***With a House Government Oversight Committee hearing coming up on Tuesday regarding the Black Lives Matter At School Week of Action hosted by the Ames district, we wanted to refresh everyone on what happened.***
It appears things are going so well in the Ames School District when it comes to reading, writing and arithmetic that the school will be teaching third-grade students about activism for an entire week.
On Monday, students will learn what is a “cause” and what it means to use your voice for a cause. They’ll also be told why it’s important to stand up for what “we” believe in.
On Tuesday, students will explore what it means to be an activist or changemaker and how children have fought for change in their communities in the past.
On Wednesday, students will discuss different ways people can create positive change in different communities.
On Thursday, they’ll discuss what communities they belong to, what challenges face their communities, what they’d want to change or improve about their communities and what actions they can take to improve their communities.
Finally, on Friday, they’ll “take action” and figure out what steps to take, how to continue creating change in a challenge area and how they can create a better community.
Activities will include creating a “gallery” of black youth activists. They’ll match common forms of “resistance/action” like boycotts, protests, rallies, marches, sit-ins/walk-outs, petitions, fundraising, testimony/speeches, etc.
They’ll conduct a gallery walkabout with pictures representing different “social justice issues.”
And on Friday, they’ll create protest signs for issues they want to stand up for or fight against. They’ll stage a hallway protest, gym rally or go into the neighborhood for a youth march.
