Comments on: Bill Ayers Is Worse Than a Terrorist. He’s An Ed School Professor http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/25/bill-ayers-is-worse-than-a-terrorist/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:22:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Melissa Newman http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/25/bill-ayers-is-worse-than-a-terrorist/#comment-3251 Melissa Newman Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:28:46 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=345#comment-3251 There is an issue I have been having with the Core Knowledge Sequence on how it deals with Slavery in America. This issue to taught to the children starting in Kindergarten or 1st grade. It becomes the foundation of how they view themselves. MLK is in the curriculum, but Benjamin Banneker is not. Ancient Egypt is in the early curriculum, but not Modern or Ancient Africa until at least 3rd grade. Nor is the whole history of slavery, that almost every group of people were slaves to another group of people, is not discussed until 5th grade. There is nothing that talks about how black slaves could not legally get married, but they did have the practice of "hopping on a broom" to signify their commitment to each other. What about the fact that even though they were slaves, families did try to stay together. Slavery is one issue of their culture, but it should not define their culture. When it does, it leads to people like Wright. There is an issue I have been having with the Core Knowledge Sequence on how it deals with Slavery in America. This issue to taught to the children starting in Kindergarten or 1st grade. It becomes the foundation of how they view themselves. MLK is in the curriculum, but Benjamin Banneker is not. Ancient Egypt is in the early curriculum, but not Modern or Ancient Africa until at least 3rd grade. Nor is the whole history of slavery, that almost every group of people were slaves to another group of people, is not discussed until 5th grade.

There is nothing that talks about how black slaves could not legally get married, but they did have the practice of “hopping on a broom” to signify their commitment to each other. What about the fact that even though they were slaves, families did try to stay together.

Slavery is one issue of their culture, but it should not define their culture. When it does, it leads to people like Wright.

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