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Research says that students who can connect to a book, and therefore the characters, become more empathetic people. The holocaust unit I teach presents such a great opportunity for my students to build their empathy while reading about such a high interest topic! However, the books available to my students do not foster this much needed connection. There are too few holocaust books available (although our library has been great building their collection with a limited budget), and most holocaust books are outdated, leaving little motivation for students to connect their own experiences with the character's. How can empathy be built when a student refuses to keep reading a book that isn't relevant to them? My solution is to provide a scaffolded reading ladder for my freshmen students that starts with the graphic novel ("Maus"), moves onto a free-choice historical fiction holocaust book club book, and ends with a memoir ("Night" or "I Have Lived a Thousand Years"). The choice between a female narrator ("Thousand Years") or male narrator ("Night") will help to engage every student. In the past, I've jumped right into reading "Night" with my students. I don't believe they were all ready for that mature jump, and I do not think every student could connect with the teenage boy narrating this single book. I'm hopeful that this reading ladder idea will help motivate students to keep reading, and ultimately, build empathetic young people.

About my class

Research says that students who can connect to a book, and therefore the characters, become more empathetic people. The holocaust unit I teach presents such a great opportunity for my students to build their empathy while reading about such a high interest topic! However, the books available to my students do not foster this much needed connection. There are too few holocaust books available (although our library has been great building their collection with a limited budget), and most holocaust books are outdated, leaving little motivation for students to connect their own experiences with the character's. How can empathy be built when a student refuses to keep reading a book that isn't relevant to them? My solution is to provide a scaffolded reading ladder for my freshmen students that starts with the graphic novel ("Maus"), moves onto a free-choice historical fiction holocaust book club book, and ends with a memoir ("Night" or "I Have Lived a Thousand Years"). The choice between a female narrator ("Thousand Years") or male narrator ("Night") will help to engage every student. In the past, I've jumped right into reading "Night" with my students. I don't believe they were all ready for that mature jump, and I do not think every student could connect with the teenage boy narrating this single book. I'm hopeful that this reading ladder idea will help motivate students to keep reading, and ultimately, build empathetic young people.

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