2012 - 2013 School Year
April 9, 2013|CONFRONTING MASS ATROCITIES: SEEKING JUSTICE IN YUGOSLAVIA, RWANDA AND CAMBODIA
In the aftermath of the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals, the atrocities of the 20th and 21st centuries challenged the international community to construct tribunals that would hold political and military leaders accountable for the horrors unleashed. The war crimes tribunals of the 1990s were conceived and built to prosecute those responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and to redress some of the bloodiest human rights atrocities of our time. Educators joined IHMEC and David Scheffer, former Ambassador-at-large for war crimes and Mayer Brown/Robert A. Helman Professor of Law and Director of the Center for International Human Rights Northwestern University School of Law, and examine the struggle for international justice in the aftermath of mass atrocities, the development of international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Cambodia; and the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
February 28, 2013 | THE COURAGE TO CHANGE: CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH ELEMENTARY-GRADE LITERATURE
Civil and human rights provide rich topics of discussion related to history, civics, and current events, and provide a framework for students to consider issues of individual and collective responsibility, prejudice, and justice. In this evening workshop, educators learned how to teach about civil and human rights in elementary classrooms using fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Participants explored suggested resources and make cross-curricular connections among Language Arts, Social Studies, social-emotional learning, and character education. Participants also had the opportunity to tour IHMEC's special exhibition, Courage: The Vision To End Segregation, the Guts to Fight For It, and to collaborate with other elementary educators.
February 7, 2013 | EYEWITNESS TO THE STRUGGLE FOR CHANGE: TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
In conjunction with the exhibit Courage: The Vision to End Segregation, the Guts to Fight For It, IHMEC in partnership with Dr. Cindy Rich from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program at Eastern Illinois University explored the stages of the fight for equal education, the Supreme Court argument, and the events that followed. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to engage in inquiry learning through the study of primary sources available from the exhibit and Library of Congress and to experience first-hand accounts of individuals who were embedded in the movement and experienced the aftermath. We will study photographs, documents, cartoons, audio, video, and more, and discuss how these events relate to other historic civil rights struggles and those occuring today.
January 29, 2013 | BEYOND ANNE FRANK: LITERARY APPROACHES TO INTRODUCING THE HOLOCAUST IN ELEMENTARY-AGE CLASSROOMS
This full-day interactive workshop introduced elementary educators to literary resources for teaching an age-appropriate introduction to the Holocaust. Teachers learned about the rich variety of material that will help students from a strong foundation on which to build a deeper study of the Holocaust at a later age. Through a discussion of diversity, identity, and individual responsibility, students will be able to connect to lessons of the Holocaust with their worlds today.
NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: TEACHING ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS
Our students are growing up in a digital world that has the potential to enrich their learning. Yet schools face challenges dealing with behavioral issues that arise from students' use of technology. The skills and attitudes that make young people good citizens in their local and global community also apply in the digital world. Digital citizenship, a 21st century skill in which students learn to use digital media safely and responsibly, is an essential life skill. IHMEC and Sue Thotz, Chicago Program Manager for Common Sense Media, examined the opportunities and challenges children face in a world of digital media. Participants learned about free online curricula available from Common Sense Media and explore how digital citizenship skills can foster caring, responsible students.
october 4, 2012 | the last survivor: a classroom action project and resource guide
The Last Survivor is an award-winning, feature-length documentary film that presents the stories of four Survivors--of the Holocaust, Rwanda, Darfur, and Congo--and their struggle to make sense of tragedy by working to educate a new generation, inspire tolerance, and spark a civic response to mass atrocity crimes. IHMEC, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, as we explored and discussed how to integrate the stories and lessons represented in the documentary into your classroom. Using the film's Educational Resource Guide, participants were provided with tools and strategies that address the important themes and topics of the film, making connections to curriculum, and ways to inspire student action.
2011-2012 School Year
march 20, 2012 | conflict resolution: around the world and in your classroom
Conflicts impact your students’ lives locally, nationally, and globally. Learning about and understanding national and world conflicts can prepare students to address concerns in their schools and communities, and vice versa. By helping students develop the skills to analyze, understand, and resolve conflicts non-violently, we can build students’ self-esteem, foster global citizenship, and enliven their imaginations. Educators joined Carl Hobert, Founder and Executive Director of the Axis of Hope Center for International Conflict Prevention, to learn how to introduce complex topics, debrief students, document student work, and incorporate media literacy into your classroom.
march 15, 2012 | now where? holocaust survivors' post-war choices and decisions
When World War II ended, Jewish survivors of the Holocaust awoke to a harsh reality. Although they shared the elation of liberation, the prospect of rebuilding their lives was daunting. From 1945 to 1952, more than 250,000 Jewish displaced persons (DPs) lived in camps and urban centers in Germany, Austria, and Italy, awaiting word on their next destination. Educators joined Dr. Debórah Dwork, Rose Professor of Holocaust History and Director, Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, and author of Children With A Star, Auschwitz and Flight From the Reich: Refugee Jews, 1933-1946, as she explored the postwar choices and decisions survivors faced in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
february 27, 2012 | unspeakable truths: confronting terror, murder, and memory in argentina and guatemala
Between the late 1970s and late 1980s, Guatemala was torn by violence in a genocidal campaign against the Maya, which became known as “La Violencia.” During this same time period Argentina’s eight-year “Dirty War” – a reign of terror thrust on to the Argentine people resulted in thousands of deaths and at least 15,000 “disappearances” from 1976 to 1980. Educators joined Dr. Alison Brysk, Mellichamp Professor of Global Governance, UC Santa Barbara and Leah Perez, JFR Alfred Lerner and IHMEC Sendler Fellow and Amundsen High School educator, for a full-day workshop and examined how these societies survived; their struggles for truth, justice and peace; and the collective process of memory in the aftermath of genocide and mass atrocities.
February 8, 2012 | empowered voices: standing up to cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a technologically-assisted form of bullying where exchanges of aggressive behaviors are channeled into the lives of individuals. In recent years, highly publicized cases of cyberbullying have brought to light the ramifications of digital aggression. Educators joined Dr. Mickie Wong-Lo, School of Special Education, Northeastern Illinois University, and author of Cyberbullying: Responses of Adolescents and Parents Towards Digital Aggression, as she examined the transformation of bullying among our digital generation and highlighted: characteristics; effects; school, family, and community involvement; preventive measures; and intervention.
january 19, 2012 | quiet resistance: a powerful tool against prejudice and hate
Often when the topic of resistance arises in a discussion of the Holocaust, many people believe that the Jewish people failed to resist the abuse thrust upon them. Students often question why the Jewish people seemed to quietly accept the many ordinances applied against them and why the Jewish people did not violently resist life in the ghettos or death in the crematoriums. While organized and armed resistance against the Nazis did occur on several occasions throughout the Holocaust, the most powerful acts of resistance took place by individuals attempting to survive the most horrific act of genocide in human history. Using heroic examples of personal resistance from the Holocaust, JFR Alfred Lerner and IHMEC Sendler Fellow Leah Perez, explored several different ways in which the Jewish people resisted annihilation by seizing upon their humanity. This workshop explored these forms of resistance and discuss ways in which teachers can inspire their students to begin making personal choices that will resist the power of hate, prejudice, and bullying in their schools and communities.
december 6, 2011 | building communities: integrating the refugee narrative into your classroom
After decades of violence and persecution, refugees from around the world resettle in Illinois each year with the hope of a fresh start. Individuals from Burma, Bhutan, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, and Sudan are now our new neighbors and students. Educators joined IHMEC and World Relief DuPage to learn about the unique journey of this population, the long road to America, and the distinct challenges faced here. Teachers explored strategies and techniques to introduce refugee issues and their connection to human rights, identity, multiculturalism, and social responsibility, taking home tangible classroom lessons on how to teach about and to refugees.
NOVEMBER 3, 2011 | THE RESCUED MEMORIES OF CENTROPA: WITNESSES TO A EUROPEAN CENTURY
Educators can connect their students to the multi-media education programs of Centropa (Central European Center for Research and Documentation). A Vienna and Budapest-based non-profit, Centropa uses advanced technologies to preserve Jewish memory in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and the Baltics. The workshop explored and provided a fresh and innovative approach to teaching 20th century European-Jewish history through photos, videos, text and web-based resources.
October 27, 2011 | TEACHING TRUNKS: A LITERATURE-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS
IHMEC offers literature-based teaching trunks to classroom teachers free of charge. During this evening workshop, educators become familiar with the trunks, learning how to construct meaningful, age/grade appropriate lessons employing the included books, DVDs, teaching posters, resource and reference materials, and curriculum binder. With this understanding of trunk materials, you will have the tools you need to fulfill State and National Learning Standards and, more importantly, to inspire your students to make a difference.
Learn more about our Teaching Trunk program.
october 18, 2011 | life interrupted: japanese american internment during world war ii
History’s unique and tragic episode of the Japanese American internment experience during World War II is rich with information about the dynamics of what it means to be an American. After Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced over 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry into internment camps. In cooperation with the Japanese-American Citizens League, educators examined and discussed through retrospection, personal accounts and primary documents, the treatment of Japanese Americans over 60 years ago. Participants were introduced to curriculum that included activities to foster tolerance and an understanding of history, culture and the Constitution.
august 16, 2011 | using eyewitness testimonies - echoes and reflections: a multimedia curriculum on the holocaust
Echoes and Reflections is a multimedia curriculum developed by the Anti-Defamation League, the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, and Yad Vashem, which includes lessons illustrated with maps, photographs, timelines, a glossary, and primary source material, along with a companion DVD of visual history testimony. A trainer from Yad Vashem teaches how to apply and use this interactive curriculum in your classroom.
2010-2011 School Year
APRIL 14, 2011 | R-E-S-P-E-C-T: CHARACTER EDUCATION FOR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS
Bullying, stereotyping, and other negative behaviors interfere with learning and harm students' self-esteem. You can create a positive classroom environment that allows students to thrive. Join us for this half-day workshop to discover strategies and tools to encourage mutual respect and foster a sense of community in your classroom.
march 16, 2011 | through the holocaust and genocide: tools for empowering students to enact social change
By looking at the history of hate, students can better understand and empathize with the victims of genocide. With empathy comes empowerment. Nothing is more important than our students and giving them the tools to change society. From this workshop, educators will receive ideas and resources to use in the classroom.
february 22, 2011 | generation to generation: investigating and using adolescent voices of genocide and atrocity crimes
Centuries of inhumanity and genocide have inspired young people to document the effects and aftermath of these chapters of history on their lives. What do their voices tell us? How do we connect their voices to today--to our students and the classroom? How can we use their voices as a way for social studies and language arts teachers to approach this topic through interdisciplinarian collaboration?
friday, january 28, 2011 | auschwitz: inside the nazi state
This full-day, interactive workshop will explore in detail the decision-making process of the Nazis, the various stages of the development of Auschwitz, and the moral "gray zone" that existed inside this infamous camp. Please join Robert Jan Van Pelt, historical consultant of the BBC documentary series Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State (2005) and author of The Anatomy of the Auschwitz Death Camp and The Case for Auschwitz, as he provides a unique glimpse into the evolution of the site of the single largest mass murder in the history of humanity.
November 4, 2010 | Teaching Trunks
IHMEC offers literature-based teaching trunks to classroom teachers free of charge. During this evening workshop, you will become familiar with the trunks, learning how to construct meaningful, age/grade appropriate lessons employing the included books, DVDs, teaching posters, resource and reference materials, and curriculum binder. With this understanding of trunk materials, you will have the tools you need to fulfill State and National Learning Standards and, more importantly, to inspire your students to make a difference.
October 21, 2010 | The Ethics of Medicine
From 1933-1945, Nazi Germany carried out a campaign to “cleanse” German society of individuals viewed as biological threats to the nation’s “health.” In connection with the Museum’s temporary exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this workshop examines how Nazi leadership, in collaboration with individuals in the professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, used science to help legitimize persecution, murder, and, ultimately, genocide. At this workshop, educators will explore these connections between ethics, morality, and history.
august 18, 2010 | using eyewitness testimonies - echoes and reflections: a multimedia curriculum on the holocaust
Echoes and Reflections is a multimedia curriculum developed by the Anti-Defamation League, the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, and Yad Vashem, which includes lessons illustrated with maps, photographs, timelines, a glossary, and primary source material, along with a companion DVD of visual history testimony. Join a trainer from Yad Vashem, who will teach you how to apply and use this interactive curriculum in your classroom.
2009-2010 School Year
April 15, 2010 | Teaching and Learning about Genocide Perpetrated in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Content, Approaches, Resources
The 20th and 21st centuries have been witness to continued genocide and inhumanity. If atrocities continue to happen decade after decade - what are we to think? What are your students to think? Can genocide be prevented? What can we do to make a difference? How can you motivate your students to care enough to take action?
Please join Holocaust and genocide scholar and author Dr. Samuel Totten (Professor of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Arkansas) as he discusses the challenges, approaches and methods you can use to teach about genocide in your classroom in an age of genocide.
March 9, 2010 | Teaching with Defiance: Jewish Resistance and the Bielski Partisans
Facilitated by Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation. Each Teacher Receives:
- Defiance and Educator’s DVDs with Excerpts
The feature film, director's comments, 5 primary source interview with Bielski partisans, and special made-for-classroom DVD with 16 excerpts from key scenes to use in the classroom - Defiance/Bielski Partisans Curriculum
New teacher's guide to DVD and excerpts, plus additional JPEF educational materials created with Bielski biographer Peter Duffy and Defiance screenwriter Clayton Frohman - Nine Jewish Partisans Documentaries
Including two new short films with primary source interviews and archival footage, produced by the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
March 4, 2010 | Teaching Ethics with the Holocaust
An event as significant as the Holocaust resonates across all academic disciplines. Of particular interest to students and teachers are the ethical questions raised by Nazi genocide. This workshop will explore historical situations, ethical theory, and case studies to provide teachers with a toolkit of teaching strategies and approaches for exploring the Holocaust in greater depth. Presentation will be involved, but the workshop will rely primarily on small-group interaction, applications, and discussion.
February 11, 2010 | Creating Character: Moving Beyond Anne Frank to Reach Young Learners
During this full-day interactive workshop, elementary educators will explore different literary approaches to discussing the history and lessons of the Holocaust and genocide. The accessibility of Anne Frank and the approach she took to sharing her experiences in hiding make it one of most well-read texts on the Holocaust. This workshop will provide educators with the tools and materials necessary to expand their resources and introduce their students to the wealth of literature that exists on the Holocaust and genocide.
December 10, 2009 | East and West: Investigating the Similarities and Differences During the Holocaust
Both students and teachers carry with them iconic images of the Holocaust without realizing that these are the product of experiences in a particular geographic area of Europe. This workshop will explore the similarities and differences between Nazi killing operations in western and eastern Europe. The topic will raise related questions of collaboration and resistance, as well as current ways in which governments address the legacy of genocide that was carried out on their soil. The workshop will include presentation, resources, teaching applications, and discussion.
November 4, 2009 | Starting with the Past, Reflecting on the Present: Introducing Lessons of the Holocaust to Younger Grades
This full-day interactive workshop will introduce elementary educators to strategies to teach about the lessons of the Holocaust and genocide without going into the depth of its horror and trauma. Employing the themes of character education, students will gain the foundation to develop strategies for connecting the lessons of the past to their world today. This foundation will prepare them for a study of the Holocaust and genocide at a later age. Topics such as neighborhood violence, bullying, self-identity and individual responsibility will be explored in relation to the history of the Holocaust and genocide.
October 22, 2009 | Mosaic of Victims: Non-Jews Persecuted and Murdered by the Nazis
Students are often unaware of the magnitude of the Nazis’ intent and their targeting of other groups for racial, ethnic, and political reasons. Join Dr. Geoffrey Giles, Associate Professor of History from the University of Florida, as he explores and discusses those deemed “undesirable” under the Nazi state.
2008-2009 School Year
May 14, 2009 | Confronting Genocide: Response, Punishment and Prevention
The workshop featured Australian human rights activist and lawyer Rebecca Hamilton. In this seven-minute podcast “Chicago teachers on genocide education” you can hear about some of the challenges five teachers in Chicago face in teaching about genocide to their students.
Listen to the Podcast Online >
Join noted human rights activist, author and attorney Rebecca Hamilton for a full-day, interactive workshop focusing on the history of genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Darfur, as well as an exploration of the universal response to justice, punishment and prevention of genocide.
Recently special assistant to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and selected as a Global Young Leader on Genocide Prevention, Rebecca Hamilton was managing editor of the Harvard Journal of Human Rights and cofounder of the Darfur Action Group. Hamilton was involved in the formative stages of the Genocide Intervention Network and has worked with internally displaced populations in Sudan.
Skokie, IL