This is Mack’s first Thanksgiving in school, so of course he’s hearing the public school version of the First Thanksgiving story. Schools Some teachers don’t use the correct name for the indigenous people near Plymouth — Wampanoags — or even the preferred generic term — American Indians. No, they use the presumed politically correct name — Native Americans.
That’s what the teacher says, but what do the children hear?
Mack’s mother Jill reports:
“At school, Mack is learning about the first Thanksgiving. He came home today with a short story about it, which I asked him to read to me. It went well until he got to the first reference to what he called the ‘Made Up’ Americans.”
I believe that saying, “the schools don’t” do something is an unfair overgeneralization. It totally dicounts the educators who go out of their way to be up-to-date on matters like this.
The Virginia Standards of Learning, on which this teacher is supposed to base her curriculum, uses the term American Indians or First Americans. The standards aren’t perfect. (They still use the term Sioux.) But, they’ve been using the more preferred generic term, American Indians, since 2001. This teacher is the one who hasn’t paid attention to the terminology.
Plus, I’d like to meet any kindergarten teacher who would feel it was appropriate to teach a full class of five year olds to read the word Wampanoag. With content vocabulary, there are times where it is appropriate to teach them the simpler terms. You can use the more difficult terms in class, but that wouldn’t be what you’d expect them to take away from the lesson. On an individual basis, higher level vocabulary should be taught. But, your average kindergartener would not be ready for such a detailed account of the history of Thanksgiving.
the ‘Made Up’ Americans
Perfect. Just perfect.
A display on why political correctness is not always the best thing to introduce to young minds.