From: Jean Casey <jcasey>
Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 13:09:58 -0600

And mustn't we also consider that history, and fiction for that matter, are also filtered through the reader's experiences?

And speaking of filtering, let's remember WHO these books are intended for -- the children. Children who haven't achieved the same developmental levels that we have.
 Who are only beginning to be aware that there IS history. For them, getting "just the facts" without a lot of interpretation is probably enough of a struggle. Of course, we strive to open their minds to the greater themes and understanding, but they're just KIDS. They have to start somewhere, and maybe it's enough that it tells When the individual was born, died, and what they did along the way. Information that can come from primary source material, but doesn't require graduate level interpretation.

Sounds, preachy, I know, but I've just finished a morning of trying to make alphabetical order make sense, much less explain to students the intricacies of American history :}

Jean Casey
Received on Fri 03 Nov 2000 01:09:58 PM CST