The International Book Sharing Project was developed as an exercise in international cooperative learning about the Holocaust and its meaning for youth today. It comes to Freeport under the direction of high school psychology teacher Wendy Lindner and was created by the Ghetto Fighters' Museum and its Yad Layeled Children's Memorial Museum in cooperation with the American Friends of the Ghetto Fighters' Museum.
The project pairs together schools from around the world where students read the same book in their respective classrooms and then discuss subjects related to the Holocaust via forums hosted on the Korczak International School Web site, which serves as the online home for the International Book Sharing Project.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the students in Freeport to connect with students in another country," said Laura Holder-Gibbs, Freeport’s Social Studies coordinator. "This program incorporates Social Studies content and literacy, and gets our students thinking about global citizenship."
"Confronting Evil in Our Time" is the International Book Sharing Project’s theme for high school students. Participants learn about the human experience during the Holocaust through the study of personal memoirs and other literary works. By promoting the discussion of moral dilemmas raised in the works read, the project enables students to contend with questions of values and encourages the exchange of ideas. The project brings together teenagers from different countries to deal with the subject of the Holocaust, examine their own attitude towards it, and try to find ways to apply the lessons learned to their lives today. Students also learn mutual trust and respect for others as they work in an atmosphere of creativity and cooperation.
During the program’s kick off and training session, Lana Bernhardt, U. S. coordinator for the book sharing, worked with Freeport High School students, explained the program to them and gave them an overview of the Web site and its components.
Bernhardt explained to students, "We hope this program will allow you to have a better understanding of the experience of Jewish youth in the Holocaust and inspire you to make a difference in your school and community."
Freeport Public Schools is a diverse, innovative district on Long Island’s South Shore serving about 6,750 students in grades Pre-K–through 12. The district and its eight schools take pride in having the region’s only Magnet Schools of Choice, a longstanding and award-winning classroom English/Spanish Dual Language Program, and a high school where students excel in competitions that include the regional Academic Challenge, Odyssey of the Mind and Future Problem Solving International. The district’s New Visions School of Exploration and Discovery has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for its high student performance and engaging curriculum.
|
