Re: Todays students knowledge
MaryHaas@AOL.COM
Mon, 14 Apr 1997 04:04:44 -0400
Michael asked about the teaching of WWII. I have just had accepted for
publication a long article based upon a survey of 600 high school teachers in
the U. S. on their teaching of WWII. The answer is very complicated. Most
teachers spend more time in a history course on WWII than on other topics and
recognize that it is important even to us today. However, what is taught
about WWII varies greatly among classes. In the U. S. we fought longer in
the Pacific than in Europe. However, more time is spent on Europe than on
the war in the Pacific. Concerning the Pacific War most learn of Pearl
Harbor and the dripping to the atom bomb. A relative large amount of time is
spent on the Holocaust, even in the elementary schools. Social history is
almost nil so also are oral histories done in the local community.
Therefore, this web site is very important by providing a source of
information and viewpoints that most people will not encounter. Some older
people will not tell their stories so I am thankful to those who do so here.
Is enough taught about WWII? No, but some school teachers and other
types of teachers are trying very hard to improve on the content being
presented while facing a real scarcity of time. I hope you are among that
group, if you are a student please start asking older people to tell you
their experiences. "History that is not recorded didn't happen." Mary E.
Haas West Virginia University