For class of S.F. high school juniors, WWII details are elusive

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/02/BA61S87F0.DTL ^

[World_Events]

If high school juniors' answers to a World War II questionnaire were strung together, here's how history would look:

World War II took place in 19-something, when Theodore Roosevelt was president and the Germans claimed to be the best race.

Hoping to aid Third World countries, the United States joined the war to stop racism and end the dispute over Jews.

The head of the Nazis was a killer named Hitler whose evil partner, Mussolini, was president of the USSR. Ultimately, the war ended with the bombing of Iwo Jima and Hitler's suicide. Then a treaty was signed. Not every 11th-grader who answered a Chronicle questionnaire at San Francisco's Burton High School responded with such a fractured version of history. Eight of the 34 students said correctly that "Roosevelt" or "FDR" was president during most of the war, apparently remembering the subject they had studied as sophomores last spring. Most knew about the attempted genocide of the Jews, all but three recognized Hitler, and eight placed the war in the 1940s.

But others, perhaps suffering a temporary memory lapse, variously named George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon and Winston Churchill as the war's main president. Eighteen students wisely left the answer blank.

[World_Events]

Sad but not unexpected in this ignorant and spoiled internet generation.

[JamesP81]

If high school juniors' answers to a World War II questionnaire were strung together, here's how history would look:

In Belushi's immortal words: "Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

At least he knew the war started with Pearl Harbor. I wonder if anybody these days even knows that much.

[af_vet_rr]

Sad but not unexpected in this ignorant and spoiled internet generation.

The really ironic thing is, is how much access to information about WWII this generation has. The internet, several cable channels that run probably close to 50% WWII content, as well as some of the most popular video games are WWII games. Then there are movies and mini-series - some of the most popular in the past 10 years are WWII oriented.

[applpie]

It is not all the fault of this “spoiled” generation. Who educated or raised them? Folks from our generation did. Garbage in....garbage out.

I just took an American History course and was stunned at the garbage that is presented in course books. There was hardly any fact. It seemed to be all editorial. All I read was how bad Americans were (of course all through our history), how we treated those poor minorities and immigrants badly, how we raped the environment, and how we were hated throughout the world because of our involvement.

On the tests and quizzes...if I wanted to get a right answer, all I had to do was to select the worst answer with regards to our behavior and I could get it right.

The authors who are proliferating these text books need to be kicked out and sent to a country where what they write would be considered true so they can get some perspective.

I had all I could do not to throw a tantrum every week....it was so hard to be subjected to that much agenda with no truth.

[CaptainAmiigaf]

I do not agree that the fault lies with the youngsters. The fault lies in the miserable teaching of history in our schools. Look over a “History” book and see just how much coverage is given over to that most horrible period. World War II shaped the world they live in, and they are taught next to nothing about it.
Then check over the time taken for “social studies” or “environmental studies”. How much time is spent teaching them of the evils of their own country?
I gave a grandson the complete series of Victory at Sea. His main comment....”that was NOT the war I studied at all”.
He learned more HISTORY from an old, black and white TV series that ever from school. What a sad comment.

[SoKatt]

Have you been watching the Ken Burns special on PBS?

[absolootezer0]

10 simple questions. i didn’t even have to look at the answer key to know i got the answers right.
the kids couldn’t even pass this test?

[50mm]

Today’s high school students may not know squat about history, but I bet they know how to put a condom on a cucumber. They also believe the global warming myth because they’ve been shown algore’s mythomentary “Inconvenient Truth” 7 times in the last year.

[redlegplanner]

The first step to rescuing this country is to break the NEA. Then we can begin to undo the damage wrought by the baby boomers. Unfortunately this will come too late for those who are condemned to the current method of public education.

[pogo101]

These products of urban progressive public schools will largely become adults who make fun of rural, home-schooled kids (who will eat the progressive idiots’ intellectual lunch) as dumb hicks.

[Petronski]

They might fail to understand history, but they’re damn-sure doomed to repeat it.

[Paperdoll]

I had to augment my children’s American History in the ‘70’s because in their Social Studies text book, only one paragraph was given to Abraham Lincoln!

In ‘84 I purchased a book every parent should read today: “N.E.A. The Trojan Horse in American Education”, by Samuel L. Blumenfeld.

I hope more parents take a good look at what their children are being indocrinated into while there is still a sliver of time in which to regroup.

[chopperman]

I firmly believe that voters should be required to pass some kind of test. Giving the undeducated the right to vote just dumbs down the government.

[chopperman]

I firmly believe that voters should be required to pass some kind of test. Giving the undeducated the right to vote just dumbs down the government.

[Polynikes]

“At least he knew the war started with Pearl Harbor. I wonder if anybody these days even knows that much.”

Not trying to be Devils Advocate but the war started for the USA with Pearl Harbor or even earlier if you count the Lend Lease program. The war had been going on for some time when the USA joined. The Japanese had gotten off to an early start with Manchuria in 1931. People just didn’t recognize the war for what it was then much like what is going on today.

[JamesP81]

I was thinking more in terms of declared hostilities. IMO, the war really started the day that the British and the French forced the ridiculous Treaty of Versailles on Germany. When that document was signed, Round 2 was guaranteed.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

We need an online “Classic Comic Book” about WW2!

[PAR35]

At least he knew the war started with Pearl Harbor.

Try this little open book test:

1)What was the name of the first US Naval ship bombed by the Japanese?
2)When was it sunk?
3) What was the name of the first US Naval vessel sunk by the Germans in World War II.
4)What month and year was it sunk?
5) When did the first National Guard Unit sail for the South Pacific?
6) Where did they fight?
7)Bonus question: In what year did World War II start. Explain your answer.

[dfwgator]

If Gamers fought WWII:

*Hitler[AoE] has joined the game.*
*Eisenhower has joined the game.*
*paTTon has joined the game.*
*Churchill has joined the game.*
*benny-tow has joined the game.*
*T0J0 has joined the game.*
*Roosevelt has joined the game.*
*Stalin has joined the game.*
*deGaulle has joined the game.*
Roosevelt: hey sup
T0J0: y0
Stalin: hi
Churchill: hi
Hitler[AoE]: cool, i start with panzer tanks!
paTTon: lol more like panzy tanks
T0JO: lol
Roosevelt: o this fockin sucks i got a depression!
benny-tow: haha america sux
Stalin: hey hitler you dont fight me i dont fight u, cool?
Hitler[AoE]; sure whatever
Stalin: cool
deGaulle: **** Hitler rushed some1 help
Hitler[AoE]: lol byebye frenchy
Roosevelt: i dont got **** to help, sry
Churchill: wtf the luftwaffle is attacking me
Roosevelt: get antiair guns
Churchill: i cant afford them
benny-tow: u n00bs know what team talk is?
paTTon: stfu
Roosevelt: o yah hit the navajo button guys
deGaulle: eisenhower ur worthless come help me quick
Eisenhower: i cant do **** til rosevelt gives me an army
paTTon: yah hurry the fock up
Churchill: d00d im gettin pounded
deGaulle: this is fockin weak u guys suck
*deGaulle has left the game.*
Roosevelt: im gonna attack the axis k?
benny-tow: with what? ur wheelchair?
benny-tow: lol did u mess up ur legs AND ur head?
Hitler[AoE]: ROFLMAO
T0J0: lol o no america im comin 4 u
Roosevelt: wtf! thats bullsh1t u fags im gunna kick ur asses
T0JO: not without ur harbors u wont! lol
Roosevelt: u little biotch ill get u
Hitler[AoE]: wtf
Hitler[AoE]: america hax, u had depression and now u got a huge fockin army
Hitler[AoE]: thats bullsh1t u hacker
Churchill: lol no more france for u hitler
Hitler[AoE]: tojo help me!
T0J0: wtf u want me to do, im on the other side of the world retard
Hitler[AoE]: fine ill clear you a path
Stalin: WTF u arsshoel! WE HAD A FoCKIN TRUCE
Hitler[AoE]: i changed my mind lol
benny-tow: haha
benny-tow: hey ur losing ur guys in africa im gonna need help in italy soon sum1
T0J0: o **** i cant help u i got my hands full
Hitler[AoE]: im 2 busy 2 help
Roosevelt: yah thats right ***** im comin for ya
Stalin: church help me
Churchill: like u helped me before? sure ill just sit here
Stalin: dont be an arss
Churchill: dont be a commie. oops too late
Eisenhower: LOL
benny-tow: hahahh oh sh1t help
Hitler: o man ur focked
paTTon: oh what now biotch
Roosevelt: whos the cripple now lol
*benny-tow has been eliminated.*
benny-tow: lame
Roosevelt: gj patton
paTTon: thnx
Hitler[AoE]: WTF eisenhower hax hes killing all my sh1t
Hitler[AoE]: quit u hacker so u dont ruin my record
Eisenhower: Nuts!
benny~tow: wtf that mean?
Eisenhower: meant to say nutsack lol finger slipped
paTTon: coming to get u hitler u paper hanging hun cocksocker
Stalin: rofl
T0J0: HAHAHHAA
Hitler[AoE]: u guys are fockin gay
Hitler[AoE]: ur never getting in my city
*Hitler[AoE] has been eliminated.*
benny~tow: OMG u noob you killed yourself
Eisenhower: ROFLOLOLOL
Stalin: OMG LMAO!
Hitler[AoE]: WTF i didnt click there omg this game blows
*Hitler[AoE] has left the game*
paTTon: hahahhah
T0J0: WTF my teammates are n00bs
benny~tow: shut up noob
Roosevelt: haha wut a moron
paTTon: wtf am i gunna do now?
Eisenhower: yah me too
T0J0: why dont u attack me o thats right u dont got no ships lololol
Eisenhower: fock u
paTTon: lemme go thru ur base commie
Stalin: go to hell lol
paTTon: fock this sh1t im goin afk
Eisenhower: yah this is gay
*Roosevelt has left the game.*
Hitler[AoE]: wtf?
Eisenhower: sh1t now we need some1 to join
*tru_m4n has joined the game.*
tru_m4n: hi all
T0J0: hey
Stalin: sup
Churchill: hi
tru_m4n: OMG OMG OMG i got all his stuff!
tru_m4n: NUKES! HOLY **** I GOT NUKES
Stalin: d00d gimmie some plz
tru_m4n: no way i only got like a couple
Stalin: omg dont be gay gimmie nuculer secrets
T0J0: wtf is nukes?
T0J0: holy ****holy****hoyl****!
*T0J0 has been eliminated.*
*The Allied team has won the game!*
Eisenhower: awesome!
Churchill: gg noobs no re
T0J0: thats bull**** u fockin suck
*T0J0 has left the game.*
*Eisenhower has left the game.*
Stalin: next game im not going to be on ur team, u guys didnt help me for ****
Churchill: wutever, we didnt need ur help neway dumbarss
tru_m4n: l8r all
benny~tow: bye
Churchill: l8r
Stalin: fock u all
tru_m4n: shut up commie lol
*tru_m4n has left the game.*
benny~tow: lololol u commie
Churchill: ROFL
Churchill: bye commie
*Churchill has left the game.*
*benny~tow has left the game.*
Stalin: i hate u all fags
*Stalin has left the game.*
paTTon: lol no1 is left
paTTon: weeeee i got a jeep
*paTTon has been eliminated.*
paTTon: o sh1t!
*paTTon has left the game.*

[HamiltonJay]

California consistently rates 50th out of 50 in educational ratings.... add to it the sad messed up fact of having to be a high schooler living in San Francisco...... where your teachers are likely using your locker room as anonymous bath houses... frankly I’m suprised they can even write a sentence.