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 think that this is a difficult topic for teachers to effectively relate to their students. You must teach the curriculum and it takes some exploration and research to find the most effective ways to teach this issue without offending certain people. When talking about racism in slavery it is common for white students to become offensive because they feel that they were not the ones who committed these horrible acts but yet they feel associated and somewhat responsible. Making sure that the students understand that not all white people favored slavery is important. It is more the views, beliefs, morals, and values of an individual that make them who they are. You could talk about how white people can be stereotyped as "bad" or "immoral" people but discuss historical figures who were white and opposed to slavery.