Projects from Mrs. Higdon's English 10 Accelerated
Assignment Sheet

An entire semester of my students’ sophomore year is dedicated to the idea of tolerance.  All students begin the year by reading the novel To Kill a Mockingbird in which the theme centers upon the idea of walking in another person’s shoes.  As a class we discuss what it may feel like to be in the shoes of various characters in the novel and how each character’s perceptions determine the plot and outcome of the novel.  This semester we also read Night by Elie Weisel, a Holocaust survivor’s memoir. Through this memoir we discuss what can happen when isolated events of hate in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird become large scale events in 1940s Nazi Germany.  Most importantly, I want my students to know of acts of intolerance throughout history because they are littered throughout.  Therefore, I assign the Acts of Intolerance Research Project where students are assigned various genocides, hate groups and hate crimes so they can understand what the human being can be capable of and what it can endure.  One of my students used a great quote in one of their presentations which is “What we have learned from history is that we have not learned from history.”  I hope in my class this year, my students have an awareness of historical examples of intolerance, a personal connection with some of the victims of these crimes, and an obligation to award the same value to others lives as they do to their own.  History doesn’t need to repeat itself.  The ignorance of intolerance can be combated with education and empathy.  Here you will find videos and powerpoints created by my students to help educate their peers about the effects of intolerance.  We hope you enjoy!  Spread the word:  Stop the hate.