“An Incomplete Education” ?
I have this one, but it’s packed away in a box, so I can’t get the author’s name.
Stoidela, I am curious as to why you feel this is so important, and why you chose FDR as your starting point.
Extra points if you can spell Sistine correctly. 
To the OP, how about being able to identify what school a painting is from visual id? Like that a Monet is impressionist or that a Picasso is Cubist. That implies real education in art, not just memorizing famous pictures.
The book “Cultural Literacy” by Ed Hirsch covers this topic. It is geared for Americans. There is a followup - “The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy.”
And Dinsdale, you should be asking about swallows (African or European), not sparrows. For shame! 
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl *
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No, you shouldn’t feel stupid, pepper, I really don’t think that stuff is common knowledge, or even in the category of the OP. I just really like English History.
Aw, jeeze!
I feel like such a dumbass.
Pardon me while I go and repeatedly slam my head in a door.
Hm… why do I need to know the beatles again?
Correct.
William the Conqueror was the father of William Rufus (who inherited the English throne when he died) and Henry I (who inherited the throne when William Rufus died).
Henry I’s daughter, Matilda was his heir, but Stephen (Henry’s nephew) usurped the throne upon Henry’s death. Matilda married Geoffrey of Anjou, who was nicknamed “Plantagenet” (because of the planta genesta, which was native to Anjou). Geoffrey, though never king of England, was believed to be the first person to use “Plantagenet” and is probably the best candidate for being the “father” of said line.
Matilda and Geoffrey had several sons, and the eldest, Henry, inherited the throne as Henry II upon Stephen’s death. Henry, as mentioned above, was the father of Richard the Lionhearted and John.
Richard III was indeed the last Plantagenet king, though it should be noted that Henry VIII and his offspring had Plantagenet blood in their veins thanks to Elizabeth, Henry VII’s wife.
Besides the obvious americo-centrism (although I doubt I could list the last 5 australian prime ministers, anyway :)), I think expecting people to have read obscure pieces of literature and knowing a specific piece of Beethoven’s music is a bit much. Personally, I hate novels without a story that offer some comment on the human condition. I find Dickens extremely boring, plus a few of the others. Why should I force myself to read the others just to be “educated”. I think knowing things like the scientific method and basic anatomy are much more relevent. Plus the astronomy. Being able to remember rote facts like presidents/prime ministers/kings/queens/whatever seems to indicate the quality of one’s memory rather than their education.
With the operative word educated being open to at least a modicum of interpretation:[ul][li]How to socialize at several levels, whether one is at ease with those who surround you or not[]How to curb one’s tongue, regardless the pain, when to unleash might have been the gut choice[]How to ease the discomfort of others when no one else is willing to step forward[]Methods of hiding one’s true feelings by controlling facial expressions when others might make poorly disguised attempts[]A willingness to sidestep the ‘crowd’, when all those about you have joined the group mentality[/li][sub]ad infinitum[/sub][/ul]
I’d say the ability to take a non-biased, obervational view of happenings; eg. during wartime not to believe all the media and consdier the enemy ‘pigs’ and your country ‘brave lads’ and that you’re in the right (basically every war does this).
Oh, someone said the ability to point out one’s country on a map. Our geography teacher claims that when she asked a class of twenty 11-year-olds to point out Great Britain (they, like, I, actually live there) on a map, and only one could do so. None of the others had a clue where not only their country, but their entire habitual island was situated.
History
Know the starting and end dates of WWI and WWII and who was involved.
Recognise Hitlers name. Extra points for knowing the names and something of the significance of other leading Nazis such as Himmler and Goebels.
Know something of the rise of Communism. For example, that it was created by Marx and Engels and that Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheiviks were instrumental in its implementation in Russia.
Know who Napoleon was.
(if American)
Know the names of the first 5 US presidents and the name of each president since FDR as well as the order in which they were appointed to the presidency.
(If English)
Know who Oliver Cromwell was and the part he played in the English Civil war.
Know (roughly) when the first English Civil war took place.
Know the name of the monarch who was on the throne at that time.
Know who Winston Churchill was and what he did.
** Arts **
Distinguish between paintings by Monet, Picasso, Dali, and Rembrandt.
Know who Shakespeare was, the basic plots of a couple of his most famous plays and, preferrably, to have read one of them.
Same with Dickens.
Know a little about poetry (ie to be able to distinguish between poetry and prose, to know about rhyme and meter)
Know a little about musical theory, ie. 4/4 time, 3/4 time etc…
Know who Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Schubert were and be able to name at least one composition by each.
Know who the Beatles were (not essential but definately important IMO)
** Maths **
Know the times tables up to 12
Know long division / long multiplication
Know how to find the value of x in basic algebra.
Know how to work a scientific calculator.
** Biology **
Know the names of the major organs and their functions
Know about sex and reproduction.
** General Science**
Know about scientific method and be able to implement it (ie, be able to construct a hypothesis and then prove or disprove it).
Know the names of basic scientific equipment (ie, a bunsen burner) and how to use it
** Geography **
Be able to find all the continents.
Be able to find specific countries within those continents
Know the names of at least 3 other currencies and where they are used.
Know how to read a map.
This is really fun, folks! It’ll take me a while before I can put these into a list, and we can see how precisely we can hone it.
Yes, being educated means something far more than the accumulation of a certain mass of facts. But I believe you cannot exhibit educated “behaviors” without familiarity with sufficient facts.
I believe “intelligence”, is largely the act of making comparisons and contrasts. Learning from the past to understand the present and help prepare for the future. You cannot understand where you are, if you have no idea how you got there. And while in-depth knowledge is wonderful, I believe a decent level of “understanding” is possible with far more superficial familiarity with a limited number of diverse facts. I believe there may be a certain minimal fund of information that is required to be able to make such connections/comparisons. So when posing/criticizing a suggested entry, be aware of the “connections” that “fact” make possible.
-We can’t all be Peter Ustinovs, waxing eloquently on any number of topics. But, if you hear some people talking about Goddard and Fellini, you should know they are discussing film.
-If someone makes a comparison to Proust, you should at least know that is likely a common reference to an incredibly long book that more people talk about that have read.
-You should have some awareness of the idea of needing a wheelbarrow of bills to buy food in the Wiemar Republic. Which lends you to economic theory, forward to WWII, back to WWI, and any number of other places.
-And you should know who the Beatles are because so many other people do. It creates a common fund of reference. And if you are not at least minimally aware of the Beatles music (and their history as a band), you are hampered in your ability to understand or discuss any modern music.
-Most importantly, you should make sure you are accurate in your use of MP references. All I can say in my defense is “Burma!” (I panicked.)
Some of these facts are not at all challenging unless there is an age stipulated with them.
Most of them seem to be at the level of 15-16 year old kids.
IMHO the poster who mentioned that education is about the whys and wherefores, especially when it comes to history is closest to what I’d call educational requirements.
Being able to prepare a full meal for a family has to be fairly important, so many men seem unable to do this.
Basic first aid is another.
Understanding enough about engineering, maintenance, electricity to know when you should leave alone and to be able to diagnose and repair simple faults such as a blown fuse(yes I know there can be much more to it than that), recognise when a tyre has low pressure etc, how to put a shelf in place are things everyone should know.
Nowadays being able to understand the differance between types of loans, apr and flat rate interest, mortgages and security, and budget management are all vital but its surprising how many do not, and how many let impulses rule their finances.
I personally think that everyone should have owned pets and be able to recognise when they are suffering certain illnesses.
Everyone should be able to know how to obtain information and use it, wether it is from the library, the internet or advice from a proffessional in a particular field.
Reading certain books is not much use unless you are able to understand or interpret what the author is trying to illustrate, many folk think as an example that Catch22 is merely a funny book.
[hijack 1]
Dry: you quote shakespeare and know your English History?! If I did the crush thing you’d have another mention from me end! 
[/hijack 1]
I did know most of that off the top of my head, except for the life of my I couldn’t remember William Rufus’ name and I had forgotten that bit about Geoff.
[hijack 2]
I’ve read some good historical fiction on the subject (E.H., not just this time period), but with the exception of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, I don’t have any good non-fiction. Can you recommend some books, Dry ?
[/hijack 2]
Of the above listed things, I know/can do:
From Encyclopedia Brittanica: here :"then by the German-Japanese Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union (Nov. 25, 1936). The connection was strengthened by a full military and political alliance between Germany and Italy (the Pact of Steel, May 22, 1939), and the Tripartite Pact signed by all three powers on Sept. 27, 1940. "
OK?
Because I can’t resist - A further English history hijack .
DRY: Henry VII was a Plantagenet by blood as well, a descendant of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster ( 3rd surviving son of Edward III ). Elizabeth was a descendant of Lionel, Duke of Clarence ( 2nd surviving son of Edward III ). The dynastic name change came about because Henry VII claimed the throne as the last male heir to the Lancastrian line, but traced it through his mother, Margaret Beaufort. Just nitpicking .
Oh and to amplify slightly on what pepperlandgirl posted earlier - Hastings was of such great significance because it was the pivotal moment in the definitive reorientation of England ( economically, politically, culturally, and even linguistically ) from Northern Europe to Western Europe.
As to the OP - I like some of what has been said here ( but this thread has become too lengthy for me to expound on each post ). But I think it is a fruitless task from a practical standpoint to sort out which factoids should be included for a well-rounded basic education and which shouldn’t ( or needn’t be ). There is always going to be too much disagreement over what’s important enough to include. Or even how detailed we should get.
But this certainly has value as a fun mental exercise and I’m enjoying all the thoughts .
-Tamerlane
This thread is most interesting!
As a student at the science end of the sciences <-> arts spectrum, I feel that Phobos]'s list (pg 1) is the most applicable, plus the following:
History:
What Phobos said plus:
- Knowledge of the time periods of WW1 and WW2, plus some key involved figures, including Churchill
Geography:
What Phobos said, plus:
- Ability to name the capitals of Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada and preferably more.
Politics:
- Awareness of your country’s political system
- Awareness of NATO, and the European Union
Biology:
Further to Phobos’s suggestion of evolution:
- Awareness of Charles Darwin
Literature/Art:
- Awareness of some basic figures in Literature and the Arts (e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens, Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, Monet, Mozart, Beethoven, the Beatles, Kubrick, Welles and Hitchcock as a basic list)
However, I strongly disagree that having read a particular book, or seen a play/film is required to be considered ‘educated’. Such things are subjective.
Well, why don’t you do “the crush thing”?? Heck, I’ve seen your picture, and you are well worth a mention whether or not you know ANYTHING about English history!
As to English history, I’m not as strong “Post Plantagenet”. However, there are certain periods (particularly the Wars of the Roses), that I know pretty well. MUCH, MUCH, better than Shakespeare, in fact.
This thread shows exactly how obsessed I am with British history (If you ever wanted to discuss British History on the boards, this thread is as good a place as any):
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=28582
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William Rufus didn’t exactly have the longest or most noteable of reigns.
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Sure I could. What historical periods interest you the most?
There’s lots of great stuff on the Wars of the Roses, and as I’ve previously said, that’s my strongest interest. I’m particularly enamored of Thomas Costain’s four book series, covering the beginning of Norman rule down to the last of the Plantagenets:
The Conquering Family
The Magnificent Century
The Three Edwards
The Last Plantagenets
There’s a lot more good stuff out there, though. Tell me what historical period you like (either on this thread, or e-mail me)!
Have you read “The Sunne in Splendour” by Penman? Great book—probably my favorite work of historical fiction. Penman’s other books are quite good, too!