Lies My Teacher Told Me Essay

The book Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James W. Loewen, was written with the intention of informing anybody that has ever learned about United States history using a textbook published in the United States has, most likely, not received the complete history of events. The textbooks and information found in classes of all educational levels,are often skewed by patriotism. Loewen wrote the book to fill in many gaps in the education of our nation's history which makes Lies My Teacher Told Me an enriching contribution to our collective knowledge. It also helps with our understanding that not everything has always worked out for the best for the United States and there was some inevitable trial and error that has lead our country to its uprising. On numerous occasions, our founders and leaders have been idolized for their victories and not their failures, and the many attempts it took for us to reach this
History books today are flooded with pointless tasks for memorization, which is just an easy fix to get students a good grade on a test, without them actually retaining the information in the chapter. Not being properly educated on past events gives the future more opportunity for mistakes, considering they will not be able to compare past and present problems in hopes to not make the same mistakes again. It is easy for students to brush off this information because it is taught in such a matter of fact sort of way, not showing any passion, just information does not make a person interested in a subject. When a student can have actual feelings regarding an event, that is when it sticks. When they can really understand what is going on, through real stories and encounters, they have a more thorough understanding of the world and are better prepared to participate in