Post It Note from Programme Director, Ruth-Anne Lenga
A new year, a new term and yet no end in sight of the chaotic situation that we find ourselves in. Schools are, once again showing that they do not give up on their students and that, despite many teachers having to home-school their own children, and/or manage their own health concerns, are still working flat out to give students their very best. Here, at the Centre, we hear from teachers daily about the many struggles on the ground and we continue to work at speed to find ways to help you in these challenging circumstances.
We were delighted to receive so many entries from students for the #Leon110 poetry challenge to mark the 110th anniversary of Leon Greenman’s birth. Nearly 100 entries were sent to the Centre from students across the country. We look forward to announcing the top 10 that stood out as capturing something distinctly insightful next week on Holocaust Memorial Day. Well done to everyone who entered!
Brand new suite of ‘ready to go’ lessons to support you and your students:
After the War: The story of child survivors who came to the UK at the end of the Second World War
We are very excited this week to be able to announce the launch of our lesson materials to support Tom Palmer’s novel After the War. After the War is a carefully researched novel, based upon the testimonies and experiences of ‘The Boys’. ‘The Boys’ was a name given to a group of 732 Jewish child Holocaust survivors who came to the UK at the end of the Second World War. After the War focusses upon the first group of 300 children who arrived in Windermere near the Lake District in August 1945. This novel allows students to explore the persecution suffered by these young survivors through a compelling story of friendship and hope. Our lesson materials will support teachers and their students in years 7 & 8 in a range of subject areas, History, RE, English and SMSC. They enable teachers to support and guide their students through the novel, gaining historical knowledge and understanding of the experiences of ‘The Boys’ during the persecution and murder of Europe’s Jews in the Holocaust. They also provide opportunities to explore a number of the themes raised in the novel such as the resilience demonstrated by these child survivors and the role of faith for example. We are holding a CPD session for teachers to launch these materials and hear from the author Tom Palmer on Monday 25th January.
Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January 2021
We have also launched materials to link directly with the theme of this year HMD commemoration: ‘Be a light in the Darkness’. The theme carries such a strong message of hope and possibility. Specifically, the actions of rescuers during the Holocaust are particularly important for us to teach to our students. Professor Yehuda Bauer, the eminent historian of the Holocaust, recently stated in a UCL webinar in 2020, that these examples of human compassion and bravery are critical for teachers to teach to their students as it shows them that ‘there was another way’. There were other options than to be a bystander or collaborator. People had choice. You can find UCL’s 7 HMD case studies and stimulus materials for discussion: https://holocausteducation.org.uk/teacher-resources/supporting-schools-mark-holocaust-memorial-day-2021/
Master’s Module: The Holocaust in the Curriculum
More details here: www.holocausteducation.org.uk/courses-events/masters-module
We are delighted to open registration for our online module. If you take one of our online courses (Authentic Encounters or Six Things all students should know about the Holocaust by the end of Year 9) you will be eligible to apply for a free place on this course (if your application is successful). From 2021 the Centre will present a special certificate of recognition to the Centre’s master’s student who presents an assignment for examination that is deemed the most outstanding in creativity, independent thinking and/or scholarship.
So do log on and apply now for your place on this fantastic, advanced level, accredited course.
Be well,
Ruth-Anne
Programme Director
UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
