DD being asked to design a torture method for homework??

[milkysmum]

DD has been set her history homework for this week. She has to design a ' new Tudor Torture device'. Draw it, label it etc and explain why it would be more effective than previous know torture devices! AIBU that this is a bit unnecessary? They are year 8. Do they really need to be encouraged to think of new ways to torture people!?

I don’t see anything wrong with this. If you look past the “design the device” bit, they have to take design ideas from things learnt about Tudor torture methods and discuss what sort of information they’d be trying to get extract. Thus they have to show understanding of Tudor torture methods and motivations. It’s just meant to be fun, imaginative and engaging. I highly doubt anyone is going to come to harm as a result of this.

Sounds like an idea to get them thinking creatively. Just a bit of fun, doesn’t need to be taken too seriously after all they’re not going to try it out on each other. I bet this task gets them all talking. Some will love it but like anything you can’t please everyone.

I'd have a problem with this.

No way. Massively inappropriate. Who dreams up this warped shit ?

This is awful! I would be telling the school she is not doing it.

Wow! I’m a History teacher and this is not appropriate. It is important that these things are taught about but this activity is not furthering the learning at all so it’s pointless homework anyway. Torture devices shouldn’t be something you have fun being creative with - these topics should be approached respectfully whether you are teaching 20th or 16th century History…. I’d imagine this is an inexperienced teacher who would benefit from having the insensitivity of the activity pointed out!

@DragonMovie

I don’t see anything wrong with this. If you look past the “design the device” bit, they have to take design ideas from things learnt about Tudor torture methods and discuss what sort of information they’d be trying to get extract. Thus they have to show understanding of Tudor torture methods and motivations. It’s just meant to be fun, imaginative and engaging. I highly doubt anyone is going to come to harm as a result of this.

The problem is introducing ‘fun’ through violence. Especially when there are loads of ways to be creative and fun in a Tudor Topic. Like, design a meal for Henry VIII using knowledge of the foods available at the time. Design a way to heat a castle without electricity. Design a new gown for a Tudor princess.

I'd say something like - listening to a small child talk about their favourite youtuber on repeat.

Bet it’s the one homework task that 99% of the kids complete!

Its imaginative, descriptive, then arguing why it’s better and then a challenge activity. Apart from the actual task seems well thought out!

The problem is introducing ‘fun’ through violence. Especially when there are loads of ways to be creative and fun in a Tudor Topic. Like, design a meal for Henry VIII using knowledge of the foods available at the time. Design a way to heat a castle without electricity. Design a new gown for a Tudor princess

In year 7/8, we had a task set to act out a bit of Tudor history. I did a beheading. Used a pillow case and a soft toy for the "head".

I know my DD would find this fascinating. So would I tbh. I’d be interested in finding out what she decides and why.

If the lesson was a
design and technology and it was being linked to their history subject, inventing a time travel machine would be more light-hearted

@HikingforScenery

I know my DD would find this fascinating. So would I tbh. I’d be interested in finding out what she decides and why.

Same.

I wonder what the DD thinks? OP has not mentioned that at all.

Sounds like an idea to get them thinking creatively. Just a bit of fun, doesn’t need to be taken too seriously after all they’re not going to try it out on each other. I bet this task gets them all talking. Some will love it but like anything you can’t please everyone.

Maybe the homework should have been to devise an alternative murder method to beheading a man's wife because he is bored of her. Just a bit of fun. Doesn’t need to be taken too seriously after all they’re not going to try it out on each other.

As a pp said, there is no way of knowing whether anyone in a child's family has been tortured. It is so inappropriate.

Meh YABU. I would’ve enjoyed doing that in class, it appeals to year 8s IMO

We covered the Spanish inquisitions the guillotine, hung drawn and quartered, heads put on poles the rack, bed of nails and more in history. . She'll be hard pushed to beat those

Wow, massive clanger. Assuming it's an inexperienced teacher...

@XenoBitch

The problem is introducing ‘fun’ through violence. Especially when there are loads of ways to be creative and fun in a Tudor Topic. Like, design a meal for Henry VIII using knowledge of the foods available at the time. Design a way to heat a castle without electricity. Design a new gown for a Tudor princess

In year 7/8, we had a task set to act out a bit of Tudor history. I did a beheading. Used a pillow case and a soft toy for the "head".

Wow, how edgy.

@Pumperthepumper lovely bit of casual sexism

Where?

It's horrible, inappropriate and, as someone who used to lecture in history, I feel that it's sending a really bad message about how you should approach history. One of its strengths and possibilities as a subject is that it grows empathy and understanding of the 'other' by requiring you to see people in the past as just as real and complex as people now but also quite different in many ways. This approach to historical torture is dehumanizing and so really undermines that. Absolutely no one would be fine with this if the subject was torture in the twentieth century, so the underlying message is that people were somehow less fully people the further back in time you go, which isn't that uncommon (schools often seem to teach the plague as a topic ripe for comedy) but it's just really bad history.

@Pumperthepumper assuming the teacher was male because all men are so evil

[quote TonyBlairsLover]@Pumperthepumper assuming the teacher was male because all men are so evil [/quote]
You’re assuming I’m female then?

@Pumperthepumper no I’m not

So you’re assuming I’m male, and think all men are evil?