Time for a quick quiz:
1. What is the name of the bone that runs from your shoulder to your elbow?
2. What is the capital city of New Hampshire?
3. What years made up the duration of the French and Indian War?
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The three questions are all derived from common upper elementary grade level standards in the areas of science and social studies. If you’re in fourth or fifth grade, in other words, these are exactly the types of things you’ll need to know.
But why? If most of the productive adults in America would get 0 or 1 out of those 3 questions correct (but could look them up in seconds), why should we expect our students to get them right? Moreover, why would we ever reasonably believe that students who were taught that type of information would retain it for any meaningful length of time?
If we can agree that students quickly forget most of the specific dates, names, and vocabulary terms taught in science and social studies classes, why are we so insistent on still hammering away at them and requiring them on our assessments?
I am dumbfounded by this disconnect. In fact, I hereby propose a rule of thumb that I call the 20/20 principle: “A maximum of 20% of class time should be spent teaching facts you can find online in a maximum of 20 seconds.”
Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, the right answers are humerus, Concord, and 1754-1763. How’d you do?
Posted by mpullen 
