I teach history in one of the most diverse high schools in all of New Jersey. We have every type of race, religion, and ethnicity under the sun at my public high school. We also have students from all economic backgrounds as well. Students come from homes ranging in the hundreds of thousands while others recently moved from the projects. Despite the diversity at my school when you walk around the hallways you often see the students hanging out with their own group. I want to show my students an extreme example of what can happen when you start thinking of "us" versus "Them". I want my students to read Elie Weisel's "Night."
I teach a class called "Dimensions of Prejudice, Genocide, and the Holocaust". Students are given an in-depth look at the Holocaust and other genocides in history. They are also taught how to try and prevent things like prejudice and discrimination. When the class was first started, it was very small with only 17 students. It now contains over 85 students and must be divided into different sections and semesters. I already have some copies of "Night" but not nearly enough so that all of my students will be able to read it. There is no money in the Social Studies budget for these books because money was spent on textbooks for the core subjects like US History. The school does not require "Night" to be read by the students so the only opportunity that they have to read it is in my class. I want to give them this opportunity.
I read 'Night' when I was 16 years old and I have been majorly influenced by it. It gave me perspective on life, taught me not to judge others, and made me a better person. This is what I want my students to get from it. However, as previously stated, my school does not require "Night" to be read by the students so the only opportunity that they will have to read it is in my class. I need my students to be able to read this book so they can gain the things that I have gained. In class, we will read the books and discuss them as a class. Students will write journal entries reflecting on how the book makes them feel. They will have the opportunity to draw pictures and write poetry about the Holocaust. It will give them an individuals perspective on the Holocaust rather than looking at statistics. Also, it will tie the book to what we have learned historically.
Your support will make it possible for my students to read a book will make them think about their lives and others. It will give them perspective on life and make them strive to be better people. It will touch their lives forever and help them to not automatically join their own group but branch out more. It will also help give them a better understanding of what happened to people during the Holocaust. Please help me do that.
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