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!?

@SummerDays2020

That's awful. At that age having to do something like that would have traumatised me and given me nightmares. Probably would still feel like that if I was made to do it now.

Ffs don't be so dramatic.

The teacher probably thinks its a fun way to engage learning and for the homework to be completed.

Nightmares?!

@Pumperthepumper why would the teachers gender be necessary in this thread

[quote TonyBlairsLover]@Pumperthepumper why would the teachers gender be necessary in this thread[/quote]
Who said it was necessary?

@ballsdeep I agree, how will they grow up to function if homework upsets them

just a bit of fun ?

@Pumperthepumper you because you’re obviously trying to silently shovel your agenda

I don’t even know what that means. What agenda?

Wow, how edgy

"Edgy" was not even a thing in the early 90s. My grim beheading homework had me engage with the history lesson.. and surely that is the main thing a teacher wants.. for their pupils to engage and be interested.

@Moser85

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

Mercy, mercy!

Really weird. I’d have big concerns about a teacher who thought setting that is appropriate. I mean, where does the ‘fun’ stop, as long as a ‘Tudor’ could build it? I wouldn’t let my child do it but I might be tempted to email the school some stills from ‘Saw III’ or similar where someone is being hideously tortured and say ‘this, but made with wood I guess… will this do for the history teacher’s torture porn wank bank?’

I don't think it's a terrible homework. It will really engage some of the children in the class.

‘Some’ being the young psychopathic killers in the making? I suppose it would be telling to see who enjoys it most…

I think its an innovative way to get kids interested in tudor history! Can't say it would be something I could get worked up about!

I think being asked to design a Saw trap is a bit much. But I don't see any problem with learning about the torture methods.

I don't think it's worth mentioning to the head, either. A lot of disparaging comments about the teacher being inexperienced and young (and male). We all have to start somewhere and we all make mistakes.

But was no one else sick to death of learning about the Tudors in history at school? I must have studied them on at least five separate occasions.

I understand the significance regarding the Church of England etc but it was always the same old shite.

We learn from history sanitising its brutality is unwise. It's supposed to civilise the young by teaching them ho futile it all is in the end

@wanttomarryamillionaire

I think its an innovative way to get kids interested in tudor history! Can't say it would be something I could get worked up about!

So, should we get them to design a Russian torture method to get them interested in the current war with Ukraine?

I think what would've been a more interesting take is what torture could you do that inflicts no injuries/actual pain?

Sensory deprivation, music on a loop, one coloured room etc.

Still 'torture' but not painful.

Having to come up with a new non painful torture method.

Like having to listen to BOris' 'unprecedented times' speeches back to back.

@EV117

I don't think it's a terrible homework. It will really engage some of the children in the class.

‘Some’ being the young psychopathic killers in the making? I suppose it would be telling to see who enjoys it most…

I would have loved this homework. Am still waiting for my psychopathic tendencies to come through.

I'm beginning to understand what 'the snowflake generation' means. Parents can't protect their children from any kind of unpleasantness they may meet in life.

@Snoozer11

I think being asked to design a Saw trap is a bit much. But I don't see any problem with learning about the torture methods.

I don't think it's worth mentioning to the head, either. A lot of disparaging comments about the teacher being inexperienced and young (and male). We all have to start somewhere and we all make mistakes.

But was no one else sick to death of learning about the Tudors in history at school? I must have studied them on at least five separate occasions.

I understand the significance regarding the Church of England etc but it was always the same old shite.

I guess with the saw traps, was that they were ment to in General survive them and learn to appreciate their lives.

My first instinct - as an absolute pacifist, vegan and past writer of Amnesty International protest letters - was this sounded like a creative way to show an understanding of historical punishment and the reasons they wanted to extract indignation under such duress. I read history books about iron maidens aged 13! Also read lots about witch trials and stakes and dunking and found it intriguing! Having read all the replies, I feel like an evil sadist! I honestly didn’t see the issue at first. Prepared to admit I’m an absolute minority. But maybe give the teacher a break in case they grew up on gory history like me and isn’t just a nutter.

@EV117

Really weird. I’d have big concerns about a teacher who thought setting that is appropriate. I mean, where does the ‘fun’ stop, as long as a ‘Tudor’ could build it? I wouldn’t let my child do it but I might be tempted to email the school some stills from ‘Saw III’ or similar where someone is being hideously tortured and say ‘this, but made with wood I guess… will this do for the history teacher’s torture porn wank bank?’

The saw traps originally built by John Kramer, were never originally intended to kill, mainly it was up to the people to survive and regain their appreciation for their lives, admitting not all traps seemed designed that way, but that was jigsaws original philosophy.

• confessions, not indignation! Strange autocorrect

I think some of the reaction - and why I dislike a lot of Horrible Histories stuff - on here stems from an assumption, articulated or not, that people in the past weren't quite the same as us and therefore we can be voyeuristic and comedic about some of the really harrowing stuff they went through. Like many PPs have said, designing a new experiment for Dr Mengele or a way to kill Vietnamese children instantly registers as a horrifically inappropriate idea, but if the people being tortured weren't modern plenty of people on here lose sight of that.

Sounds similar to homework I had a few decades ago around that age after visiting the Clink museum, it’s one of the few trips I remember. Bit strange now looking back.

‘We are great with kids’ still voted a trip for kids, I remember we all loved it at the time www.clink.co.uk/