Parents outraged after slavery theme used in math lesson

theGRIO REPORT - Parents in one Georgia school are demanding an apology after a third grade math class used images of slavery and even slave beatings as part of the lesson plan...

TheGrio Staff

Jan 8, 2012

Parents in one Georgia school are demanding an apology after a third grade math class used images of slavery and even slave beatings as part of the lesson plan.

Students at Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Norcross, Georgia, were reportedly given a math worksheet that contained such questions as: “Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?” and “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week?” — according to a report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The controversy went public after several parents contacted the school, and then the media, after their children brought the worksheets home as homework.

Two thirds of the students at the school are Hispanic, and approximately 24 percent are black, the newspaper reports.

The worksheet was withdrawn, but now some parents are demanding further action. The Gwinnett County school district spokesman said the third grade teachers were trying to dovetail the math lesson with social studies. But parents contend the lack of context made the lesson inappropriate, particularly for third graders.