I currently teach 12th grade students a course called Theory of Knowledge (TOK). This course is a core component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Since IB Diploma candidates have a far greater acceptance and retention rate than students enrolled in either traditional curriculums or Advanced Placement courses, my goal is to offer as many enrichment opportunities as possible to maximize student engagement with the material.
Students are called upon to critically analyze what has been learned, rather than simply learn more material. TOK asks these fundamental questions: 1. What do we know? 2. How do we know it? How certain are we that it is true? 4. What are the implications of the knowledge?
Question 4 is the most crucial. It is often said that knowledge is power. But what does this really mean?
If I was a German citizen during the 1930's, how would I have responded to the Holocaust? It is easy to say that I would not have participated, but was it really that simple? How do social pressures of our times affect the courage of an individual to stand up and act for what is right? To what extent do I have a responsibility to stand up for what is right?
This book, written by Hannah Arendt, tackles many of these questions as she explores the trial of a low level Nazi official accused of war crimes. Although neither a mastermind nor a figure of significance, Arendt argues how evil can develop when actions are seen as banal. Personal responsibility and engagement are called forth from the reader. A class set of these books will allow for great discussions of ethical standards and current issues.
You will help my students explore the responsibilities of citizenship, the need for action and the power of a common person, for better or for worse.
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