Echoes of the Past: The Current Refugee Crisis in Europe

Posted by Facing History on September 8, 2015

What is our responsibility to refugees fleeing from war and genocide?

On September 3, the BBC's Inside Europe Blog published images of police officers in the Czech Republic writing on the hands of detained migrants as a way to identify them. In the post, reporter Rob Cameron observed that the images “are an uncomfortable reminder of a different event and a different era. But the Czech authorities appeared totally unaware of the unfortunate visual connotations with the Holocaust, when prisoners at Auschwitz were systematically tattooed with serial numbers.”

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Topics: Rescue, Immigration, News, History, Universe of Obligation, Europe, Refugees, Refugee Crisis

Cecil the Lion, the Darfur Puppy, and Our Universe of Obligation

Posted by Wayde Grinstead on August 13, 2015

The killing of Cecil the Lion on July 1st attracted both heavy news coverage and a flurry of responses on social media. An interesting thread emerged from these responses: questions about how people can become so outraged over the death of a lion on the other side of the world, when there are larger scale, or more local, stories of individuals and groups of people suffering unspeakable violence and injustice. The underlying theme that unites many of these confrontations is “Which story about tragedy or injustice is more worthy of our attention?”

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Topics: Classrooms, Teaching Strategies, Choosing to Participate, Students, Facing History Resources, Teaching, News, Universe of Obligation

How One School Stands Up to Cyberbullying

Posted by Julia Rappaport on June 5, 2014

Bullying—repeated aggressive behavior with an intent to hurt another person physically, socially, or mentally—is characterized by an imbalance of power between an instigator and a victim. As classroom educators, we know that bullying takes place in many places, from classrooms to online settings.

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Topics: Choosing to Participate, Safe Schools, Facing History and Ourselves, Video, Social Media, Stereotype, Universe of Obligation, School Culture, Cyberbullying, Bullying, Facing Technology

How Do We Remember and Study Holocaust History?

Posted by Julia Rappaport on May 12, 2014

This week, Daniel and Deb from our Facing History Program Tech team, along with several other Facing History staff and board members, are traveling in Poland as part of a learning trip.

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Topics: Antisemitism, Facing History and Ourselves, Holocaust and Human Behavior, Universe of Obligation, Museum Studies, Holocaust Education, Facing Technology

Radio Rookies: Teenage Pregnancy

Posted by Julia Rappaport on February 21, 2014

Facing History in New York, in partnership with WNYC Radio’s Radio Rookies program, helps public high school students develop digital storytelling skills through the Neighborhood to Neighborhood project. Each year, students in the program tackle complex questions about identity, race, education, and crime and violence in their communities. Using interviewing skills and multimedia tools, the students produce original visual and audio pieces. On March 3, Facing History in New York will host a special after-school workshop featuring excerpts of the stories. The workshop will explore the ways that projects that feature and encourage student voices and experiences can enhance school-based approaches to important issues and meet the Common Core State Standards for Speaking & Listening. Dinner will be included and Rookie reporters who participated in the project will be present. Register today.

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Topics: Stereotype, Universe of Obligation, Media Skills, Neighborhood to Neighborhood, Facing Technology

Fill in the Blank: “The Truth Is…”

Posted by Julia Rappaport on February 6, 2014

Today, Cleveland Facing History students are getting an opportunity to share their truth - whatever it may be - on video as part of a traveling public art display.

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Topics: Choosing to Participate, Video, Stereotype, Universe of Obligation, School Culture, EdTech, Media Skills, Facing Technology

Three Video Resources for Human Rights Day

Posted by Julia Rappaport on December 9, 2013

Today is International Human Rights Day, marking the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document signed in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust.

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Topics: Choosing to Participate, Video, Civil Rights, Holocaust and Human Behavior, Universe of Obligation, Media Skills, Holocaust Education, Online Learning, Flipped Classroom, Facing Technology

Margot Stern Strom Innovation Grant: Exploring the Concept of Universe of Obligation in NYC

Posted by Lauren Boccia on June 26, 2013

In true teacher fashion right before a big trip with students, I could not sleep. I kept thinking about what I hope my students will get out of this service immersion trip. I truly hope they learn more about themselves, their country, and the struggles those who live on the margins of society face on a daily basis.

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Topics: Universe of Obligation, Innovative Classrooms, Margot Stern Strom Innovation Grants

At Facing History and Ourselves, we value conversation—in classrooms, in our professional development for educators, and online. When you comment on Facing Today, you're engaging with our worldwide community of learners, so please take care that your contributions are constructive, civil, and advance the conversation.

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Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe.

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