Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Loewen
Loewen discusses how textbooks rarely look before the 1950s to explain the Vietnam War. Textbook authors should "present several interpretations, along with an overview of the historical support for each, and invite students to come to their own conclusions"(255). Loewen argues that this is often not the case, since textbook authors appear to have a differing opinion on the subject. Authors more than often "seem compelled to present the "right" answer to all questions, even unresolved controversies"(255). And in some cases, textbooks dodge the issue completely. I was very surprised to read that the cause of the war is not explained in many textbooks and all that is stated in American Adventures is that "War broke out." Why does this book only have two sentences explaining why we fought in the Vietnam War? And why do teachers spend the minimal amount of time on this topic? In my past history classes, I never payed attention to how much time my teachers spent on certain topics. Thinking back, I don't remember learning a lot about the Vietnam War. However, I do remember learning a ton about the War of 1812. Loewen writes about how teachers try to aviod topics in which students are likely to have differing opinions or that would make students have a bad recognition about American institutions. I think that teachers need to start giving students the chance to think critically and develop their own opinions on things, but this is only possible if they know the whole story.
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Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteAnd we can see how relevant the War of 1812 is now. It is weird what we do to US History, isn't it?
Malcolm X's screenplay is based largely on Alex Haley's 1965 book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The film is not exactly the equivalent, of the book, but it's an ambitious, tough, seriously considered biographical film. Some scenes may be different or lines are altered, but the same message is conveyed from them. Defining childhood incidents, including Malcolm’s father's death, his mother's mental illness, and his experiences with racism are dramatized in several flashbacks.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the flashbacks are so fragmented that they may mean nothing to anyone who hasn't read the autobiography and knows more about Malcolm’s story. They also don't do justice to the early experiences themselves. The film dramatizes key events in Malcolm X's life: such as his criminal career, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his later falling out with the organization, his marriage to Betty X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and reevaluation of his views concerning whites, and his assassination.
A quote from the New York Times states that “Mr. Lee is creating a film about a man he admires for an audience that includes those who have a direct interest in the story, those who may not have an interest but know the details intimately and those who know nothing or only parts of the story. It's a tricky situation for anyone committed to both art and historical truth.” This quote is related to Loewen, because one of his main points is the importance of accurately telling the historical truth. Loewen pronounces that “History through red eyes offers our children a deeper understanding than comes from encountering the part as a story of inevitable triumph by the good guys” (134). Even though it may be more interesting at times to change it up, it is more important to stick with the facts, which is what Lee tried to do throughout the film.
I forgot to post this a while ago!
ReplyDeleteAmerican history courses have shown to be incurably optimistic by avoiding very important and vital issues. These issues have to do with our environment. Loewen states “our environmental crisis is an educational problem to which American history courses contribute” (290). It is an educational problem, because textbooks do not supply students with information about environmental issues. Loewen argues that textbook authors aim to assure the readers that “everything will come out right in the end, so we need not worry much about where we are going” (291). This is why authors choose to leave out important information about the world we live in.
I have learned about many of the environmental issues that Loewen discusses in chapter 11. However, I did not learn about these problems from my history courses. I learned about them from my AP Environmental Science course, which was not a very popular course at my school. Thus, several students at my school were never taught about these crucial problems. I think that it is extremely important for students to be informed of these issues, because they have the power to do something about it. Yet, if they are never taught about them, they won’t know what they are doing wrong or what they could be doing. Textbooks should not just end with happy endings, but they should inform readers about trends in our history. Loewen states that “textbook authors concede implicitly that our history has no serious bearing on our future.” (300). When in reality, it has so much to do with our future.