Entry 5

I drew a picture that depicts hypocrisy because that was the one takeaway that really stood out to me during this reading. When I was studying for my content exam, I remember reading about Thomas Jefferson. He was the author of Declaration of Independence and decreed that “all men are created equal.” I never knew he owned slave because I was never taught that. I was a ‘Thomas’ from Black Ants & Buddhists when I was reading—I was shocked. The textbooks and history teachers I learned from back then praised him. I really love that Thomas (the student), who is only in 2nd grade, has already developed such a strong sense of justice. He saw the hypocrisy in this and even decided to do a protest with his pals. They even wrote a letter to him? This is such an enrichment activity! I think teaching history accurately promotes open-minded students. They are active in the learning process. They get to discover the truths for themselves and create their own sense of justice. Kids are a lot more capable of understanding than we expected. We shouldn’t feel the need to protect them from the harsh truth. It’s never too early to start.