Whew, a HUGE day. We introduced "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" with a little history lesson. Drove me just about crazy, because I love history and I love teaching history. So many of our students have a spotty record with history. Some never got it because they were pulled out for extra reading help. Anyway, I went to town with my small group. At the end I had them write down what they had learned about the '60s so they could refer to it. It's tough to find appropriate reading material in history for sixth graders with limited reading ability. As I discussed history with my small group, they started talking. It's so rural they really don't know any people of color and aren't ashamed to admit they're racist, they're afraid of Blacks, etc. I know this happens in so many communities, and it's tough for individuals and schools to address. I've suggested a speaker from my university and we'll see what happens. I'm sure a one-shot deal is not the best way to address this issue, but at least it will be a start.
It's so interesting to hear about students' conceptions of history. When they see pictures of war, they don't tie it to a certain era, just start guessing any war they can think of. Then that makes them think of other wars. So all of a sudden we're talking about WWII. I wonder what part of this is having so many children with ADHD, in that their stream-of-consciousness is often right out there for you to see. Perhaps we all think this way but are able to at least seem as though we're focused. They seemed to really need some kind of outline/structure to keep them focused on the era. They enjoyed the pop culture part, and we could really use that to introduce some of the other issues.
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