Reviewed By: Phillycrit (Philadelphia, PA)
On pg 72 of this book is a worksheet about Hurricane Katrina. One of the questions after the text is, "Why did some of the people die in the storm?" with the correct answer being, "They did not leave when they were told." This answer places the blame on the people who died in the storm, many of whom were elderly (49% were 75 or older), lacked transportation to evacuate, or had no where to go, and who were disproportionately Black and low-income. This answer also completely avoids the question of the rampant corruption that caused the levees to fail in the first place. The true explanation is not too difficult for third graders. The attempt to simplify content, in this case, served to boil down and expose the author's limited understanding of this tragedy and promotes a "just do as you're told" narrative. As the parent of a third grader, I am EXTREMELY UNHAPPY with this portrayal of the victims of Katrina and I urge teachers to think critically about the texts they're using - even warm ups that are used to fill a few minutes send messages that shape how our kids view the world and their relationships to others in it.

Reviewed: 12/12/2017

Reviewed By: afedorchak
I will use this in our daily routine. It's quick, relevant, and provides students with practice using key skills.

Reviewed: 12/20/2013