assignment 2

Which of the many values and uses of history raised by Zinn, Becker and Stearns appeals the most to you? Consider this form your perspective as an individual and as a member of a larger society.



I believe the values that Zinn proposed were right on point. We cannot go without history. As teachers we need to give our students the facts, and approach them in a way that will not make the subject at hand bias or one sided. Students only go by what the teacher is telling them. Students don't overstress the point of coming to their own conclusion. Zinn states that we need to give both sides and let the students decide for themselves on how they feel. Zinn's article also points out that we mostly focus on things going on in the US only and not other countries. This isn't a bad thing but its not a good thing either. We need to know what is going on in order to not repeat the mistakes of others.

Becker is stating the facts we are our own historians. In order to move on from past to present and present to the future we need to have our foundation of history to fall back upon. Stearns brings up moral understanding. In his article he says “studying the stories of past individuals and situations allows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense” is crucial for a historian because history effects what happens to you as an individual as well as society as a whole.