School apologizes over pro-Nazi essay assignment

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/school-apologizes-over-pro-nazi-essay-assignment-180908350.html

It's safe to say that "thinking like a Nazi" is not the most sound advice when it comes to assignments in high school, or in any academic institution for that matter.

And as such, a high-school in New York has formally apologized for assigning students homework that tasked them with writing a hypothetical essay on how they were sympathetic to Adolf Hitler's former regime and that "Jews are evil and the source of our problems."

The Albany Times Union reports that 10th-grade students at Albany High School were given the assignment as part of a critical thinking exercise where they are challenged to make an "abhorrent argument."

"You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!" say the assignment instructions for the five-paragraph essay.

Approximately one-third of the students refused to take part in the exercise. The English teacher who assigned the project has not been identified, and the school district has declined to say whether the instructor will face any disciplinary action.

Contrarian thinking is at the root of strong debate skills, but the assignment arguably pushed students out acceptable logical boundaries. And it's not the only such recent case of questionable homework. In February, another New York school tasked students with formulating a math equation using the whippings given to an African-American slave as the variable.

And in March 2012, a Washington, D.C., teacher was fired after assigning violent math problems to students.

Beyond making the abhorrent argument, students were encouraged to watch and read Nazi party propaganda materials. They were told to imagine their instructor as a Nazi government official who was demanding proof of their loyalty.

"I would apologize to our families," Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard told the paper. "I don't believe there was malice or intent to cause any insensitivities to our families of Jewish faith."

Vanden attributed the assignment style to a new Common Core curriculum enacted by the state, which requires more sophisticated writing standards.

*insert crack about this not being Europe*

[The Brain]

Mine got an A.

[Scipio]

You know, when I was a student, teachers had fucking lesson plans that got reviewed by the actual principals.  You know, back when principals had a fucking real job, instead of being babysitters.

Idiots.

[jimmy olsen]

When I was in college, for my 300 lvl American Civil War class everyone was assigned a state and they had to focus all their work on it. For one of the assignments we read Uncle Tom's Cabin and had to write a review of the book from the point of a newspaper from our state. My state was Tennessee so I wrote the most spectacularly Lettowish review you can imagine. I got an A+. The professor thought it was so authentic he investigated me for plagiarism, but he discovered I was just brilliant.

[11B4V]

I dont understand what the issue is.

[Ed Anger]

When I was in college, for my 300 lvl American Civil War class everyone was assigned a state and they had to focus all their work on it. For one of the assignments we read Uncle Tom's Cabin and had to write a review of the book from the point of a newspaper from our state. My state was Tennessee so I wrote the most spectacularly Lettowish review you can imagine. I got an A+. The professor thought it was so authentic he investigated me for plagiarism, but he discovered I was just brilliant.

Somebody got an F in humility.

[Jaron]

It seems like a fair assignment to me.

Provocative for sure, but I don't think that's a bad thing. But you all knew that about me.

[CountDeMoney]

When I was in college, for my 300 lvl American Civil War class everyone was assigned a state and they had to focus all their work on it. For one of the assignments we read Uncle Tom's Cabin and had to write a review of the book from the point of a newspaper from our state. My state was Tennessee so I wrote the most spectacularly Lettowish review you can imagine. I got an A+. The professor thought it was so authentic he investigated me for plagiarism, but he discovered I was just brilliant.

Somebody got an F in humility.

It actually had correct spelling in it, hence the investigation for plagiarism.

[mongers]

 

[Martinus]

10th grade is how old? 16 or so? If so, I think they are mature enough to handle the truth about the world's Jewry.

[grumbler]

I dont understand what the issue is.

The issue is that school administrators are morons, outpacing even the writer of the blog article.

[11B4V]

I dont understand what the issue is.

The issue is that school administrators are morons, outpacing even the writer of the blog article.

I gottcha there. Maybe they should have went with gay marriage or something. A more contemporary issue.

[Valmy]

10th grade is how old? 16 or so? If so, I think they are mature enough to handle the truth about the world's Jewry.

[grumbler]

I gottcha there. Maybe they should have went with gay marriage or something. A more contemporary issue.

They were probably jst finishing their study of WW2.  Most schools (around here, anyway) teach world history in the 10th grade.

[garbon]

I gottcha there. Maybe they should have went with gay marriage or something. A more contemporary issue.

They were probably jst finishing their study of WW2.  Most schools (around here, anyway) teach world history in the 10th grade.

I read another article which states teacher was put on leave. This assignment was prep work for them reading Night.