Teaching about Atrocity in Real Time Using Precise Language

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 | 4:30-6:00pm PT | Virtual on Zoom | Free | 1.5 Clock Hour

When global crises unfold in front of us, it can be one of the toughest challenges that teachers face.

Do we try to teach about events as they hit the headlines? If we don’t, do we risk that students will learn of them on their own, probably from unreliable sources? And with the sheer volume of conflict in the world today, can we keep up with all of the information? How do we navigate shifting landscapes?

It can be overwhelming.

For example, teachers know that precision of language matters. We’ll clarify myriad terms applied to historic and contemporary atrocities and consider when and why they are used. In addition, we’ll examine established methods and resources to guide students through complex events in real time.

Founded by teachers for teachers, Educators Institute for Human Rights (EIHR) supports communities recovering from violent conflict. We do this by applying lessons from the Holocaust and other egregious violations of human rights, such as the Rwanda genocide, as a starting point for teaching secondary school students about how these conflicts evolve and how to prevent them.

Presenters: 

Kate Weckesser English, Executive Director 

Kate has served EIHR in executive leadership and board positions since EIHR’s inception in 2011. Kate taught for 18 years in Connecticut and Virginia public schools and has been recognized as District-wide Teacher of the Year, received the Joseph Zola Holocaust Educator, and serves as a Museum Teacher Fellow for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM).She holds credentials from the University of Connecticut, Georgetown University, and George Mason University. Kate attended Summer University Srebrenica, served as a Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Fellow in Ukraine through IREX and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She is a Positive Peace Ambassador with the Institute for Economics and Peace and recently completed the Summer Institute for Genocide Studies and Prevention at Keene State College.

Kim Klett, EIHR Deputy Executive Director

Kim teaches English in Gilbert, Arizona, where she developed a semester-long Holocaust Literature course. Kim is a Museum Teacher Fellow through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and a member of the museum’s Regional Education Corps. She also is a trainer for Echoes and Reflections, a professional development program for teachers of the Holocaust, and a Carl Wilkens Fellow. Kim is an active member of the anti-genocide movement and sponsors clubs at her school in support of these efforts, including STAND and ADL's A World of Difference. She has worked with the East Valley Jewish Community Center and is on the board of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' Association.