{via here}
Today we discussed South Africa. Specifically, the apartheid in South Africa.
My students were pretty intrigued. Three of the rows represented the oppressed black Africans. The other four of the rows were the rich, white {unkind} individuals who oppressed the black Africans.
Rows one, two, and three stood up and said, "That's not fair!" {maybe I simplify things too much}
...and then we discussed how brave Nelson Mandela...
...and how he stood up for all the black South Africans...
...and Adam raised his hand and asked,
"I don't understand. Why did the white people decide that they could boss around the black Africans? Who made them boss?"
good question...
It just doesn't make sense to me {or Adam or any other of my 3rd graders} why on earth one's skin's color could make you the boss of someone else.
I love teaching 3rd graders about civil rights. They get it. They know what is fair and what is not fair. And my students, I'm sure, will make a difference because of this understanding. And for that, I am ever grateful. That's the moral of this teaching-is-the-best-job-ever story.
It's great when their minds have yet to be infiltrated by the older generations in their lives... Hope most of them continue on with this mindset and truly are able to make a difference! :)
ReplyDeleteExactly! They don't have any reason to hate, or even understand why others would act this way. I love it.
ReplyDelete