Voyage Ministries: What Duval first graders are supposed to learn this month, afterlife, cuneiform, ziggurat and the worlds three main religions.

The districts current first grade learning module was sent to me and I am floored by what they think kids are developmentally able to master.

Here are the unit which lasts 25 days objectives through 11/20.

Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on a world map or globe and identify it as part of Asia Explain the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the use of canals to support farming and the development of the city of Babylon
Describe the city of Babylon and the Hanging Gardens
Identify cuneiform as the system of writing used in Mesopotamia
Explain why a written language is important to the development of a civilization
 Explain the significance of the Code of Hammurabi
Explain why rules and laws are important to the development of a civilization
Explain the ways in which a leader is important to the development of a civilization
Explain the significance of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and priests in Mesopotamia
 Describe key components of a civilization
Identify Mesopotamia as the “Cradle of Civilization”
 Describe how a civilization evolves and changes over time
 Locate Egypt on a world map or globe, and identify it as a part of Africa
 Explain the importance of the Nile River and how its floods were important for farming
 Identify hieroglyphics as the system of writing used in ancient Egypt
 Explain the significance of gods/goddesses in ancient Egypt
 Identify pyramids and explain their significance in ancient Egypt
 Describe how the pyramids were built
 Explain that much of Egypt is the Sahara Desert
 Identify the Sphinx and explain its significance in ancient Egypt
 Identify Hatshepsut as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and explain her significance as pharaoh
Identify Tutankhamun as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and explain his significance
Explain that much of what we know about ancient Egypt is because of the work of archaeologists
 Identify Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as major monotheistic world religions

Also why all the religious stuff, I don't think for a second EngageNy or whatever Duval is calling it is trying to convert kids to this religion or that but I do think all of this is way past what first graders should be doing. We are through the looking glass.

More to come.