SCENARIO:
You are an American History teacher planning a unit about the Holocaust.
Lucy is an 11th-grade student who is bright, cheerful, and has many friends. From a young age, she also suffers from a panic disorder as well as ADHD. She is currently reading below grade level. This is a result of past childhood trauma.
You are creating a project/unit about the Holocaust for your students, which is and can be a very sensitive subject for teens like Lucy. Think about the strategies discussed in chapter 2 to differentiate your instruction in regards to the CONTENT, PROCESS, and PRODUCT. Using the information in the chapter, explain how you could differentiate your instruction, for EACH element (content, process, product) to meet Lucy’s needs. Be specific when mentioning your strategies to include information about the Holocaust. *Be sure to take into account Lucy’s low reading level.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Differentiating Instruction for Lucy in a Unit on the Holocaust
Teaching sensitive subjects like the Holocaust requires careful consideration of students’ diverse needs, especially for those like Lucy, who has a panic disorder and ADHD, as well as challenges with reading comprehension. To effectively differentiate instruction, we can use the three core elements of differentiation: content, process, and product. Below are specific strategies to support Lucy’s learning in this unit.
1. Content
Strategy: Use Multiple Formats for Content Delivery
To accommodate Lucy’s low reading level and ensure she grasps the key concepts related to the Holocaust, I would provide content through various formats:
– Visual Aids: Incorporate visual resources such as infographics, timelines, and photographs that depict important events and figures from the Holocaust. This can help Lucy understand the context without relying solely on text.
– Simplified Texts: Provide access to simplified or adapted reading materials about the Holocaust. For example, I could use graphic novels or children’s books that tell survivor stories in an age-appropriate manner. These texts can present complex historical events in more digestible formats.
– Video Resources: Utilize documentary clips or movies that portray the Holocaust sensitively. These audiovisual materials can engage Lucy and provide context through storytelling, which may resonate better than traditional reading.
– Guest Speakers: If possible, invite a Holocaust survivor or an educator who specializes in Holocaust education to share their experiences. Hearing firsthand accounts can create a profound impact and deepen understanding.
2. Process
Strategy: Offer Varied Learning Activities
To cater to Lucy’s strengths and challenges during the learning process, I would implement diverse instructional strategies:
– Chunking Information: Break down lessons into smaller, manageable segments to prevent Lucy from feeling overwhelmed. For instance, instead of covering the entire history of the Holocaust in one class, we could focus on specific themes (e.g., discrimination, resistance, liberation) over several lessons.
– Interactive Learning: Encourage active participation through group discussions, role-playing activities, or simulations that allow Lucy to engage with the material in a hands-on way. For example, students could participate in a mock trial where they discuss the moral implications of historical decisions made during the Holocaust.
– Multisensory Approaches: Use multisensory strategies like creating timelines with tactile components (e.g., string and index cards) or engaging students in art projects that reflect their understanding of key events. This could help Lucy maintain focus and actively participate.
– Flexible Grouping: Organize students into small groups based on their interests or abilities. This allows Lucy to collaborate with peers who can provide support while also allowing her to contribute her unique perspective.
3. Product
Strategy: Provide Choice in Demonstrating Understanding
To accommodate Lucy’s learning preferences and strengths, I would offer various options for how students can demonstrate their understanding of the Holocaust:
– Creative Projects: Allow Lucy to create a visual project (e.g., a poster, digital presentation, or video) that reflects her learning about a specific aspect of the Holocaust. This taps into her creativity and offers an alternative to traditional written assessments.
– Verbal Presentations: Instead of writing a paper, Lucy could give an oral presentation or participate in a group podcast discussing a particular topic related to the Holocaust. This would enable her to express her understanding verbally without the pressure of writing at her reading level.
– Reflective Journals: Encourage Lucy to keep a reflective journal throughout the unit where she can express her thoughts and feelings about what she learns. Prompts can guide her reflection while allowing her to respond in a personal and meaningful way.
– Choice Boards: Create a choice board with different assignment options (e.g., creating a diorama, writing a letter from the perspective of a historical figure, or making a scrapbook) that allows Lucy to select how she wants to engage with the material based on her interests and strengths.
Conclusion
Differentiating instruction for Lucy in a unit about the Holocaust requires thoughtful strategies tailored to her unique needs. By offering varied content delivery methods, flexible learning processes, and multiple product options for assessments, I can support her engagement and understanding of this sensitive topic. These differentiation techniques not only benefit Lucy but also create an inclusive classroom environment that respects the diverse needs of all students while fostering deeper connections with historical content.
