Thread by @CorinneGressang

In my course on The Holocaust, I gave my students the choice between a final project and a final exam. I feel weird about testing them on genocide. 11 chose the final project, 9 chose the exam. Here is the breakdown of what my brilliant students did: #pedagogy #unessay

One student composed + scored own musical piece to try to capture the emotion of arriving at Auschwitz. "Lyrics" were a Hebrew translation of Ps 1 which victims might say (The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.) 1/2

The student incorporated string instruments because of the accounts of the camp symphonies. The are some discordant notes which were intentional to evoke anxiety and fear. The song gave me chills. It is moving and powerful.
2/2

2 of my students organized a campus-wide event. They worked with student government, got funding. Researched some short videos around a few important themes, write discussion questions, and put together a moving night of remembrance in our Art center for their project.

One of my students made a lecture with a voiceover to connect some of the information from the course with the current events in Ukraine. You can see this final project here. All of us prepping zoom lectures for 2 years could appreciate the work here!

Here is where I am starting to show some physical projects with pictures and they are awesome.

One of my students was struck by a reading from Robert Weltsch in 1933 “Wear the Yellow Badge with Pride.” Student wanted to reclaim the Star of David. Student dried flowers w/different symbolism. The roses, which turn black when dried, symbolize death. They are at the bottom 1/3

symbolizing rising above death. Gladiolus flower means remembrance and faithfulness, which were in the middle. The student could not get almond blossoms (symbol of hope for Israel) So the student got apple blossoms on top showing resilience of survivors and hope 4 future. 2/3

its all covered in epoxy resin. Flower petals can be fragile and break, but she wanted to talk about going from weakness to strength. (Refuting the idea that the Jewish victims were weak) The phrase "A Badge of Honor" parallel's the primary source we read in class. 3/3

Another student made a drawing with a poem. The student intended to convey the trauma that stuck with survivors. Survival might mean experiencing feelings of being trapped. Or not ever being able to enjoy life the same way it's "locked" for them 1/3

Here is the Poem:
I am Free! I am Free!
I have been unchained from the beasts.
But it is not over.
The darkness yet lingers.
The tremors through my fingers.
I still feel sick.
Looking through these disturbing pics.
I am Lost. I am Lost.
I keep having this bad thought. 2/3

I can’t sleep or eat.
My life is incomplete.
I am Free? I am Free?
I can't agree

3/3

Another student worked on a political cartoon and poem:
The cartoon's message was quite clear even without the explanation. It showed the "engine" of Hitler's power and war machine was the exploitation of Jewish people. 1/3

However, the poem deserves a transcription and a closer look!
For those who work,
Another day they shall see
For those who lurk;
won't let them be.

Those people have suffered.
A great deal they can do.
Can things get rougher?
Only Hitler can choose
2/3

As time goes on,
More deaths fall upon.
But hope is still present,
No matter how unpleasant.

For this religion has seen
so much from history
but survived they have done
in order to overcome.

Used as slaves to fund a war,
Oh the horror the Jewish people bore.
3/3

One student was very good w/technology& graphic design. He recreated a classic picture of Auschwitz but with a symbol of Hope. Once again incorporating the Almond Blossom tree, which blooms in the winter and is the first tree to bloom, it symbolized hope in the midst of death 1/2

He researched and used inspiration pictures to try to convey hope from the ruin. 2/2

I am only sharing projects with the permission of students. As I get more permission I will add more!

Another Poem. This student said he had never written a poem in his life. For some reason that makes this poem feel so special to me. He was moved to write it based on some early lectures on the development of antisemitism.
"Longevity of Hate" 1/6

How did anti-Semitism come to thought?
Everyone says Hitler is the one to fault
Although he is someone you should hate
He was only the icing on the cake 2/6

Anti-Semitism was built up over a lot of years
The Nazis were not the only volunteers
Did the hate start when Christ died?
And Jews were charged for deicide
3/6

Is Martin Luther the one to blame
He did write about putting Jewish churches to flame
So was Hitler responsible for these concepts
Or did he just finish the process
4/6

History tells us Jews were always mistreated
Look how Alfred Dreyfus’s freedom was cheated
So, did anti-Semitism start in the 1900’s
Or did history help it get funded
5/6

This just shows hate’s longevity
But does hate come from heredity
Or centuries worth of mistreatment and judgment
Could it repeat, I'm not too definite
6/6

Finally, a woodcut of kristalllnacht. The goal was to capture the feeling of the victims. Aveilut is a time of mourning. This is a cool medium to use.