentioned when I was in grade school and high school in the 1970's and early 1980's. (And my speech was only free if my parents didn't find out what I said at school.

)

All too often, history is taught as a date memorization exercise; the tests are easier to grade that way. That certainly made me apathetic about the subject. I didn't develop an interest in history until I was in my 30's.

John

Jeff Stallard · Post by **Jeff Stallard** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:11 pm

Bill of what???

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:14 pm

Sadly, they won't know what they got till its gone. It's not just the U.S. here in Canada if the same study was taken, I suspect that the same kind of results will be found.

MarkB

Danner · Post by **Danner** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:17 pm

There was a report on the radio the other morning that was just about as disturbing. A school in a neighboring county has decided not to teach social studies or health or art or music or anything else that is not the standardized tests they have to take. Some kids won't even know what the amendments are!!

On the other hand, today when our geography teacher was asking us what we would do if the draft were reestablished, everyone really considered it long and hard. Some teachers do still teach students not just the facts, but also how to think about them, and some students still do understand the world very well for their age.

amar · Post by **amar** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:23 pm

Bill Gates, right?

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:23 pm

MarkB wrote:Sadly, they won't know what they got till its gone. It's not just the U.S. here in Canada if the same study was taken, I suspect that the same kind of results will be found.

MarkB

You know I wouldn't be worried if students couldn't give us the First Amendment of the Canadian Constitution.

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:29 pm

jsluder wrote:Sad, but not surprising. The US Constitution and Bill of Rights were barely mentioned when I was in grade school and high school in the 1970's and early 1980's.

Geez, I'm only a couple of years older than you, and we spent half a year on it in junior high.

I'm not surprised by this; I think there are numerous causes. For one thing, knowledge of the US Constitution isn't tested in those international tests that the policymakers are so taken with.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:35 pm

Let me clarify somethin' I meant the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms not the U.S. First Amendment, if a comparative study was taken.

Thanks for pointing that out

MarkB

IRTradRU? · Post by **IRTradRU?** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 5:08 pm

From the article:

The study suggests that students embrace First Amendment freedoms if they are taught about them and given a chance to practice them, but schools don't make the matter a priority.

Talk about sad...

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:58 pm

MarkB wrote:Let me clarify somethin' I meant the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms not the U.S. First Amendment, if a comparative study was taken.

Thanks for pointing that out

MarkB

Just messing with you.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:08 pm

Besides which, how many Canadians (forget about school children) would pick up on that fact if you asked them what our First Amendment was? Canadians still try to plead the Fifth in court.

IRTradRU? · Post by **IRTradRU?** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:01 pm

Plead the fifth?

You mean like Canadian Club, or Seagrams, or Crown Royal?

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:15 am

jsluder wrote: All too often, history is taught as a date memorization exercise; the tests are easier to grade that way. That certainly made me apathetic about the subject. I didn't develop an interest in history until I was in my 30's.

John

ditto. I was turned off History in School by the age of 13, but anyone who knows me now would say I knew a lot of History and found it fascinating. It all came after the age of 30.