A Fresh Look at Teaching History In Nebraska - FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; kptm.com |

A Fresh Look at Teaching History In Nebraska

Clark Young

KPTM (Omaha) - Every five years the Nebraska Department of Education must look at the States teaching standards in various subjects.  Mathematics, science, reading, and this year it's social studies.

As part of a State Statute adopted back in 1998, every five years the department gets together to discuss possible new ways of teaching each subject.

"we certainly know that we have a foundation in our country that everybody needs to know about even though it was many many years ago," says Donlynn Rice of the Nebraska Department of Education.

So far an early draft has been typed up that has the revised standards for social studies.  These standards are the base of what needs to be covered in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

But this early draft is drawing some concern by parents and students because they feel some important dates and people are being left out.

"I really don't think they should be leaving anything more out because they already do leave out a lot," says one student.
"if they're going to change how they teach it, I think that they should actually get more in-depth," says another high school student.
"They go through the entire course of human civilization in like two semesters of school and I'm pretty sure that human civilization has been around a little longer than that," adds one student.

Nebraska Department of Education says it wants people to know that this is just an early draft and is counting on community feedback.

You can email the Nebraska Department of Education at nde.standardsinput@nebraska.gov to share your ideas.