World Geography Lesson Plans

Hannity interviewed a student from Overland yesterday on his radio show. This student said the class section that Bennish taught was an Advanced
Geography class but this student had transferred to a regular class this term because the regular class was further progressed than Bennish's "advanced" class. The student reported that Bennish frequently "wandered off topic" during class lecture time.

Is this any different than a biology teacher "wandering off topic" to mention creationism?

I believe you raise a good point.

 

From his speech:

"I just keep waiting. I mean, at some point in time I think America and Mexico might go to war again, you know? Any time Mexico plays the USA in a soccer match, what can be heard chanting all game long? (student answer — unintelligible) Pretty close. Pretty close. Now, do all Mexicans dislike the United States? No. Do all Americans dislike Mexico? No. But there's a lot of resentment, not just in Mexico, but all across the whole world, towards America right now."

You just know this guy is a regular poster in the BS politics forum!

 

Got any idea what his screen name is?

 

Why is this national news and my 9th grade civics teacher, a member of the John Birch Society, is unknown outside of my home town, and indeed, probably largely anonymous even there? I mean, he didn't even make it into the paper when the local American Legion chapter asked him to resign his post after he said in a letter to the paper (sent on Legion letterhead) that the Government -- specifically the Clinton administration -- probably had something to do with the OK City bombing, or even if they didn't they had it coming. I mean... he didn't get suspended from teaching or anything. Now, it might've been because he was only a couple years from retirement. But anyway, back to my original question... why is this national news?

My guess is it has something to do with hyper-sensitive blog-addicts and rant-radio fans, but I could be wrong.

 

I guess it depends on your definition of national news. Both the Washington Post and The New York Times picked up a short story moved by the Associated Press. Outside of Hannity & Colmes, I don't know of anybody else covering it.

I would also see a difference between writing a letter to the editor and getting up in front of a high school class and making those comments, though. Although, interestingly Bennish's lawyer apparently does not, as he is threatening to sue because the teacher's First Amendment rights were violated.

To me, the comments weren't offensive nor inappropriate for a college class. I'm not so sure I'd say the same thing for a high school class, though. While I think high school students certainly have the ability to evaluate and make constructive counter-arguments--well, at least theoretically, I also think the power differential might be such that it would be intimidating to the students.

Finally, the best professors/teachers I've had challenged me to think, yet when I left their classes, I wasn't sure where they personally stood morally or politically, as they challenged assumptions, arguments, assertions from both sides of the political spectrum. It doesn't sound like this was Bennish's teaching MO, though.

 

That's my point about the guy from my home town. The letter that got him removed from his American Legion office didn't get him removed from the classroom. Furthermore, my entire 9th grade civics class came heavily tinged with a John Birch Society perspective, and I suspect that he didn't modify his approach all that much from then until he actually retired. It wasn't good teaching at all.

Nor was it effective indoctrination. Which is why I don't think anyone outside of the school district in Colorado should be worried about it.

 

Sacramento and SF Bay Area media covered it.

Latest is that Bennish has withdrawn his threat of a suit.

On a side note, Bennish's lawyer is the same guy that was/is defending Ward Churchill, they guy that called the WTC victims "little Eichmans." Any linkage here?

I agree we can be challenging our HS students to do more thinking on their own. Maybe even let them hear opposing arguments to the idea that my great-great-grandfather x about 1 trillion crawled out of a pool of slime and headed for the fridge for a beer.

Yep, my best college profs were the same. And I did have one like Bennish but even then he challenged students to face him down in class if they disagreed. Some did. I never really new for sure if he truly was as far left as he appeared but if he was, he never broke character.

 

Geography and Geology are different subjects. Geology is about rocks and plate tectonics. Geography is about nations, resources, and how they relate to one another. You are looking for Geography lessons in the wrong place. Try looking for Political Geography lesson plans. Q

 

Well at least I'm not the only one that caught that...