One of the Grade 8 classes has taken a deep dive into history through the novel, Maus. They are reading the book and looking at it through the lens of character, context, and connection. The class is building layers in their portfolio (posted on the wall as they go) that express their understanding of Vladek’s story and who he was as a person, the context of the Holocaust (the history), and then making connections between our lives/world view/prior knowledge and the story. 

The book is super engaging for the kids, so much so that they asked Ms Strachan to order Maus II! They are also talking a lot about how we, as Canadians, are not immune to hateful ideology, and that learning about the Holocaust is a way to look at ourselves and our communities and ask what we can do everyday to stay committed to our values of equity and freedom.