Free Maps for All!

I recently taught a lesson to my students about the importance and meaning of Martin Luther King Day and the Civil Rights Movement. We watched videos, did a few activities, and had some wonderfully insightful conversations. I have a very sweet girl in my class who is very inquisitive about the world around her and presents herself as a very mature 9-year-old. She has an African-American father, so this topic is of personal importance to her. She and I have had many conversations about this and many other serious world issues. Our discussions inspired her to write a book about how she felt about MLK day. It is poignantly written and obviously contains her deepest feelings about the topic. She really put in a great deal of thought on this little book, which she typed on her computer at home. As I was reading the book, I was filled with feelings of pride and amazement at how wise a girl of only 9 can be. Then, I got to the last paragraph...

"That was what I would have said if I were alive then. Dr. King will never be forgotten. When he was shot everyone cried. It was a sad time and took a while to overcome, but they got through it. Dr. King's grave reads "I'm free atlas I'm free atlas thank god almighty I'm free atlas."

Next week, I will be giving a lesson on why you should not always rely on Microsoft Word spell check.

On a serious note, I was very moved by her book and the very last page, which read...

"Our earth has come a very long way. So we will be more than happy to have an African American as our leader!"

Lesson to be learned?
The insight of children can be quite powerful... and amusing!