ABSTRACT
This chapter gives the narratives from a middle school classroom where Mr. D, a teacher activist, engages his classroom in ongoing dialogue about the cyclical nature of violence through imagery, empathy and photography. Tying together the past and present allows students to "walk in the footsteps" of historical moments and further develop their own critical post memory lens. From this lens students analyze collective stories from a letter exchange project with refugees and recast meanings about peace: it's where my story is shared as our story. The chapter highlights student work that connects contemporary global events to the past in deeply meaningful ways. Current day global events and violence are then connected to the past and students are asked to interpret and analyze the similarities and envision possibilities for peace. Mr. D encourages active engagement with these issues and uses everyday acts of violence as a platform for discussion.
