The American Common School Period

Important Happenings

Morrill Act passed

the making of common schools

the establishment of normal schools

Important Events

Important words to remember

Horace Mann- Completely revised the education system. Awesome guy.

Common Schools- Giving the same education to people from different level of society.

Normal Schools- Teacher-training schools

Nonsectarian-Not teaching any specific belief system.

McGuffey Readers- A series of books that were used in schools across the country. These books taught moral lessons as well as reading, spelling, and other subjects.

Morrill Act- 1862. Gave federal land away for colleges

Friedrich Froebel- He came up with Kindergarten

Key Terms

What did the kids learn

(O) The children continued to learn basics like reading and basic arithmetic.They also continued learning Christian principles as well as citizenship

(O) They also learned English, Greek, Roman, and now American History.

Curriculum

What did the teachers do

Role of a teacher

At the beginning of the 1840's children were educated at home or in one country schoolhouse where one teacher taught all grade. These teachers were paid by the community members and they did not get paid much. Horace Mann changed that. He led to teachers getting better pay and who were better prepared to teach. On top of that he made it so teachers have to take a test to show they know what they are teaching. Because of this there was more expectations of teacher knowledge and ability. This means they were expected to know the stuff they were teaching they're kids.

The people you need to know

Important people

Horace Mann

- worked to establish free public education

- The first state supported schools were called common schools

- Tried to improve standardized schools

- successfully advocated the establishment of free libraries

- Established normal schools for teacher training

Johann Pestalozzi

- He advocated education of the poor

- emphasized teaching methods designed to strengthen the student’s own abilities.

- Pestalozzi’s method became widely accepted, and most of his principles have been absorbed into modern elementary education.

Friedrich Froebel

-founded the first kindergarten ever in Germany. Some of his followers then founded the first kindergarten in America ever.

Other Random Things You Need to Know

More Info

- During the Civil War was going on many children stayed home to help there families. Also schools were shut down to be used as hospitals

- Kindergartens were formed for less fortunate children and children with disabilities. Kindergartens did not come to America until 1856 and the first was in Wisconsin.

- African American education was not a priority and in the South there were laws against teaching African Americans. Eventually they started building there own schools

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Morrall Act and McGuffey Readers

Morrill Act and McGuffey readers

Morrall Act- The Land Grant College Act of 1862. Basically all it did was sell government land so that colleges could be built

McGuffey Readers- In 1836 over 120 million copies were sold by McGuffey Readers

video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEh-m5PdXCw

Video