Didn't secede, but held onto its slaves...

though does speak to racism. It's not just Missouri. And, are there any black children in that classroom?

stupid enough to think that's OK--or that he/she won't get in trouble for such offensive, racist crap?

practice actually was. Story is missing context - and doesn't have anything about the teacher's intent.
I know I'm playing devil's advocate - but I would like to hear what the teacher was thinking before
slamming him/her.

It was part of a list. Inserted among other things in an effort to make it seem normal.

When someone is quoted saying something reprehensible, the fall by excuse is "I was quoted out of context." Nevermind that there is no context that would excuse such remarks.

Your example is a nice try, but really?

If the assignment was in regards to a free market economy, what then is the relevance of a singular morality lesson within that assignment, and precisely how does that morality lesson fit within the parameters established by the written assignment, which itself has no other contextual morality lesson (entire lesson may be seen at the OP link)?

Luckily, I'm on it!

"You're a citizen of a country formed under a Constitution that describes a system of government with three co-equal branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. You begin to get involved in a system of checks and balances, in which the Legislative branch holds the Executive branch accountable subject to review by the Judicial branch. Set minimum sentences for the following misdeeds of the Chief Executive upon conviction."

to such a question. "You are talking about human beings. People should not be bought and sold. How could they have a price?"

A couple of years later, I would have added, "What is your price for yourself?"

My fifth grade teacher frequently sent me off to the Principal's office for asking difficult, "impertinent," questions. We were studying the California Missions that year and after a bit, I asked a pointed question about how the indigenous people felt about being forced to convert to Christianity and work for nothing for the Spanish priests. The teacher sent me, once again, to the Principal's office, where I asked the same question of the Principal. He had a better answer for the question, allowing as how that was a very unfair way to treat the people who were already there, and then we talked about similar things that had happened elsewhere when areas were invaded by foreigners.

I got along well with the Principal, and never received any punishments for asking difficult questions of my 5th grade teacher.

Still, I was something of a problem student, all through school. I asked far too many questions.

...and then claim your sincerely held religious beliefs allow you to include it...

Making America great again.

I've been expecting some movement in that direction under the current regime of neo-Confederates. I have no doubt that Dumpy the Clown would loooove to own, abuse, and profit off of slaves as it would help make him feel superior and make some easy money off somebody else's hard work.