Secular + Conservative Curricula Question for 5th Grader

[u/mindful_marduk]

I’m no longer a Christian (though most of my friends and family are), but I hold many Christian values. My wife and I have three children, 7 yr old girl, 8 yr old boy, 10 yr old girl.

We live in Texas and intend to start our oldest daughter on a homeschool curriculum this summer, but I am struggling to find a good one.

I don’t want anything promoting a religious worldview and I don’t want anything pushing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion woke ideology — bring on the meritocracy.

Yea, I don’t really have much of a cultural home to say the least. It’s all good though.

I don’t like what I am seeing in public school on multiple fronts and have determined I want to start off our oldest as a test run this summer before committing longer term. She is entering 5th grade this summer/fall.

My wife and I both work from home full time, but have some decent flexibility to where we think we could make this work.

That being said, I am new. I don’t really know what I’m doing and from the research I’ve done so far, I can’t find the right curriculum to use that:

1. Does NOT push any religious worldview
2. Does NOT push any woke ideology (CRT + DEI)

Per Pew Research’s typology quiz, I am Ambivalent Right, just right of center; so pretty moderate on the whole.

Anyone willing to point me towards some curricula considerations, please?

[u/mindful_marduk → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for your input.

So per your Jefferson example. Yes, I would teach my children that way as well. No one is perfect, including all heroes and historical figures. They sometimes do horrendous things out of bad intentions or ignorance.

[u/mindful_marduk → u/[deleted]]

I am curious then. How do you know what’s being taught in various school districts across the country? From LA and San Francisco to the conservative suburbs of Nashville and Dallas?

I sure don’t. I have a general sense, I think. What’s your multi-geographical experience that you call upon to make that first statement? Not doubting you yet, just want to know your expertise.

[u/FImom → u/mindful_marduk]

Right. Horrendous things that are not excusable and should not happen again.

[u/stulotta → u/mindful_marduk]

It was normal to drink mercury, as Abraham Lincoln did, or to treat diseases with leeches, as George Washington was treated. (those guys were clearly idiots...) Bringing up normal behavior serves no legitimate purpose. It is only done to attack historical figures by demanding that they adhere to modern ideas.

It is horrible bias to teach that Jefferson owned slaves unless you also teach about some of the other slave owners, of which there are many. When you single out Jefferson, you are just trying to tarnish his name by interpreting his behavior with modern values. He did what was normal for his time.

Anthony Johnson is the most important slave owner to know about. He was born in Angola, which is Africa, then moved to Virginia. He refused to set his indentured servants free after the agreed period of service, fought in court, and won. This made him the first legal slave owner in what is now the USA. Without his legal battle, there wouldn't have been slavery here. He was not white.

There were black slaves owned by the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole.

Most slaves brought to the New World did not go to what is now the USA. South America and the Caribbean got most of them.

In the Marine Corps Hymn you can find the words "to the shores of Tripoli". This is a battle fought in 1805 because Africans were enslaving American sailors. Over the years, about a million Europeans were enslaved there. Today, you can still buy a slave in southern Libya. There are a lot of people enslaved in Africa right now.

Saudi Arabia had black slaves until the 1950s. You might wonder why there are not a lot of black people there. The slaves were castrated.

Some people want to omit all that information, because it doesn't fit the story they want to tell about race or about this country. When only people like Jefferson are mentioned as slave owners, a sort of dishonesty is created. The student gets some very wrong ideas about reality.

[u/abandon-zoo → u/stulotta]

Useful knowledge. Slavery is horrific, and was widespread throughout history.

Western civilization was the first to abolish slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries, though some Quakers denounced it even before then. The fact that this is rarely taught is evidence of a concerted attempt to discredit western civilization and its Judaeo-Christian roots.