Cait Slack
I will definitely take photos and notes during the trip. I also plan to bringing a journal to reflect on my own feelings as we hear about the horrors of the war.
As a world history teacher I am incredibly excited to learn more about the history of this region, an area that is often left out of history curriculum. Next year I will be teaching Ancient World History, Modern World History, and Contemporary World Problems. My curriculum in all of these courses will be enhanced by my own increased knowledge of the Bosnian War and the genocide that took place. When we visit Sarajevo we will hear first hand accounts of the horrors of the war. I think this will be particularly powerful when it comes to learning about this region because it will help me to make a more personal connection, which, in turn, will help me to help my students make a more personal connection to this region. I plan to have my students do projects on genocides that have happened in the 21st century and the Bosnian Genocide will definitely be highlighted. I also believe that learning more about this region will be beneficial specifically for teaching Contemporary World Problems. The recent war in the region as well as the lingering socio-political tension has major implications for the countries today. A few of the countries we will be visiting are part of the European Union including Hungary and Croatia, while Serbia and Montenegro are candidate countries and Bosnia and Herzegovina have expressed interest in the EU but have not been accepted. Seeing the difference between countries that have been accepted into the EU versus countries on the fringe will help me gain a better understanding of how the EU works and the problems they face.
I plan to do additional research on the Bosnian Genocide so that I have a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the war before we hear about the personal accounts.
