Should "real" history be taught to younger students?
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Ack, I should have been clearer. I meant nothing should be left out of what they already teach. As in details should not be put off because they are too dark.RoblinPrime said:
Seriously? Good God, that's atrocious.AfterAscon said:
Make up for it now! [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Wallis]
interesting.
even at a young age rather had a view that in history was trying to kill everyone else for no real reason. i never picked based on what country i was in, i would just blindly go for Egypt because i liked cats, and the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. that was more or less it.
i never felt any sense of patriotism. maybe it's because i never felt, even then, like i was in part of the world. i have always found going places i have seen in photographs exceedingly creepy for the same reason...
edit: yes, i don't see why not. people should always know that their countries can be just as horrible as other countries.
even at a young age rather had a view that in history was trying to kill everyone else for no real reason. i never picked based on what country i was in, i would just blindly go for Egypt because i liked cats, and the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. that was more or less it.
i never felt any sense of patriotism. maybe it's because i never felt, even then, like i was in part of the world. i have always found going places i have seen in photographs exceedingly creepy for the same reason...
edit: yes, i don't see why not. people should always know that their countries can be just as horrible as other countries.
Agreed, while I would certainly be a bit mad that we're taught that the conquistadors were paragons of virtue in youth, I've learned to doubt the "(usually American) conspiracy around every corner" mentality around here.SharPhoe said:
I know the Seven Years' War (well, French and Indian War to us yanks), as well as Jenkins's Ear. Heh, did you know that George Washington essentially kicked of the Seven Years' War?GrinningManiac said:
The story goes that in 1754 he and a group of other fellows were out surveying some land they had recently purchased, and on rather tenuous grounds I add, in the Ohio River Valley (The French and British colonists were always fighting over this). They ran into a French scouting party, Washington and his men fired at them and killed the French commanding officer, the French retreated and got reinforcements, came back, and chased Washington to his hastily-erected fortifications at Fort Necessity, he held out for ten days and eventually surrendered on the 4th of July, ironically.
Several battles later, the war was won hugely in Britain's favor, though it left them with a hell of a lot of debt which lead them to tax the colonists (who were being whiny little babies and should've paid for their own defense anyway) who... disliked that to say the least.
I wasn't informed of racism until I was in school.
As such, it remains, in my mind at least, unthinkable.
Of course, by that age, I had a decent grasp on violence, and the mysteries of sex were unraveling themselves, so I don't really feel like anything was kept from me.
The past is filled with lots of awesome battles and actions that would be considered criminal nowadays that I don't get to experience for myself. Therefore, I prefer to look to the future.
As such, it remains, in my mind at least, unthinkable.
Of course, by that age, I had a decent grasp on violence, and the mysteries of sex were unraveling themselves, so I don't really feel like anything was kept from me.
The past is filled with lots of awesome battles and actions that would be considered criminal nowadays that I don't get to experience for myself. Therefore, I prefer to look to the future.
Funny, I don't think I was ever shielded from Canada's past discrimination of the Native population.
My opinion? Kids don't need to know the full details of the Holocaust, but they really do need to be given a little more credit.
Sure, kids can be incredibly immature, but they're not stupid. Shielding them to much will cause more harm than help.
One thing that does need to change? Incorrect history.
EINSTEIN DID NOT FAIL MATH CLASS.
Thank you.
My opinion? Kids don't need to know the full details of the Holocaust, but they really do need to be given a little more credit.
Sure, kids can be incredibly immature, but they're not stupid. Shielding them to much will cause more harm than help.
One thing that does need to change? Incorrect history.
EINSTEIN DID NOT FAIL MATH CLASS.
Thank you.
Sorry, I realized that I messed up a cut and paste and my 2nd paragraph didn't copy. What was supposed to be there was a few statements about starting simple and as you say "cushey" and then revisiting and building on that. So over time you add more and more to what we are teaching. I think it's fine to tell young kids about WWII by just saying there was a bad man named Hitler who killed a lot of people and wanted to rule the world. That many nations unified to stop him. Going into the details of something like the Holocaust and the politics that got the U.S. involved can wait until the mid - late teens when hopefully a young mind can process that sort of information.MaskedMori said:
I am a senior getting my degree in Secondary Education Social Science.. so basically I am going to be a History teacher.. without getting to technical i would like to point out the the human brain develops over time. For example what 10 year old can understand is different than what an 17 year old can understand. What I am talking about are the fundamental and core ideas behind certain historical events. I am not talking about facts, dates, or people's names, but however they will not be able to make higher brain functions like drawing inferences, making complex conclusions, or being able to interpret things that are not always clear.
So.. i have to agree that at younger ages students should be taught history lessons that are simplified.
So.. i have to agree that at younger ages students should be taught history lessons that are simplified.
I feel the need to point out that children can seek out this information at anytime on their own. Such an action would mean that they're ready for what they may find. I remember when I was younger I would read about history in my free time. Thus making all of my American history classes one large inside joke between myself and the professors (when we learned about the American populations preColumbus the teacher asked us if that was an appropriate period to start American history. I raised my hand and asked 'what if we're all Sheriderians?' we both had a laugh while no one else in the class got it and he never explained the joke because it could be construed as offensive.)
Anyways, I'm curious to know where we should draw the line pertaining to the ages of the children and what information is acceptable. Are children going to understand why the NAZI's did what they did during the war. Are they going to understand when it's explained that our ally the Russians were just as bad if not worse? How will they take it when they learn that America was euthanizing and castrating "undesirables" throughout the thirties for those same ends? Let's step out of recent history for a moment, how do you tell an 8 year old, in ways he or she can understand, about life in Rome? or the sacking of Jerusalem by the crusaders? How the Church applauded Vlad Tepes' (Dracula) appropriate treatment and control of the region in the name of god?
In the end I feel that while censorship seems abhorrent at first glance it serves a very real purpose in keeping us from fearing the world around us.
Anyways, I'm curious to know where we should draw the line pertaining to the ages of the children and what information is acceptable. Are children going to understand why the NAZI's did what they did during the war. Are they going to understand when it's explained that our ally the Russians were just as bad if not worse? How will they take it when they learn that America was euthanizing and castrating "undesirables" throughout the thirties for those same ends? Let's step out of recent history for a moment, how do you tell an 8 year old, in ways he or she can understand, about life in Rome? or the sacking of Jerusalem by the crusaders? How the Church applauded Vlad Tepes' (Dracula) appropriate treatment and control of the region in the name of god?
In the end I feel that while censorship seems abhorrent at first glance it serves a very real purpose in keeping us from fearing the world around us.
You must live in the states, cause up hear in Canada we don't sugar coat shit. I ahve had to read a book every year since grade 5, and they were always[/1] from "The good old days" when N words were dropped left and right. I have know about the Womans rights movements and the riots and the holocaust since like grade 6.
I think he means why do the censor specific things, Like How the Japanese where interned during ww2, while they play up in justices of "The bad guys" Like the Holocaust. The mArrers said: