For years, in English classes, we have primarily been reading The Diary of Anne Frank during Holocaust Units. As student choice becomes a more effective learning tool in our classrooms, I would like to offer another award-winning piece of literature to my students for their holocaust unit.
Art Speigelman's MAUS I & II offer students another perspective on the events of the Holocaust, through the graphic novel genre. The graphic novel is a compelling genre for students, and promotes engagement. Spiegelman's graphic novel does not sacrifice quality literary content for the sake of the genre, as it is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. If anything, the graphic novel genre makes this story, and historical significance of the holocaust, more accessible to adolescent minds, and more exciting for them, even when they are not confident readers.
MAUS I & II bring the historical significance of the holocaust to life by using symbolism, irony, metaphor, and multiple other examples of figurative language, which help educators cover our state standards, as well as integrate cross-discipline (social studies) standards.
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For years, in English classes, we have primarily been reading The Diary of Anne Frank during Holocaust Units. As student choice becomes a more effective learning tool in our classrooms, I would like to offer another award-winning piece of literature to my students for their holocaust unit.
Art Speigelman's MAUS I & II offer students another perspective on the events of the Holocaust, through the graphic novel genre. The graphic novel is a compelling genre for students, and promotes engagement. Spiegelman's graphic novel does not sacrifice quality literary content for the sake of the genre, as it is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. If anything, the graphic novel genre makes this story, and historical significance of the holocaust, more accessible to adolescent minds, and more exciting for them, even when they are not confident readers.
MAUS I & II bring the historical significance of the holocaust to life by using symbolism, irony, metaphor, and multiple other examples of figurative language, which help educators cover our state standards, as well as integrate cross-discipline (social studies) standards.
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