Mixing Technology and Emotion to Elicit An Empathetic Response to the Holocaust

Lara Hill - November 2001

Today's students are often unable to empathize with the plight of the Jews and others who were persecuted by the Nazis. One way to help them to be able to empathize better is to use the exhaustive primary source information available on the Internet and for them to write an ecphrastic poem.

Objectives:

Students will become empathetic to the plight of those affected by the Holocaust. Students will use technology such as multi-media presentation software, word-processing software, and the Internet to investigate the topics further. Students will use various Internet resources regarding the Holocaust and genocides to inform their products.

Materials:

Picture “Little Polish Boy with Hands Up” – Warsaw 1953 or another picture

Poem “To the Little Polish Boy Standing With His Hands Up” by Peter L. Fischl from the Archives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, California or another ecphrastic poem

Holocaust Links

Sequence of Events:

Explaining the Task

Show picture of “Little Polish Boy with Hands Up” – Warsaw 1953 and read poem aloud “To the Little Polish Boy Standing With His Hands Up” by Peter L. Fischl from the Archives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, California.
In response journal, write “What are you wondering at this moment? Write a list of ‘wonder’ questions. What are you feeling? Write about your reactions to the poem.
Large group discussion: Share ideas.
Explain that the poem is an ecphrastic poem in which the viewer / poet ‘speaks to’ great works of art, sculpture and photography. In the speaking, the poet enters the spirit and feeling of others. That entering is called “empathy.”
Explain the assignment: Based on the links provided by the teacher, find a photograph, piece of art, monument or sculpture that profoundly affects or inspires you. It should be a work that ties into the themes and subject of the Holocaust. The work should affect you and us. Copy or acquire a copy of the work of art or photograph to display for the class. Write an ecphrastic poem.
Be prepared to present you picture and poem to the class on Day 8. Work on finding your picture.

Show and Tell

Each student will share picture with the class and read poem aloud. The poem and the picture should be uploaded by the students onto a discussion board
As each student will respond to the poem with a list of key words that the poet uses to cause the listener to empathize with the character in the picture.
Large group discussion: What ideas were common themes in the poems?

Directions for Students:

1. To find picture:

Click on “Holocaust Links.”

You will see various links that I have gathered. Look at the ones that have photograph collections from the Internet.

Choose a picture.

With your arrow over the picture, click your right mouse button.

Choose “Save picture as” on the menu.

Give the file a name that is descriptive.

2. Write your poem:

Decide whom you will speak to in the picture.

The speaker of your poem must speak directly to one figure in the picture. It should be human, but it could be an animal.

Choose any poetic form that you like. The purpose of your poem is to make us moved emotionally for the character.

Once you write the poem, submit it to our discussion board.

This lesson is based on an article entitled "Teaching Empathy through Ecphrastic Poetry: Entering a Curriculum of Peace" from National Council Teachers of English, English Journal, Volume 89, Number 5, May 2000 by Nancy Gorrell.

Examples of Students' Work

Full Unit Curriculum