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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → A bad history lesson.
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A bad history lesson.
2009-11-02, 5:16 PM #1
My little brother came home from school today (he's in 9th grade) and told me his history teacher used the movie Gladiator to teach Roman history to his class. They watched the movie and were told to take notes because they will be having an exam over the content of the film.

This wouldn't be bad if it were being used as a fiction/real comparison where they had to list everything incorrect about the film, but the content of the film is being taught as historic fact.

Is this really the state of the public education system? I'd really like to confront this teacher of his, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about it.

Thoughts?
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 5:19 PM #2
It's your parents' responsibility to raise and educate your little brother. Tell them about it and let them decide if they're going to do anything or not.

Problem solved! :D

2009-11-02, 5:20 PM #3
My parents probably think Gladiator is pretty historically accurate.
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 5:21 PM #4
Mzzt is a little brother.

Ask the school if it's possible to speak to the teacher? :/
nope.
2009-11-02, 5:29 PM #5
The second we started Social Studies (Like Poli sci lite I guess) this year our teacher told us straight up to fact check everything we see, ever. Even if it comes from him.
He is a pretty cool guy, too bad half the class acts like dicks.
2009-11-02, 5:33 PM #6
Originally posted by Baconfish:
Mzzt is a little brother.

Ask the school if it's possible to speak to the teacher? :/


Actually I'm a big brother.

2009-11-02, 5:36 PM #7
I don't see why he can't help educate him, I didn't learn all I know just from my parents and teachers.
2009-11-02, 5:39 PM #8
Not only this, but I found out he has used The Patriot to "teach" them about the Revolutionary War.
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 5:43 PM #9
We... uhh.
We did too.
But this is Canada, All we really get on that is "Americans didn't like British taxes, Tea was involved, now it's the USA"
2009-11-02, 6:12 PM #10
We watched that at the end of the semester in my second Latin class. Mostly just to kill time and for our enjoyment. Our teacher was quick to point out liberties taken and we had already gone over the history that inspired it, in an actual History course as well as in the Latin course.
Steal my dreams and sell them back to me.....
2009-11-02, 6:28 PM #11
Originally posted by The Mega-ZZTer:
Actually I'm a big brother.

THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING.

To be fair, we were never taught anything about American History whatsoever apart from your participation in WW1/2, so all my knowledge of that war is put together from The Patriot too. :P
nope.
2009-11-02, 6:38 PM #12
Originally posted by Antony:
Not only this, but I found out he has used The Patriot to "teach" them about the Revolutionary War.


I would put this on the teacher, not the entire education system. I'll have to admit that the US public school system isn't the greatest (especially AZ, go #50!), but I've had some excellent teachers in the past. Usually, they're the ones that were teaching math and science related courses. The same goes for the public university that I attend. My core engineering courses are always well-taught, engaging, and challenging. I can't say the same for all the soft gen eds I've had to take. A friend of mine has a professor that teaches about dragons. And here I thought we were adults seeking an education...
2009-11-02, 6:41 PM #13
At least it's a cool movie. Some places are making kids watch An Inconvenient Truth and passing it off as fact.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2009-11-02, 6:46 PM #14
Well, see that's the thing.... An Inconvenient Truth cites facts...

Hollywood films are fictional.

Do you look at threads and say to yourself "there is a way I can turn this into a partisan argument!"
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 8:09 PM #15
Originally posted by Wookie06:
At least it's a cool movie. Some places are making kids watch An Inconvenient Truth and passing it off as fact.


Troll post. Avoid.
"If you watch television news, you will know less about the world than if you just drink gin straight out of the bottle."
--Garrison Keillor
2009-11-02, 8:39 PM #16
This sounds like my high school...where a majority of the teacher's were coaches. :/ If you don't think your parents would do anything, maybe talk to someone involved in the PTA or something where they can bring up the issue for discussion?
"Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it."
2009-11-02, 8:41 PM #17
next thing you know the teacher will use saving private ryan, pearl harbor, and enemy at the gates to teach WW2 history
eat right, exercise, die anyway
2009-11-02, 8:43 PM #18
Originally posted by DrkJedi82:
next thing you know the teacher will use saving private ryan, pearl harbor, and enemy at the gates to teach WW2 history


Everybody should see Saving Private Ryan.
2009-11-02, 8:44 PM #19
Or some Inglourious Basterds? History!!! :hist101:
"Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it."
2009-11-02, 8:46 PM #20
When I was in high school a teacher had us watch Tombstone to learn about the old west. I *****ed about it then and nobody listened. Somehow I doubt it would do me any good to ***** now.
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 8:46 PM #21
Originally posted by roxima:
Or some Inglourious Basterds? History!!! :hist101:


Hah, I lawled.
.
2009-11-02, 8:49 PM #22
Originally posted by Trigger Happy Chewie:
Everybody should see Saving Private Ryan.


yes but not in the context of a history lesson unless you were to point out historical inaccuracies and maybe go into detail of how captain miller is a godawful combat officer... sending the damn unarmed medic in on a frontal assault of a german MG position and giving the sniper a damn M1 while corporal crapshispants hangs back with the sniper rifle to keep an eye on their gear
eat right, exercise, die anyway
2009-11-02, 8:49 PM #23
This last semester I took a class based on how history is distorted because of film. Mostly its because of people being stupid and believing it.

guess what! 50,000 men didn't die at Gettysberg like Ted Turner said they did!
Holy soap opera Batman. - FGR
DARWIN WILL PREVENT THE DOWNFALL OF OUR RACE. - Rob
Free Jin!
2009-11-02, 8:50 PM #24
Lawrence of Arabia?
2009-11-02, 8:51 PM #25
What? Next you're going to tell me the last surviving samurai wasn't a bearded scientologist!
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 8:52 PM #26
Originally posted by Tiberium_Empire:
Lawrence of Arabia?

What about it?
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 9:11 PM #27
Historically accurate (withing reason) or not?
2009-11-02, 9:15 PM #28
David Lean movies are known to be extremely embellished. Damn good movies, though.
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 9:21 PM #29
Originally posted by Wookie06:
At least it's a cool movie. Some places are making kids watch An Inconvenient Truth and passing it off as fact.


Wait, what are you saying? I thought An Inconvenient Truth was a pretty cool movie.

Originally posted by roxima:
Or some Inglourious Basterds? History!!! :hist101:


They watch Inglourious Basterds to learn spelling, actually.
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2009-11-02, 9:31 PM #30
I thought Mel Gibson won the American Revolution....
obviously you've never been able to harness the power of cleavage...

maeve
2009-11-02, 9:35 PM #31
Originally posted by Antony:
Well, see that's the thing.... An Inconvenient Truth cites facts...


like the hockey stick graph... :ninja:

seriously though.

you should call the school and try and talk to the principal or the superintendent. it really probably wont do much good, but at least you will have done something. using fictional media in school for anything other than entertainment purposes is absolute crap.
if you feel so compelled you might even try and call up a local newspaper and let them know about it, who knows... maybe if its a slow news day...?
Welcome to the douchebag club. We'd give you some cookies, but some douche ate all of them. -Rob
2009-11-02, 9:40 PM #32
There are some movies that I can see being used in schools to help teach history:

  • Das Boot
  • Gettysburg
  • Band of Brothers
  • Saving Private Ryan (maybe... for the beach landing scene. The movie gets all hollywood after that)
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Carandiru
  • City of God
  • The Right Stuff

Ok, so there's actually a fair number of movies that while there might be some things in that are inventions of hollywood, enough effort was made to make the movies factually accurate that they could serve as good learning tools. That being said, I definitely wouldn't include Gladiator in that list. While the costumes and culture and general events that are portrayed in the movie may be accurate, the story line is an invention of hollywood, and I think that the movie shouldn't really be used as an educational tool (apart from maybe showing a few scenes) because of that.

Additionally, while I think it's ok for movies to occasionally be shown in class rooms to supplement other material, they certainly should not be used in lieu of lecturing and reading assignments.
2009-11-02, 9:55 PM #33
Speaking of history, Good WW1 history movies/docs for my family and I to enjoy.
Anyone got recommendations?
(E: We saw Hitler: The Rise of Evil in class last week, The teacher said that it was dramatized, but that it does do a good portrayal of the general idea of what he did.)
2009-11-02, 10:00 PM #34
Originally posted by Tiberium_Empire:
Speaking of history, Good WW1 history movies/docs for my family and I to enjoy.
Anyone got recommendations?
(E: We saw Hitler: The Rise of Evil in class last week, The teacher said that it was dramatized, but that it does do a good portrayal of the general idea of what he did.)


If you're into Hitler, watch Downfall, that's a fantastic film about the final days of the Third Reich, Hitler in particular, and those around him, and a clerk/typist/secretary of his... and for the architecture dorks, it features a scene in which Albert Speer unveils his design for the Nazi Chancellery, a never-built domed structure of colossal proportions.
2009-11-02, 10:02 PM #35
That sounds pretty cool, maybe I can even convince my teacher to show it.
2009-11-02, 10:12 PM #36
Originally posted by DSettahr:
There are some movies that I can see being used in schools to help teach history:

Das Boot


and if a school shows it i dare them to go with the 6 hour cut
eat right, exercise, die anyway
2009-11-02, 10:22 PM #37
Originally posted by DSettahr:
While the costumes and culture and general events that are portrayed in the movie may be accurate

That's the thing... They're not. Quite nearly all of it is inaccurate.

Here's what Gladiator nails down. There was a Roman Empire. They had games between gladiators.
>>untie shoes
2009-11-02, 11:08 PM #38
Have you brother write a paper telling how inaccurate the movie really is.
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2009-11-02, 11:14 PM #39
One of my Professors once got a paper on gang violence citing West Side story as fact.
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-11-02, 11:47 PM #40
We watched Schindler's List in my history class.
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