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http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bstpract/bstpract/142/image39.gifThe Holocaust

1.      Learn more about the Holocaust

2.      Empathize with the survivors

3.      Practice different forms of writing

 

Part One “In Memory of Millions”

·         Introduction

o   Writing Assignment:  In 5 complete sentences explain why it is important to “preserve the memory” of those persecuted in the Holocaust?

·         Jewish Life Before the Holocaust

o   Writing Assignment:  Based on what the narrator said on the video and the pictures shown on the video, pretend you are a Jew living before the war. Write a paragraph in 1st person (like a journal entry) describing a day in the life of a Jew before WWII.

·         The Rise of the Third Reich

o   Writing Assignment: Using the correct format that we learned in class, write a compare and contrast paragraph, comparing and contrasting the time before Hitler took power and after he was in control. (compare the atmosphere, the Jewish feelings, activities that took place, etc.)

·         The Jewish Ghettos and Deportation

o   Writing Assignment: Imagine the atmosphere of the ghetto, based on the survivors’ comments. List 10 descriptive words to describe what it would feel like to be a Jew living in a ghetto. (Please refrain from using words like sad, scary, lonely. Push yourself to think of new words. Look at a thesaurus, be creative.)

·         The Lotz Ghetto

o   Writing Assignment: Imagine you are a Nazi soldier, in charge of “recruiting” people to live in the Lotz Ghetto. Using what you just heard of this ghetto, write a paragraph in 2nd person, describing the ghetto, trying to convince people to live there. (Remember to use what you have learned from the video, don’t just write random things.)

·         Jewish Resistance Efforts

o   Writing Assignment: In a well-organized paragraph, describe the activities the “illegal organization” managed. Explain how did their resistance ended?

·         Attempts to Save the Jews

o   Writing Assignment: Have you ever known someone who did something for you, despite the consequences? How did that make you feel? Imagine you are a Jew escaped from Germany, living in France with a French family. Write a 10-sentences journal entry in 1st person, explaining what it would be like to be living with someone who is risking his life for you.

·         Fleeing Denmark for Sweden

o   Writing Assignment: We have talked in class about how people tried to flee to Sweden, since it was a neutral country. If you were a Jew, what would have been your “game plan”? In other words, what would have you done to stay alive? (Draw on the stories of the survivors you have listened to. Which strategy would you have taken?) Write 5-7 sentences.

Part Two “In Memory of Millions”

·         Transport to the Concentration Camps

o   Writing Assignment: Choose 10 words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs) one might associate with this video clip and the events it highlights.

·         Arriving at the Camps

o   Writing Assignment: When Jewish prisoners were brought to concentration camps like Auschwitz, what did the Nazis take from them?  Why do you think the Nazis took what they did? What was the purpose?

·         Life in the Concentration Camps

o   Writing Assignment: Describe in your own words what a day in the life of a Jewish prisoner felt like. What did they think about? What were their goals?

·         Death in the Camps

o   Writing Assignment: Using complete sentences, list 7 facts you learned from this clip.

·         Getting Rid of the Evidence

o   Writing Assignment: Imagine Nesse Godin was coming to speak at Redlands Christian School and you had to introduce her to the student body before she spoke. Write a 5-10 sentence paragraph introducing her. Review the following videos for more information on her: Jewish Ghettos and Deportation, Transportation to the Concentration Camps, Arriving at the Camps, Life in the Camps, Death in the Concentration Camps, and Getting Rid of the Evidence.

·         The Liberation

o   Writing Assignment: Imagine you are a soldier liberating a concentration camp. Based on this video, write a short diary entry, journaling about that experience and what you found there.

·         The Dedication of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum

o   Writing Assignment: There are over 50 Holocaust Memorial Museums worldwide, 24 of which are in the United States and seven of which are in German. Why do you think the United States built so many museums dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust? Why are there seven in Germany, where the WWII atrocities were incipient?