History textbooks in the United States are far too fact-based and even

Question

History textbooks in the United States are far too fact-based and even have the ability to make students feel as though all history is made up of “Quick-Facts” and diagrams, not dynamic events to be critically analyzed. Furthermore, it is often the case that textbooks are given undue authority in determining the curriculum; many teachers simply “teach the book.”

This is particularly disturbing when considering the fact that state committees for choosing textbooks often treat them, in the words of Sandra Wong, “more like encyclopedias of facts than as cultural products that convey values and perspectives” when deciding which ones to pick. In her article “Evaluating the Content of Textbooks: Public Interests and Professional Authority,” Wong discusses how textbook committees are rarely concerned with the actual substance of the writing in the textbooks they evaluate, and are far more interested in things like “charts, illustrations, and introductory outlines.”

What, then, would be a better tool to use in the high school classroom than textbooks or timelines for creating an effective learning environment that could reflect the dynamic nature of historical study? Out of all the various alternatives—going to plays, hearing speakers, listening to music, using interactive online resources, elucidating connections to students’ personal lives by going to local history museums or having students write autobiographical essays, etc.—the most promising is, by far, film. Movies are a magnificent way into history for even the most resistant naysayer of historical study. Film is a hugely popular medium with endless numbers of historically based works—everything from documentaries to dramas—that not only present facts, but dramatize the human relations behind those facts.

The main critique presented against the use of historical film in the classroom is, of course, the existence of rampant inaccuracies and biases laced throughout these films, not to mention the agendas of the filmmakers themselves. However, some historians believe that these seeming flaws are actually part of the reason why film is an ideal teaching tool—not only does it allow students to see history come to life, and thus interact with it dynamically, as well as make history immediately accessible to a modern audience because of the techniques used in filmmaking, but it can also foster deep critical thinking skills if instructors lead dialogues after film viewings about the inaccuracies, the biases, and all of the things that make the film not just a record of a historical event, but also a reflection of the modern moment.    1 
 1. Which of the following is not cited by the passage as an alternative method for historical study?

(A) Listening to music
(B) Attending a lecture
(C) Volunteering at an archeology dig
(D) Writing a personal statement
(E) Watching a film

2 
 2. The purpose of the passage is to

(A) support the film industry
(B) criticize government education policies
(C) advocate a new process for textbook adoption
(D) propose increased use of a particular didactic tool
(E) denigrate an established philosophy

3  
 3. According to the passage, a problem with state committee textbook selection is

(A) the lack of education of the committee members
(B) misplaced priorities
(C) the dominance of larger states
(D) valuing perspectives instead of facts
(E) personal prejudices

4  
 4. The purpose of the last paragraph is to

(A) acknowledge an insurmountable obstacle
(B) raise and undermine an objection
(C) reassert the need for alternative educational tools
(D) admit a flaw in a preferred alternative
(E) advocate more interactive instruction

5  
 5. The passage implies which of the following?

(A) Students can benefit from exposure to inaccurate accounts of history.
(B) Students today prefer music to film.
(C) Students today are functional illiterates.
(D) Students today prefer charts to opinions.
(E) Students today should not be exposed to political agendas.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

1. Which of the following is not cited by the passage as an alternative method for historical study?

To answer a question of this type, find the other four choices in the text. In the third paragraph,  (A)  is mentioned verbatim.

Choice (B) is justified by “hearing speakers,” and (D) by “write autobiographical essays.” Choice (E) is mentioned explicitly. Therefore, (C) is the correct answer to this Except question.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

2. The purpose of the passage is to  
 
The passage, after establishing problems with textbooks, proposes film as a vehicle for teaching history. Since film is mentioned as a current alternative, it is being used now to teach history, but the author would like to expand this use.  “Didactic”  means  “intended to instruct,”  so films used to teach history would certainly qualify as a  “didactic tool.”  Thus,  (D)  is correct.

Choice (A)  is out of scope and ignores the educational thrust.  Choices (B)  and  (C)  are out of scope and do not include the bulk of the passage, which propose film as a learning tool.  Choice (E)  is too negative—a GRE author would not  “denigrate” —and  “philosophy”  is an inappropriate word for the passage (using textbooks is hardly a  “philosophy”  so much as just a common practice). 
 
  Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

3. According to the passage, a problem with state committee textbook selection is

The answer to Detail questions must be found in the text. The second paragraph quotes Wong to assert that committees wrongly value facts over perspectives, thus justifying  “misplaced priorities,”  which matches (B). Leaving aside their merits, (A), (C), and (E) are not mentioned in the passage and outside knowledge is not allowed.  Choice (D)  is the opposite of the correct answer. 
  
  Answer:   B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

4. The purpose of the last paragraph is to

The final paragraph begins by mentioning the main criticism of this proposal but then argues that this supposed flaw is in fact a virtue and a golden opportunity. Thus,  choice (B)  is correct.

Choices (A)  and  (D)  ignore the author’s rebuttal to the criticism.

Choice (C)  is problematic as the paragraph is concerned with one particular tool—film.

Choice (E)  ignores both the criticism and rebuttal and merely mentions an out-of-context detail.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

5. The passage implies which of the following?

In the  last paragraph , the passage states that the main critique of the use of films to teach history is their  “rampant inaccuracies and biases.”  Then, the author goes on to argue that this can be a positive:  “these seeming flaws are actually part of the reason why film is an ideal teaching tool,”  because teachers can lead discussions of the film’s problems and biases. Thus, the author certainly argues that students can benefit from exposure to inaccurate accounts of history (not that students would always benefit, but that students can benefit when the inaccurate film is accompanied by critical analysis). The other choices cannot be justified.

Choice (B)  does not have to follow; the passage only lists music and film as alternatives.

Choice (C)  is too extreme.

Choice (D)  is a preference of the state committees, not the students.

Choice (E)  is backwards—the last paragraph states that students can benefit by such exposure. 
 
  Answer: A

History textbooks in the United States are far too fact-based and even

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