Seventh grade students studying American History have been learning about the Holocaust and World War II. They are currently reading the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, and on Monday they visited the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. This visit was an opportunity for the students to gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned in English and are learning in history.
The seventh graders were fully immersed in the museum for the morning. During their visit, they met with six docents who walked them through the timeline of the Holocaust and provided insight and connection to the personal stories of those who were victims and survivors of this period of history. After the students went through the museum, they got to hear from Holocaust survivor Rachel Miller. The students and teachers were completely in awe of Ms. Miller’s story of survival as a child and devastated by the profound loss she endured.
In the afternoon, students took a deeper dive into modern-day genocide and how to spot and prevent future atrocities from occurring. This afternoon activity was a nice extension to the final exhibit at the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center which charged the students with the idea that “The Change Begins with You.” We are hopeful that students will keep that message close to them, and we look forward to returning to the museum in the future.
