Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

To understand and evaluate the usefulness of a history curriculum, we must examine the assumptions of the textbook publishers. Today on Home School Heartbeat writer and home schooling dad Rob Shearer talks to Mike Smith about avoiding "me-centered" history books.

Mike:


Rob, you say that most contemporary history curricula are "me-centered." What do you mean by that, and why is this a problematic approach to history?


Rob:


Well, Mike, most of the scope and sequence for history curriculum whether it's government school or private school tends to work sort of in a concentric circle model. They start with your community, your county, your state, your country, your hemisphere and they work outward in a series of concentric circles. And the problem with that is is its very "me-centered." The underlying assumption that's communicated to students is you are the center of the universe. And I think that's a dangerous way in which to organize our study of history. I think its much more important to let our kids see where they are in the context of the great sweep of history through the ages. I think it's most important that we do history chronologically. That we understand the sequence of events, we understand how God unfolded His plan, how He built His kingdom, how the church spread, how the political institutions of the old world were transferred to the new and where we are in this great sweep of things. So, chronology I think is a much more effective organizational principle rather than the concentric circles.


Mike:


Well, thank you, Rob. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.