Holocaust

A school in Florida tried to teach the kids about the Holocaust and about tolerance. How? By forcing the kids to experience discrimination.

When I was in elementary school (1st grade, I think), we had a similar thing happen. My teacher broke us up by hair color (another broke her class up by eye color). First, my blonde classmates were sent into a corner of the room that was blocked off (on normal days it was kind of a play house). My dark-haired classmates and I were instructed to work on our creative writing books. I remember being completely bewildered but trying to do as I was told.

My teacher then, apparently, changed her mind. Writing time was over and it was now free time. And she no longer liked the brunettes, just the blondes. Now, those of us with dark hair were ushered into the corner.

I was upset...confused. I just didn't know--didn't understand--what was wrong. I, along with several others, cried, just as some of our blonde classmates had cried earlier.

Our teacher then announced it was over. She then explained that this was about the Holocaust.

Even when we were 'debriefed' I didn't understand what that day had been about. I remained upset and I learned nothing that day.

There are better ways of teaching about these issues.

In later years, I learned about the Holocaust and other forms of intolerance. Two of the most memorable lessons were ones I did on my own with the help of the books Number the Stars and Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories (did you know that a 15-year-old named Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white person 9 months before Rosa Parks did?).

You don't have to discriminate to teach discrimination.