"The Travelling Suitcase"

Yes I am going to launch into another combining social studies with English or visual arts blog! It is apparently my theme. I really liked that Adrian French (Mt. Doug, Mosaic presentation) had joined forces with an English teacher to teach The Three Day Road, and I thought of another possible idea for a cooperative effort between the two subjects. My mentor teacher, Wendy Muscat Tyler, created a holocaust education kit, mostly for English classes, which she calls the “Travelling Suitcase.” The suitcase itself is used as a prop to help students develop empathy for the children of the holocaust; what would you pack in those last moments before being sent away forever from your home and community ? The suitcase is full of about 25 youth books, mostly historical fiction, and a few other props to encourage discussion. In addition, Wendy has created a very comprehensive guide with an introduction for teachers, lots a lesson plans, reviews of all the books, worksheets and even a test. It would seem to me a great resource for a cooperative effort between Socials and English. The “travelling suitcase” is another example of a locally developed resource which can be purchased, like the Civic Mirror. Only Wendy sells the suitcase for a one time fee to the school, it can then be used as often as desired in any class. She mentioned that a few schools on the island have already purchased it, and it is definitely worth inquiring about. It was quite powerful and would be a good balance to all the WWII battle details.