In the article “The Land of Opportunity” written by James Loewen the author argues that most students leave school (preferably high school) with no understanding of social inequality‚ mainly due to their assigned textbooks. When they are told by their teachers that America has a great deal of social inequality that continues to this day‚ the student’s reactions are never positive and almost always defensive. “The students blame the poor for not being successful. They have no understanding of the
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To what extent have American History Textbooks accurately portrayed American History? James W. Loewen wrote this tell-all to expose the real meaning of American History; “diffusion of ideas is perhaps the most important cause of cultural development”pg.39. Loewen realized that not one but all twelve of the top high school US History textbooks failed at making history somewhat captivating to their readers. These books eliminate any ambiguities and problems that arose during the creation of the
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Kerryn-Danyea Freeman AP World History Book: Lies my teacher told me‚ everything your American history textbook got wrong Author: James W. Loewen During my period of time that I had to read this very persuasive book into believing that you’re casual every day period of History class is basically nothing but a waste of time if not taught in the correct context. Which would include the good‚ the bad‚ and the all in between of the subject of that person
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The book that I chose for my book report was “Lies My Teacher Told Me”‚ by James W. Loewen. At first‚ I thought this book would be the worse out of the 5 to read. I thought that I do not need some Book to tell me I am uneducated in American history. But after I read it‚ I realized that the book is much more than that. It is a critique on so many factors in our society. Only one is the student’s education. But it does not critique the American history student like I thought. If a student
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James W. Loewen wrote the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me" to help students understand the past of the United States‚ and how it is effecting the present. "Lies My Teacher Told Me" examines 12 various American history text books‚ and points out the various lies‚ flaws‚ and sugar coated stories the text books present. Loewen explains how textbooks practice heroification‚ and how race and race relations are a major issue when it comes to American history. Among these topics‚ Loewen also sheds light on
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James Loewen wrote the book "Lies My Teacher Told ME" to help the students of the United States become aware of their true history. This book attempts to show how and why American history has been taught the way it has without regard for the truth. Mr. Loewen had compared twelve different history textbooks they are: The Great Republic‚ The American Way‚ Land of Promise‚ Rise of the American Nation‚ Challenge of Freedom‚ American Adventures‚ Discovering American History‚ The American Tradition‚ Life
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“storm-battered” by the end of the voyage. The story contradicts itself when Columbus‚ in his own journal‚ states‚ “the three ships enjoyed lovely sailing. Seas were so calm that for days at a time sailors were able to converse from one ship to another” (Loewen 52). The Pinzon brothers were the captains of the Nina and Pinta. Columbus‚ sailing the Santa Maria‚ was the least experienced of the three. Although he claimed he wanted to keep the route taken a secret by writing it down wrong‚ many believe Columbus
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Pilgrims “The mythic origin of ‘the country we now know as the United States’ is at Plymouth Rock‚ and the year is 1620.” James W. Loewen stresses this origin as mythic due to the fact that for thousands of years humans had inhabited the land now known as America. Loewen goes on to describe the horrors the native peoples of America went through due to the diseases and other such terrible things the white “settlers” brought to the “New World.” However‚ it is barely mentioned in Loewen’s book‚ The
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In the snippet from the book lies my teacher told me by James W. Loewen‚ the author‚ explains how many high school students think that history is a boring subject for them to learn due to the fact that it does not interest them learning from a text book. While as in Song of the Hummingbird by Graciela Limon Father Benito is interested in learning outside his traditional teaching because he wants to know by personal experiences about the Aztec lands. Hummingbird the person he is confessing is telling
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the story of the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind than from all of the learned volumes on this period” -Warren Beck and Myles Clowers The book Lies My Teacher Told Me was written by James Loewen. I choose to read Chapter 5: “Gone with the Wind”: The Invisibility of Racism in American History Textbooks. The chapters that I read discussed how in many of the American History Textbooks‚ that many young students use and read throughout their education
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