Educators support slavery assignment

Two educators say they don't have a problem with a slavery assignment given to middle school students in a Detroit suburb. Peggy Altoff, a past president of the National Council for Social Studies, said she found the questions asked by the Strong Middle School teacher to be legitimate, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday. Bob Pettapiece, an assistant education professor at Wayne State University, said while the topic may be sensitive schools must teach slavery in a way students can understand. Jessica Gibson of Melvindale has threatened to sue the school district for asking her son, who is black, to pretend to be a slave and keep a diary about his daily experiences. "It's not about money," Gibson said. "This is about civil rights and freedom of speech." Altoff said asking students to imagine themselves in an historical setting is a popular teaching method but might not be the most effective. She suggested teachers use primary documents such as first-person accounts to engage students.