I'm now one semester into reading through the AP world history text for Indiana high schools with my son. Here are some thoughts to whoever controls this curriculum, especially about the textbook, World Civilizations: The Global Experience.
I'm not competent to know the bias of this book, and I don't want to be one of those ignorant parents that meddles with things they know not. It does feel like one goal of the book is to put "Western" civilization in its place a tad, which I find annoying, but that's not my reason to write.
Basically, this book is so boring to me that I want to jab out my eyes. This book tells me that history is so boring I'd almost rather jump off a cliff than pursue it as a long term subject of interest. Some of the sentences felt to me like they'd been translated from German into English.
Basically, I would hope we could do better. Some of the math textbooks I've seen have been exceptional. But this one almost has me hating history--not an easy feat. Unless the history teacher using this book is Robin Williams, I'd almost rather them have no textbook at all.
How 'bout it, Indiana?
P.S. The passing opinions of Ken Schenck are not those of anyone who matters.
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3 comments:
This report of your book we have from all quarters received.
It seems that many textbook writers have a real talent for making their subject dishwater drab. Sad.
I'm laughing this morning at this line from this textbook: Islam's "fundamental teaching that all Muslims are equal within the community of believers made the acceptance of conquerors and new rulers easier" (176).
It's talking about Africa. Basically, we're going to come in here and take you over by war. But our philosophy that you're equal to us if you convert will make things better.
Let's put that on an ISIS slogan in northern Iraq.
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