LC Students Learning Through Deep Thinking
In 1947, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (commonly known as The Diary of Anne Frank) was published. The book documents her writings and reflections on her experiences while in hiding from the Nazi regime prior to her arrest and imprisonment in a concentration camp in Germany in 1944. Thirty-Five years later, her words experienced the same censorship through book banning that Nazis implemented throughout Germany regarding most literature.
Banned Books Week, launched in 1982, is held in September each year nationwide to highlight the value of free and open access to information and the expression of ideas. In the last decade, The Diary of Anne Frank is among American classics like To Kill A Mockingbird and Of Mice & Men having been the top books at the focus of attempted book bans across the United States.
In the last 18 months, community volunteers and leaders joined together with school staff to develop the LaRue County Learner Profile. Two of the five major objectives developed as a result were to create students who are Life-Long Learners and Engaged Citizens. In pursuit of that goal, specifically in the category of literature, students for many years at LaRue County High School have learned about the history of banned books, like The Diary of Anne Frank, not just in the US but also in places like Nazi Germany.
One of the best examples of students engaging in this area of learning is through the exercise of Book Trials. Students are charged with learning about books by reading through them in full and carefully considering the content. Then, students bring the book “to trial” in a format where they can discuss the overall merits of the book. This practice encourages students to consider the work thoroughly and from all sides before forming a conclusion about its impact.
As students journey towards graduation and launch into their next chapters, they will be equipped through opportunities like Banned Books Week to navigate a growing and diverse community and work environment.
