The Memorial Library convened a session entitled “The Role of Inquiry in Teaching about the Holocaust and Genocide” at the November 2014 National Writing Project (NWP) Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.  Attendees were all teachers of the Holocaust, both new educators seeking exposure to key methodologies and veteran professionals eager to learn about cutting-edge approaches.

Jennifer Lemberg chaired the panel, which included teacher-consultants Sue Fletcher (Ohio University), Carol Revelle (University of Texas-Dallas), and Diana Wagner (Salisbury University, Maryland).  Panel members are all former participants in the Memorial Library Summer Seminar on Holocaust Education and current Satellite Seminar leaders.

Presenters addressed how newly available primary sources are generating fresh opportunities for the parallel study of Holocaust and genocide experiences and highlighted the ways in which writing and inquiry impact student engagement with these difficult subjects.  They discussed the challenges of multimodal composition and explored how students translate the existing works of survivors, artists, and authors into their own projects. Throughout the session, the speakers stressed the importance of moving students toward social action beyond the classroom.

Since 2007, the Memorial Library has maintained a mutually meaningful relationship with the NWP. Our sessions at the NWP’s Annual Meeting strengthen the connection between the two organizations and expose the Memorial Library’s mission to educators from across the country.