Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(link to post on closed thread, though not closed because of this post) Since people are so worked up about discussing a past that is part of the history of the country. My question to them is whether we should acknowledge our past with holidays like memorial day, 4th of July, Thanks giving etc
One of the real problems in both the U.S. and Canada is the fact that many people, perhaps even our President, have little or no knowledge of the history of the nation, adjoining nations or the world. In temple there is worry that children will not carry the magnitude of the Shoah, or Holocaust with them.
Nationally, the schools have been de-emphasizing or, to coin a word "de-heroing" the Revolutionary War, because of the understandable concern that no account in "traditional" teachings was taken of the abuse of black slaves or Native Americans. Thus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson (whom I have other problems with), James Madison and James Monroe have been cut down to "size" because of their slave ownership. Andrew Jackson because of this mistreatment of Native Americans. So the simple expedient is to either eliminate teaching of history or make it stilted and boring.
Similarly, I have met Canadian schoolteachers who do not know of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham or its British general Wolfe or French general Montcalm. How can they teach it if they don't know it. Perhaps the concern is mistreatment of the French or the later mistreatment of First Nations (their equivalent of Native Americans). Same result as in the U.S.
If people don't know history, how can they make informed judgments about the present. Thoughts?
One of the real problems in both the U.S. and Canada is the fact that many people, perhaps even our President, have little or no knowledge of the history of the nation, adjoining nations or the world. In temple there is worry that children will not carry the magnitude of the Shoah, or Holocaust with them.
Nationally, the schools have been de-emphasizing or, to coin a word "de-heroing" the Revolutionary War, because of the understandable concern that no account in "traditional" teachings was taken of the abuse of black slaves or Native Americans. Thus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson (whom I have other problems with), James Madison and James Monroe have been cut down to "size" because of their slave ownership. Andrew Jackson because of this mistreatment of Native Americans. So the simple expedient is to either eliminate teaching of history or make it stilted and boring.
Similarly, I have met Canadian schoolteachers who do not know of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham or its British general Wolfe or French general Montcalm. How can they teach it if they don't know it. Perhaps the concern is mistreatment of the French or the later mistreatment of First Nations (their equivalent of Native Americans). Same result as in the U.S.
If people don't know history, how can they make informed judgments about the present. Thoughts?
I was not calling out stupidity. I was calling out a very specific educational deficit.
Then go to your school board and complain. Our "founding fathers" had feet of clay. They owned slaves, they were rich landowners. Maybe we need to knock some of these guys off their ivory pedistals. It doesn't diminish what they accomplished.
Lack of knowledge or interest in history is a first step towards revisionist history, an entry to the 'slippery slope' of self appointed arbiters of access and facility.
Then go to your school board and complain. Our "founding fathers" had feet of clay. They owned slaves, they were rich landowners. Maybe we need to knock some of these guys off their ivory pedistals. It doesn't diminish what they accomplished.
Some may have had those issues, but, for example, what about John Adams? Can you tar him with the same brush? Or his son John Quincy Adams? Or Aaron Burr?
I'm all for studying history, but it is an overwhelming subject, and there is no one true version. When I see assertions like that made by the OP, I'm certain that his complaint boils down not to actual ignorance -- that would be relatively easy to address -- but rather a conflict between how he views history and how others do.
I'm all for studying history, but it is an overwhelming subject, and there is no one true version.
A lot of my reading is non-fiction history. Couldn't some of that be added to ELA courses so as to combine disciplines or does it all have to be Emily Dickinson and other boring poets and novelists?
A lot of my reading is non-fiction history. Couldn't some of that be added to ELA courses so as to combine disciplines or does it all have to be Emily Dickinson and other boring poets and novelists?
All of my kids either took or are taking the high school inter-disciplinary Humanities series that combines English & History, so it's already available in public schools around the nation. You just have to seek it out for your kids.
I'm not sure why you specifically called out Emily Dickinson. I think it's more likely the students studying that era are tackling Emerson. Brontë makes a showing in sophomore year and overshadows Dickinson. Even the boys enjoyed Jane Eyre.
In any case, a good literature teacher will place novels in historical context, so the Dust Bowl is presented concurrently with the reading of Of Mice and Men, as the Holocaust is taught with Night. This is standard even in the lower grades, at least in the districts where my children have been educated.
Last edited by randomparent; 05-18-2015 at 08:10 AM..
Reason: Typos. I hate auto-correct!
The way I look at it, just tell the students what happened. Don't put a PC spin on it, let them figure that out for themselves when they get to the age where they start to think of such things.
Why warp their minds in a negative way towards their country's history? How about we spend more time on math and science for the smart kids and more time on industrial arts for the more hands on kids who aren't as interested in higher classes?
To be honest, I'm thankful to be an American and I'm thankful that those guys did what they had to do way back then so we could have a pretty good life today. It's a tough old world.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
