Lesson from Rwanda

NORTHAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL — For Northampton High School teacher Kate Todhunter, history is about telling stories. Following a trip to Rwanda in July, Todhunter has countless stories to share with her students in hopes of fostering a greater understanding of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Todhunter has taught a course on modern genocide since 2003. At first, the class focused primarily on the Holocaust, but she increasingly brought in material from other genocides.

Although Todhunter was always interested in teaching the Rwandan genocide, she initially found that there were few resources to further incorporate it into her lessons. But teaching about the genocide felt more like a responsibility than an option.