I learned today that about 50% of American school kids...?

Question

think Germany and the US were on the same side, fighting the Russians in WWII.

Have you encountered this downright bizarre conception in talking with young people?

ATO, I'm looking for the link right now. It was published by a national polling agency, and I believe the polls were taken largely in rural America. I'll try to find the exact article I read.

Right now there is a post on Q&A where some young person is wondering why the swastika is illegal in Germany: read some of the asnwers. They seem to indicate that this 'confusion' exists:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlwYFpu9J7qgZOfRQ_GlKM3sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070930082402AAZrtOr&show=7#profile-info-sNRnx3DKaa

plush penguin | that's a reasonable and somewhat reassuring take.

Though still , given what Hitler was about, you have to wonder what it is that they do bother to teach in our schools.

Answer 1

Your statement doesn't surprise me. There seems to be a dumbing down in American society. And in some circles, it is politically incorrect to have pride in your country or heritage, depending on race. In this case, history is largely ignored so as not to stir any feelings of pride. Therefore, the facts that do surface from time to time are distorted with out the proper teachings to verify the facts.

Answer 2

This percent was probably gotten by asking school kids a question such as "True or False: The Germans allied with the US against the Russians in WWII". If students answered "True" to this question it shows that they know absolutely nothing about WWII, not that they really believe this particular fact to be true. The study your referring to was meant to show that most kids know very little about history, and so the children just guessed, and were wrong 50% of the time, which is equal to chance. The percentage given is only meant to show that the students guessed, not to show that there is a wide spread belief that WWII was fought against the Russians. The survey takers could have asked if
WWII was fought against Japan, and probably just as many students would have gotten it wrong.

Answer 3

plush penguin is exactly correct. This is directly related to the teaching (or lack thereof) of history in the schools. However, the subject of history is not alone in being ‘untaught.’ Geography, math, hard science, literature, and certainly reading and writing, have all been deemphasized. Evidence of this is not difficult to find, simply review the curriculum of your local public school. Short of that, look at both the questions and answers here in Yahoo/Answers, they are rife with obvious lack of simple knowledge and lacking abilities to write a clear concise sentence.

Answer 4

With so many days off for vacations and "special religious" holidays, plus the total breakdown of discipline in schools, lack of respect for teachers, and parents who lack the ability to instil any sense of responsibility into their kids, to strive to become fully contributing members of adult society some day, the only thing that amazes me is that any of them learn anything at all.

Answer 5

I have encountered abysmal knowledge of history before, and the little they knew mixed with what they 'learned' from pseudo-historical films and cartoons. It was hilarious. It made me want to cry. Alas, it was not consigned to children who at least have the excuse that they are in the process of learning.

Answer 6

I bet they know who won American Idol Season 4.

Answer 7

I have learned that 70% of baltimore school kids think there are 52 states. ask them in your area, you almost never get the right answer.

Answer 8

Haven't run across that or any other generalization in the news about dumb American grade school kids.

Answer 9

I'm surprised history is taught at all anymore...

Answer 10

no, never in my entire lifetime.

how old were these "young people"