A variety of perspectives can be applied to the interpretation of various historical events. As time passes, it is not uncommon for our understanding of specific events to get reinterpreted. So when we look back on the actions of our forefathers, we might see negative (or positive) behaviors that were not so obvious at the time of the incident. The three videos below show a few different perspectives of American History.
It must be noted that we are taught history at all grade levels throughout our lives, and it is necessary to whitewash much of the negativity out of the overall story to make it less intense for younger students. With that, I’m under the impression that by middle school, a student is fully capable of addressing the bad behavior of our predecessors and our nation, thus beginning at that age, we can begin to tell the full story….. both the good and the bad.
Of course, we are not going to become historians by watching sarcastic cartoons about the history of the United States. We would need to do intensive research of primary and secondary sources, attend seminars, write and edit material (various media), discuss conceptual viewpoints with other individuals, etc. In the meantime, these videos might give us a jumpstart to a better understanding of American History.
It must be noted that we are taught history at all grade levels throughout our lives, and it is necessary to whitewash much of the negativity out of the overall story to make it less intense for younger students. With that, I’m under the impression that by middle school, a student is fully capable of addressing the bad behavior of our predecessors and our nation, thus beginning at that age, we can begin to tell the full story….. both the good and the bad.
Of course, we are not going to become historians by watching sarcastic cartoons about the history of the United States. We would need to do intensive research of primary and secondary sources, attend seminars, write and edit material (various media), discuss conceptual viewpoints with other individuals, etc. In the meantime, these videos might give us a jumpstart to a better understanding of American History.