Students at Miller Middle School (MMS) recently shared a deeply impactful project with the community, bridging historical reflection with modern digital creativity. The virtual Resilience and Moral Courage Museum was presented live on March 10, as 8th graders hosted small groups of students, staff, and families during their class periods.
The project served as the culmination of a dedicated unit on Resilience and Moral Courage in Jenny Fitts Reynolds’ 8th-grade English Language Arts class. Throughout the unit, students explored the central question: What do stories of resilience teach us about the human spirit?
Eighth grader Porter Hamilton discusses his exhibit in the virtual Resilience and Moral Courage Museum with a fellow student at Miller Middle School on March 10.
By analyzing texts, documentaries, and novels, the 8th graders examined the roles of upstanders, survivors, and perpetrators of genocide, with a specific focus on the Holocaust. Each student chose a person, event, or idea to honor and memorialize. The resulting museum featured individual research, visual art pieces, and curator statements that connected their chosen topics to the literature studied in class.
"Students worked very hard to take a difficult topic — The Holocaust/genocide — and find the upstanders and uplifters," Reynold said. “They were asked to research their topic, create a visual piece, develop a curator statement, and show ties and connections to the novel they chose for the unit.”
Miller Middle School 8th grader Esabella Rhinehart shares her presentation in the virtual Resilience and Moral Courage Museum with fellow students on March 10.
The digital nature of the museum allows for a unique, interactive experience that continues to be available to the community. Rather than a standard slideshow, the museum utilizes embedded buttons to guide visitors through various digital rooms and exhibits.
Explore the Resilience and Moral Courage Virtual Museum.