Mom upset over controversial ISIS homework assignment

[Gentle Lamb]

http://abc13.com/news/mom-upset-over-controversial-isis-homework-assignment/1100149/

HOUSTON (KTRK) --
The mother of a ninth grade HISD student is furious over a homework assignment that instructed students to analyze the words of an ISIS recruiter.

The assignment was given to the 9th grade geography class just days after the terror attacks in Paris.

ABC-13 obtained a copy of the assignment. It instructs students to analyze the point of view of several passages and identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose and speaker (S.O.A.P)....

Thoughts?

 

[crjmurray]

Weird

 

[crjmurray]

Weird

 

[Sistrin]

Wonder if this was a Common Core assignment.

Regardless, it was a callous assignment, citing the deaths of seventeen United States navy personal in regard to an attempt to humanize a guy reveling in their deaths. This isn't how you teach current events. It is how you indoctrinate.

 

[havevisions]

I would have done the same thing that Ms Bosley did. I would insist on a conference with the teacher and state my feelings. If the teacher is not cooperative, I would talk to the principal, then I would call the Superintendent and then, if that didn't satisfy me, I would get in contact with the School Board. This would not be tolerated in my home town.

I know because my wife and I are former teachers in the system (a total of 80 years between us).

 

[dogs4thewin]

There is NOTHING wrong with teaching facts about any number of groups, but this is just over the top.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I would have done the same thing that Ms Bosley did. I would insist on a conference with the teacher and state my feelings. If the teacher is not cooperative, I would talk to the principal, then I would call the Superintendent and then, if that didn't satisfy me, I would get in contact with the School Board. This would not be tolerated in my home town.

I know because my wife and I are former teachers in the system (a total of 80 years between us).

Or a parent could even allow or even instruct their child to not do the assignment if they felt that strongly about it.

 

[Gentle Lamb]

Wonder if this was a Common Core assignment.

Regardless, it was a callous assignment, citing the deaths of seventeen United States navy personal in regard to an attempt to humanize a guy reveling in their deaths. This isn't how you teach current events. It is how you indoctrinate.

99.99% sure this was a Common Core assignment, I think it's currently being implemented in every state if I'm not mistaken.

 

[interpreter]

My teachers (in a Houston suburb) were always trying to get us to talk about, and write essays about current events so it is nothing new. And they got us interested in politics, and let out classes when a big politician came to town so we could see him and possibly meet him and ask him questions if we were lucky.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I really don't see the big deal here. Unless parents are worried their kids might want to join. Isn't this what we do when we watch the new or a special about things. I mean I wouldn't want my kids to watch the evil of Christians and their traditional marriage evils. But I wouldn't stop it. Also I would explain this evil. To my kids and why Gays not being allowed to be married is wrong. And how people are crazy in the head.

 

[Tina W]

What in the world....???? Why would the teacher pick that of all the things she could have picked in the world?? That's like having kids analyze graphic things that a serial killer said and did to and about his victims. That is sick. Not just because it's ISIS, if it was any sick twisted murdering hate group it would be sick to give such an assignment. I would have reported her too. Kids don't need that kind of stuff in their minds.

 

[Armoured]

http://abc13.com/news/mom-upset-over-controversial-isis-homework-assignment/1100149/

HOUSTON (KTRK) --
The mother of a ninth grade HISD student is furious over a homework assignment that instructed students to analyze the words of an ISIS recruiter.

The assignment was given to the 9th grade geography class just days after the terror attacks in Paris.

ABC-13 obtained a copy of the assignment. It instructs students to analyze the point of view of several passages and identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose and speaker (S.O.A.P)....

Thoughts?

What was the mother's concern, exactly?

 

[HannahT]

You are showing whom these people are, and what their mindset is. At least I read it in the quote they noted in the article.

"The pieces of the bodies of infidels were flying like dust particles. If you would have seen it with your own eyes, you would have been very pleased and your heart would have been filled with joy."

They see the evil mindset, and the hate ISIS and groups similar to them have.

What part is she objected to? I don't get it.

 

[My Shalom]

From the article: ...."The assignment was given to the 9th grade geography class just days after the terror attacks in Paris.

ABC-13 obtained a copy of the assignment. It instructs students to analyze the point of view of several passages and identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose and speaker (S.O.A.P).

The first example is from a blog entry from an ISIS recruiters tumbler site. The subject deals with different kinds of women needed to join ISIS, professionals, police and wives. The "audience" is "woman anywhere who might want to join ISIS".

The second article included a quote from Osama Bin Laden. The quote is in response to the bombing and killing of 17 sailors on the USS Cole. Students were instructed to analyze Osama's the following quote:

"The pieces of the bodies of infidels were flying like dust particles. If you would have seen it with your own eyes, you would have been very pleased and your heart would have been filled with joy."

Theresa Bosley's daughter is in that 9th grade class. Bosley found out about her daughter's assignment by chance. She said if you are going to teach about ISIS, don't stop there.

"I'm all about education. I have a juris in education. Yes. We should teach about ISIS. But let's teach the facts. Let's teach who they are and what happened. Let's teach about Paris in Lebanon. Let's teach about the 21 Christians that were beheaded," said Bosley. "Let's teach about the school kids that were kidnapped, 200 of them, from their school. Where are they now?"

HISD released this statement:
"The intent of the assignment was to teach students critical and analytical thinking skills using current events. The district will review the assignment and follow up with the campus, if needed."


Bosley says she's looking forward to finding out what will happen next. She said she has the support of many parents in her daughter's class. "


I'd fulfill the assignment by calling the ISIS recruiter what he is and see if I'd garner a pass or fail.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Could someone explain to me why what the teacher did is bad?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

From the article: ...."The assignment was given to the 9th grade geography class just days after the terror attacks in Paris.

ABC-13 obtained a copy of the assignment. It instructs students to analyze the point of view of several passages and identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose and speaker (S.O.A.P).

The first example is from a blog entry from an ISIS recruiters tumbler site. The subject deals with different kinds of women needed to join ISIS, professionals, police and wives. The "audience" is "woman anywhere who might want to join ISIS".

The second article included a quote from Osama Bin Laden. The quote is in response to the bombing and killing of 17 sailors on the USS Cole. Students were instructed to analyze Osama's the following quote:

"The pieces of the bodies of infidels were flying like dust particles. If you would have seen it with your own eyes, you would have been very pleased and your heart would have been filled with joy."

Theresa Bosley's daughter is in that 9th grade class. Bosley found out about her daughter's assignment by chance. She said if you are going to teach about ISIS, don't stop there.

"I'm all about education. I have a juris in education. Yes. We should teach about ISIS. But let's teach the facts. Let's teach who they are and what happened. Let's teach about Paris in Lebanon. Let's teach about the 21 Christians that were beheaded," said Bosley. "Let's teach about the school kids that were kidnapped, 200 of them, from their school. Where are they now?"

HISD released this statement:
"The intent of the assignment was to teach students critical and analytical thinking skills using current events. The district will review the assignment and follow up with the campus, if needed."


Bosley says she's looking forward to finding out what will happen next. She said she has the support of many parents in her daughter's class. "


I'd fulfill the assignment by calling the ISIS recruiter what he is and see if I'd garner a pass or fail.

After reading the article, I still fail to see what the teacher did wrong. What did the teacher do wrong here? It seems to me that this was a perfectly legitimate assignment, especially in regard to the presented intent of the assignment.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[wing2000]

The intent of the assignment was to teach students critical and analytical thinking skills using current events.

...obviously a threat to some. If we are going to win the ideological war against ISIS (and others), we better teach our young people to identify exploitative messages...

 

[Deidre32]

Could someone explain to me why what the teacher did is bad?

-CryptoLutheran

It has the propensity (the assignment) to create sympathy for ISIS. That's my guess.

 

[ViaCrucis]

It has the propensity (the assignment) to create sympathy for ISIS. That's my guess.

If that were the case then I would imagine we would have to extend this to cover other things, such as when we cover the sorts of things the Nazis said and did, or examining the issues surrounding slavery and Jim Crow.

I'd hate to think that as a society that we are so afraid of allowing students to think for themselves that we're going to utterly fail to educate them at all.

Of course I say that knowing full well that it's a little late, we've already been doing this for years.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Deidre32]

If that were the case then I would imagine we would have to extend this to cover other things, such as when we cover the sorts of things the Nazis said and did, or examining the issues surrounding slavery and Jim Crow.

I'd hate to think that as a society that we are so afraid of allowing students to think for themselves that we're going to utterly fail to educate them at all.

Of course I say that knowing full well that it's a little late, we've already been doing this for years.

-CryptoLutheran

I agree with you, but just trying to think of what might be going through others' minds as to the outrage. It is a very raw subject, and there's not enough distance. It's not history, yet. There are horrific historical events like say the Holocaust but because it's historical, we can view it with a more objective mind. It's hard to be objective relating to ISIS. Maybe kids should have an opt out option, if their parents are upset. Idk.