AP History

[6andcounting]

The AP US History test has undergone some minor changes that conservatives have been asking for the past few years. There are a few more mentions of Founding Fathers and 'American exceptionalism' will now be mentioned once. As part of focusing less on the negative aspects of American history, 'slavery' will now only be mentioned 62 times instead of 63. I think nationalism is ********, but most of the changes seem to be making obvious improvements over previous tests. New tests will have a somewhat more broad focus, Words with strong connotations and phrases that leave too much interpretation have been eliminated.

The reactions are a shit show. Liberals think this is an attempt to revise American history and forgot slavery. Conservatives still have complaints. Most of this people are ******** and exist only to entertain us with their stupidity.

http://www.newsweek.com/revised-ap-history-standards-will-emphasize-american-exceptionalism-358210

[BmorePat87]

Easy test anyways.

[*bfine32*]

(07-30-2015, 06:26 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Easy test anyways.

Well it is History

[SunsetBengal]

(07-30-2015, 06:26 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Easy test anyways.

Yep, gone are the days of the essay test, where student actually had to take in information, form an opinion, and articulate that opinion in an intelligent manner.

[6andcounting]

(07-30-2015, 06:34 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, gone are the days of the essay test, where student actually had to take in information, form an opinion, and articulate that opinion in an intelligent manner.

"What's important is good test taking abilities and effective process of elimination 'educated guessing' for multiple choice questions."


- Class of 2012 public grade school graduate




This is seriously how we were taught to approach our state assessment tests. They couldn't emphasize the importance of "educating guessing" enough.

[StLucieBengal]

Liberals wanna teach Howard Zinn's version of American History. That way everyone grows up hating america and putting history on trial instead of just learning what happened.

[SunsetBengal]

(07-30-2015, 07:03 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Liberals wanna teach Howard Zinn's version of American History.   That way everyone grows up hating america and putting history on trial instead of just learning what happened.

That approach is flat out wrong.  The purpose of education, in this case history, is learn the facts of the events, and form their own opinions.  Rather than having history told from a point of view that leads them to a programmed opinion.

[BmorePat87]

(07-30-2015, 06:34 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, gone are the days of the essay test, where student actually had to take in information, form an opinion, and articulate that opinion in an intelligent manner.

No, that's still on the AP tests and (at least here) state assessments.

In fact, that's the point of social studies classes. Every class I have taught was based around using documents/sources/etc to write argumentative or explanatory responses. 

[StLucieBengal]

(07-30-2015, 09:13 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: No, that's still on the AP tests and (at least here) state assessments.

In fact, that's the point of social studies classes. Every class I have taught was based around using documents/sources/etc to write argumentative or explanatory responses. 

Yeah but even you have to admit Howard Zinn's version of history is supposed to make us ashamed of our country.

[BmorePat87]

(07-30-2015, 10:05 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Yeah but even you have to admit Howard Zinn's version of history is supposed to make us ashamed of our country.

Ok, but that's one man's book. It also has nothing to do with what we were talking about. 

[StLucieBengal]

(07-30-2015, 10:20 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Ok, but that's one man's book. It also has nothing to do with what we were talking about. 

Was only referring to selective history. Everyone wants to hide the stuff that makes them look bad.

[fredtoast]

(07-30-2015, 06:23 PM)6andcounting Wrote: The reactions are a shit show. Most of these people are ******** and exist only to entertain us with their stupidity.

Amen

(07-30-2015, 07:03 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Liberals wanna teach Howard Zinn's version of American History.   That way everyone grows up hating america and putting history on trial instead of just learning what happened.

So was Zinn the one who taught you that the American interment camps during WWII were just like the German concentration camps?

[BmorePat87]

(07-30-2015, 10:57 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Was only referring to selective history.    Everyone wants to hide the stuff that makes them look bad.

Wait, you just bashed Zinn for selective history that DOESN'T hide the stuff that makes the US look bad. 

[StLucieBengal]

(07-30-2015, 11:02 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Wait, you just bashed Zinn for selective history that DOESN'T hide the stuff that makes the US look bad. 

I don't mind total exposure. If I am gonna get some bad.... I want all bad. The problem with Zinn is he distorts history, there is no need to distort, we have done enough bad things that we don't need to manufacture more.

[GMDino]

(07-30-2015, 06:34 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, gone are the days of the essay test, where student actually had to take in information, form an opinion, and articulate that opinion in an intelligent manner.

You mean the fine art of BS'ing the teacher and telling them what they want to hear.  Got me though a LOT in college! 

[BmorePat87]

(07-30-2015, 11:07 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I don't mind total exposure.  If I am gonna get some bad.... I want all bad.     The problem with Zinn is he distorts history, there is no need to distort, we have done enough bad things that we don't need to manufacture more.

Everyone distorts history. 

To quote the famed historian Eugen Weber, "If cats could write history, their history would be mostly about cats"

[fredtoast]

(07-30-2015, 11:07 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote:    The problem with Zinn is he distorts history, there is no need to distort, we have done enough bad things that we don't need to manufacture more.

Says the man who claims the American internment camps were just like the Nazi concentration camps.

[StLucieBengal]

(07-31-2015, 01:02 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Says the man who claims the American internment camps were just like the Nazi concentration camps.

FDR was the one who called them concentration camps.

Also broke up families, denied proper medical care, and limited food.

[StLucieBengal]

(07-30-2015, 11:27 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Everyone distorts history. 

To quote the famed historian Eugen Weber, "If cats could write history, their history would be mostly about cats"

I don't disagree there. I just dont like how we gloss over some terrible times and act like it only happened in a couple of countries and not worldwide. Some in education protect certain presidents and times by focusing on other issues in text books over the years.