Teachers - Is it really time to teach 1984?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

A very interesting article on the pros and cons of teaching the classic "1984" amid the current political climate.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Is-It-Really-Time-to-Teach/239157

[BlobVanDam]

I love it when you get political.

[romdrums]

[Chino]

I vote no on this. I'd rather see civics properly taught.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

   That was awesome.

[El Barto]

Yeah, I think you should teach kids that no matter how fucking miserable it is you can always look forward to the final eight minutes.

[Stadler]

Yeah, I think you should teach kids that no matter how fucking miserable it is you can always look forward to the final eight minutes.

"Girl Gone Bad" and "House of Pain"?  I'm down with that. 

One of my favorite albums. 

[Anguyen92]

Someone should make an article called "Teachers - Is it really time to teach Brave New World?" and to inform students that repeating phrases over and over again does not equal creative writing.

[IDontNotDoThings]

 

[TAC]

Someone should make an article called "Teachers - Is it really time to teach Brave New World?" and to inform students that repeating phrases over and over again does not equal creative writing.

And 3 is not necessarily greater than 2. 

[cramx3]

 

Yes to 1984 and Brave New World!  Throw in some Lord of the Flies as well.

Which funny enough, all 3 of those books I had to read in grade school. (as well as Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but that was a long poem not really a novel)

[hefdaddy42]

Great article, would read again.

And yes, it should be taught.

[axeman90210]

that was fantastic.

[Dr. DTVT]

(as well as Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but that was a long poem not really a novel

Why read that when there is a perfectly good Iron Maiden song that that improves on the whole thing?

[cramx3]

(as well as Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but that was a long poem not really a novel

Why read that when there is a perfectly good Iron Maiden song that that improves on the whole thing?

I didnt know that at the time!  My group in class got assigned that reading and to do a class presentation on it... a few years later I was so excited to find out IM had a song about it and that their story of it was very accurate (plus the performance with the slow part really gave you a feeling of the desertion) whereas BNW and LotF are more loosely based on the novels.

[Ben_Jamin]

The cool thing is My 7th grade teacher had us evaluate that song. Then he played the entire album after we took our test.

[DebraKadabra]

There was a time when 1984, Lord of the Flies, and To Kill a Mockingbird were all mandatory reading in school. *insert the "back in MY day"*

 

[cramx3]

Hey Deb, To Kill A Mockingbird, add that to my school reading too.  Add Animal Farm too. 

Honestly, I don't even remember actually reading these books although I know I wrote papers on them, but some of them, thanks to metal music influences convinced me to go back a re-read them after I graduated college.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Trying to remember the books we were tasked with reading.  Catcher in the Rye, Huck Finn (worst book ever), The Chocolate War, Fahrenheit 451, 1984.  I think.  Possibly Brave New World.  Of note, a LOT of us liked the Chocolate War so much that we willingly checked out the sequel and read it without it being required reading.

[hefdaddy42]

Huckleberry Finn cannot possibly be the worst book ever as long as Jane Eyre exists.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I didn't even make it a quarter of the way through Huck Finn.  I just could not stay focused on it, no matter what.  Maybe if I read it nowadays, it would be a different experience, but I doubt it.

[DebraKadabra]

Hey Deb, To Kill A Mockingbird, add that to my school reading too.  Add Animal Farm too. 

Yeah, Animal Farm was another one I was required to read.

[Adami]

I say we ditch all them there books and make Dianetics the only required reading.