← Back to Search

Holding Details

Barcode37821002560536
LocationMarshall District
TitleThe cradle of citizenship : how schools can help save our democracy / James Traub.
AuthorTraub, James, author.
Call No379 TRA
CollectionAdult New Arrivals

Copies

Call NoDownloadURLHTMLCirc StatusPeriodical IssueVolume
379 TRA Available  

Catalog Details

International Standard Book Number 9781324079514
International Standard Book Number 1324079517
Dewey Decimal Classification Number 379
Personal Name Traub, James, author.
Title Statement The cradle of citizenship : how schools can help save our democracy / James Traub.
Varying Form of Title How schools can help save our democracy.
Edition Statement First edition.
Imprint New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2026
Physical Description 304 pages ; 23 cm.
Bibliography, Etc. Note Includes bibliographic references (page 263-274) and index.
Formatted Contents Note Introduction: why civics matters --Civics without knowledge --How history became social studies, and meat became meatloaf --Beautiful content: the model of the classical school --1619 vs. 1776: the war over the American past --Hamilton on the stage and in the classroom --The history wars in a purple state --You realize that everyone has reasons for what they think --The one true curriculum - or, failing that, a "roadmap" --The new vision struggles to be born --In Florida, American history is what the governor says it is --In Minneapolis, there is only racism and antiracism --Great books can set you free --The war over African American studies: two irreconcilable narratives --Culturally responsive teaching --Mrs. Hopfer's history catechism --What is to be done?
Summary, Etc. "America’s Founders placed great confidence in schools, which they believed would teach young people to understand our political system and to engage in reasoned political debate as adults. Yet today, when virtually all Americans graduate from high school, we remain stunningly ignorant of history and government. In 2022, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 13 percent of students scored a “proficient” level in history. Adults do no better: only 40 percent can name the three branches of government. In The Cradle of Citizenship, James Traub chronicles his year of observing public schools across the country, talking to teachers, scholars, and curriculum designers. He finds teachers in Florida who are afraid of discussing topics that might be seen as “woke”; a red-blue war incarnated in the 1619 Project and 1776 Report; a profound disagreement over what exactly civic education means; and, most dismayingly, ever-diminishing expectations of students with ever-dwindling attention spans. Yet The Cradle of Citizenship also finds sources of hope. Traub learns that, despite endless right-wing critiques, virtually all social studies teachers keep their personal views to themselves and encourage students to develop views of their own. He describes the extraordinary collaboration between liberal and conservative scholars that led to the creation of “Educating for American Democracy,” a roadmap for the teaching of civics. Finally, Traub describes the “classical school,” a traditional model based on the study of great books and the conscious molding of character, which is derided as reactionary in progressive circles yet prompts students to discuss books and ideas with depth. Shedding light on one of the most divisive issues of our time, The Cradle of Citizenship upholds a vision of civics education as it could be." --Publisher's website.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Citizenship.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Civics.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Democracy and education.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Education Social aspects.
Subject Added Entry - Geographical Term United States Politics and government.

Book Reviews

Create Review