Gus,
It would be a rare fourth grader who would be able to read and get sense out
of that document.
I was thinking more that the teacher would point out that Nat Turner sought
to free his people from slavery, even if the attempt was unsuccessful. The
bloody details would not be appropriate for 4th graders any more than the
bloody details of other wars are generally provided to this age group. It is
the ideas, intents, and the sincerety with which the ideals are pursued that
would be of interest at this age. Freedom is a powerful idea that is
understood at this age, and the knowledge that slaves did not quietly accept
their condition without any attempt at rebellion can be quite comforting to
those children who see the folley of one human owning another. In the same
grade, the children also learn about Martin Luther King who achieved gave
his life for his ideals which were met after his death.
Anne
Anne Pemberton
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