Does Common Core Suggest Instructors Teach Students About the Gettysburg Address Without Mentioning the Civil War?

The Common Core State Standards reportedly may suggest high school instructors teach students about President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address without mentioning the Civil War.

According to a blog post published earlier this month in the Washington Post, three main architects of the controversial standards may think this is the best way for students to first learn of the famous 272-word text.

"Imagine learning about the Gettysburg Address without a mention of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, or why President Abraham Lincoln had traveled to Pennsylvania to make the speech," the post stated. "That’s the way a Common Core State Standards 'exemplar for instruction' — from a company founded by three main Core authors — says it should be taught to ninth and 10th graders."

(Image source: Shutterstock)

According to the Post, “A Close Reading of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address" explains in 29 pages how teachers can instruct students on Lincoln's historic address without mentioning the context it was delivered in.

"The idea here is to plunge students into an independent encounter with this short text," the instructional unit reportedly says. "Refrain from giving background context or substantial instructional guidance at the outset."

[sharequote align="center"]"Refrain from giving background context or substantial instructional guidance at the outset."[/sharequote]

"This close reading approach forces students to rely exclusively on the text instead of privileging background knowledge, and levels the playing field for all students as they seek to comprehend Lincoln’s address," it adds.

It should be noted, however, it is not uncommon for historians to examine famous texts in isolation from their historical context.

Educational policy analyst Diane Ravitch, nonetheless, slammed the approach Friday as "a travesty."

"How is it possible for any student to understand the meaning of the Gettysburg Address without knowing the historical context in which it was delivered?" she asked in a blog post.

(H/T: Fox News Insider)

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