As a seventh grade social studies teacher from Davisville Middle School, I was selected to travel to Germany, along with 14 other middle school and high school teachers, by the Transatlantic Outreach Program, a public/private partnership of the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Goethe Institut, Deutsche Bank, Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Siemens Corporation. This group works to promote the education of North American teachers on post World War II Germany. The trip helped me to come to terms with the United States’ impact on Germany during WWII, how Germany is working to find peace and reconciliation with their past as they face present day challenges, and has helped to generate lesson ideas to incorporate in my classroom.
How do you handle a difficult past? Arriving in Munich, traveling to Nürnberg, and then on to Leipzig, I learned that these three cities and many others were heavily bombed by the Americans during WWII. Yet, to look at them today, you see what appears to be “old,” thriving cities. With great attention to detail, these cities were rebuilt to look old and to serve a bustling and growing population. I was humbled and mortified to think of the destruction my country caused during WWII. On the flip side, I was proud to hear about the role the United States played in liberating concentration camps, specifically Buchenwald, where we were given a private tour. Walking the streets of this beautiful country, it is easy to forget that we were enemies 70 years ago.
With such a difficult and tumultuous past, how does a country find peace and reconciliation? The group of educators wrestled with the same challenges that Germans face today while visiting Nürnberg: What do you do with the massive structures left behind by the Nazi death regime in places like Zeppelin Field (Nazi party rallying grounds) outside of Nürnberg? Part of the trip was spent in the former East Germany so educators could enrich their understanding of the Cold War by visiting Point Alpha near Geisa (a strategic “hot spot” along the East-West German border), walking the “death strip” or no-man’s land, and meeting with contemporary witnesses. Hearing first-hand accounts about life in the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) helped to put in perspective the difficulties of life behind the wall and the challenges of adapting to a new political and economic system following reunification.
To help us understand how Germany is handling the HUGE influx of refugees (1 million in 2015) from Africa and the Middle East, we spent the day with student refugees, teachers, and community activists in the small town of Kaufbeuren in southern Bavaria. We quickly learned how this town is on the front line of the refugee challenge. It has taken the involvement of an entire community to assist families as they learn a new language, find housing, and search for jobs. Not since the end of WWII has Europe seen such a large influx of refugees and Germany is addressing this challenge with compassion, ingenuity, and education.
Back home in Rhode Island, I feel as though I am a changed person and a changed teacher. Now, I am able to teach from personal experience. This greater depth of knowledge sprinkled with personal stories (some funny, some sad, and some embarrassing) will help to deepen my students’ understanding of a culture far from their Rhode Island homes. With my guidance, my seventh grade students are going to experience social studies in a way that will generate excitement and greater understanding for a culture on the other side of the planet
How do you handle a difficult past? Arriving in Munich, traveling to Nürnberg, and then on to Leipzig, I learned that these three cities and many others were heavily bombed by the Americans during WWII. Yet, to look at them today, you see what appears to be “old,” thriving cities. With great attention to detail, these cities were rebuilt to look old and to serve a bustling and growing population. I was humbled and mortified to think of the destruction my country caused during WWII. On the flip side, I was proud to hear about the role the United States played in liberating concentration camps, specifically Buchenwald, where we were given a private tour. Walking the streets of this beautiful country, it is easy to forget that we were enemies 70 years ago.
With such a difficult and tumultuous past, how does a country find peace and reconciliation? The group of educators wrestled with the same challenges that Germans face today while visiting Nürnberg: What do you do with the massive structures left behind by the Nazi death regime in places like Zeppelin Field (Nazi party rallying grounds) outside of Nürnberg? Part of the trip was spent in the former East Germany so educators could enrich their understanding of the Cold War by visiting Point Alpha near Geisa (a strategic “hot spot” along the East-West German border), walking the “death strip” or no-man’s land, and meeting with contemporary witnesses. Hearing first-hand accounts about life in the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) helped to put in perspective the difficulties of life behind the wall and the challenges of adapting to a new political and economic system following reunification.
To help us understand how Germany is handling the HUGE influx of refugees (1 million in 2015) from Africa and the Middle East, we spent the day with student refugees, teachers, and community activists in the small town of Kaufbeuren in southern Bavaria. We quickly learned how this town is on the front line of the refugee challenge. It has taken the involvement of an entire community to assist families as they learn a new language, find housing, and search for jobs. Not since the end of WWII has Europe seen such a large influx of refugees and Germany is addressing this challenge with compassion, ingenuity, and education.
Back home in Rhode Island, I feel as though I am a changed person and a changed teacher. Now, I am able to teach from personal experience. This greater depth of knowledge sprinkled with personal stories (some funny, some sad, and some embarrassing) will help to deepen my students’ understanding of a culture far from their Rhode Island homes. With my guidance, my seventh grade students are going to experience social studies in a way that will generate excitement and greater understanding for a culture on the other side of the planet