My son's school has a little situation going on. The point of the production is that each grade is acting out a particular tragic event in history throughout the years, ex. Black Plaque, Salem Witch Hunt etc and the Holocaust is one of the events that will be featured. Many parents are going crazy about the kids portraying the holocaust in paricular because its "sensitvity among the parents, children, and as a community".
My feeling is that we cannot ignore history. It was tragic and wrong but it has happened and we cannot try to block our kids from learning about it.
What do you say?
2007-11-17 09:38:47 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Go for it, I think children should know and understand this period of history. Also, you have to admit, a little part of you is really looking forward to winding up the PC brigade!!
2007-11-17 09:49:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
If your state has curriculum standards that teach intolerance, then an accompanying play is an enrichment learning experience to further the understanding.
Any parent has the option of saying, "No, I do not wish my child to participate in the play." If the school is doing this the right way, then a parent's guide should be sent home prior to the play so the family can discuss the issue beforehand.
If it a grade by grade event, then it is a a school wide adoption of intolerance. Is a grade level tackling slavery or the underground railroad? Will the Japanese Internment Camps be portrayed? How about the injustice of the American Indian?
The reason why I mention all this is because when I taught 7th & 8th grade Reading/Lang. Arts, I often used events from history as my reading sources. I taught my students something new because no one else introduced them to the tragic events in America's past. And I successfully taught a Holocaust unit AND incorporated the Anne Frank play into my lessons.
The key to my success to all of my controversial units is to keep parents informed and educated as to what was going on. I never had one parent have their child opt out of a lesson. In contrary, I was asked to host a parent night to review a lot of the materials with parents and everyone was supportive.
2007-11-17 12:32:08 · answer #2 · answered by Sharon F 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It happened. You can't change history - but by making sure everyone knows about it, you can prevent it from happening again. That's the stance your son's group should take. The Salem Witch Hunt was a pretty bizarre episode in history, and it wouldn't get off the ground today. The reason for that? Everyone knows about it, knows how ridiculous it was. The Black Plague was another dreadful episode in history - but instead of pretending it didn't happen, research discovered the cause of bubonic plague and today can protect people against it.
So it would seem that shutting your eyes, or blocking out unpleasant bits of history, doesn't accomplish much, but focusing on them can result in the bad parts not being repeated and repeated.
As a famous philosopher once said, Those who do not study history are doomed to relive it.
2007-11-17 09:47:28 · answer #3 · answered by old lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Frankly, I find the whole theme of this production to be inappropriate for grade school kids. Not only do they not have the emotional or intellectual depth to understand such tragic events, for some children, these themes could be psychologically scarring. Elementary aged children also can not be counted on to give this subject matter the respect it deserves.
I'm not saying we should ignore this part of history. Quite the contrary. I do think we should save teaching them to our children until they are old enough to process the information.
What happened to school plays being about the first thanksgiving or "Stone Soup" or George Washington? Let these kids keep their innocence for a while!
2007-11-17 15:55:53 · answer #4 · answered by missbeans 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that it should not be excluded because of the content but presented in a tasteful, respectful way that emphasises the tragedy and still explains it on a level that grade school students can understand. Also the curriculum leading up to the show and following it should explain these events more in depth than a stage show and also allow a forum for the children to ask questions about it.
2007-11-17 10:13:42 · answer #5 · answered by militarywifey home alone 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are correct we should not ignore history! Unfortunately, there have been many deletions of important history by the "politically correct" school system, and our government. This is tragic! Our children are now programmed to believe anything the government bobble heads want them to believe. Ever heard of dumbing down America? This is where it starts. Americans need to take a stand. United We Stand Divided We Fall!
2007-11-17 09:55:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
All I can say is if they had 'Hitler the musical' (which they did) I don't see why a school can't put on a production about the holocaust. I mean it should be an eye opening experience (especially to teens that come to the show). I can see how it may offend some people... but in the end, anything will offend someone.
2007-11-17 09:45:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't have a problem with portraying the Holocaust in a school play as long as it's done appropriately, with the right amount of respect, and teaching the right lessons.
2007-11-17 14:50:37 · answer #8 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While you can't ignore history, focusing on such events in grade school is a little premature. None of those events will receive the depth and understanding waiting until later in their education will allow.
Not a great idea.
2007-11-17 11:45:37 · answer #9 · answered by merrybodner 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My question is whether or not a grade school play can do the subject justice, or simply offend by what would inevitably be omitted in such a staging.
2007-11-17 09:44:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋