Mom upset over controversial ISIS homework assignment

Thursday, November 26, 2015
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HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The mother of a ninth grade HISD student is furious over a homework assignment that instructed students to analyze the words of an ISIS recruiter.

The assignment was given to the 9th grade geography class just days after the terror attacks in Paris.

ABC-13 obtained a copy of the assignment. It instructs students to analyze the point of view of several passages and identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose and speaker (S.O.A.P).

The first example is from a blog entry from an ISIS recruiters tumbler site. The subject deals with different kinds of women needed to join ISIS, professionals, police and wives. The "audience" is "woman anywhere who might want to join ISIS".

The second article included a quote from Osama Bin Laden. The quote is in response to the bombing and killing of 17 sailors on the USS Cole. Students were instructed to analyze Osama's the following quote:

"The pieces of the bodies of infidels were flying like dust particles. If you would have seen it with your own eyes, you would have been very pleased and your heart would have been filled with joy."

Theresa Bosley's daughter is in that 9th grade class. Bosley found out about her daughter's assignment by chance. She said if you are going to teach about ISIS, don't stop there.

"I'm all about education. I have a juris in education. Yes. We should teach about ISIS. But let's teach the facts. Let's teach who they are and what happened. Let's teach about Paris in Lebanon. Let's teach about the 21 Christians that were beheaded," said Bosley. "Let's teach about the school kids that were kidnapped, 200 of them, from their school. Where are they now?"

HISD released this statement:

"The intent of the assignment was to teach students critical and analytical thinking skills using current events. The district will review the assignment and follow up with the campus, if needed."

Bosley says she's looking forward to finding out what will happen next. She said she has the support of many parents in her daughter's class.