Nebraska Workshop Series
October 11 - 14, 2004
In October 2004, Director of Teacher Workshops and Conferences Warren Marcus traveled to Nebraska for a series of presentations and workshops for educators. This trip resulted from collaboration and planning between the Institute for Holocaust Education (Plains States Office of the ADL), the state of Nebraska Department of Education, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Additional support was also provided by the Cooper Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska and the Nebraska Humanities Council. The supervisor of Social Studies for the Nebraska Department of Education, Larry Starr, attended each workshop.
Educators interested in workshops or conferences in their region or at the Museum may contact nationaloutreach@ushmm.org.
NelighOn October 11, 2004, a workshop was presented in the small town of Neligh, which is approximately 2.5 hours northwest of Omaha. The local district has its professional development center in Neligh. Thirty-five teachers attended the all-day workshop, which included sessions on rationale, guidelines, content and methodology, sample lessons, and a review of Museum resources, including the Web site. The Museum’s poster set was sent to Neligh for display at each workshop. Participants received the teacher packet, the Belfer Exemplary Lessons book, and numerous handouts and announcements. The subsequent two workshops also used this content.Teacher Responses:
“It gives me a connection to resources I never knew existed. What a wealth of information! You gave me the tools to make my approach so much better and rewarding for students.”
“Outstanding workshop. I might have a chance to start my own class and this will fall right in with it.”
Entering Neligh.
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Neligh workshop teachers pose for “team” picture.
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Warren Marcus discusses rationales for teaching about the Holocaust.
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Larry Starr, supervisor of Social Studies for the Nebraska Department of Education (left), discusses and fills out an evaluation form.
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Warren Marcus poses in his new Husker hat at the town sign on the way out of Neligh.
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KearneyThe next workshop was presented in Kearney, a larger town approximately 2.5 hours from Neligh in the southern central part of Nebraska. Once again, 35 teachers attended the full-day workshop.Teacher Responses:
“Thank you for bringing the Museum’s resources to us.”
“The workshop was exceptionally fine! Outstanding!”
Warren Marcus assigns a case study for 1931 voting activity to a teacher group.
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Warren Marcus discusses frequent questions to anticipate in the classroom.
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Warren Marcus; Beth Seldin Dotan, director, Institute for Holocaust Education (Plains States Office of the ADL); and David Neinkamp, retired Nebraska teacher and USHMM Museum Fellow.
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ScottsbluffThe final workshop was held in Scottsbluff, five hours to the west, near the Wyoming and Colorado borders. Thirty-four teachers attended. They represented every school in the district. Teachers in all three workshops were a mixture of high school and middle school history and English teachers.Teacher Responses:
“Great for immediate implementation.”
“Thank you for sending all this to western Nebraska.”
Scottsbluff teachers make their choices in a voting activity.
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Teachers break for lunch next to a display of the Museum's poster set.
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Attendees assemble for a group picture.
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Looking west from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
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Scenic vista south of Scottsbluff.
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The response to the programs was outstanding. The district managers/hosts were very appreciative. The state supervisor was also very excited about the presentations and benefits for his state's teachers, and discussions began about arranging workshops in Washington, D.C., at the Museum, for Nebraska teachers.
