State Teaching Mandates and Early Human History

Early North American history is found in K-12 curricula at the elementary, middle and high school levels in many US school systems. However, there is often a lag between the latest research in the field and the actual teaching of it in school classrooms. The Sites of Encounter project wants to help bridge that gap by creating a dialogue about world history between scholars and teachers. Teachers will gain more immediate access to current knowledge as it applies to their curricula. Scholars will benefit from learning effective teaching methodology as it fits students of all ages. One specific area of interest for K-12 teachers is developing their students’ historical thinking abilities. I intend to show how the historical evidence of early human history can make a unique contribution to this goal. Another great concern is the increasing demands of mandated testing. By referencing numerous writing processes I will demonstrate that students can be effectively prepared for various state exams without compromising the processes involved in a proper study of history.