Echoes & Reflections
The Ghettos
Young historians examine primary sources, including diaries, poems, and photographs, to consider the conditions in the ghettos and how they fit into the escalation of the Third Reich's plot against the Jewish people.
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Europe Maps
A series of maps depicts pre-WWI to post-WWII Europe for your geographers. They use reference materials to help them correctly fill in the countries and the borders as they changed through time. A great resource for a history lesson, or...
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Spiritual, Educational, and Physical Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
Students review the organization of the ghettos in Eastern Europe. Using the internet, they gather more insight on the people who lived in the ghettos. They discuss the reaction of some members to join resistance movements. They also...
While They Watched
Teaching the Holocaust
What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination? Between collaborators and bystanders? Guilt and responsibility? Prompt learners to think critically about a very complex and textured topic with an innovative packet of materials.
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Urban Geo Worksheet
In this urban geography worksheet, young scholars respond to 20 short answer questions about urban geography after they have read a related article. The article is not included.
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Fractions: Jewish Population of Europe during WWII
Students evaluate population maps and convert fractions to percentages. In this WWII instructional activity, students use statistics on the Holocaust to determine population loss and change. Students create their own math questions and...
Echoes & Reflections
Timeline of the Holocaust
An interactive timeline uses images, videos, primary source documents, and links to informational text to chronicle the history of the Holocaust from 1933-1945.
Echoes & Reflections
The Children and Legacies Beyond the Holocaust
Using video testimony, primary source documents that detail international agreements, and structured discussions, learners consider the precarious position of children during the Holocaust and other international conflicts, and how to...
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
Studying The Holocaust
While many young scholars are familiar with the Holocaust, they may not understand the specific history that led to the unprecedented atrocity. The first lesson in the unit helps teachers gauge their pupils' background knowledge. A...
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...
Echoes & Reflections
Nazi Germany
The Holocaust was an evolution of anti-Semitism, scapegoating, and targeted violence against Jews with Nazi policies. A resource unpacks the escalation in violence, along with the erosion of democratic institutions, during the 1930s....
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
Jewish Resistance
Resistance to the Holocaust took on many forms. Learners explore the passive and active resistance of Jewish people who continued their practices and observances, as well as organized resistance against the evils of the Nazis. An...
Echoes & Reflections
Contemporary Antisemitism
Despite the recognized atrocities of the Holocaust, anti-semitism continues. The 11th and final installment of the Teaching the Holocaust series explores the long-term effects of the Holocaust on modern anti-semitism, asking pupils to...
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...
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...
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"The Big Lie" Response Journal
Eighth graders utilize a variety of reading and writing skills in completing social studies activities on "The Big Lie." students express their understanding of right and wrong actions based on the characters through a personal response...
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Life and Death in the Camps
Students state the difference between death camps and concentration camps used during the Holocaust. Using primary source documents, they summarize what life in the camp was like. They describe the final solution used by the Nazis.
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Never To Forget
Tenth graders discuss the events leading up to antisemitic behavior in Europe during World War II. Through various activities, 10th graders acquaint themselves with the political ideology of Nazism and assess responsibility for the...
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"The Pianist" As A Tool For Classroom Instruction About the Holocaust
Students watch "The Pianist" to gain insight on the Holocaust and World War II. They write an essay based on ideas from the film and read a variety of poems and writings from the time period. In groups, they discuss the diffuculties of...
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Night by Elie Wiesel
Tenth graders explore WWII by reading a book with their class. In this Holocaust research lesson, 10th graders read the book Night, and discuss the horrors of the concentration camps and Nazi brutality during WWII. Students complete...
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Night by Elie Wiesel Chapter One
Students participate in a layered curriculum unit with varied difficulty activities like this one: Write a brief narrative (300 words) Discuss your answers to the following questions: What do you know about the Holocaust? Where did you...
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America's Smartest Cities Quiz
For this online interactive geography quiz worksheet, students respond to 20 identification questions about the smartest cities in America. Students have 4 minutes to complete the quiz.