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I hope this private religious school does not get any form of tax paid funding!
Quote:
The issue of racism in education was at the center of a minor social media storm on January 9, touched off after a parent posted a photo of her son’s homework assignment.
Neither the school nor the teacher were available for comment. On the topic of slavery, the assignment given to 4th graders at Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Wauwatosa asked students to “Give 3 ‘good’ reasons for slaver and 3 bad reason… for presenting an argument.”
Nothing racist about it, since slavery is not inextricably linked to racism. People in power enslave the weak, regardless of skin color.
I'm willing to bet those kids can do a better job spelling than the moron who wrote the article in the link:
“Give 3 ‘good’ reasons for slaver [sic] and 3 bad reason [sic]…
It's a debate question. Debate: Slavery: Good or Bad?
Or are kids not allowed to debate anymore?
There is nothing inherently wrong with the question. It's a critical thinking question that will ultimately lead kids to realize FOR THEMSELVES what slavery truly is.
It could have been worded differently: Why were some people for slavery? Why were some people against slavery?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the assignment. Assuming they were studying the Civil War, I'm guessing to ask 4th graders to present the pros and cons cited by each side at the time it existed isn't something they would understand so the teacher used words like good and bad. The headline writer didn't help matters, either, by making it seem like the assignment was what's good about slavery but then again, that's what they all do these days to get website hits so they can charge more for advertising. They all do it.
It's a debate question. Debate: Slavery: Good or Bad?
Or are kids not allowed to debate anymore?
And "good" is put in quotation marks on the assignment to indicate that the writer herself doesn't assume that there are good reasons for slavery. But this flew right over the heads of the complaining family and probably the "journalists" at the Milwaukee Independent who wrote the article.
When I was in the sixth grade, we split the class up into "northerners" and "southerners" and had a similar debate on slavery and topics such as the merits of an agrarian economy versus the industrial economy of the north at that time. It's an exercise in critical thinking, debate, and understanding history.
That's funny... I know someone who went to that school.
As far as the question goes, I don't know if slavery was the best choice of topic... but I really like what they were attempting to do. If you want to be a good, honest debater, you need to be able to argue your own position, but also the position of your greatest opponents. It's a good thing to learn.
Is it possible that the teacher was in a hurry and just worded it poorly?
If the teacher wrote: "give three reasons how slavery supporters attempted to justify the evil the institution" - would there be any controversy?
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...but look at the photograph of the completed assignment. It was just way beyond the capacity of that student, and his mother.