We watched the movie "Paperclips" a few weeks ago in class. I don't think I will ever look at one the same again. To see the number of lives lost because of their beliefs was so heartbreaking. How anyone could be so cruel and full of hatred is beyond me. I really don't know how that can happen to a person, and how that person got so many people to follow him. The whole thing is unsettling and disturbing. However, as time goes on, and distance is put between the generations that experienced World War II and "the next generation", it seems there is a numbing effect to the harshness of these actions. We are too far removed from the event to feel the effects of it. That's why projects such as "Paperclips" are so important. It brings history to the present, a face to the horror, a feeling to the words, and life lessons to the people involved. I hope to do projects that are just as meaningful as this one in my own classroom someday. I think making connections to the present and future are one way you can make history come alive to the students.
