How little military history we know....

[JohnG]

Coming from me, a recent highschool grad, the teachers don't teach it right. While there facts are correct 99% of the time they don't teach it right. They don't get the students involved in it. In a society of internet, cell phones, and learning must be fun, our teachers have stagnated. My 11th grade US History teacher did it best. When we hit WW2 he showed the D-Day landing from Saving Private Ryan. That got everybody pumped, gave them a image to relate to and then the studies began. It got them interested. Thats why interactive museums do so good. It's a simulation.

Another thing is age appropriateness. Adults you can talk about raw war. But I have had little kids, 4-9, ask whats War? Did people die? Did he kill someone? It's very hard to explain to a 4 or 5 year old what War is and not scare them or mess with them. History is difficult to teach.

I guess I'll end the rant now. To make a long post short (too late lol) We have to make it entertaining for the younger crowd. The adults are already into it they are there.

[JTheotonio]

In the election of 1876, what president was elected in a disputed vote, by loosing the popular vote, but winning the presidency by One electoral vote?  And who was his vice president?

Obscure questions on history.  But events like this shaped our country.  There are so many events that kids today never hear about, or study.  Only true history majors may get deep into history.  How many even take the time to understand events, tie things together and see how each either helpled or hindered our evolution as a great nation?

Answer Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president (1877-1881), succeeded US Grant.
VP was William A. Wheeler

I'm not a fan of Hayes, his name just popped into my head reading the last post.

[emeacho]

Well said, John, and so true.  I had several history teachers in High School who figured out how to make the classes intersting and engaging. 

[Travis McLain]

Last year, I had a print off of the WWII poster  (on my binder) that had the American flag tattered, and it read "We Here Highly Resolve That These Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain" then at the bottom it said "Remember Dec. 7th." Some kid in my class, who was a senior as well, asked what happened Dec. 7th. One of my friends also had a girl in his class that thought the Flag raising on Suribachi (SP?) was the moonlanding.

[emeacho]

Two very sad examples of today's education system! 

[Mark Sarsfield]

Malls, MTV, and cell phones rule the day.  All else is meaningless.  Yuppie-dom here we come.

I had a 10th grade history teacher that was absolutely horrible.  She took interesting topics like WWI and WWII and made them boring.  She just listed a bunch of names, places, and dates on the chalk boards and droned on for 45 minutes every class.  We did get to watch a few Victory at Sea episodes, but that was about as good as it got.

That's why I got into WWII reenacting.  So, that I could get a much more hands on impression of what really happened.  History books in school are practically worthless compared to what you can buy at the book store.

[MWALLEN]

I hated history until I got out of school...now I'm back in school getting a graduate degree in it.

Irony is so...ironic. 

But I hear the same from my kids...history is boring.  Like others have said, if the teachers would make it exciting, it may stick with them.

[Lance Dean]

I hated anything to do with history in high school.  I was not interested in history at all!!  Why?  Because I can't remember names and dates.  To this day I have trouble with names and dates.  Ask anyone I know.

When I got to college, I had to take a history class as an elective.  At the time, I had a choice between "Modern US History" and "Early US History".  I went for "Modern US History".  My teacher was a red headed man, probably around 30 years old, who was a National Guard recruiter as well.  Needless to say, he made history AWESOME for me.  We started around WWI and moved forward from there.  The testing was still about names and dates and happenings, but he found ways to make the tests out so I couldn't flat out fail if I got some names and dates wrong.

[JTheotonio]

The thing about history is that it is all around us - we only have to look, listen, visit, and read.

[Darrin]

And remember the old saying about those whom forget the past are doomed to repeat it....

[emeacho]

Oh, so true, Darrin!

[Travis McLain]

 I think the biggest problem, is that new things get added to history books every year, and that they cant go in to depth on everything because they need to teach it all by the end of the year/ semester, Im in U.S. History right now at OSU, and we have to cover from the revolution all the way modern history from August to December.

My AP U.S. History teacher in high school was the best history teacher I have ever had, I had him my freshman year in HS (Western Civilization) then again as a junior (U.S. History). For some of the things he just rambled on dates and names, for things like the industrial revolution, but he would go into depth on alot of stuff, since the book we had did not. When we got to WWI he let us "Play" WWI, he told us to put our desks up in rows on opposite side of the room, to signify the trenches and no mans land, then he told us to get paper and roll it into a ball, the we "fought" with the paper, it was fun. His dad was a member of the 101st Airborne in WWII and was with the Band of Brothers division (502nd PIR?) all the way to the Eagle's nest, so when we got to WWII he knew alot, but we just did not have enough time to go indepth on it before our AP test cause we had to study everything else. I discussed with him the Silent Service in WWII, and he let me do an extra credit Powerpoint on it, and he was really suprised on all the info, cause he had no idea.

[Rick]

I think the important thing about history is to engage the kids.   I can sit and drone on for hours spewing out dates, facts and figures to a bunch of 10 yr olds and get no where,  But I garantee that if you find a way to get the kids to spark an emotional response and inviter their opinions,  they will suck it up like a sponge.   

A good example is how I get the 6-10 yr olds to learn about the heads.   I start the tour by asking them if they want to know what a chocolate chip shower is.  The will all say yes with enthousiasm.  Then they learn what one really is.....

I garantee that these kids will be talking about that fact for months to come.   

Rick