1066 and all that .... - Page 2

emamum · 11-02-2009, 10:06

we didnt have to do history or geography, i did 2 languages instead

wadey · 11-02-2009, 10:07

This is one of the subjects where television wins hands down, there have been some wonderful history programmes with great presenters

Taggy · 11-02-2009, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I have a passion for history.
At the Accy High school in the late 60s, history was taught in its historical sequence, starting in the stone age(briefly) and ending 5 years later(in education time

) just before Queen Victoria.
It was always British history but because of wars and the explorations and conquests which formed the empire, brief snippets of the history of other countries was added in to clarify the then situation.

It is an enormous subject and there is more of it to learn by now

Historians tend to specialise in a particular section in time that interests them most, and teachers do the same.

The part that I had little taught at school is the part that I have taken trouble to discover myself - ancient history, and even pre-history

Thats how i remember History being taught too!

Was'nt there a Survey done recently which showed a lot of kids did'nt even know who Churchill or Hilter were? I know a lot of surveys are pretty pointless depending on the criteria used, and i cant recall where i read this.

Best Regards - Taggy

emamum · 11-02-2009, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taggy

Thats how i remember History being taught too!

Was'nt there a Survey done recently which showed a lot of kids did'nt even know who Churchill or Hilter were? I know a lot of surveys are pretty pointless depending on the criteria used, and i cant recall where i read this.

Best Regards - Taggy

yeah, they thought churchill was the 'oh yes' dog

jambutty · 11-02-2009, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by US Angel

At least we teach our kids history geograhy etc here.
My kids have gone to schools in the US and geography
is not a subject taught

Of course not. That would mean that the Yanks would have to acknowledge that there is more to the world than just the United States.

Less · 11-02-2009, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

Of course not. That would mean that the Yanks would have to acknowledge that there is more to the world than just the United States.

Similar to when Great Britain had an Empire marked of with 'possessions', shown in pink, (it could have been red at one time but our school had a very old map and I think the ink had faded), the Americans show their kids a map marked off in black with the places they have already gained a monopoly on oil producing countries and in grey, (gray for our colonial cousins), of countries pending.

jaysay · 11-02-2009, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by emamum

we didnt have to do history or geography, i did 2 languages instead

I did French at school ema, but not the French your thinking about

entwisi · 11-02-2009, 11:20

in 84/5 at Rhyddings we were taught 1870 to present day, basically Franco Prussian war onwards. Now I have a superb memory for numbers and could remember all the dates but couldn't for the life of me remember what happened on them.

One of only 2 exams I've ever failed that one........

I like Egyptology as well, probably due to a visit to the mancester museum from Junior school where we saw a real Mummy!( no not that sort you lot).

Eric · 11-02-2009, 17:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benipete

You can say that again,When I rang Western Union the American guy although very polite did not know where Spain was.

I remember reading a comment somewhere, just before the Iraq War began ... some stand up comic, I forget who, mentioned that only 17% of Americans could find Iraq on a map; but that wasn't a problem, 'cause the 17% were all Marines ....

Eric · 11-02-2009, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less

Similar to when Great Britain had an Empire marked of with 'possessions', shown in pink, (it could have been red at one time but our school had a very old map and I think the ink had faded), the Americans show their kids a map marked off in black with the places they have already gained a monopoly on oil producing countries and in grey, (gray for our colonial cousins), of countries pending.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the Americans: if recent history shows anything, it shows that the only succesful US military campaign since Hiroshima was the defeat of Grenada.

Maybe Andorans are shaking in their boots, but the rest of the world is safe.

Eric · 11-02-2009, 17:49

I'm particularly interested in how the history of the two world wars is taught .... I realize that it is hard not to glorify the conflicts when you were on the winning side in both bouts ... but how does this idea of "we were the good guys and we kicked ass" exist along side the idea, or the ideal, that war is wrong, bad, or maybe even evil.

Is history "events"; is it the story of "great men" (with the odd woman thrown in ... good Queen Bess comes to mind) or is it everyone's tale? How do we get the idea across that history is something we do, not something that happened to others in the past?

Thinking about history is a Shandean horse of mine .... I realized that in some way it is very important when I was trying to figure out why Stalin went to so much trouble and erased so many people, in order to change it.

shillelagh · 11-02-2009, 17:57

I wish my old history teacher came on here ... i used to enjoy history when he taught me ... thats why i chose to do history in the 4th and 5th year .... and i hated it cos didnt like the teacher.... But when you go to a meeting after leaving school 20 odd years ago and then bump into him .... and go oh mr ..... and he says call me ... you left school a long time ago!!!!

steeljack · 11-02-2009, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

Of course not. That would mean that the Yanks would have to acknowledge that there is more to the world than just the United States.

Yep , have to agree , I suppose that would be why "Ike" had to take you by your hand and show you the way back into Europe in 44.

Mancie · 11-02-2009, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

Yep , have to agree , I suppose that would be why "Ike" had to take you by your hand and show you the way back into Europe in 44.

No doubt about it.. "we" would never have been able to defeat Germany via landing in France with anything like the forces needed without the yanks..but don't forget it was the Russians that took Berlin and really smashed the Nazis.

Eric · 11-02-2009, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadey

This is one of the subjects where television wins hands down, there have been some wonderful history programmes with great presenters

I agree ... "Civilization" comes to mind ... and I do think that the BBC does it best.