CNN shows why social studies standards matter

As the election coverage rolled on yesterday, CNN at one point provided a great example of why getting Kentucky’s new social studies standards right really matters, fouling up the labels for Kentucky and Indiana on an election coverage map.

CNN Mixes Up KY and IN

The Kentucky/Indiana blunder quickly went viral in multiple places on the web, such as here, here and here.

But, there is more. The Washington Examiner says in the past CNN apparently also located Hong Kong – in South America!

Imagine that. This helps underscore why I am concerned about Kentucky’s current draft social studies standards. Among other major omissions, the draft standards never require students to learn the map of the United States.

Of course, our kids might have no trouble getting jobs at CNN if their courses were shaped around these totally inadequate draft standards. Maybe someone at CNN was already educated with those standards.