Have students make a list of the human rights which were taken away from the Jews during  World War II inNazi Germany.   Refer to the Nuremburg Laws of 1939:

      -Jews were stripped of their German citizenship

      -Jews could no longer vote and participate in the politics of German government

      -Jews had to turn in their radios, weapons, jewelry, bicycles, etc.

      -Jews were forced to attend schools expecially designated for Jews only

      -Jews could no longer shop in German shops

      -Jewish merchants could no longer sell their goods to Germans

      -Jews could associate nor marry Germans

      -Jews could no longer hold important jobs and were fired from their professions if it meant

        they maintained German clients - doctors, lawyers, newspaper reporters, teachers, etc.

      -Jews had to obey curfews and not be caught on the streets past 8 p.m.

      -Jews could sit only on park benches especially designated for Jews

      -Eventually, Jews were forced to leave their homes and were confined to a ghetto

      -Jews had to wear a yellow “star of David” to identify themselves as Jews

Read over Nazi documents of what Hitler believed the perfect ideal Aryan race should look like and discuss what he deemed necessary to do in order to accomplish his goas of achieving a “Master Race.”    Discuss forced sterilization, death by lethal injection or poison gas given to Germans who were physically handicapped, blind, deaf, or suffering with a disease.

Discuss what the Nazis attempted to do to the Jews and what happened to the Jews as a result.    Discuss what the Nazis did to others besides the Jews and point out how each was stripped of his dignity.

Have students compare the rights that were taken away from the Jews in Nazi Germany during 1939-1945 to the human rights taken away from certain groups today in Bosnia, Rwanda, etc.   Use a Venn diagram for your comparison.

Nazi Germany                                                                                              Bosnia

                                                                    Both

   Finally, have students read through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to see which rights were violated in the past and which rights are still being violated in the present.Ask students what they think they can do to ensure that human dignity is maintained.

 Contact local Jewish organizations and temples for information.   Often, they lend videos and provide speakers.   There is also an Anne Frank Foundation where one may obtain information about Anne Frank.   Consult the Internet.

 Invite Holocaust speakers to give first-hand accounts of their experiences. (Based upon my experience, students are amazed by such personal accounts.)

 Show parts of the Spielberg’s movie “Shindler’s List” and discuss. 

(English teachers may use other books besides “Anne Frank” in order to dovetail and team teach with social studies teacher.  ex. “Number the Stars” by Lowry.)