On The Objectives And Content Elements Of History Education In American Social Studies

The United States is one of the first countries that set up social studies, among which history education is the essential part. American social studies are characterized as rich practical experience, fine curriculum, and strong theoretical support. Compared with American social studies, comprehensive curriculum development of social studies of our country which started 1980s is still at the initial stage and still needs to learn from that of America.There are two national curriculum standards on the contents and aims of the history in America:Curriculum Standards for Social Studies and National Standards for History Basic Education, of which the latter is formulated by referring to the first standard. The former made a systematic plan for the history subject itself; while the latter integrate the objectives and content of history education into social studies starting from the aim of the education of social studies. For the reason that American history education is realized by the help of education of social studies, therefore, it is Curriculum Standards for Social Studies that guide the history education specifically. After the publishing of Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, each state according to the actual situation of that state formulated curriculum standards for the state and complied textbooks according to the standards.The thesis aims to inquiry the objectives and the selection of content and the organizational principles of history education in American social studies and then to do some preliminary comments, by referring to the establishment of objectives and selection of educational content of history education in Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, Curriculum Guide to the Alabama Course of Study:Social Studies, and History-Social Framework for Californian Public Schools.The thesis consists of three chapters:introduction, body and conclusion.Introduction mainly explains the significance of the study; clarifies current research state at home and abroad; and states the researchBody consists of four chapters. Chapter one is mainly about American history education from department to become an integrated part of social studies in the evolution of the organic process and the status of the history of education in social studies. Chapter two mainly explains the establishment of objectives and the selection of contents of Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, Curriculum Guide to the Alabama Course of Study:Social Studies, History-Social Framework for Californian Public Schools and HM text books. Chapter three discusses the principles of the selection of educational content and content organization. Chapter four explores the achievement and defects in the process of curriculum development and implementation of our country by briefly reviewing the history education in China's comprehensive social studies.Conclusion draws some implications for our country's history curriculum development in the social studies from the relative mature experience of American history curriculum development.