Connecting the Dots: Backward Course Design, Arts Education, and Teaching the Holocaust

Abstract

This chapter focuses on learning efficacy through Backward Course Design. A choral music class project entitled “Musical Responses to the Holocaust” taught Queensborough Community College (QCC) students Holocaust history through the eyes of its victims and was part of the 2014–2015 National Endowment for the Humanities/Kupferberg Holocaust Center (NEH/KHC) Colloquium Series, “Testimony Across the Disciplines: Cultural and Artistic Responses to Genocide.” Course learning outcomes of empathy expansion through kinesthetic expression align with QCC outcomes regarding cultural awareness, civic engagement, and applying concepts to life. The chapter describes learning activities, provides evidence of student learning, and considers future avenues for course design and research.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Suggested Supplemental Learning Activities

• 1. To advance development in students of empathy and its relationship to musical performance and kinesthesia, ask students to view videos of performers from various genres, including genres and artists of their own choosing. Lead a discussion of what the students perceive about the emotional state of the performers. Guide students to observe body language, facial expression, and vocal inflection; in short, ask students to make their observations based on nonverbal cues. When viewing genres with which students are less familiar, such as opera, lead students in discussion about what they feel they have in common with those performers.

• 2. In any class discussion, ask individual students to paraphrase a question or comment just delivered by another student. Ask students to point out times they either disagree or agree with another student, while acknowledging why a differing point of view may be held.

Appendix 2: Prompts for Written Reflection

Following are prompts given to QCC students for written reflection. These prompts aim to elicit specific examples of students’ comprehension of issues of the Holocaust and genocide with regard to Arts Education and continued community involvement.

• 1. Describe several course concepts we learned in class that relate to this project’s study of the Holocaust and genocide. Explain how they relate.

• 2. Describe possible solutions to any community needs revealed by our study of the Holocaust and genocide. Are there any course activities or concepts that may open avenues to solutions? Please explain.

• 3. Describe an instance when you saw a course concept come to life during a learning activity shared with the CYMP children.

• 4. What do you see yourself doing in the future related to finding solutions to these issues?