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By Kim Wilhelm (ANDOVER, Kan.)
A class project at Andover Middle School is creating controversy. The 7th grade students were studying race in the 1930's and could pick a topic to write a research paper. From the paper, they were asked to create a board game as another activity to show what they learned.
One student made a Ku Klux Klan game board with spaces that read "You forgot to clean your white robes and can't go to the lynching. You are punished. Move back 2 spaces." Other spaces read "The rope you are hung with breaks! Move forward 5 spaces."
The games were on display for a recent school open house. When parent Terica Davis saw the KKK game, she had to take a second look.
"I have no problem with the topic," said Davis. "I do have a problem with the way it was executed."
Davis says there must be better ways for students to explain what they've learn
ed than through a game.
"I think there was an opportunity to educate and it was missed," said Davis.
She says it's not a racial issue but more a matter of sensitivity. She compares it to making a game of the Holocaust or what happened on September 11th.
"You wouldn't want somebody to make a game about that," said Davis. "You wouldn't want to say ”�’you died on the 143rd flood, move back 3 spaces. If you had a family member who died, you would find that offensive."
The school says it's always looking for better ways to do things, especially when the topic is so important.
"The intent of the student or certainly of the school is never to offend anyone," said Principal Brett White. "So we absolutely want to make sure that doesn't happen in the future."
Davis doesn't blame the student or the teacher. She hopes it's a lesson for all students to respect history.
Source
A class project at Andover Middle School is creating controversy. The 7th grade students were studying race in the 1930's and could pick a topic to write a research paper. From the paper, they were asked to create a board game as another activity to show what they learned.
One student made a Ku Klux Klan game board with spaces that read "You forgot to clean your white robes and can't go to the lynching. You are punished. Move back 2 spaces." Other spaces read "The rope you are hung with breaks! Move forward 5 spaces."
The games were on display for a recent school open house. When parent Terica Davis saw the KKK game, she had to take a second look.
"I have no problem with the topic," said Davis. "I do have a problem with the way it was executed."
Davis says there must be better ways for students to explain what they've learn
ed than through a game.
"I think there was an opportunity to educate and it was missed," said Davis.
She says it's not a racial issue but more a matter of sensitivity. She compares it to making a game of the Holocaust or what happened on September 11th.
"You wouldn't want somebody to make a game about that," said Davis. "You wouldn't want to say ”�’you died on the 143rd flood, move back 3 spaces. If you had a family member who died, you would find that offensive."
The school says it's always looking for better ways to do things, especially when the topic is so important.
"The intent of the student or certainly of the school is never to offend anyone," said Principal Brett White. "So we absolutely want to make sure that doesn't happen in the future."
Davis doesn't blame the student or the teacher. She hopes it's a lesson for all students to respect history.
Source
