CHS English students construct character journals during Holocaust study
Clinton High School’s English 2 classes closed out the 2020-2021 school year with a study on Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir “Night.”
“Our students do not often have the opportunity to write narrative stories,” English 2 teacher Laura Cockrell said, “so this was an opportunity for them to reach into the recesses of their creativity and write from a different perspective. They really took advantage of this writing form to develop heartbreaking, emotional journals.”
Fellow English 2 teacher Hannah Rachel Smith echoed Cockrell’s sentiments. “This project enabled students to apply the themes from ‘Night.’ We studied the literature, discussed its significance, answered the multiple-choice questions and wrote essays. This project allowed students to apply literature to real life, which goes beyond standardized tests.”
Along with studying the book, English 2 teachers had students tap into their creative side and construct character journals chronicling a plausible narrative of someone their own age who may have experienced the Holocaust.
Students then analyzed their peers’ journals and provided constructive feedback to their fellow students.