Teaching kids about the war in Ukraine

On Mar 10, 2022

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Brycen Frankenberg is a 5th grader at Horizon Science Academy Springfield.

In his spare time, he loves researching countries.

“Ever since second grade, I just liked countries and stuff like that,”

Brycen knows exactly where to find Ukraine and Russia on the map. He knows about the war too.

“There’s this huge alliance, it’s called NATO and we are part of it and most of Europe is a part of it, in that alliance, and this just started because Ukraine wanted to join it and Russia didn’t want any more countries joining it, because they think NATO is a threat to their expansion.”

Josh Funk is the middle school social studies teacher at Horizon Science Academy.

He says there are many lessons to be taught about this war. He tells 13ABC,

“I think it comes down to the humanitarian side of it all, there are people who are fleeing their home because there’s an oppressive government trying to tell them what to do and they’re scared and they’re fighting back and some of them have to leave their homes as a result and what would it be like that if you had to do that?

Funk also has a personal connection to Ukraine.

“I personally have a friend who has family from the Ukraine, he’s a second generation Ukrainian and he says it’s really bad over there, he’s sending money he’s communicating to people over there and I’m urging the kids to try to help out anyway you can. Brycen agrees. He says, “You could always ask your parents to donate if you want to just help innocent citizens to get homes and food.”

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