Navigating the Odyssey of State Standards: Ancient History in Pennsylvania Education
Open Access
Author:
Philips, Morgan
Area of Honors:
Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Scott Metzger, Thesis Supervisor Erin Mc Kenna Hanses, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Classics Education Pedagogy State Standards Greece Rome Egypt
Abstract:
The use and feasibility of ancient history, and more specifically ancient Mediterranean history, in social studies curriculum, has been a point of contention in curriculum and instruction academia across the nation. The purpose of history education, as dictated by federal and state standards, is to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills. Frequently, these state standards exclude ancient history content from the curriculum requirements in favor of a more modern focus (Pennsylvania Dept. of Ed., 2002). This paper examines the ability of ancient Mediterranean content to meet the developmental objectives set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Educations’ Academic Standards for History (Pennsylvania Dept. of Ed., 2002). Through a comparative analysis between the state standard statements outlined in section 8.1.12 and anecdotal case studies of three ancient regions (Greece, Rome, and the Ancient Near East), this paper will explore the feasibility of ancient history aiding in high school students’ historical analysis and thinking skills.