Teaching through Visual Testimony

The Art of Testimony in the Classroom: Engaging Through Graphic Narratives

In an era when the enormity of historical trauma can feel both overwhelming and distant, integrating graphic narratives of testimony into classroom practices offers a transformative pedagogical tool. As explored in a webinar featuring Dr. Andrea Webb and educator Alyssa Wood, the use of visual storytelling not only humanizes the otherwise abstract accounts of genocide but also invites both educators and students to engage with history in deeply personal ways. This chapter unpacks three key themes emerging from their conversation—the unique power of visual testimony, the imperative of building a trauma-informed pedagogy, and the benefits of an interdisciplinary, adaptive approach to teaching difficult histories—while weaving in insights from the educators’ resource accompanying the award-winning graphic novel But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust.

The Unique Power of Visual Testimony

Graphic narratives wield a distinctive power to show the emotional and sensory dimensions of historical trauma that written testimony may struggle to convey, especially to English language learners with whom Alyssa Wood has worked. As she passionately noted during the webinar, “A story is more than just the words… A story can be the colour that is added to the page. It can be the emotions. There’s so much emotion in a picture and a graphic novel in and of itself.”

Hiding from soldiers, an excerpt from Miriam Libicki’s A Kind of Resistance, in But I Live (2022)

This observation encapsulates how visual elements—such as colour, composition, and the deliberate use of negative space—evoke visceral responses that resonate long after the page is turned. Images often bypass language barriers, making complex historical accounts accessible to diverse learners. This medium then can become a powerful complement to conventional teaching methods. Instead of relying solely on dense academic texts or recorded oral histories, graphic narratives like But I Live offer a unique medium to engage students on multiple sensory levels. By presenting trauma in a format that invites various layers of interpretation, teachers empower students to become independent learners who can connect deeply with history—transforming abstract facts into a personal, resonant experience.

Building a Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

Teaching the Holocaust and other instances of mass violence invariably involves navigating a minefield of emotions—for both students and educators. The webinar speakers emphasized that while confronting such topics is undeniably challenging, it is also an ethical imperative. Avoiding these subjects does a disservice to students who must learn about the use and abuse of power, as well as the responsibilities borne by individuals and communities.

Alyssa Wood shared her trauma-informed teaching philosophy:

“We also have to recognize that some people are going to be uncomfortable, but making sure that we’re in a safe space where we’re not judging and acknowledging the fact that we all have a little bit of history that’s going to connect with this [heavy topics] is a good place to start.”

As explored in the introductory unit of the educators’ resource—Foundations: Graphic Narratives and Trauma Informed Pedagogy—working with graphic novels like But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust requires educators to adopt trauma-informed pedagogies. Dr. Webb and her team advocate for this powerful approach to address difficult histories and topics while engaging learners without traumatizing them or triggering their previous experiences of trauma. In particular, structured check-ins, reflective pauses, and the careful scaffolding of complex topics may help with ensuring that while the truth of historical trauma is confronted head-on, it is done so in a manner that respects each student’s readiness and resilience.

The cover of But I Live (2022)

An Interdisciplinary and Adaptive Approach

One of the most exciting aspects of using graphic narratives in education is the opportunity it creates for interdisciplinary teaching. Traditional curricula often compartmentalize subjects into silos, yet history, art, literature, and social studies are inextricably intertwined in the stories of human experience. Graphic narratives like But I Live naturally blur these boundaries, enabling educators to craft lessons that examine historical facts alongside visual literacy, ethical inquiry, and creative expression. When students actively engage with visual testimony, they are invited to analyze, question, and reinterpret history for themselves. As Alyssa shared, by deconstructing the elements of a graphic narrative—whether it’s the symbolism in a panel, the interplay of colour and mood, or the sequencing of images—students learn to think critically about how history is constructed, mediated, and conveyed.

Dr. Webb revealed this sentiment by emphasizing the transformative potential of this approach:

“What you are doing is empowering young people to be historians, because… they’re often going into secondary sources rather than primary, but they’re doing the historical work. They’re reading the histories, they’re looking for other information, and then they’re making something themselves, which I think is so powerful.”

Adaptive teaching also means acknowledging that not every student will resonate with the same medium or approach. The flexibility of graphic narratives allows educators to tailor lessons to varying maturity levels and cultural backgrounds. Whether through classroom discussion, creative projects, or even digital storytelling, the adaptability of these materials ensures that every student finds a pathway to engage with difficult content in a manner that is both respectful and resonant.

The art of testimony in the classroom, as illuminated by Dr. Andrea Webb and Alyssa Wood, is about more than just presenting historical facts—it is about engaging the whole person. Visual testimony through graphic narratives, exemplified by But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust, provides an entry point that is both accessible and emotionally compelling. Coupled with a trauma-informed pedagogy that champions collaborative learning, this approach redefines how educators can tackle the most challenging aspects of human history. By breaking down disciplinary silos and embracing an adaptive, interdisciplinary framework, educators are not only preserving the memories of the past but are also empowering students to become active participants in historical discourse.

Teaching through Visual Testimony

Table of Contents

The Art of Testimony in the Classroom: Engaging Through Graphic Narratives

The Unique Power of Visual Testimony

Building a Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

An Interdisciplinary and Adaptive Approach

Further Reading and Resources