View Full Version : DEAR PROFESSOR HOMEY,
TUSooner
4/12/2006, 09:13 AM
I've got a serious problem with my 17yo daughter, a high-school junior. She told me last night that they are studying the Civil War in history class and that it's <gasp> BORING. :eek: By the time I caught my breath, she had left the room. Is she demon-possessed? on drugs? insane? rebelling against authority? Or does she just have a bad teacher? I'm naturally distraught that one of my own children finds any history boring, so you can imagine the profound shame and embarrassment when she said that about most crucial years in the life of Our Nation. (I want to sob when I type that.) What can I say? What can I do? Professor Homey, in the name of all that's decent, please help us rescue our child from her horrible affliction!
TIA
Okla-homey
4/12/2006, 09:26 AM
Just try to explain to her what life would be like it it hadn't occurred or if the CS had won. That oughtta get her attention.
Taxman71
4/12/2006, 09:30 AM
This should help:
If The South Woulda Won by Hank Williams, Jr.
If the South would’ve won we'd a had it made,
I'd prob’ly run for President of the Southern State.
The day Elvis passed away would be our national holiday,
If the South would a won we'd had a it made.
I'd make my Supreme Court down in Texas,
And we wouldn't have no killers gettin’off free.
If they were proven guilty, then they would swing quickly,
Instead of writin’ books and smilin’ on T.V.
We'd all learn Cajun cookin in Louisiana,
And I'd put that capitol back in Alabama.
We'd put Florida on the right track ‘cause, we'd take Miami back,
And throw all them pushers in the slammer.
If the South would’ve won we'd a had it made,
I'd prolly run for President of the Southern States.
The day young Skynyrd died we’d show our Southern Pride,
If the South would a won we'd had a it made.
I'd have all the whiskey made in Tennessee,
And all the horses raised in those Kentucky hills.
The national treasury would be in Tupelo, Mississippi
And I'd put Hank William’s picture on one hundred dollar bills.
I'd have all the cars made in the Carolina's,
And I'd ban all the ones made in China.
I'd have every girl and child sent to Georgia to learn to smile,
And talk with that southern accent that drives me wild.
I'd have all the fiddles made in Virginia
Cause they sure can make'em sound so fine.
I'm goin up on Wolverton mountain and see ole Clinton Powers,
And have a sip of his good ole Arkansas wine.
Hey, if the South woulda won we'd had it made
I'd prolly run for President of the Southern States,
When Patsy Cline passed away that would be our national holiday,
If the South woulda won we'd a had it made.
If the South woulda won we'd a had it made.
Osce0la
4/12/2006, 09:31 AM
I always loved when we talked about the Civil War in our classes. I always found it interesting.
History books and teachers are usually boring, not history.
jk the sooner fan
4/12/2006, 09:40 AM
yeah imagine if you needed a passport to cross the mason dixon line....imagine the ripple effect a recognized confederate states would have had on world history for the next 100 years....
some people just dont care for history
TopDaugIn2000
4/12/2006, 09:40 AM
BLEH. Give me algebra, trig, and calc.
Take the class on a field trip to see this movie (http://www.csathemovie.com/), or a reenactment.
SOONER44EVER
4/12/2006, 09:49 AM
My favorite history classes were the ones the coaches taught. They always seemed to make it fun.
Okla-homey
4/12/2006, 09:59 AM
My favorite history classes were the ones the coaches taught. They always seemed to make it fun.
Its not about dates and dry facts, its about compelling themes, relevance and interesting anecdotes. Good history teachers approach it from that perspective.
My favorite history classes were the ones the coaches taught. They always seemed to make it fun.
When coaches taught a class we usually got to go outside and chew tobacco and shoot hoops.
Viking Kitten
4/12/2006, 10:04 AM
Has she read Gone With the Wind? I recognize that it's not great literature, but it does bring the civil war to life by focusing on the human drama and all that. I was a lot more interested in the actual history after reading it when I was 12.
Okla-homey
4/12/2006, 10:07 AM
Has she read Gone With the Wind? I recognize that it's not great literature, but it does bring the civil war to life by focusing on the human drama and all that. I was a lot more interested in the actual history after reading it when I was 12.
Good tip. Alcott's "Little Women" too for the Northern perspective (Homey is fair and balanced)
Also Rifles for Watie by OU's own Harold Keith gives some local flavor to the Civil War.
Viking Kitten
4/12/2006, 10:21 AM
From a teenage girl's perspective, I promise you can't beat GWTW.
From a teenage girl's perspective, I promise you can't beat GWTW.
Frankly Kitten, I don't think she'll give a damn.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
BOOOOOOOOO!
:O
Viking Kitten
4/12/2006, 10:29 AM
Frankly Kitten, I don't think she'll give a damn.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
BOOOOOOOOO!
:O
Nah. She'll love it. Every teenage girl is trying to figure out whether they're a Scarlett or a Melanie. Or in my case, a Belle Watling. :O
SOONER44EVER
4/12/2006, 10:29 AM
When coaches taught a class we usually got to go outside and chew tobacco and shoot hoops.
I always made better grades in classes coaches taught. If the rest of the people in the class would have had to run air raids for making bad grades I bet they would have studied harder too. :D
Nah. She'll love it. Every teenage girl is trying to figure out whether they're a Scarlett or a Melanie. Or in my case, a Belle Watling. :O
SPEK
1stTimeCaller
4/12/2006, 10:37 AM
I say we're better off to ignore history. What's the saying, 'Those that ignore history are bound to repeat it'. What a better way to learn history than to actually be a part of it?
;)
NormanPride
4/12/2006, 10:39 AM
I'm with TD2K on this one. History has it's place - in books that I don't read.
TopDaugIn2000
4/12/2006, 11:09 AM
THIS (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0609608444&itm=1) was the best "history" book I've read IMO. Murder, mystery, architecture, etc all in one.
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/03121212011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7180000/7188720.jpg
"The bestselling author of Isaac's Storm returns with a gripping tale about two men -- one a creative genius, the other a mass murderer -- who turned the 1893 Chicago World's Fair into their playground. Set against the dazzle of a dream city whose technological marvels presaged the coming century, this real-life drama of good and evil unfolds with all the narrative tension of a fictional thriller. "
THIS (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0609608444&itm=1) was the best "history" book I've read IMO. Murder, mystery, architecture, etc all in one.
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/03121212011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7180000/7188720.jpg
"The bestselling author of Isaac's Storm returns with a gripping tale about two men -- one a creative genius, the other a mass murderer -- who turned the 1893 Chicago World's Fair into their playground. Set against the dazzle of a dream city whose technological marvels presaged the coming century, this real-life drama of good and evil unfolds with all the narrative tension of a fictional thriller. "
greatness indeed.
Flagstaffsooner
4/12/2006, 12:03 PM
It's not the Civil War you gawdamned yankees, it's the War Between The States.
Stanley1
4/12/2006, 12:04 PM
Something can be important and still boring.
I don't have much desire to "learn" alot of history, never have, likely never will. Alot of people think math is "boring", but does it not affect your life everyday too?
http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/973/828/0679738282.jpg
I thought this book was great. It is a compilation of diaries and letter from Elisha Hunt Rhodes. He fought in every battle from Bull Run to Appomattox. I found it very compelling.
OKC Sooner
4/12/2006, 01:03 PM
It's not the Civil War you gawdamned yankees, it's the War Between The States.
..or The War of Northern Aggression
Flagstaffsooner
4/12/2006, 01:22 PM
..or The War of Northern AggressionDon't get me started.:D
OklahomaTuba
4/12/2006, 01:26 PM
That PBS documentary on the civil war was amazing. I hope they show it again, or have it on netflicks.
#1 SOONER FAN
4/12/2006, 03:52 PM
As a teenager history is probably pretty boring, you don't realize until your older the importance of history. I believe that the war between the states was the saddest times in the United States history, the lives that were lost was absolutely unbelievable! The weapons that were used and the lack of medicine in that time in history. Absolutely amazing anyone survived.
StoopTroup
4/12/2006, 04:02 PM
I think the best way to get them involved might be by seeing some memorablia or take her to a re-enactment at Gettysburg...
If a trip there doesn't give her inspiration, she'll at least never bring it up again...lol.
I'm partial to the surgical equipment of the times...
http://www.medicalantiques.com/medimage/sskolbe3.jpg
GottaHavePride
4/12/2006, 04:31 PM
The problem is most likely a teacher that doesn't know how to make the material interesting combined with a textbook that is, er, how to put this... dull. Dull. Dull. My God it's dull, it's so desperately dull and tedious and stuffy and boring and des-per-ate-ly DULL.
Sorry, had a monty python moment there.
My high school US history teachers were great. Some of the best classes I took.
Scott D
4/12/2006, 04:52 PM
the sad part of this entire tale is that there are quality places in louisiana to visit and these kids should be going to them. however, field trips are like a bad word these days or something.
NormanPride
4/12/2006, 05:06 PM
the sad part of this entire tale is that there are quality places in louisiana to visit and these kids should be going to them. however, field trips are like a bad word these days or something.
Field trips take time away from studying for standardized tests, not to mention they cost money.
Scott D
4/12/2006, 06:01 PM
Field trips take time away from studying for standardized tests, not to mention they cost money.
so do standardized tests....you don't think paper grows on....hey wait a minute! :D
OKC Sooner
4/12/2006, 07:44 PM
That PBS documentary on the civil war was amazing. I hope they show it again, or have it on netflicks.
The Civil War, by Ken Burns. Probably the finest documentary I have ever seen.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002KPI2S.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
reevie
4/12/2006, 08:04 PM
Its not about dates and dry facts, its about compelling themes, relevance and interesting anecdotes. Good history teachers approach it from that perspective.
Half of history teachers know how to teach history and the other half doesn't. Those with a love and appreciation of history can make it compelling.
TUSooner
4/12/2006, 08:50 PM
That PBS documentary on the civil war was amazing. I hope they show it again, or have it on netflicks.
The Civil War, by Ken Burns. Probably the finest documentary I have ever seen.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002KPI2S.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Y'all are dead on. I used rush home from Tulane after night classes to watch that; and woe unto anyone who disturbed me!
Taxman71
4/13/2006, 08:46 AM
http://www.medicalantiques.com/medimage/sskolbe3.jpg
Aren't those the tools Saied used to get the truth out of the suspected "other"?
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