Goals

 

Details

Duration: 120+ minutes

Assessments: Student discussions, Student writing

 

Description

Often times when studying history, one is presented with the question of whether history repeats itself. Over the next two weeks, you will explore your own answer to this question using evidence from the Holocaust as studied in your ELA, World History, Science and Spanish or Academic Literacy classes.

Within this workshop, you will be transformed into a broadcast journalist, visual artist, and expert public speaker. You will be required to complete the following assignments:

1. Write an Audio Commentary Piece
- Choose Your Topic - Due Fri. May 5
- Research Your Topic - Due Mon. May 8
- First Draft of Your Commentary - Due Tues. May 9
- Final Draft of Your Commentary - Due Wed. May 10

A commentary is a piece of writing in which the author shares their perspective on a certain subject with their audience. In this case, you will be answering the question: Does History Repeat Itself?
* You are required to examine the roles of upstanders and bystanders during the Holocaust and relate them to another historical or present day event.
* You will use evidence (from Night, World History, Science, and Spanish or Academic Literacy classes) to support your perspective on this question.
* Some examples of topics that you may want to relate to the Holocaust are Palestine/Israeli conflict, Post 9-11 Internment, Japanese Internment during WWII, Civil War in Central America, Genocide in Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur (Sudan), Immigration Issues, Racial Profiling, etc.

2. Record/Edit your Audio Commentary Piece
- Record Your Commentary - Due Thurs. May 11
- Edit Your Commentary - Due Fri. May 12

Using a simple audio editing program called Audacity, you will be responsible for recording/editing your own audio commentary so that it may be included in our class's final radio broadcast. You will work with a partner to record/edit your piece until it is "broadcast quality."

3. Create a Visual Art Piece
- Silhouette - Due Mon. May 15

You will create a unique visual art piece using your silhouette and quotes from your commentary. You will work with your partner to trace your silhouette onto a piece of black butcher paper. You will cut out your silhouette and find a captivating quote(s) from your commentary to write on it. Your silhouettes will hang from the classroom's ceiling on the night of your exhibition.

4. Prepare Your "Meet the Artist" Speech
- Speech - Due Wed. May 17

On exhibition night, you will unveil your radio broadcast and visual arts piece. You also will speak in a "Meet the Artists" panel that will be held in your exhibition classroom. Your "Meet the Artist" speech must include a description of your writing and creative process in addition to a written reflection of your work. In your speech, you should talk about why you choose to focus on the events that you did and what you think you have learned about the repetition of history.

Introduction to the Radio Project
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Project Outline for Students
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Rubric for Exhibition
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Weekly Schedule
The weekly schedule for the school was changed in order to accomodate project work time and math class (which was not pa...
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Author Reflections