From WRIL -
Tuesday afternoon September 1st, WRIL was sent a screenshot of a lesson that claimed to be from a virtual learning site used by Fayette County Schools. The picture had little to no context other than it claimed it was from the school system and the person posting was "Beyond disgusted by this".
We called the school for clarity on the issue and spoke to Fayette County Public Schools Spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall. Ms. Deffendall tells WRIL in a statement:
"As part of a social studies assignment last week, one of our fifth teachers asked students to read an article about the postponement of NBA playoff games following player boycotts. The assignment included four comprehension questions related to information contained in the article. The activity was not teacher created; it was pulled from a website called Newsela, a resource where teachers regularly find articles about current events to augment social studies lessons. The assignment in question presented the very adult issues facing our nation in a benign way that students could comprehend. While we appreciate that some may believe the topic was too mature for fifth-graders, it is critical that our classrooms be safe places where students can discuss current events. Fayette County Public Schools is committed to helping students become civically engaged citizens who are wise consumers of digital media able to think critically about the world around them. That requires we address difficult topics and teach students to have civil conversations with people who have different points of view."
Here is the full lesson in context.