Great Crossing Sophomore Students Visit a Holocaust Exhibit

Reagan Thacker

Students were able to connect more to the events of the Holocaust after seeing a wide variety of historical artifacts on display.

All sophomores enrolled in the Scott County school district had the opportunity to visit The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati during the month of November. This field trip was made possible through an anonymous donor, which financed the cost of admission and transportation.

The Holocaust is studied each year in world history as part of the WWII unit, and GCHS English classes all read Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night, which describes his experiences in a concentration camp. These units have been part of the curriculum for decades.

To prepare students more effectively for the museum visit, some minor changes in curriculum were made in regards to timing. English teacher Kristy Johnson said, “This year English II decided to teach Night, a memoir from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, early so that students would be prepared to attend this exhibit. Normally we would cover this material in the spring. We wanted the students to be as informed as possible so the exhibit had even more impact.”

Students agreed that the preparation teachers did for the field trip was helpful. “Going to the museum helped transform what we learn in class into real human stories. Seeing real artifacts and personal belongings like letters, clothing, and photographs make this history feel more real instead of learning from a textbook; you get to see evidence of others lives that were changed or lost,” said sophomore Jasmine Thomson.

Traveling through the exhibits in the museum helped students understand the importance of history by seeing firsthand authentic historical artifacts. Sophomore Case Wilson explained, “There were many things that stuck out, such as the attire they wore. But the thing that stuck out the most to me was that the survivors were there speaking in videos about different topics. They provided a super detailed explanation of what actually happened, what it was like, and how it impacted them and the lives of their families.”

Wilson also felt that the museum experience helped reinforce what they had read in Wiesel’s memoir. “It showed a visual understanding of what everything looked like, such as the pots that were used to cook, the bunks they slept on, and even the clothes they were forced to wear.”

GCHS principal Joy Lusby was thankful that her teachers decided to make some changes to the curriculum map timing since it helped students appreciate the museum experience more. Lusby said, “You know you’ve made an impact when a student looks at you and says, “I can see pictures in my mind from the book we are reading in English; it brought the book to life.” 

Johnson attended the museum with students and agreed that it was a moving experience that could not be replicated through lessons in a classroom. It also reinforced the importance of continuing to teach students about the Holocaust. Johnson said, “Any time there is a human catastrophe, that event should be studied. We need to know and understand what leads humans to hurt other humans, and with the Holocaust, it was utter devastation. We can study slavery; we can study Native American history; we can study the Crusades. But the most astounding trait of studying the Holocaust is that the oppressors LOVED their own work and documented that work. When we study the Holocaust we are looking at primary sources, hearing survivor voices, putting names and faces together in pictures and footage. While the 1930s and 40s seem like a lifetime ago, the fact of the matter is, it WASN’T that long ago. We still have people living that corroborate the historical documents we have. If we don’t study these human disasters, then we allow these same disasters to happen again, in our current time.”