I think that the Facing History and Ourselves course is arguably the most important class I’ve ever taken. I fully believe that this class has prepared me for my future far more than any standard class could have. Not only is the class educational, but it allows the participants to gain knowledge about themselves. Academically, the course teaches students about history and psychology. Although I thought that all of the information and facts discussed would be review, I was wrong. Despite having taken history classes throughout my high school career, I felt enormously uninformed about the Holocaust and other genocides which we learned about. From solely an educational standpoint, I think that the class should be required of all high school students because it is important for everyone to be at least minimally informed about these events, and the class more than exceeds this requirement.
This class was much more emotionally difficult than I had anticipated. Learning about the situations that we as human beings forced other humans through was heart wrenching. While the course does require some maturity, I don’t feel that it is too much to ask from even freshmen and sophomores, especially because as soon as the lesson or film begins the information is shocking enough to sober everyone up.
One of the first things we did in the class was develop an understanding of our own personal identity. When going through exercises in class, most students clung to groups of people which they were able to relate to. Perhaps the most poignant of these exercises was the reading titled “Little Boxes” and the discussions/activities that ensued. The purpose of this exercise was that we should not think of ourselves as superior or inferior and that we should not judge others. It was made very clear that judging other people, especially based on stereotypes, is wrong. The course made me a better person (in my opinion) because I will forever think twice before categorizing someone without knowing them and assuming that they are any different from myself.
Another reading that followed shortly after “Little Boxes” was very meaningful to me. “Eye of the Beholder” was originally an episode of the Twilight Zone, and I think that while it would have more impact visually, the moral of the story still hit home. The point of the adaptation was to show the reader how ridiculous society’s views of beauty and normality are. The main premise is that there is a girl who is having plastic surgery because she believes she is ugly. We are meant to sympathize with the girl, until the end of the episode when it is revealed that the girl is actually beautiful (to our standards) and that the doctors and nurses are actually horrific to look at. Obviously, the intended reaction is for the reader/viewer to want the girl to be happy with what she has. It is easy to shrug it off as just another self-centered girl who doesn’t believe she’s attractive enough. However, this activity made me question why beauty is defined the way it is, and who actually decides what is attractive and what is not.
I think that Jane Elliot’s “In the Eye of the Storm” experiment had an impact on every person in the room who was present for the lessons in which we discussed it. It was amazing how fast children could turn on their friends; how much they wanted to be superior and have someone else to blame and look down upon. I think this was one of the most critical films we watched because it provided background, which helped when we tried to understand how exactly a genocide or holocaust could occur. To me the idea of genocide was so foreign that it was impossible to imagine how such an event actually occurred, and the film showed me exactly how easy it is for one to happen. I think if I had the opportunity I would like to take part in the exercise because although those few days would be rough it would benefit me in the long run by teaching me to be more respectful of others. I think Mrs. Elliot’s idea was extremely beneficial to the kids she performed the experiment on. When they came back for the reunion it seemed like every person who was there promoted the activity and wished it were more widely used. It was even more interesting to see the controversy that was raised by the experiment. The people of Riceville completely turned on Mrs. Elliot, and while I understand that they wanted some control over their children’s education, I think that the uproar might have had more to do with how willingly the children went along with it. I believe that if the children had not immediately gone along with the superiority/inferiority then the parents would not have been offended.
The final activity that stood out the most to me was “In the White Man’s Image.” I think this was for personal reasons, so it may not have the same impact on every other student, but I was able to relate to both the movie and the reading. The film had special meaning to me because a few years ago I went on a mission trip with my church to a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Even the idea of a reservation angers me because this is America. Also, the native Americans were here before any white person was, so they should have rights to the land. I think that when seeing movies like this in a history class, it is very easy to forget that they are still relevant today. The movie we watched in class showed segregation of Native Americans, and I am willing to bet that many people don’t think this is still an issue today. However, you only need to see a reservation to understand that these people are still being treated as second-class citizens….is a reservation really that different from the ghettos that Jews were forced into during the Holocaust? Anyways, I really liked that the film presented things from the Native American perspective because it seems like all the history classes I’ve taken have only shown things from the white man’s point of view. Which is understandable, but I think you can’t really create a judgment until you understand the full situation (like hearing it from both sides). The movie presented the ideas of social Darwinism and a pure race, which made life even more difficult for minorities at the time. Whenever superiority and inferiority come up, things get dangerous because we lose the idea that all human beings deserve to be treated with respect. This seemed to be a basic principle of the course: human beings must be treated with respect. Remember this, and there will be no more holocausts.
This class was much more emotionally difficult than I had anticipated. Learning about the situations that we as human beings forced other humans through was heart wrenching. While the course does require some maturity, I don’t feel that it is too much to ask from even freshmen and sophomores, especially because as soon as the lesson or film begins the information is shocking enough to sober everyone up.
One of the first things we did in the class was develop an understanding of our own personal identity. When going through exercises in class, most students clung to groups of people which they were able to relate to. Perhaps the most poignant of these exercises was the reading titled “Little Boxes” and the discussions/activities that ensued. The purpose of this exercise was that we should not think of ourselves as superior or inferior and that we should not judge others. It was made very clear that judging other people, especially based on stereotypes, is wrong. The course made me a better person (in my opinion) because I will forever think twice before categorizing someone without knowing them and assuming that they are any different from myself.
Another reading that followed shortly after “Little Boxes” was very meaningful to me. “Eye of the Beholder” was originally an episode of the Twilight Zone, and I think that while it would have more impact visually, the moral of the story still hit home. The point of the adaptation was to show the reader how ridiculous society’s views of beauty and normality are. The main premise is that there is a girl who is having plastic surgery because she believes she is ugly. We are meant to sympathize with the girl, until the end of the episode when it is revealed that the girl is actually beautiful (to our standards) and that the doctors and nurses are actually horrific to look at. Obviously, the intended reaction is for the reader/viewer to want the girl to be happy with what she has. It is easy to shrug it off as just another self-centered girl who doesn’t believe she’s attractive enough. However, this activity made me question why beauty is defined the way it is, and who actually decides what is attractive and what is not.
I think that Jane Elliot’s “In the Eye of the Storm” experiment had an impact on every person in the room who was present for the lessons in which we discussed it. It was amazing how fast children could turn on their friends; how much they wanted to be superior and have someone else to blame and look down upon. I think this was one of the most critical films we watched because it provided background, which helped when we tried to understand how exactly a genocide or holocaust could occur. To me the idea of genocide was so foreign that it was impossible to imagine how such an event actually occurred, and the film showed me exactly how easy it is for one to happen. I think if I had the opportunity I would like to take part in the exercise because although those few days would be rough it would benefit me in the long run by teaching me to be more respectful of others. I think Mrs. Elliot’s idea was extremely beneficial to the kids she performed the experiment on. When they came back for the reunion it seemed like every person who was there promoted the activity and wished it were more widely used. It was even more interesting to see the controversy that was raised by the experiment. The people of Riceville completely turned on Mrs. Elliot, and while I understand that they wanted some control over their children’s education, I think that the uproar might have had more to do with how willingly the children went along with it. I believe that if the children had not immediately gone along with the superiority/inferiority then the parents would not have been offended.
The final activity that stood out the most to me was “In the White Man’s Image.” I think this was for personal reasons, so it may not have the same impact on every other student, but I was able to relate to both the movie and the reading. The film had special meaning to me because a few years ago I went on a mission trip with my church to a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Even the idea of a reservation angers me because this is America. Also, the native Americans were here before any white person was, so they should have rights to the land. I think that when seeing movies like this in a history class, it is very easy to forget that they are still relevant today. The movie we watched in class showed segregation of Native Americans, and I am willing to bet that many people don’t think this is still an issue today. However, you only need to see a reservation to understand that these people are still being treated as second-class citizens….is a reservation really that different from the ghettos that Jews were forced into during the Holocaust? Anyways, I really liked that the film presented things from the Native American perspective because it seems like all the history classes I’ve taken have only shown things from the white man’s point of view. Which is understandable, but I think you can’t really create a judgment until you understand the full situation (like hearing it from both sides). The movie presented the ideas of social Darwinism and a pure race, which made life even more difficult for minorities at the time. Whenever superiority and inferiority come up, things get dangerous because we lose the idea that all human beings deserve to be treated with respect. This seemed to be a basic principle of the course: human beings must be treated with respect. Remember this, and there will be no more holocausts.
