Monday, January 21, 2008

Emancipation Proclamation

SO I started a new job today, and brought the speech " I have a Dream" to discuss with students.
King speaks about the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves, , "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice."
I look out into my class of 10th graders and 12th graders......BLANK STARES


Um..."Do you KNOW what the Emancipation Proclamation is?" I asked. ......BLANK STARES

Um..."Its the document signed to free slaves"..... OH YEAH

and..."Who SIGNED the declaration?>?????.....one kid...DOH GEORGE WASHINGTON>>>DA!!! another kid speaks up NO WAY....He was the first president!!....Yeah,.....others chime in...

One kid....."It was that TALL GUY".....

me...Yah...that "tall guy...President LINCOLN".

This was NOT at the alternative school I sub at...it was a good ole' regular American High School.

4 comments:

Jan said...

Scarry, very scarry. These are the kids who DO NOT apply to be booksellers at Barnes and Noble. They probably couldn't fill out the app. On the other hand 10 to 25 others do who could answer your questions. We have some really bright kids working for us.

MP said...

That REALLY makes me mad. You know though that it continues..have you ever seen the stupid people that Jay Leno has on?? They don't even know who our president is NOW..AGGHHH..
Thank You..Thank you for having the patience to teach. I have it in my heart but I don't think I can do it. I always thought some day I'd be a Social Studies teacher.

WORKING MOM said...

Absolutely ridiculous. But, they better pass the state standards test according to NCLB. Yeah, good luck with that.

Aunt Tracy said...

We teach it in elementary. In fact, we went over it today. So what happens between Kindergarten and 10th grade?! Obviously, nothing!