RETRACTED ARTICLE: Early Pioneers of the Americas: The Role of the Olmecs in Urban Education and Social Studies Curriculum

Abstract

Today’s multicultural education efforts typically use additive or supplementary approaches, which minimally adds to curricula that were not intended to educate minority students (Delpit in Teaching when the world is on fire, The New Press, New York, 2019). Thus, this paper seeks to answer the following research question: What are the educational implications of the Olmecs and their civilization, the oldest in the Americas, for Social Studies standards and curriculum development processes? The paper provides primary source documentation as it addresses the omission of the Olmecs in public school curricula. The findings expand Social Studies curriculum development and culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings in The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1994), which could enhance instruction, engagement, and student achievement.