Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Why Should I Listen? As part of my 7th grade Social Studies curriculum, I have to talk about slavery, the civil rights movement, etc. The topic ultimately leads to a discussion of how Whites oppressed Blacks. I try to present these topics in a way that does not suggest any guilt. This year, one of my students had a very bad reaction. When we were talking about the civil rights, John, one of my well-behaved but opinionated students, got up and said that he did not want to listen to this lesson anymore, because all we did was to demonize the White people. Three other students openly agreed with him saying that these topics made them angry. I have to cover these topics because they are a part of my curriculum. Also, I believe in the importance teaching children about these inequalities. However, it seems like the way I teach, which is mainly based on lectures and small group work, is making my White students uncomfortable. What should I do to make sure that my White students do not feel offended by these topics? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I have faced similar issues when teaching To Kill a Mockingbird because understanding the novel and the context of the novel relies on student understanding of oppression, slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement. I think that, one way to avoid a group of your students feeling so uncomfortable that they don't want to participate, would be to allow students to make connections to oppression, slavery, and Civil Rights Movements that are happening in the present, as well as similar situations that occurred in different parts of the world. I think, too, it would be beneficial for students to work together to create solutions to specific problems. Although students should feel offended, I don't think that making students feel uncomfortable is always a bad thing; in the "real world," there are always uncomfortable situations, and it's our job as educators to teach students how to deal with these situations.