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Learning connected to the War in Ukraine

Lessons from history, economics and globalisation

ISP’s Multimedia Storytellers interviewed three of our Upper School teachers who teach in the Social Studies department (history, economics, global politics, , geography, psychology, business) about how they were supporting students making sense of and wrestling with the complexity of this current horrific situation. 

The question they posed to each of the teachers was: As a teacher of social studies or economics, what do you think can be learnt and taken away from the current war in Ukraine?

First off, I think what’s happening in the Ukraine is terrible and I’m really feeling for the humanitarian crisis that it has become, with people not able to get out and not having access through those humanitarian corridors. But, in terms of being a social studies teacher, it has been a really good opportunity to link some of what we’re studying to the real world: I teach both Grade 9 and 10, and in Grade 9 we’re looking at resources, and there has been a real connection to what’s happening in the Ukraine, control of oil, looking at Russia as a petrostate, so all of those things, those geopolitical influences that have led Russia to make this choice to go to war in the first place have been a really good link into the curriculum that we teach. In Grade 10, we’ve been looking at things like how the Holocaust could occur, so looking at genocide and steps to genocide, and we’ve also been looking at the idea of resistance and refuge. And so, what types of resistance was there in the German population and other populations in Europe that were resisting Nazi rule, and how open were those doors to Jews who were seeking refuge. So, making those links to what we see with the Ukrainian refugees who have come to the Czech Republic and other countries in Europe, those have been really helpful in terms of linking in to what we are already teaching.

– Teacher of Grade 10 Social Studies and IB Diploma Global Politics course

My first connection is to think about Grade ten, and stress the importance of understanding what is propaganda and how do we counter propaganda. So to be reminded of where we get our news from, understanding multiple perspectives, but it also has us ask difficult questions. An example of this would be; at what point do we take notice of potential harm and violence towards other people? It’s nice to see the international community respond in this way, but it seems like it was because of a breaking point. This is what history often teaches us, how to respond to situations after the breaking point. However, my bigger question is how do we respond to situations before that breaking point.

– Teacher of Grade 10 Social Studies and IB Diploma Global Politics course

– Teacher of IB Diploma Economic and Business courses