HANOVERTON — A trio of eighth-grade English Language Arts students presented a self-directed learning venture at the United Local school board meeting Wednesday.

The students — Faith Berger, Claire Medure and Brayton Fisher — shared their idea for a district Holocaust memorial as part of a self-directed learning venture in Ryan Burd’s class. Burd was accompanying another group of students to a presentation on the West Coast, so the students were introduced by district superintendent Lance Hostetler.

Burd had challenged his students to create something unique that they will be passionate about working on. So they decided to explore how people in society participate in atrocities such as the Holocaust.

Hostetler told those in attendance that this type of learning can sometimes appear chaotic, but he likes that it encourages students to think critically and independently.

The students had learned about the Holocaust in class. The genocide began with small choices that eventually had more widespread impact, affecting the lives of many people.

Historians attribute the deaths of six million European Jews to Nazi Germany and their collaborators largely through mass shootings and poison gas chambers in extermination camps like Auschwitz.

Other non-Jews, such as prisoners of war, also were killed.

The Holocaust (1941-1945) is considered to be the single deadliest genocide in human history.

This number represented two-thirds of the Jewish population in German-occupied Europe.

To her, student Medure explained that the lesson in history emphasizes the importance of standing up and speaking out about wrongdoing.

The students proposed construction of a memorial near the nature trail to help educate others.

Her classmate Fisher estimated the cost of the 12-foot by 24-foot structure was not expected to exceed $3,000 that would be secured through sponsors.

As part of the dedication ceremony, the students plan to release butterflies, with each representing a child who died during the Holocaust.

Middle school principal Frank Baker stepped up to volunteer for sponsorship of the butterflies.

The plight of the Jewish children, who were especially vulnerable to the death, were represented to modern youth through voices like Anne Frank.

An estimated 1.5 million children — nearly all Jewish — would die under the Nazi regime.

The main goal of this United Local memorial would be to provide a place where people could gather to remember the victims and educate themselves regarding the Holocaust.

Students were urged to consult with nature trail custodians and also come up with ideas to keep a potential memorial maintained and relevant with future students.