Week 4! We're cruising along! You should be proud of the work you've accomplished so far - because I am! I loved reading your padlet discussions and watching the flip grids. I'm impressed with the level of depth your questions and answers got to and generally, your willingness to dig in to this complex and emotional content. Usually we end this unit with a discussion of "what to do next". Unfortunately, we aren't in class together, so i've written something below for you to consider.
Learning about, understanding, and questioning the Holocaust is (and should be) difficult. But, it is so incredibly important. Now that you've learned more and read Elie Wiesel's memoir, I hope you now fully understand why joking about the Holocaust (or any genocide) is never appropriate. One day in class, we discussed appropriate humor and being the voice who stands up against stereotypes, inappropriate jokes, racist/sexist comments, etc. Laughing at a joke that is inappropriate "just to fit in" or ignoring a comment gives it power. But what should you do? It can be incredibly awkward to confront someone about many things, let alone these emotionally charged topics. While there are many resources on what to say or do when you hear or see something - I like this resource best as a summary of options for many kinds of situations. Ultimately, I hope you never give power to insensitivity, ignorance, racism, sexism, or hatred. Indifference is an action. As Elie Wiesel so brilliant wrote: "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. To be in the window and watch people being sent to concentration camps or being attacked in the street and do nothing, that's being dead." --------------------------------------- For this week, it would be best to split your time into two chunks (but you still have a lot of flexibility): 1. Finish WWII/Night Culminating Assignments 2. Begin Genocide Essay Research Here's your Week at a Glance :) We have purposely kept the essay tasks minimal this week so you have plenty of time to process, ask questions, select your topics, and familiarize yourself with the content. Please note some changes in communication expectations and more office hours opportunities so you have plenty of access to your teachers this week! Comments are closed.
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Office Hours6/23
1/2 - 12 - 12:30 3/4 - 11:30 - 1 Archives
June 2020
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