tech8

Standard Eight | Information Literacy Skills

**Genocide Newsletter** One of the topics that we discussed in my current events class, //Today's Problems//, was genocide. I discovered how unknowledgeable the students were in regards to genocides other than the Holocaust, which is discussed at length in their US History classes. As the class was a mixture of 9-12 students, not every student had taken the course. In order to give them background on the subject, we talked about basic human rights, and what the definition of genocide is. I then showed them a documentary about the various genocides, including the //holodomor// or, "death by hunger," that took place in Ukraine in the 1930s. I was able to bring a personal story into the discussion as both my grandfather and grandmother survived the famine.

This artifact reflects that project that I had the student complete. I asked classes to look into a genocide of their choice (the Holocaust was not allowed) and create a newsletter or PowerPoint presentation on the event that he/she chose. I was able to help provide websites for many of the events and warned students **not** to plagiarize the information. This project was an opportunity for them to learn about different horrors of the world and how groups of people were singled out by various ethnic and racial (among other) factors.

Interactive projects and activities are especially meaningful for students because they have the opportunity to develop important skills while also being creative. As a teacher, this type of assignment teaches students about finding reliable resources and also allows me, as the teacher, to see how students interpret and present information.

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