Echoes & Reflections
Rescuers and Non-Jewish Resistance
What does it mean to be a rescuer during the time of the Holocaust? Learners consider the role of those who resisted the Nazi invasions, including hiding Jewish people, throughout Europe. Activities include listening to the testimony of...
Echoes & Reflections
The "Final Solution"
Nazi policies shifted from deportation and imprisonment to extermination of the Jewish people in death camps in the "Final Solution." Learners examine photos of artifacts, read poetry written by survivors, analyze testimony from...
Echoes & Reflections
Survivors and Liberators
The end was just the beginning. The period immediately after the end of World War II and the Holocaust is often called "The Return to Life" as survivors looked to reunite and recreate broken families and shattered lives. A two-lesson...
Curated OER
Introduction to a Study of the Holocaust
Students create questions they want answered while they read quotes and listen to passages from books about the Holocaust. They examine quotes and text passages related to the Holocaust and generate a list of questions about the Holocaust.
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Teaching the Holocaust through Literature
Centered on the short story "The Tenth Man" by Polish Holocaust survivor Ida Fink, here is a solid one-day resource to support study of World War II or Nazi history, short stories, or to complement any ELA unit on The Diary of Anne Frank...
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Using Primary Sources to Study the Holocaust
Engage your middle schoolers with Pastor Martin Niemoller's famous poem that begins, "First they came for the communists." Now that you have their attention, send learners to the various work stations you created to have them explore...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Graphic Novel Maus
Students begin reading the graphic novel "Maus". Using the Internet, they discover fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity. Using excerpts from the novel, they identify animal metaphors used for nationalities and ethnic...
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Introduction to the Holocaust
Eighth graders examine the implications of the Holocaust. In this human justice lesson, 8th graders unknowingly participate in a segregation simulation and discuss its outcome. Students compare the simulation to the discrimination that...
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World War II - Memory Book
Eighth graders read about and reflect upon a variety of events that occurred during World War II. They conduct research on the Holocaust and Anne Frank's life, the attack on Pearl Harbor, American life during this time and the bombing of...
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Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands
Young scholars conduct research to put Anne Frank's diary into historical context. They use maps, timelines, essays and websites to examine the early victories of the German army, paying special attention to the Netherlands and...
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Introduction to the Holocaust (Preparation for a Trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
Eighth graders consider the Holocaust. For this Holocaust lesson, 8th graders prepare for a trip to the National Holocaust Museum by reading and analyzing testimonies of 2 former Nazis.
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Maus: A KWHL Approach
After reading the introduction to Maus I, class members use A KWHL approach to determine what they know, what they want to know, and where they can find information about World War II, the Holocaust, and other topics associated with Art...
Echoes & Reflections
Antisemitism
Propaganda and anti-semitism were linked to evil ends during the Holocaust. Using video testimony of Holocaust survivors, examples of Nazi propaganda, and discussion questions, learners explore the roots of anti-semitism in Europe and...
Echoes & Reflections
Perpetrators, Collaborators, and Bystanders
After the Holocaust, the world grappled with how to bring justice to the Nazis. But what to do with the thousands—if not millions—who allowed it to happen? Young historians consider the issues of guilt, collaboration, and responsibility...
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Genocide-Holocaust
Twelfth graders gain insight and perspective as to how and why the Holocaust occured. They explain why the specific groups were targeted, and complete a brief paragraph about what it would have been like to live during this era.
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Hidden Children and the Holocaust: A Lesson and Pledge for Action
Students read various personal accounts of children during the Holocaust. Using special identification cards, they relate the Holocaust to historical events in their lifetimes. Examining primary source documents, they describe how they...
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Holocaust Theme
Students complete a unit of lessons on the events of the Holocaust during WWII. They write daily journal entries, create a collage, view and discuss videos, read and analyze novels and poetry, and complete a novel project.
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The Holocaust
Tenth graders reflect on the effects of the Holocaust and the events leading up to World War II. In this World History activity, 10th graders complete several activities, including a WebQuest, that analyze the Holocaust and its...
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Introduction to the Rich European Jewish Culture
Students examine the culture of rich, European Jews. Using photographs, they discuss their feelings about them and decide on two they would like to use. They respond to questions found on the analysis guide. They research the music of...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 7: Anne Frank’s Tales from the Secret Annex Teacher Guide
Frequently banned, often challenged, a mainstay of middle school curriculum, Tales from the Secret Annex, is the featured text in the seventh unit in the Teacher Guide Core Knowledge Program. The 134-page guide includes an introduction,...
Curated OER
Anti-Semitism Workshop
Originating from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, here is a resource to support your world historians in their study of World War II, the Holocaust, your cultural scholars learning about anti-semitism, or your...
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"The Gambler" and "The Journey": A Comparison of Worlds in Two Short Stories
“The Gambler” and “The Journey” offer readers an opportunity to experience two very different views of Jewish life in Poland between WWI and WWII. Whether used as a part of a study of the Holocaust, or as a compare/contrast exercise, the...
Curated OER
What Concepts are being presented
World War II, WWII, the Holocaust, the Rise of the Nazi Empire, Concentration Camps, the effect on children. The first 9 slides are of images and scenes of WWII, Black and white photography Slides 10 to 20 show present day photos of...
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Who Was Anne Frank?
Introduce your eager readers to WWII through the eyes of a real girl. Presented here is a basic overview of the life of Anne Frank and her contribution to world literature with the publication of her diary. A perfect introduction to the...