Unspeakably vile is a ridiculous way of branding this exercise.
I looked up the questions, and actually, "if you're a US citizen" is one of them. I see the point, and I see the potential benefits, but I'm not convinced about the setting. I'm not convinced that having kids physically stand in a line then reorient themselves is a great idea (I understand that physical interaction can be a great teaching tool) because of the *topics*. Maybe if it was a bingo-style checklist or something, but having kids move in relationship to each other based on some of those deeply personal questions could be really upsetting. What if they don't want to say they've lived in an unsupportive family? What if they don't want to admit they aren't citizens? What if they don't know if their ancestors were forced to come to the US against their will? What if their ancestors came here purposefully but were discriminated against for being Irish or Italian two centuries ago? What if they end up being the "most privileged" ahead of everyone else?
Again "unspeakably vile"? Not by a long shot. But maybe not great either.
I’ve thought this excercise was great the first time I saw it and still do. If kids that age haven’t already learned that oppression exists in the US, it’s past time they did. No wonder we have so many people that don’t get it. They already know it, this just puts an idea into a physical example. And to people that are worried about the kids not wanting to admit to some of the questions, don’t worry. They’ve already had lots of practice hiding their secrets.
Unspeakably vile is a ridiculous way of branding this exercise.
I looked up the questions, and actually, "if you're a US citizen" is one of them. I see the point, and I see the potential benefits, but I'm not convinced about the setting. I'm not convinced that having kids physically stand in a line then reorient themselves is a great idea (I understand that physical interaction can be a great teaching tool) because of the *topics*. Maybe if it was a bingo-style checklist or something, but having kids move in relationship to each other based on some of those deeply personal questions could be really upsetting. What if they don't want to say they've lived in an unsupportive family? What if they don't want to admit they aren't citizens? What if they don't know if their ancestors were forced to come to the US against their will? What if their ancestors came here purposefully but were discriminated against for being Irish or Italian two centuries ago? What if they end up being the "most privileged" ahead of everyone else?
Again "unspeakably vile"? Not by a long shot. But maybe not great either.
I’ve thought this excercise was great the first time I saw it and still do. If kids that age haven’t already learned that oppression exists in the US, it’s past time they did. No wonder we have so many people that don’t get it. They already know it, this just puts an idea into a physical example. And to people that are worried about the kids not wanting to admit to some of the questions, don’t worry. They’ve already had lots of practice hiding their secrets.
The greatest privilege any of those students have (or seek to have) is their American citizenship......from an immigrant.