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Root Middle students tell Medina board Holocaust unit helped them "remember the past"
Summary
Eighth-graders and their teacher described an age-appropriate Holocaust unit that combined primary sources, VR tours and a Washington, D.C. trip; students said the work emphasized choices, bystander responsibility and empathy.
Kaylee Rydel, an eighth-grade ELA teacher at AI Root Middle School, told the Medina City Schools Board of Education on April 21 that her class framed the unit around the essential question, “How does one remember the past?” Rydel described a yearlong, age‑appropriate program that used diaries, poems, primary-source texts and virtual reality tours to prepare students for a school trip to Washington, D.C., and a Q&A with Holocaust survivor Irene Butter.
“The unit was designed to be age-appropriate while still honoring the gravity of the subject matter,” Rydel said, adding that students performed close readings, participated in an “upstanders investigation” and completed a Socratic seminar to synthesize learning.
Three students introduced to the board as Maggie, Aubrey and Wyatt described what “stuck with me” about the unit. “The Holocaust didn’t start because of violence,” one student said. “It started with words and choice … choosing to be a bystander can impact many lives.” Another student said the VR tour of Anne Frank’s annex and the opportunity to meet a survivor made the history tangible. The students linked the work to district learning priorities such as communication, collaboration and respectful citizenship.
Superintendent Dave Sable and board members praised the students’ maturity and the teacher’s instructional design. A board member who had visited concentration camps during graduate study described how the museum displays — particularly the piles of shoes — create a lasting impression and encouraged continued experiential learning opportunities for students.
Rydel said she studied abroad to deepen her content knowledge and brought those experiences into the classroom. Board members asked clarifying questions about trip logistics and how difficult content is prepared for younger learners; Rydel said the class built substantial background before introducing primary materials.
The presentation concluded with the board thanking the students and teacher for sharing their work. The board did not take any formal action related to the unit during the meeting.
