Though the popular culture industry’s main intention is to entertain, their productions serve educational purposes as well. Some may feel that they are bias and provide students with a distorted view of history, however, movies and cartoons have the power to teach students in a way that teachers and parents cannot. They are indeed a valuable approach to learning history. They develop students’ knowledge of history and make them more eager to learn by stimulating interest. Although the popular culture industry may promote mythology and misinformation, learning history through the use of movies and cartoons presents many benefits to students and is an essential determinant in understanding the past.
Movies and cartoons are an excellent way for students to develop a sense of patriotism. Patriotism is not a quality that someone acquires suddenly, but one that must be taught at a young age, primarily to students. In Liberty Kids, students are able to learn about the origins of the United States and the events surrounding the American Revolution. From this show, students discern that in order for their country to be free, people had to fight for that freedom at one time. Moreover, patriotism cannot be learned through lectures alone. Taking notes about a country’s involvement in a particular event will not instigate patriotism in a student as effectively as movies and cartoons. In Pearl Harbour, for example, although the story line is somewhat embellished, there lies truth in that the event pulled America together. Pearl Harbour gives an accurate depiction of the Americans’ heroic attempts of resisting the Japanese and embeds students with feelings of pride and attachment to their country. Furthermore, music in movies and cartoons can also establish a student’s sense of patriotism. In The Patriot, the military music in the background glorifies the American victories and helps students recognizes the important role their country played in the war. It is for...