The Holodomor Mobile Classroom and Your School

Photo of the Holodomor Mobile Classroom

The Holodomor National Awareness Tour offers three hour-long educational modules, two on board the international award winning Holodomor Mobile Classroom and one in a larger school setting.

Module one

“We in Canada are bonded to this dark chapter in human history by more than a million Canadians of Ukrainian descent, many of whom lost loved ones in the Holodomor.”   - Prime Minister Stephen Harper

The first lesson is a primer on the Holodomor and the concept of genocide. The module starts with an introduction to the United Nation's definition of genocide, followed by a short documentary film on the Holodomor. Students then become detectives during the “Historian’s Craft” activity. They explore the history of the Holodomor by analyzing primary and secondary source material on iPads and then share their findings with the class. The module concludes with a discussion on the values of human rights, civility, and tolerance in fighting discrimination and prejudice.

Module two

Photo of newspaper clipping that reads, Famine Rules Russia: The 5-year Plan has Killed the Bread Supply. By Gareth Jones. Friday, March 31, 1933

The second lesson is “Breaking the Sound Barrier: Raising Voices Out of Silence.” This module offers an immersive learning experience through the perspective of courageous individuals who were dedicated to writing truthfully about the Holodomor, countering disinformation and the cover-up perpetrated by Stalin’s regime. In the second half of the lesson, students are empowered as active and informed citizens to build their own “Wall of Truth,” an interactive digital piece of art that they create in groups and are encouraged to share with the public.

Module three

The third lesson is an in-school presentation based on the award-winning documentary Hunger for Truth: The Rhea Clyman Story (directed by Andrew Tkach, 2017).

Photo of Rhea Clyman
Rhea Clyman

The lesson and discussion focus on several important and timely themes: democracy versus authoritarianism; facts versus disinformation; recognizing disinformation on the internet and social media; why truth and facts are important for democracy; and how each of us can be a guardian of truth.

The film documents the story of Canadian reporter Rhea Clyman, one of the first Western journalists to expose Stalin’s state-sponsored famine-genocide. Her 22 newspaper articles are an invaluable testament to the suffering that ravaged the Ukrainian countryside. In 1932, at the age of 28, Clyman travelled clandestinely through Soviet Ukraine to witness the famine first-hand.

To view the “Hunger for Truth: The Rhea Clyman Story” trailer, click here.

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School Booking Information

Interested in booking the Holodomor Mobile Classroom for your school?

During a typical visit of the HMC to your school, four classes will participate in one of two 60-minute learning modules, each class can accommodate up to 30 students and is wheelchair accessible. We suggest that schools arrange for all four class time slots to be filled.

Once the HMC has been booked, the teacher will receive a Pre-Visit Package that includes information regarding historical context on the Holodomor and an outline of the methodology and structure of the lesson.

We require a designated parking area of approximately 1,000 square feet (20 ft x 50 ft). This includes a safety perimeter.

As a not-for-profit organization, a contribution to the Holodomor National Awareness Tour helps offset the daily operational costs and ensures the sustainability of the program for future years. We understand, however, that this may not be feasible for your school and we can work within your budget.

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