UPDATE: Welcome Carolina Plott Hound Readers!

A concerned citizen brought me a lesson from a 7th grade middle school class recently. It was a lesson on Columbus Day and whether or not it should really be called “Genocide Day” and it was presented to a 7th grade class at Wake Forest Middle School.

I contacted the Principal of Wake Forest Middle School who said they would look into it. As of this morning, I received no reply. I asked the following questions

• Do you think this assignment is appropriate for a 7th grader?
• Do you think it is appropriate to represent a major historical event using an arguably slanted and inaccurate modern concept of social justice?
• Is this approved curriculum?
• I was informed the kids are not allowed to take home their worksheets, if true, why?

The worksheet handed out called the discovery of North America by Columbus and what we subsequently call Columbus Day, “controversial”. The background information given on Columbus Day was short and arguably slanted by applying hindsight to an era of discovery and conquest. Read it for yourself:

What I want to know is how exactly to you apply a modern concept of genocide to an era of exploration, conquest and discovery with a straight face?

There is nothing wrong with recognizing the population that was here when Columbus arrived, however that has little to do with the historical significance of the discovery; one that led to the colonization of the continent and the country we have today. Ironically, the vast majority of those who protest the name ‘Columbus Day’  would not be here without said discovery.

Did you notice the second part of the assignment in the document above? The one where it has a music aspect called “Flocabulary”?  The name of the musical portion is “Discovering America”.  I personally found it horrifying. Had this been used in my own child’s class, I would have objected and filed a formal complaint post-haste.

Here is a little snippet of the lyrics that compares a modern Jeep vehicle that bears an Indian tribe name to one called a Jeep Jew:

There were five tribes
white guys called civilized,
because of the way their government
was organized:
Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Seminole, and Creek.
Isn’t cheap? They call my Jeep a
Jeep Cherokee?
What if they called my Jeep a Jeep Jew?
Imagine the outrage.
What would you do?

Wow, I just discovered America.
You didn’t discover it.We were already here.
Wow, I just discovered America.
You ain’t discovered nothing.
We was already here.

To listen to it on the Flocabulary site, you need to sign up for a free trial. Gee – No Thank you.  To hear this song in action, I found a classroom in Wisconsin who has the audio clip.

Related Read:  ‘Recognizing the atrocities’: Seattle demonstrators urge City Council to replace Columbus Day [photos]

 UPDATE: Your college dollars… at F*ck Columbus Day.