Seventh Graders Learn Important History of Ukraine and Review Tools to Fight Disinformation

Seventh graders received a special visit from author Ms. Katherine Marsh, who spoke about the Holodomor (the man-made famine that starved millions of Ukrainians in 1932-33, as a result of Soviet Ukrainian policies). She discussed it in connection with her middle-grade book, which many of our students have read, The Lost Years: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine. Ms. Marsh also presented about the topic in relation to her own grandmother, who grew up in USSR/Ukraine. Her talk emphasized that most people do not know about the Holodomor, often due to deliberate false information. She provided a vital lesson about media literacy and spotting fake news, arming the students with strategies including the SIFT method: 1) Stop, 2) Investigate the source, 3) Find better coverage (practicing lateral reading), and 4) Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context. After her insightful talk, Ms. Marsh signed copies of her book for students and for the Ramaz library.