Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

Micheal Berson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Vonzell Agosto, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Ilene Berson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Micheal Sherry, Ph.D.

Keywords

Critical Literacy, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Holocaust Studies, Testimonio

Abstract

Civics using Holocaust Studies offer a variety of pedagogical advantages. Regardless of the topic, Holocaust events can be used to build critical analytical skills and cultivate essential literacy skills about the social world. Further, the Holocaust can be used to introduce and grapple with the complex/abstract ideas of the civics content. Given the relationship that social studies has to critical literacy development, civics used in conjunction with Holocaust resources present teacher(s) (educators) with the opportunity to explore (theoretical) concepts foregrounding manifold relationships making up the social world.

This research aimed to examine how secondary students connect to the social world and civics content to become active citizens through the use of Holocaust lessons. Specifically, this research was interested in understanding how the relationship between race, socioeconomic status, and critical literacy skill development impacted secondary students’ comprehension and application of civics content by using Holocaust Studies. The Holocaust was used as a real-world example of the civics content to help build meaning and thus help develop critical literacy skills for students to be able to apply their experiences to the content.

Using the process of a testimonio and a Critical Race Theory framework, this dissertation attempts to answer the questions: 1) How do students story their lives in the context of learning about the Holocaust? (2) How do students articulate their understanding of civic participation while learning about the Holocaust? The data for this project was collected through journal entries, written artifacts, and classroom observations of a civic classroom at a Title 1, high Latinx population school. Twenty-three students, mostly Latinx, participated in the study, supplying their voices to demonstrate their knowledge of civics concepts using the Holocaust to build connections to the content.

Using their observations and understandings, a testimonio was captured, creating a collage of windows into how students make sense of their experiences. Testimonio serves as a process (observation and analysis of written artifacts), a product (a narrative of sufferings), and as pedagogy as it re-envisions the learning sites for Latinx students. Findings demonstrate that racism, societal influences, and an understanding of fundamental rights played a role in comprehending civics concepts. Findings also determined that Latinx students connect to the social world, and the journals represent their interaction with the social world. The methodology shows Latinx students are living through injustices and needed a way to expand their critical literacy skills by being able to voice their opinions. Findings suggest Latinx students can use similarities from their lived experiences and the events of the Holocaust to dismantle the majoritarian story to become confident, build meaning, and become active citizens.

These findings indicate the need to apply Holocaust Studies to research how Latinx students use out-of-classroom experiences to process history and build critical literacy skills. The curriculum is being developed to encourage critical literacy skills, but pedagogy is still needing to be developed. Results also suggest a need for a Holocaust curriculum involving Holocaust Studies and civic activism.

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