Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. mediocre (adj.) [mee-dee-oh-ker] – average but not very good
Example: Many viewers did not like the mediocre
dance show.
2. tackle (v.) [tak-uhl] – to engage or deal with
Example: The meeting ended after we had
tackled all the important matters.
3. boycott (n.) [boi-kot] – the act of refusing to use, buy or deal with something as an expression of
protest or disfavor
Example: Employees organized a boycott
to express their disagreement with the new policy.
4. rely (v.) [ri-lahy] – to depend or need
Example: Children rely on their parents
for support.
5. chronological
(adj.) [kron-l-oj-i-kuhl] – arranged in order of time of occurrence
Example: The policeman asked the victim
to tell her story in chronological order.
Article
Read the text below.
A report by the Southern Poverty Law Center has
revealed that civil rights history is often ignored in academic standards set
by most US states. The result is mediocre
knowledge of many American students on the civil rights movement.
Civil Rights history covers the period between
1950 and 1980, in which African Americans fought to have equal rights,
particularly in education, with the rest of US citizens.
The report assessed each state based on how its
schools’ standards tackle the
civil rights movement. Thirty-five states got failing marks because their
standards only covered a little or nothing about the movement. On the other
hand, eight of the 12 states that passed are Southern states where protests
and boycotts took place
during the movement’s peak years. Alabama, Florida, and New York were given As
because these states’ teaching requirements include teaching the topic in
detail.
Fritz Fischer, chairman of the National Council
for History Education, criticized the findings because they relied on state standards that
are unclear. In addition, in some states, such as Colorado, laws leave local
school districts in charge of curriculum. Thus, some schools provide
sufficient attention to the topic despite the state standards.
Poverty Law Center director Maureen Costello
added that teachers often lack enough time to discuss the events after World
War II in America because of the chronological
presentation of US history, in which the civil rights movement is usually
presented last.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
How
should schools or teachers encourage students to be more interested in history?
·
What
subject areas do you think schools need to focus on? Why?
Discussion
B
·
Do
schools in your country teach world history?
·
What
are the advantages of knowing other countries’ history?