Terrorism Homework Has Parents Concerned
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NEW BRAUNFLES (CBSDFW.COM) - Memorial Elementary School in New Braunfels is catching heat over a third-grade homework assignment about terrorism.
The assignment, given out on Monday, asked students to fill in blanks using words like "Islam," "terrorist," and "hijack."
Parents worry that the topics covered in the assignment are too mature for children who are just 8 or 9 years old. They believe that the students are not old enough to understand the violence associated with terrorism.
The New Braunfles Independent School District released a statement saying the assignment focuses on how the country has persevered after the September 11 attacks. The district believes the assignment is in line with the Texas Education Agency for third-grade students.
NBISD feels it is important to teach the history of what happened on 9/11, and our teachers utilize different resources to share the historical significance of this tragic day. The theme of the lessons that are taught to our third-graders focus on how communities pull together in good times and in bad, and the design structures that protect all citizens. This includes lessons on historical and contemporary figures and military and first responders who exemplify good citizenship. The unit is titled "Freedom Rings! A Commemoration of 9/11, Freedom Week and Constitution Day" and is aligned with third-grade TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills).
One grandparent, Sharon Grimm, believes that it is important for the schools to teach their students about terrorism. "These are the things that are happening. They're seeing it on TV. They're hearing it," she said. "It's all part of learning and growing up, understanding we're not in a perfect world."
The NBISD said that parents can view the curriculum standards on its website and on the TEA's website.
