Thursday, May 24, 2012

Introduction

My name is Stephanie Melvin, but most people call me Steph.  I am a senior at Westborough High School.  I was co-captain of the varsity volleyball team, and I loved every moment of it.  Other than volleyball, I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, cooking, and travelling.  In school this year I enjoyed classes in sociology, psychology, and Facing History.  I am attending Penn State University in the fall to study nursing.  I am very excited!

Facing History and Ourselves is not a typical history class.  Instead of learning the material through textbooks, quizzes, and tests, the topics are presented through primary documents, class discussions, documentaries, and movies.  The topics covered in Facing History include racism, prejudice, intolerance, and bias.  There is a heavy focus on genocide, specifically Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.  The goal of the course is for students to gain awareness about the past and gain responsibility in society.  This course allows students to ponder their identities and how they can make a difference in the world.  After taking the Facing History course, students will have civic agency.  Civic agency occurs when students make a moral, intellectual, and emotional connection to the content.  They gain background knowledge for historical events, such as the Holocaust, so they truly understand what really happened on a more personal level.  This course changes the lives of many students.  It opens their eyes and makes them aware of their surroundings, both nationally and globally.

I took Facing History and Ourselves for a few reasons.  First, I talked to many of my older friends who highly recommended the class.  They thought it was a very eye-opening class, and they were right.  Second, when I was in 5th grade at Mill Pond, we had a guest speaker who was a Holocaust survivor.  Though I was young, I found him to be intriguing and I wanted to learn more about the Holocaust.  In 8th grade I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.  I became even more interested in the Holocaust and Nazi Germany.  When I saw that Facing History was an available course for me to take as a senior, I jumped at the opportunity.  I am very happy with my decision to take this course.  It truly has changed the way I think about society and myself.

No comments:

Post a Comment