Deceptive History

Deceptive History
Educators endeavor to facilitate an environment that is all-inclusive for students since children need to feel embraced so that they are happy, improve their self-esteem and become confident contributors to the society. The essence of inclusiveness should be applied not only to the social domain but also teaching materials. Children’s literature that addresses the themes of social justice are a crucial part of learning materials. Unfortunately, social studies’ educators heavily depend on textbooks to present most of the information that children are anticipated to learn. The conventional history textbook is one significant instructional tool that most educators use. However, these books promote historical and cultural illiteracy as discussed in this paper.
The tendency of history teachers to rely on history textbooks differs from the present trends in science and mathematics teaching where enhanced use of practical activities and case studies are common features of the learning process. Furthermore, contemporary textbooks have just started to change from presenting events thematically from chronologically. To understand history, such as the slave revolts, one must analyze the topic as a whole rather than study individual events that occurred within the setting of a calendar year. Hence, the educators who solely rely on textbooks in history lessons promote historical and cultural illiteracy
In the book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, James Loewen (10) addresses the absence, misinterpretations, and grievances that exist in high school textbooks and the curriculum of the education system in America.

Typically, students do not disagree the information that is handed to them during their initial learning years. These students are presented with facts that are out of context and applied inappropriately, and they do not usually question what they are taught. According to Loewen (55), this is a huge challenge to proper learning and the ultimate success if the present generation. He argues that history is condensed before it is depicted in the text that is presented in American classrooms (Loewen 68). The information that is intentionally blocked out has left American youth ignorant of the accurate history of the United States. The topics that Loewen (34) delves into include immortalization of historical figures, the actual impact of Christopher Columbus on culture and history, racism in textbooks, government regulation of textbook content, the lack of recent history in classes, and why history lacks the exact details and the consequence of this.
Lowen (35) asserts that these details are left out since students may get overexcited and may be induced to revolt against figures of authorities. Also, the parents of religious and conservative students may feel that this material is controversial. The power that textbooks hold is a frightening thought since historians can manipulate history that will be taught in classrooms. Bureaucracy plays a key role in determining the content that children will learn in classrooms. Lowen (39) argues that this is dangerous and frightening occurrence and that if it cannot be rectified, steps should be taken to educate society about the truths that are disregarded or changed in today’s curriculum.
The inadequacies of textbooks not only harm the quality of content but also the perception of students and general learning. Certainly, there are features of slavery and that era that are entirely omitted in the curriculum, such as slave revolts, the runaway slaves who became successful, and entire nations that are led by Africans. Due to the simplistic nature of slavery, as depicted in the textbooks, the fragments of truth and quick information handed to students usually elicits much anger. Therefore, society should not be surprised that more minorities drop out of high school than Caucasians. Educators must proceed with caution since history entails the comprehension of the world and its past, rather than enhancing self-esteem.
According to Howard Zinn (5), history books are political documents. He believes that history is a painful narration about ordinary people who constantly struggle to attain democracy, equity, and a lenient society (Zinn 10). Nonetheless, this struggle is ruined by a small group of rulers who are powered by greed. He terms the American Revolution as a trick that facilitates the downfall of “potential rebellions and creates a consensus of popular support for the rule of a new, privileged leadership” (Zinn 15). The soldiers who fought hard to save the union were tricked by the moral campaign against slavery that attempted to quell the societal anger against the powerful and mighty and focus most of the anger on the opposition. Zinn (44) argues that nothing of note transformed during the era of industrialization aside from the growth of infrastructure, cities, and means of communication. He perceives the millions of immigrants who sailed across oceans at the start of the twentieth century as no more than a wholesale supply of labor. Zinn (52) cites the horrible jobs in mines and factories, and the distressed, typically vicious strikes, most of which ended in failure. He paints a grim picture that makes one curious why anyone, expect the wealthy, moved to the United and States.
The focus today is placed too much on what should be taught, instead of how it is delivered. If educators continue to use history textbooks, students will continue to be disinterested with history. Therefore, the approach used to teach history in classrooms should be transformed.
Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me. 1995. Web.
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. 2016. Web.