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Original poster

Rosa Parks. What age group would you expect learning about her to be targeted at?

37 replies

PavlovtheCat · 29/01/2012 11:24

I am curious to know what people think they would expect their children to start learning about Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 29/01/2012 11:28

My DD's doing it now, she's 11

I don't know that I would 'expect' any age though, it would be a bit hard to do it indepth with littleys, but you could do something.

cornsix · 29/01/2012 11:29

year 5/6

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 29/01/2012 11:29

do you think she is ready at 11 to learn about the details of it? are you happy with this age? would she be ready when younger? or do you think maybe a big older?

OP posts:
Themumsnot · 29/01/2012 11:30

Usually KS2, I should think although I have an excellent book about her that is aimed at 6-8 year olds, which most Y1-2 children would have no problem understanding. Why?

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 29/01/2012 11:30

i just realised that my OP makes little grammatical sense Blush

OP posts:
MaeMobley · 29/01/2012 11:31

I was surprised that DD studied about her. She is in year 1 and aged 5. I am not sure how much she really grasped. She hadn't got that it was in the US (where we do have family) or that is was within granny's lifetime.

I covered the civil rights/etc aged 15/16 in the French system.

BertieBotts · 29/01/2012 11:32

I think we did it in year 9.

ZZZenAgain · 29/01/2012 11:32

primary school I'd say, year 3-4 would be fine. I think dd was about 8

MaeMobley · 29/01/2012 11:33

I forgot to answer the second part of the OP's question. I think it should be left until secondary school.

ZZZenAgain · 29/01/2012 11:33

I don't think it is disturbing or difficult to grasp. It just depends how it ties in logically with what the dc have already covered in terms of politics/social studies and history

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 29/01/2012 11:34

mae DD is 5 and in yr1. She has family in USA. She had little concept of how long an hour is let alone that long ago! I guess my worry is more around the concept of it all. It is quite heavy for a 5yo. there are so many thing she could be learning that would be uplifting and positive. Not sure she is ready for such deep and complex issues. But, I might be wrong and thought I would see how old other children learn, or would be ready to learn about this topic.

OP posts:
ZZZenAgain · 29/01/2012 11:37

hmm out of historical context , it is always a bit strange. dd had worked through an American grade 2 social studies book which had a santised IMO light version of American history - so not the mistreatment of the native peoples and so on but did mention slavery and had some biographies, including those of freed slaves and then on to Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. In no great depth but it was worked into the overall historical timeline of the US IYSWIM. In any case learning about bravery in difficutl circumstances and civil courage is not too difficult for a 5 year old. Not perhaps necessary but they know about bullying already unfortunately so I think they can take an important lesson from that.

tabulahrasa · 29/01/2012 11:38

At 11 she's definitely old enough to understand it all, tbh she was already aware of the existance if the civil rights movement and the ideas of racism and equality, so I've no issue with it at all, I only know she's doing it because of an assembly, lol

It might be a bit hard to do with 5 or 6 yr olds in detail because you'd have to do more explaining, but that's true of most things Grin

BoffinMum · 29/01/2012 11:38

Lower secondary.

BandOMothers · 29/01/2012 11:45

My first thought was about ten years old...last year of primary. They have enugh about them then to understand the larger picture and yes, I would be happy for my child to learn this then. I cannot see what 5 year old might get from this.

At 5, they need to look at tangible things....such as historiccal toys, clothes and buildings...things they understand and can handle.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 29/01/2012 11:48

BoM it just seems to pointless. it is not even in detail. It is that we do homework with her to write some facts down. And then they go through all the homework one day. She can do a poster if she wants and that will go on the wall. That is it. There is no following on learning from it or context with which to put it in, it does not link from last week's topic and won't link in to next week's topic.

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 29/01/2012 11:50

TBH Blue Eyes Brown Eyes works better with primary kids.

BandOMothers · 29/01/2012 11:54

Silliness. The wider issues are far too much to give a child of 5...she can't begin to learn about racism and lynchings and put the story of Rosa Parks into context...and to me it is a diservice to her...to tell half her story...her actions grew from many, many years of struggle and opression...to ommit that is wrong.

What are they telling them? "Inthe old days, there was SEGREGATION and black people could not use the same drinking fountains as white people...they could not sit at the front of the bus because of SEGREGATION and so Rosa Parks decided she had had enough and stood up for black people."

Draw a poster to decribe Rosa Parks actions.

er no.

Confused

Really? I would be tempted to question this with the teacher.

tabulahrasa · 29/01/2012 11:56

If they're not teaching them the big ideas and it's just some facts it seems a bit pointless, but I'd not be happy about that no matter what the subject matter was

racingheart · 29/01/2012 19:40

Start them young, I say. Any time from KS2 onwards, though the level of detail of info would vary hugely. I;d be happy for them to learn about her from yr 3 onwards. What's the concern?

racingheart · 29/01/2012 19:42

Sorry, missed p2. Doesn't sound like well integrated teaching - though hard to know if you weren't in the classroom, but you can still make the most of it at home, mentioning her if you discuss unfairness and standing up for what is right (e.g. discussing DC saying no to group bullying etc.)

AChickenCalledKorma · 29/01/2012 20:15

I really can't see the problem with younger children learning about her, at an age-appropriate level. The story of Rosa Parks has been told in assembly at my daughters' school. DD2 is in Year 2. She is already aware that some people are still treated badly because of the colour of their skin. Her understanding of Rosa Parks's story is that she was brave to challenge a system that was unfair.

When she's older, I'm sure she will go into more depth but I can't see anything wrong with what she's learned so far.

At the same time, my friend's 4yo daughter is experiencing race-based name-calling in her Reception class (at a different school) Sad.

birdsofshoreandsea · 29/01/2012 20:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 30/01/2012 20:40

interestingly, we had a letter from the school today apologising for the upset this topic seemed to generate amongst parents. It seems many people felt it inappropriate for this age group due to the complexity of the subject. they explained their rationale but admitted they probably got it a little bit wrong. They have said they will not study her further this week in history or in the coming weeks but wait until they start to look at civil rights in KS2+, as they would anyway, and introduce her properly then.

And I have not even had a chance to talk to the teacher yet!

OP posts:
IdontknowwhyIcare · 01/02/2012 06:49

Boffin mum, blue eyes, brown eyes. That was (pardon the pun) a real eye opener to me. Just incredible.