Each year Hiroshima Day (August 6) just tends to slip under the radar in most schools. But I feel this day is so important that I spend the whole day on it in order to teach a little empathy.
One of the activities I do during the day is introduce ‘ecphrastic poetry’. This is a very powerful form that offers many opportunities to – ask questions, observe, interpret, infer, synthesize, hypothisise and, in this case, empathize.
Tonight I’ve put together a webpage of scaffolds that I’ve collected over the years that will help you on your way to adding ecphrastic poetry to your tool-box. I’ve also added a couple of teaching ideas and resources for Hiroshima Day. NB I’ve added a .bmp file of the parchment and Peace Park Dome from the poem above for you to download, drop into an image editor and publish the poetry you create.
Adrian
Congratulations Adrian on this focus on empathy in your classroom. I wonder if you know about the growing movement of “Humane Education”. See, for example, the US-based Institute for Humane Education (www.humaneeducation.org/). One aspect of humane education is fostering the values of compassion and respect for animals in the younger generation.
Australian teachers interested in this theme may wish to join “Animal Club”, a national network of clubs in schools across Australia intended to inspire and encourage schools to get active for animal protection. Through Animal Clubs, students can develop and foster the values, knowledge, understanding and skills needed to protect animals.
Rewards and recognition include an annual $5,000 Humane School prize (for educational resources) and seed funding to assist schools in establishing Clubs.
Clubs organise activities in their schools or communities to raise awareness of animal protection issues and promote respect and compassion for animals. Run by Club Leaders (a teacher, principal or trusted school parent), clubs meet at recess, lunch, or after school. Club activities can also be incorporated into the school curriculum.
More information can be found online at: http://www.animalclub.org.au
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