Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: I Wish I Were Black! As a teacher of 5th grade students, I try to make sure that my students have a good sense of all the people and cultures that make up this country. Last couple weeks, I paid special attention to the African American people who have made significant contributions to the US. We read a book written by Walter Dean Myers. We have studied scientists, writers, and political figures. Students were very engaged and interested in the content. Yesterday something happened that puzzled me. Three of my White students told me that they wished they were Black. This was not my intention when I planned all my lessons on contributions of African Americans. How should I address this issue? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) You said that you wanted for all of your students to "have a good sense of all the people and cultures that make up this country." I think to address the three students who came up to you, you have to make sure that you address their culture as well and the contributions that white people have made to this country. Sometimes I feel like this idea is implied too much. Many teachers, me included, believe that since this is America that everybody already knows what white people did. Since you are teaching 5th graders they might not know exactly what contributions their ancestors made to this country. It is just assumed that they know but they were never told exactly what Americans did what. Just make sure that you really do highlight all the different cultures that helped make up the US and not assume that they already know.