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| 3/25/2008 | Email this article • Print this article | Students give different take on news
Stony Point Ninth class delves into topic of genocide
LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter
Agony. Genocide. Fear. Death.
About 60 students in Kate Ikard's Stony Point Ninth Grade Center English class Wednesday sketched words such as these on their arms to serve as visuals for their living newspaper projects they presented in class that day.
Ikard's students researched different real-life genocide actions from countries such as Bosnia, Iraq, Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and Mexico. Students narrated background information, such as that on the Khmer Rouge, which ruled in Cambodia in the '70s, and regarding young women being killed in Juarez, Mexico recently for wearing provocative clothing. As they would in a print version of a newspaper, students cited direct quotes about their respective subjects. The direct quotes were taken from actual newspaper articles on the Gale database, which helps students and teachers find news articles about subjects all over the world, Ikard said.
"This was a way for students to bring non-fiction aspects of genocide to life," Ikard said. "This is an astute, intelligent group of students participating in this and I have really been impressed with their work. The ultimate goal of this project is we want the audience to take action from what they see - whether it is doing something or just being aware of injustice that has or is going on."
University of Texas communication, education, English and theater majors visited Stony Point Nine throughout March to help students visually convey their messages of genocide.
Katelyn Od, UT graduate consultant and communication studies graduate student, was one of the UT students who helped students brainstorm their injustice subjects. Od also helped the students learn how to conduct research and how to create a visual scene to match their written text for the living newspaper project.
"It was really cool teaching them how to set up a scene and embody the work they have completed," Od said.
This is the first year Ikard and her classes have participated in such a project.
Contact Lauri Zachry at 255-5827 or by e-mail at education@rrleader.com .
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