| Holocaust Unit |
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Rationale
This is a major event in world history. Studying the Holocaust helps students examine the roots and ramifications of prejudice, indifference, and hatred. It examines the use and abuse of technology, language, and power. It also examines the idea of preventing a reoccurrence. Finally, it shows the highs and lows of human potential. |
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Lessons Day 1 - Terrible Things Goal: Students will increase their understanding of the concept of
speaking up and taking action rather than just standing by and watching. Day 2 - Terrible Things, Part II Goal: Students will apply their understanding of
the concept of speaking up and taking action rather than just standing by and
watching to the events of the Holocaust. Allegory will
be discussed. For questions,
click HERE. Days 3 and 4 - Anti-Semitism Goal/Objective: To provide an overview of the
history of anti-Semitism. Days 5 and 6 - Pre-World War II European Jewish Life Photo
Project Goal/Objective: The
focus of this project is to engage students in understanding both the
individuality of Jewish lives affected by or lost in the Holocaust and the
cumulative effects of the Holocaust on their communities. It concentrates
on exploring the normalcy (religious, cultural, and communal) of Jewish life by
finding and analyzing family photographs of an affected community from before
the Nazi occupation or invasion and then researching the drastic changes in
that community following Nazi rule. Specifically, the project seeks the
address the individual lives behind the statistics of the Holocaust, which
student cannot fathom, and the misconception that students may have that Jews
were not people like themselves. For More
Information - including worksheets - click HERE Day 7, 8, 9, and 10 – Voices of the Holocaust Goal/Objective: Students will be able to
answer four critical questions concerning the Holocaust: How could the
Holocaust happen? How were victims
oppressed? Was there resistance? Why should we remember? Then
students will be able to use this information to think on their own about why
we should remember and what we can do now to help prevent a future
occurrence. For
QUESTIONS - Click Here! Days 11 and12 – The Holocaust: One Survivor
Remembers Goal/Objective: Students will be able to
describe what The Holocaust was and how six million Jews and five million
Christians were murdered by the
Nazis. Students will be able to describe the importance of determination
and the will to survive. Students will explain why it is necessary for
everyone to have knowledge of the catastrophic events of The Holocaust to
insure that such a thing will never happen again. Students will explain
why freedom must never be taken for granted. For more information,
click HERE Days 13 to Day 23 – The Diary of Anne Frank (play) Goal/Objective: To read and analyze a
play. To understand what happened to Anne Frank and her family during two
years in hiding. Day 24-29 – Regular Language Arts / Day 40
for Pre-AP Language Arts Bringing the Holocaust Unit to Closure:
Implications for the Future
Goal: • Remembrance:
The Holocaust is not just about the six million. It is also about the loss of
future generations. What future doctors, scientists, artists,
writers, philosophers were never allowed to develop? As the Jews were
killed, their progeny, our future leaders and our human potential were also
lost. • Relevance: Students must understand that
the lessons of the Holocaust are present in our daily lives and directly
connected to world events. The names and places may change, but the lessons are
still applicable. • Responsibility: Students need to recognize
their own responsibility in making sure that genocide does not happen again. We
must all take action and respond whenever we see hatred, prejudice, and anti-Semitism. For more
information, click HERE. |