When Michael Marker described the MACOS curriculum in the discussion thread “Critical of the Media”, I couldn’t help but look it up. In fact, although I don’t know if the teachers were actually following this curriculum or not, this represents my Social Studies education from about 1969 to 1975, in Southern Ontario. We explored the cultures of others from a perspective of equal value and I don’t recall any teacher preaching about who might be superior or primitive. In fact, as we tried to construct our own totem poles, teepees, cook succotash or carry the canoes around the playground, no-one felt superior. Of course, I see now how much of it was presenting a pan-aboriginal perspective but at the same time it did not present a Western/European superior perspective. Discussion revolved around what was known, what do we know and what can we learn about our place on the earth with each other. Following the links from the site mentioned above, leads to a great many insightful lessons with great potential for today’s learners. I hope to be able to apply at least some of it to my plans for my grade 2/3 class this year.