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Friday, February 29, 2008
Don’t know much about history or literature
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’d think teenagers would know who this country fought during World War II.
Not so. A survey of 1,200 17-year-olds found many students ignorant in history and literature. Common Core, a non-partisan group advocating for stronger liberal arts in school, commissioned the survey.
Here are some of the findings:
Nearly 25 percent couldn’t say who Adolph Hitler was.
Less than half knew the Civil War took place in the last half of the 19th century.
About 45 percent thought “The Scarlet Letter” was about correspondence or witch trials.
More than half didn’t know Oedipus was.
Why is this happening? Common Core and other groups say part of the blame rests with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Teachers emphasize subjects tested under the law and other areas are pushed aside.
Do you think this survey represents what teenagers know? If so, how did we get here and what can we do to fix it?
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