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Don't they Teach History Anymore?

Devil Doc

When Death smiles, Corpsmen smile back
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Messages
11,594
My tax preparer is a retired, 26 year veteran of the USAF. He didn't know who Admiral Halsey was. His excuse, he was in the Air Force. The same week my wife met three other nurses who didn't know who Winston Churchill was. To say the least, I was appalled. How could you not know one of the greatest men in the 20th century? I trust that these two men aren't strangers to the members here.

Doc
 
I didn't recognize Halsey's name & had to Google, but to be fair, the period of history I'm most well versed in was about 1,000 years before his time.

~Boar
 
I didn't recognize Halsey's name & had to Google, but to be fair, the period of history I'm most well versed in was about 1,000 years before his time.

~Boar
You were in the Navy? The U.S. Navy?
Just goes to show you, the Venerable Newell, my history professor, knew what he was talking about when he mentioned English majors.:p
Doc
 
History is the most neglected of all the subjects. Also, it is made boring when it is presented as loosely connected facts.

It wasn't until I discovered biographies that I began to get the context and the perspective that makes history relevant. Now I can't get enough. Truth is stranger and far more important than fiction.

The way history is taught you would never guess how fascinating it can be.
 
One book I remember really clearly to this day is "The Arms of Krupp" . . . 1500+ pages, read it the summer after 7th grade IIRC. Traces the history of Krupp Arms (yes, the company that makes coffee machines now) from the 11th century through WWII as the weapons supplier to Germany (and a bunch of other countries) down through the centuries. Fascinating read.

~Boar
 
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Doc, you and I are the “keepers”. Nimitz, McArthur, The Bismarck, Enigma, Trinity, etc. Now we have Google if we know the key word. I believe we have been distracted by “things” that we are told are important, but if there ever was a computer virus that took down all CPU’s just for a month, the world would run out of pencils and paper.
 
Neither Bull Halsey nor Arleigh Burke get a lot of love at a macro level of history. I consider that a foul. To be fair, the AF also fails to venerate John Boyd and Heinie Aderholt.
 
My father drives one of the Eisenhower Tour Buses at Gettysburg and he is always talking about young people, especially from the west coast who report not being taught the Civil War. One person actually told him that his teacher said it was not in the curriculum because it was not relevant to the people who live on the west coast.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana 1905
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” - Winston Churchill 1948
 
My son starts kindergarten next school year. I’m already dreading the P/T conferences. Getting up in his future teachers asses won’t change the curriculum so I’ll have to supplement his history classes. I can do that. But I am curious how the South is gonna teach the Civil War. I’m sure my Northern education had a different perspective.
 
My son starts kindergarten next school year. I’m already dreading the P/T conferences. Getting up in his future teachers asses won’t change the curriculum so I’ll have to supplement his history classes. I can do that. But I am curious how the South is gonna teach the Civil War. I’m sure my Northern education had a different perspective.
The smart ones from the south know that text books are typically not correct and put it in a suitable for kids ears type forum. So, that being said, most southerners don’t look outside their textbook unfortunately....
 
The smart ones from the south know that text books are typically not correct and put it in a suitable for kids ears type forum. So, that being said, most southerners don’t look outside their textbook unfortunately....
And that’s why I’m not forgetting my Northern heritage!
 
My wife is from here and that how she remembers it. I’ve got my work cut out for me.

Well, at the kindergarten level it won't be an issue for years. Texas history is middle school, American history is high school. Elementary is social studies and will include things like civics & geography. But as you can see from the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) it IS a bit "Texas-centric."

Like absolutely everything else in this state. :rolleyes:

Much will depend on individual districts, campuses, teachers.

~Boar
 
Well, at the kindergarten level it won't be an issue for years. Texas history is middle school, American history is high school. Elementary is social studies and will include things like civics & geography. But as you can see from the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) it IS a bit "Texas-centric."

Like absolutely everything else in this state. :rolleyes:

Much will depend on individual districts, campuses, teachers.

~Boar
Good thing your aren't from Vermont; where being a native is everything.

Doc
 
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