Teaching the Truth

How does one successfully teach without biases? It is said that racial biases and discrimination is taught by what is expressed and heard around children. Children are very impressionable and often take on the ideas of their parents, and also their teachers. When teaching about controversial subject, such as Columbus Day and Thanksgiving, it is important to make children realize the common biases about these holidays, and understand that facts must be known, rather than the watered down version that most schools teach.

Columbus Day: I remember being Columbus Day being discussed in elementary school. We learned that Columbus Day was the day the Christopher Columbus found America on his three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. That is about the extent of my learning of Columbus Day until I got to high school. Native Americans were discussed very briefly. We learned nothing more other than that there were Native Americans living there when Columbus got there.

Thanksgiving Day: Interestingly enough, I do not remember much about being taught about Thanksgiving. The only thing I can really remember is being told that the Europeans and the Native Americans traded food and skills to have a delicious feast. Mostly we had just talked about what we were thankful for, and what being thankful meant. `

There are so many more aspects of teaching about Columbus Day and Thanksgiving Day. The role of Native Americans is so downplayed in the learning of both of these holidays, and that needs to change. Maybe there should be a lesson about what the Native Americans were doing in America before the Europeans arrive. Then after that lesson, another lesson about how the lives of the Native Americans changed after the Europeans changed should be taught. A brief but factual discussion about the treatment of Native Americans should be included, with content appropriate for the audience of elementary students. I'm not saying they should discuss such intense subjects such as the Trail of Tears, but they should know the truth.