Obviously title was overly general, but it seems like every high schooler in the United States learns about these three kinds of column. Why do they teach this?
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian originate in parts of Greece.
Tuscan, and Composite or Latin Order originate in Italy.
One of the greatest books ever written (my hyperbole) The Four Books on Architecture by Andrea Palladio, published in 1570, this 1997 version is new all around. describes in great detail the column orders. It's still dense reading, but an excellent addition to any library, with exquisite drawings.
The First Book introduces basic materials and construction methods, buildings and interiors, but the column orders take up about 70% of it.
Palladio describes each column order in great detail by system of proportion. Then, he goes on to describe architectural details of many buildings using this same system of proportion Basically, in about 75 pages, Andrea Palladio develops a complete architectural taxonomy, for many buildings built based on the column orders' proportion.
The rest of the books describe, in some minute detail, using his system of proportion architectural taxonomy, all classes of buildings (palaces, music halls, civic buildings) and all requisite details including gems such as portico's, window placements and spacings, staircases including weird double helix staircases and where to place them in buildings. All based off the column order system of proportions.
Palladio's column order based system of proportion was robust as there was no standard system of measures in 1570, and Palladio was describing architecture complete, not just a building.
Also, he gives credit where due, mourning that the Greek artists and architects that developed the column orders are nameless and faceless, lost to time.
Im just curious but in what class did you learn this in high school? Is it some type of architectural class or construction class? I never learned about these in high school.