As School Library Media Specialist at Clark Mills Elementary School in Manalapan, New Jersey, Gail Murray introduces not just one class each year but many to USC Shoah Foundation testimony in order to supplement their learning about the Holocaust.

Murray wanted to complement the fourth- and fifth grade units on the Holocaust with age-appropriate content in the library, so she researched possible websites, literature and videos that would enhance what they are learning in their classrooms. She said she felt that she “hit gold” when she found USC Shoah Foundation and IWitness.

First, Murray shows the students IWitness on the library Smartboard and explains how to navigate and use the site. She also created a QR code to stick onto the most popular books about the Holocaust such as Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, Daniel’s Story, Number the Stars and The Upstairs Room. By scanning the QR code with the library’s iPads, students can pull up the USC Shoah Foundation app and watch more testimonies.

Murray said students’ reactions to testimony are emotional and tender.

“A quiet comes over them as they watch; often a student takes the iPad to a quiet place to watch it by themselves,” Murray said. “They are startling mature about the content as it is presented so well.”

The information in IWitness is presented clearly and accurately, and the fact that it is digital makes it more engaging for students, she said.

“It's effective I feel because of the testimonials. They put a face to the people who were there [and] witnessed the atrocities first-hand,” Murray said. “[It’s] very powerful.”