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#569216 12/05/09 11:00 PM
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What topics in history were you taught in school to later find out that it was incorrect?

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I think most nations focus on their own victories and achievements rather than their defeats and failures. In Britain we focus on Henry V victory at Agincourt, the defeat of the Spanish Armada (which I've heard Spanish school children never learn about) and of course events in the second world war such as the Battle of Britain and D Day. My mother's generation celebrated Empire Day where they were told have good, wonderful and honourable the British Empire was. Of course, now we are no longer taught that. All empires are built on greed, violence and bigotry not love. However, it did spread English throughout the world which means we can communicate easily through this forum....


Joanna Czechowska
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I biggest misconception I think I was taught was that the origins of America started with the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Every Thanksgiving we were taught this while ignoring the establishment of Jamestown, Virgina in 1607. We were taught that America was founded for religious freedom (the Pilgrims) and not for the seeking of fortune and profit like Jamestown and the Virgina Company.

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and what about the Spanish and French explorations before that? It is glossed over and forgotten.

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That is true. Much of the exploration and colonization in the Americas is glossed over. American history classes often skip from 1492 to 1620 and Plymouth Rock, then to the American Revolution.

However, this is not always the fault of the instructor. In many classes they have only one semester to cover American History from 1492 to 1865. That leaves very little time for an instructor to cover four centuries of history. Under those circumstances everything taught will be superficial because there is not the time to go into greater detail. I have even had college classes like this where hundreds of years of World or American history is covered in one semester.

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sometimes kids have a choice between geography and history - choose one and little or no exposure to the other. It's incredible. I remember in the 8th grade, we had an Amsco paperback American History book. It wasn't that big of a book but it was about two inches thick. It covered everything up to Korean War. It took a year to go through. We did go through it too.




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Too many children, and even adults, have a poor understanding of national and world geography. Many times I have heard that students, even adults, can not find U.S. States and world countries on a map. Many people only learn where countries in the world are when something important in the News happens there.

All students should at least have courses in World Geography, Cultural Anthropology and World History since 1500 CE. This would provide students with an elementary understanding of world cultures, geography and history.

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Craig, in your opinion why has geography been neglected in the school systems?

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There is a primary emphasis toward the teaching of Reading, Writing, Math and Science that all other educational disciplines tend to be ignored. Legislative efforts to improve test scores in Reading,Writing Math and Science further minimize the importance of all other courses of study. History, Geography and all of the Social Studies receive less support as a result.


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