Neal Kamsler Upper School Head Steven Cohen Asst. Upper School Head Facing History and Ourselves International Boys School Conference June 2007 The Allen-Stevenson School New York City

Neal Kamsler

Upper School Head

Steven Cohen

Asst. Upper School Head

Facing History and Ourselves A course in… Racism Discrimination Citizenship Democracy Heroism … that uses the Holocaust as a case study

A course in…

Racism

Discrimination

Citizenship

Democracy

Heroism

… that uses the Holocaust as a case study

Initial Reasons for Introducing Supported Diversity Work Kept “Seniors” Engaged Intriguing for Boys

Supported Diversity Work

Kept “Seniors” Engaged

Intriguing for Boys

Why It Works For Boys Issues of Power Leadership & Heroism Moral Questions Drama / Action Technology Talking & Moving Real

Issues of Power

Leadership & Heroism

Moral Questions

Drama / Action

Technology

Talking & Moving

Real

Structure Interdisciplinary English, History, Art Evolution a Process Pass / Fail Meets ≈ 10 hours/week for 7 Weeks Mentors

Interdisciplinary

English, History, Art

Evolution a Process

Pass / Fail

Meets ≈ 10 hours/week for 7 Weeks

Mentors

Structure Case Studies from history Holocaust Armenian Genocide Rwanda

Case Studies from history

Holocaust

Armenian Genocide

Rwanda

Structure Case Studies from “Ourselves” Current Events Darfur, Child Soldiers, Gay Marriage School Issues Leadership Bullying / Social Cruelty

Case Studies from “Ourselves”

Current Events

Darfur, Child Soldiers, Gay Marriage

School Issues

Leadership

Bullying / Social Cruelty

Requirements Coursework Readings, films, trips, speakers, discussions, journal responses, papers. Blogs Art Project Faculty Presentation

Coursework

Readings, films, trips, speakers, discussions, journal responses, papers.

Blogs

Art Project

Faculty Presentation

Pedagogy Case Study Method Socratic / Constructivist Discussion, Observation, Action “ Complicating simple answers to complex questions”

Case Study Method

Socratic / Constructivist

Discussion, Observation, Action

“ Complicating simple answers to complex questions”

Course Outline Identity Us v. Them Rise of the Nazis Holocaust Judgment & Memory Choosing to Participate

Identity

Us v. Them

Rise of the Nazis

Holocaust

Judgment & Memory

Choosing to Participate

Unit 1: Identity Essential Questions Who am I? How do I see myself? How do others see me? What factors influence how I think and behave?

Essential Questions

Who am I?

How do I see myself?

How do others see me?

What factors influence how I think and behave?

Unit 1: Identity Sample Activities / Texts The Bear That Wasn’t After the First “ If the World Were a Village of a 1,000 People” Ladder of Inference / Stereotyping “ Stolen Bicycle” Eye of the Storm

Sample Activities / Texts

The Bear That Wasn’t

After the First

“ If the World Were a Village of a 1,000 People”

Ladder of Inference / Stereotyping

“ Stolen Bicycle”

Eye of the Storm

Identity Charts a Basic Tool Shows how we and others label ourselves Shows points of commonality and difference Exposes our lenses

Shows how we and others label ourselves

Shows points of commonality and difference

Exposes our lenses

If the World Were a Village of a 1000 people… How many would be… Christians? Muslims? Jews? Buddhists? Secular / Nonreligious?

How many would be…

Christians?

Muslims?

Jews?

Buddhists?

Secular / Nonreligious?

If the World Were a Village of a 1000 people… How many would be… Christians? 330 Muslims? 215 Jews? 2 Buddhists? 59 Secular / Nonreligious? 140 Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2002

How many would be…

Christians? 330

Muslims? 215

Jews? 2

Buddhists? 59

Secular / Nonreligious? 140

Unit 2: Us v. Them Essential Questions Where do I belong? Why are some people included and others excluded? How can I belong to a group and still be true to myself? For whom am I responsible?

Essential Questions

Where do I belong?

Why are some people included and others excluded?

How can I belong to a group and still be true to myself?

For whom am I responsible?

Unit 2: Us v. Them Sample Activities / Texts Fires in the Mirror “ Harrison Bergeron” Educating Peter Study of Antisemitism

Sample Activities / Texts

Fires in the Mirror

“ Harrison Bergeron”

Educating Peter

Study of Antisemitism

Universe of Obligation Those people to whom we feel some obligation, to whom rules apply, whose injuries deserve a response 1 2 3 4

Those people to whom we feel some obligation, to whom rules apply, whose injuries deserve a response

Unit 3: The Rise of the Nazis Essential Questions: Why did this happen? How does prejudice become law? Why didn't people stop it? What could have been done?

Essential Questions:

Why did this happen?

How does prejudice become law?

Why didn't people stop it?

What could have been done?

Unit 3: The Rise of the Nazis Sample Activities / Texts The Wave / “You Will Do As Directed” Friedrich Propaganda Study What could have been done? “ The Hangman,” Maurice Ogden

Sample Activities / Texts

The Wave / “You Will Do As Directed”

Friedrich

Propaganda Study

What could have been done?

“ The Hangman,” Maurice Ogden

Unit 4: The Holocaust Essential Questions How could it have happened in the 20th Century in the heart of Europe? What does resistance mean in a world of diminished choices? What factors contributed to the choices the perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and rescuers made?

Essential Questions

How could it have happened in the 20th Century in the heart of Europe?

What does resistance mean in a world of diminished choices?

What factors contributed to the choices the perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and rescuers made?

Unit 4: The Holocaust Sample Activities / Texts Milgram Experiment “ Police Battalion 101 Night Schindler’s List Weapons of the Spirit What Makes a Rescuer?

Sample Activities / Texts

Milgram Experiment

“ Police Battalion 101

Night

Schindler’s List

Weapons of the Spirit

What Makes a Rescuer?

Unit 5: Judgment and Memory Essential Questions Who is responsible for History? Are some people more to blame than others? How do we judge and/or punish those who participated? Is forgiveness, or even reconciliation, possible? How do we remember?

Essential Questions

Who is responsible for History?

Are some people more to blame than others?

How do we judge and/or punish those who participated?

Is forgiveness, or even reconciliation, possible?

How do we remember?

Unit 5: Judgment and Memory Sample Activities / Texts Confessions of a Hitler Youth The Sunflower Nuremberg

Sample Activities / Texts

Confessions of a Hitler Youth

The Sunflower

Nuremberg

Unit 6: Choosing to Participate Essential Questions Does one individual matter? How can I make a difference? Where do I begin?

Essential Questions

Does one individual matter?

How can I make a difference?

Where do I begin?

Unit 6: Choosing to Participate Sample Activities / Texts Kitty Genovese “ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, ” Ursula Le Guin “ The Road Not Taken” Art Projects Blogs

Sample Activities / Texts

Kitty Genovese

“ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, ” Ursula Le Guin

“ The Road Not Taken”

Art Projects

Blogs

Save Two Million Project

Save Two Million Project

Art Project Crystallizing Activity Political Art Personally Relevant Current Event or Issue Any Medium Sculpture Film Painting

Crystallizing Activity

Political Art

Personally Relevant

Current Event or Issue

Any Medium

Sculpture

Film

Painting

Child Slavery and the Chocolate Trade in the Sudan

“ It all happened so suddenly. At 11 o’clock Graciela Alatorre had an appointment to review her working permit. She was taken into another room where she was was was handcuffed like a criminal. She had never committed a crime or broken any law. All she did was work to support her family. In tears she was forced to board a plane. She was ripped away from her family so unexpectedly.” Illegal Immigration

Faculty Presentation Culminating Performance Brings together much of what the boys have worked on over their time with us Each boy presents to 1/3 of the Faculty Presents Topic Presents Art Piece Answers Questions

Culminating Performance

Brings together much of what the boys have worked on over their time with us

Each boy presents to 1/3 of the Faculty

Presents Topic

Presents Art Piece

Answers Questions

Trips Public Art Washington, DC Archives Hero

Public Art

Washington, DC

Archives

Hero

Moral Vocabulary in Upper School Perpetrator Victim Bystander “ We want an Upper School of heroes.”

Perpetrator

Victim

Bystander

From Students What are important themes of the course? “ Achieving a sense of identity, realizing one’s responsibilities as part of a privileged society, and to study human behavior from many different angles.” “ The worst person in a situation of crisis is the person who stands by and does nothing…” “ The theme of the course is… through self-control, analysis, thoughtfulness, we as people can make the world a better place.”

What are important themes of the course?

“ Achieving a sense of identity, realizing one’s responsibilities as part of a privileged society, and to study human behavior from many different angles.”

“ The worst person in a situation of crisis is the person who stands by and does nothing…”

“ The theme of the course is… through self-control, analysis, thoughtfulness, we as people can make the world a better place.”

“The course does a good job in forcing kids to re-evaluate themselves and become more involved. You start asking yourself questions such as: ‘Was I partly responsible for not calling for help for that woman on the subway?’”

“The course does a good job in forcing kids to re-evaluate themselves and become more involved. You start asking yourself questions such as: ‘Was I partly responsible for not calling for help for that woman on the subway?’”

FHAO Web Site www.facinghistory.org