Socially Just Curriculum

In the first article, the section about how textbooks and children's literature generally value the lives and standpoints of the most dominant groups. One of the examples was about Columbus, and how textbooks taught children that Columbus' goals and dreams, and his side of the story, but failed to show the Native American's side, and made it seem as thought they had no rights. I've seen this a lot in textbooks. When I was in high school we had to read a chapter about slavery for my history class. It was from the perspective of the slave owner, and told the stories from his side. It never told us the story from the slave's side, or perspective. I agree with this article and see how many times history lessons can disregard the lives and opinions of women, people of color, and working class individuals. History lessons also often teach students to see things from the side of the dominant group. I think that needs to change. The sides of the story that are not told in history books are just as important as the ones that are told. The side of the Native Americans in the story of Columbus is just as important as his side. The side of the slaves is just as important as the side of the owners. I think that textbooks and curriculum need to open up and share these sides with students more. If they did, it would not only be socially just, but if both side were presented to the students, it would allow them to form their own opinions about things that happened in history, and they wouldn't have to only see the opinion of the person who wrote the textbook or taught the lesson.