Common Core Writing Assignment: Think Like a Nazi and Explain Why Jews Are Evil (Video)

The Gateway Pundit ^ | 12-8-2013 | Jim Hoft

[servo1969]

Coming soon to a classroom near you… nazi jew homework

A new Common Core writing assignment asks students to think like a Nazi and explain why Jews are evil. This story first broke back in April:

The Times Union reported, via Poor Richard’s News:

Think like a Nazi, the assignment required students. Argue why Jews are evil.

Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment 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!”

Students were asked to watch and read Nazi propaganda, then pretend their teacher was a Nazi government official who needed to be convinced of their loyalty. In five paragraphs, they were required to prove that Jews were the source of Germany’s problems.

The exercise was intended to challenge students to formulate a persuasive argument and was given to three classes, Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard said. She said the assignment should have been worded differently.

“I would apologize to our families,” she said. “I don’t believe there was malice or intent to cause any insensitivities to our families of Jewish faith.”

One-third of the students refused to complete the assignment, she said.

Vanden Wyngaard said the exercise reflects the type of writing expected of students under the new Common Core curriculum, the tough new academic standards that require more sophisticated writing. Such assignments attempt to connect English with history and social studies.

[Fantasywriter]

I strongly disagree about what the article demonstrates. Did you read all the way to the end? The connections were well and strongly laid out. If you were unable to comprehend that part of the article, then too bad. It was one of the most interesting sections in the entire piece.

[MaxMax]

There are public school administrators who need public flogging!

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[M Kehoe]

Good morning.

Many articles regarding hatred of the Jewish people. Kinda depressing.

5.56mm

[xzins]

The exercise was intended to challenge students to formulate a persuasive argument and was given to three classes, Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard said. She said the assignment should have been worded differently. “I would apologize to our families,” she said. “I don’t believe there was malice or intent to cause any insensitivities to our families of Jewish faith.” One-third of the students refused to complete the assignment, she said. Vanden Wyngaard said the exercise reflects the type of writing expected of students under the new Common Core curriculum, the tough new academic standards that require more sophisticated writing. Such assignments attempt to connect English with history and social studies.

As I read the article, it hit me that no place does it say that the writing assignment came from a text. The above copy/paste makes it sound like the idea came from the teacher in that school.

The exercise was intended to challenge students to formulate a persuasive argument

It sounds like the "common core requirement" is "challenge students to formulate a persuasive argument."

And it sounds like a Jew-hater at that school came up with the idea of Nazis and Jews.

[Girlene]

You’re probably right, xzins. Any study plan can be slanted toward the prejudice of the teacher. This was an insidious argument that the teacher requested the students to make. Good for those who refused to do so.

[xzins]

Thank you, Girlene, for looking this over. I value your logic and reasoning ability.