Geoffrey H. Winikur

Through an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based course on African history, literature, and film, Mr. Winikur and Ms. Weinraub expand students’ critical thinking skills and understanding of social justice issues. Students examine African literature, language, and culture, write original folktales, and analyze oral culture in their own communities. To demonstrate an understanding of the influence of colonization and public opinion, students examine the political history of the Congo and develop a propaganda or human rights campaign about one country’s colonization of another. Examining current events, student research the causes of the Hutu/Tutsi conflict and create a guide to the Rwanda genocide for high school students. Students also write a history of apartheid in South Africa and the African National Congress’s rise to power. The course culminates in the creation of an African Gallery to share the year’s learning with other teachers and students.