I teach reading to elementary aged students, and my third graders are reading a book about Harriet Tubman. We have been discussing slavery for the past couple of days (because this book is fairly new) and we have been spending a lot of time creating higher-level thinking questions (google Bloom's Taxonomy if you want to find out what higher-level thinking questions are). But basically an easy definition of higher-level thinking questions are questions that make you use your opinions, thoughts, reactions, connections, justifications, actions, etc. to answer questions about a topic (Harriet Tubman and slavery). And as we sit and talk about slavery and we start to gather our thoughts and our reactions, I sit and I look around at who I'm having this conversation with and it's approx. 8 children around the age of 10. And then I thought to myself about how I would feel if my students (these aren't even my own children) were taken away from their families, from their life, and sold into the slave market. How disgusting it is for me to think about and how much my heart breaks just thinking about if one of my eight children in my reading group had to suffer, be beaten, and be forced to do things against their will. Not to mention that they are just children. They need to be worrying about what they're going to eat for snack, what swing they're going to sit in at recess, what television show will be on the t.v. when they get home. But, here's reality. Children are slaves in the world. These children get beaten. These children get sold. These children get raped. Everyday. And it's so easy to just throw your thoughts about this aside because these children are not your children. But, what if they were. What if it was your child that was being raped everyday. What if your child was forced to work. What if your child was sold into the slave market.
This is not okay. It wasn't okay when Harriet Tubman was alive. It isn't okay today.
If you forget history, history will repeat itself. and it has.
Join with me as we fight against this thing.
Slavery is not acceptable.
Ignorance is not an excuse. Indifference is not an option.
here is day 9's prayer. Sincerely pray for this. Passionately let this be your battle-cry. Stand up for the voices that can't speak. Use higher-level thinking and ask yourselves questions that make you pull in your daily-life-experiences.
March 6: Approximately 80 percent of human trafficking victims are women
and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors. Pray for the rescue and
restoration of these women and girls. Restore and redeem their lives,
Jesus. May they come to know you and your comfort even in their darkest
hours.
for God. for people. for the world.
www.72daysforfreedom.com
