Do We Teach Enough History

Iam on my way to work but found the Museum debate is getting stale so , as someone who likes Canadian History do we teach enough of it to the kids.
Personally I figure not as most know more about the USA then their own country . Will be back later to post more .

We definately do not teach enough history in our schools. I remember at one time History was mandatory all the way to Grade 10... then it was dropped as a mandatorty in grade 9 and 10.
Me I took every single extra credit History class I could from grade 8 on up.

I find Canadian History truly incredible. Not only should it be taught, but kids should be able to actually see the places that things happened. I've always found an opportunity when I travel to take some time to "experience" our history first hand. Visiting a remote church in Batoche, Saskatchewan, you can realize how Western Canada came into Confederation, or travelling across the Prairies to see the significance of the CPR, standing in a farmers field in what is now Quebec City to realize how the battle fought 200 years before had such a profound effect on what Canada is today.

Whether you like them or not, the Americans have done an incredible job of teaching their kids about their history and what it means to them today. But for some reason, we don't demand that of our education system today? Any thoughts?

Canadians as a rule are too humble?

I don't know if it is humility or what. Some may say Americans do a better job teaching their history. I've no clue if that is true or not but can we attribute it to movies and TV programs? That said, how accurate a picture could that be?

Personally today I'm fascinated by history. I wish I held that same fascination in school.

"I wish I held that same fascination in school."

heh.. they had school when you were younger?

Log cabins. Rosen and J2F were my teachers.

These guys didn't read about dinosaurs, they kept them as pets.

You were well-taught Grasshopper. The most important thing we can give children is a thurst for knowledge. They will take care of the rest.

Now...go have a piece in peace my children.

Canadian history is difficult to teach in today's society as there are too many "special interest" groups who don't want their kids to learn about the history that is written in the curriculum. As a former history teacher, you have the history that is in most text books and in the curriculum that is supposed to be taught but it is from an Anglo perspective so when you are teaching in a mostly native location whether it be in the north, or in the city, it can be a difficult situation. Teaching it in the suburbs is not a bit deal as there is no conflict. But I so agree with Freeman that we should be able to go and see the history, like the Cathedral in St. Boniface and Riel's gravesite or tour the Leg to see the history behind the building and how it was built, Lower Fort Garry. How many classes actually go to Upper Fort Garry as well? And how many actually utilize the teachings at the Manitoba Museum. More of the schools budgets need to be allocated to field trips and special guests. I realize that a lot of schools now are using big parts of their budgets to upgrade their computer systems so that is a good place to start as far as integrating some of the specialists from different places like Batoche, Fort Qu'Appelle, etc. to do interactive teachings via the web.

my kids have been to the MM I think 4 times each on school field trips and they are only in Grade 5. Twice to lower fort...one of them went to the legislature once.... 1.5 hour trip

Did they utilize that information? Cant really say... not very well if they did.

And most of those trips are at least partly funded by parents. ie $3 for the bus or selling chocolates or whatever fundraising through schools. Problem is, that leaves some areas at a significant disadvantage doesn't it? What about parents who dont pay that $3? Why do thier kids get to ride for free? Why do those schools see increased budgets to cover what the parent cant? Or do they? Or does another area of the school go without so that the field trip can be taken?

History is everywhere, it just takes imagination to realize it. Just this past weekend, No 1 son brought up the subject of Chief Peguis bridge and we went on about the original Selkirk settlers and the family names that are displayed on the bridge, and thats why we live in "Old Kildonan".

How many of you had grand parents who came to this country to escape somewhere else? When you start to understand history, you can see how things have evolved over the years and even understand your own being.

I loved history when I was in school. When I was in high school I took Geography in grade 10 and history in Grade 11 and 12. I also took American History as an elective.

I just took my kids to the Museum for the first time yesterday and they LOVED it! They both loved the Nonsuch...as did I when I was a kid....history is aweosme.

Just keep in mind, every year the curriculum for history class gets longer and longer. When JTF took history, it was a two-day course!

And rosen was actually living it...

I have to say that I didn't fully appreciate history class when I was in school. It wasn't until my adult life where I started looking around a lot more, and reading up on the history of things.

Since it was only 9-10 years ago since my last history class, I can say that we do teach a pretty good history class. Just some pupils (like me) were too busy with other things to remember/appreciate it. I also remember not learning much about Canada's recent accomplishments (by recent, I mean in the last 60-70 years) in history class. It was mostly about upper and lower Canada, that sort of thing.

One of the things we could be doing a lot better, would be teaching world history. I know plenty of people my age and younger who have no idea when WW1 started, or what it was about, likewise for WW2, as an example. In high school, I didn't have the option for anything other then Canadian history...

Certainly the Canadian perspective of world events can also be taught, such as Canada's role in the formation of the UN and Canada's peacekeeping endeavors to name a few.

Not only do we not teach enough history, alot of the history we are taught just gets regurgitated over and over again in different grades. The most interesting history classes were my university history and archaeology classes.

Its only been a few years since i got out of highschool so i can still remember very clearly what a bore it was. i'm one of those people who really didnt care about history and i preferred more practical subjects.
now that i'm (a few years) older i can appreciate history a little more, but its as simple as a few clicks on the interweb to learn as much as i want to about any particular time or place.

the one thing that i did find interesting in school was, as JTE and St Norberter mentioned, more of the world history stuff, as the canadian history was always the same old thing.
I didnt know a whole lot of people in school who really cared about history, i think its one of those things that you generally appreciate more the older you get, so i think it would be hard to improve the current system, or make kids any more interested in it if you did.

One recurring theme I hear is the we like it better when older , maybe we should teach it to adults. To solve the native question have not alot of the books been updated to reflect the other side of the story .

Sad from what I hear we know more American history than Canadian, same when it comes to sports heros.

I do not think it is the History that is boring, but more likely the teachers presentation, if that is the complaint.
The books used are probably very simple in their coverage of an event, and it is only when you get to college, and have to do some in depth coverage, that you really get all the facts.
I recently bought an 800 page "History of the world" book, and it is fascinating how many things have happened over time. This book covers World War 2 in 3 paragraphs.
The book is pretty good to give you an overview on most subjects, but if you had a special interest in Paraguay, there would be no coverage, you would have to go to Dr. Google!

No such thing as boring subjects, just boring teachers. I got the history bug in Grade 6 when our teacher, the late Tom Springman of Spring cab, took us on a 2 day tour of history in and around Winnipeg, The Fort Garry gate (no controversy back then), Lower Fort Garry, site of the Seven Oaks Massacre, Riel's grave, etc. Things an 11 yr old could see and touch.

My daughter ran a day camp program last summer and needed an idea for "Ocean Week". I suggested she take the kids to the Museum to see the Nonsuch. She literally had to drag them out of there. Make it fun and the kids will go for it.

Do you think that children would learn about the Holocost that way and that it might make an everlasting positive impression on them?
Damn those Aspers!

Damn, the Human Rights Museum argument infiltrates another thread.

the question is... do we teach enough of the correct history!