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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 it is important for all students to understand that slavery, no matter how dark a time in our nation, is a part of our history. I we don't educate ourselves on historical times such as that, we often make wrong assumptions because we don't know the whole story. While your White students seem to be sensitive to the topic, I think they should think about how the African American students feel and how their ancestors felt during that time. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it and it I think that is the important message to send to all the students in your class. |
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