"Barbarians"

[Cynthia Stults]

Kurt, it was amazing that this idea came up in a social studies discussion in my 4th grade class. We were discussing early explorers in North America and California specifically. We were talking of Francis Drake, and how the description the book gave reminded students of what pirates did. A student asked if Francis Drake was a bad guy. This led to a great discussion about perspective. (the book failed to mention that England and Spain were enemies at this time) As Drake was raiding Spanish ships and settlements, students determined that Spain likely considered Drake to be a villain, but since he was making England rich and having victories against their enemies, that he would be a hero in England, as evidenced by the Queen giving him a knighthood. Seeing as even the "latest and greatest" textbook can fail to provide multiple perspectives, it becomes even more important for us as educators to facilitate understanding and discussions about how particular events and figures are viewed by all participants/cultures involved.