JAbarr

Joe Abarr Edc. 448 Dr. Coiro 2/28/08
 * Diverse Text: The Legacy of the Holocaust**

This collection of texts for this particular lesson is designed to be used in an Advanced Placement (A.P.) or honors high school World History course. The lesson will allow for students to explore the setting and developments that allowed for the Nazi’s “Final Solution” to take place during World War II as well as the impact it had on the people who were oppressed and subjugated, particularly the European Jewish population. The lesson will demonstrate how the experiences of different portions of the population were not universal. This set will delve into personal accounts, historical evaluations, and other sources of information through a variety of different sources. Text 1:Nonfiction Novel/Personal Memoir- // Diary of a Young Girl // ·   Citation:  Frank, Anne. //Diary of a Young Girl//. West  Hatfield  ,   MA   : Pennyroyal Press with Jewish Heritage Publishing, 1985. ·  Text Summary: The book is a personal account of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who experiences firsthand the devastating effects of the Nazi’s efforts after their occupation of the Netherlands. Anne and her family sink into the underground in an effort to protect themselves and escape their imminent persecution. It recounts the family’s experiences from 1942 until 1944 through the eyes of Anne. ·  Rationale: Realistically, I had no choice but to choose this text. It has become the quintessential work relating to Holocaust victims. What makes it so prevalent is the manner in which Frank wrote her diary. The reflections and descriptions developed in the book allow for the reader to understand (as much as possible without living it) how emotionally and psychologically devastating such an experience must be. ·  Use of text: This particular piece offers a variety of possibilities. This diary may serve as a good starting point for the lesson plan as perhaps the students will be more likely to identify with the main character and her adolescent nature. ·  Attachment: No attachment. Different publications vary in length.
 * __Context of Class__**
 * __Part A: Print Sources__**

Text 2: Text Book- //A History of The Holocaust// ·  Citation: Bauer, Y. //A History of the Holocaust.// Danbury Ct.: Franklin Watts, 2001. ·  Text Summary: This text book offers a chronological analysis of the factors that contributed to the success of the National Socialist’s (Nazi) rise to power and more importantly how they implemented the measures that led to the holocaust. It incorporates a variety of primary sources, maps, and specific figures that provide a better understanding of this era in history. ·  Rationale: While most text books briefly touch upon the holocaust when covering the broader topic of World War II, this book focuses on the phenomenon itself. It does a terrific job especially of examining the impact on the Jewish community. The students will now have a focused and sequential source to refer to when exploring the lesson. ·  Use of text: While too lengthy to digest fully within the confines of the lesson plan, this source will supplement the student’s understanding of more elaborate topics and themes developed in other sources. For example, the comprehensive list and map of concentration camps will offer a more concrete example of the situation for those confined there than might be presented in some of the other sources. ·  Attachment: No attachment: 431 pages.

Text 3: Nonfiction Novel- //The Sunflower// ·  Citation: Wiesenthal, S. //The Sunflower//. New York: Shocken Books, 1998. ·  Text Summary: This piece is a fascinating account of a young Jewish man confined in a Nazi work camp. When assigned to a local military hospital he comes across a Nazi SS soldier on his death bed. The soldier asks Wiesenthal for forgiveness of the atrocities he committed against his people. The book then deals with Wiesenthal’s emotional and psychological response to the request as he discloses his personal experiences. ·  Rationale: I would incorporate this book as it really allows the students to read a first hand account of a Jew who experienced the harsh oppressive regime of the Nazi’s. The most intriguing part of the text is how the author chronicles his thought process and his feelings towards his oppressors. ·  Use of text: This book will enable the students to more fully understand the mental strains placed on the Jews. The concept of forgiveness and dealing with the aftermath of the holocaust is an important part of the lesson and studying this era in general. ·  Attachment: No attachment: varying lengths for different editions.

Text 4: Collection of personal accounts- //Between Dignity and Despair// ·  Citation: Kaplan, M. //Between Dignity and Despair//. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ·  Text Summary: The book is a compilation of Jewish accounts of the events leading up to and including the Holocaust woven together with contextual explanations offered by Kaplan. What makes this book unique is that it deals specifically with the impact of the Nazi’s actions on Jewish women. It does a terrific job of putting into accurate and factual detail the struggles of and resistance taken by these women. ·  Rationale: This specific book incorporates some interesting primary sources as well as stories from women who lived through the Holocaust. Reading their accounts of the events that transpired in addition to the explanations offered by Kaplan will give the students a clear understanding of how the Holocaust affected this segment of the population. ·  Use of text: This text will be used in conjunction with the other sources in order to be able to contrast and compare the different experiences of the Jews. In particular, it will allow for the students to see how preexisting societal expectations (like gender roles) in this case determine how they would deal with and be influenced by the Holocaust. ·  Attachment: There is no attachment for this text. = Text 5: Collection of poems and artwork- //I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezín Concentration Camp, 1942-1944// = = ·  Citation: Various authors. //I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezín Concentration Camp, 1942-1944.// New York : Shocken Books, 1978. = = ·  Text Summary: This book is a compilation of poems and drawings created by children who were confined to the Terezin Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia , specifically from 1942 till 1944. = = ·  Rationale: The book has a variety of different expressive techniques that these children used to describe their experiences and understanding of what was occurring around them. The voices of children are some of the most expressive and easily comprehended. Their innocent nature and even temperament present a unique occasion to view the Holocaust. = = ·  Use of text: This text will offer another perspective of the Holocaust, that of children. Most of the sources included in the book are of relatively simple nature, but still evoke pure emotion. The use of artwork and poems will hopefully appeal to musical and visual learners. = = ·  Attachment: I have included a poem entitled “At Terezin” by a young Jewish boy named simply Teddy in Attachment 1. =

Text 6: Videotape- //Triumph of The Will// ·  Citation: Riefenstahl, Leni (director and producer). (1985) //Triumph of the Will.// Chicago: International Historic Films ·  Text Summary: //Triumph of the Will// is one of over 1300 propaganda films produced under the National Socialism. It is the most famous and influential however, as it focuses on the speeches of Hitler throughout the 7th party rally in 1993. ·  Rationale: The film is a great example of the tremendous power that Hitler had garnered behind himself and the Nazi movement. The film focuses on the people of Germany in attendance, particularly the youth. The overall message of the piece was that the incredible support the Nazis had allowed them to carry out their agenda without fear of opposition. ·  Use of Text: The students will be able to see first hand the environment and social situation present in Germany prior to the Holocaust. It will allow them to form their own opinions and rationale. The film will not only give a clearer understanding to the development of the Holocaust, but also a better appreciation of the power of propaganda and mob mentality, both important themes in this field of study. ·  Attachment: I have included the cover art from this film in the appendix, Attachment 2.
 * __Part B: Media Resources__**

Text 7: Song- “Red Sector A” by Rush ·  Citation: Geddy Lee. (1984). Rush. //Grace Under Pressure.// Canada: Anthem Records ·  Text Summary: This song by Canadian rock band Rush is essentially a secondary source on the workings of concentration camps during World War II. The band’s lead signer, Geddy Lee, wrote the song in response to the experience of his Jewish mother during her time in the Bergin-Belsen camp. He abstracts the psychological and mental trauma felt by prisoners like her and how their hopes and fears were realized. ·  Rationale: This source will allow students to have music incorporated into the classroom. This is one medium that is typically overlooked in most classroom settings. While this particular genre of music may not appeal to all of the students, the vibrant imagery and strong lyrics will hopefully spark and immediate interest in the students. The fact that the song is also dedicated to Gerry’s mother will also demonstrate how the impact of the Holocaust was so great that it transcends generations. ·  Use of text: I thought it would be ideal to use this as an introduction to the lesson plan. It would hopefully set the mood for the exploration that is to take place as it is a very somber topic. ·  Attachment: I have attached a copy of the song lyrics in Attachment 2.

Text 8: Online Museum - The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Online Exhibit ·   Citation:  United States     Holocaust     Memorial     Museum. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW  : Online Exhibition, Retrieved   February 24, 2008   from [|http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/ ·    Text Summary: The   United States     Holocaust     Museum   is most known for their permanent museum in   Washington     D.C.   and their traveling exhibition that tours the country. They are gaining attention for their most recent development of their online exhibition. It integrates maps, historical documents, testimony and a variety of other resources to explore specific topics from the Holocaust. These themes include everything from reference and resistance to propaganda. ·  Rationale: This resource would be perfect for this lesson as it gives the students an opportunity to investigate and consider the topics that they find most interesting. The chance to use technology in the classroom, particularly the internet, is an important feature in this modern age. Hopefully, this site will not only allow the students to study the Holocaust, but will also demonstrate how the internet could be used as a tool to further their education and explore areas of interest to them. ·  Use of text: I would like to give each student the opportunity to use the site in class and hopefully report on one of the features they found most interesting to the entire class. I would hope they the students would be inspired to continue to seek answers to their questions outside of the class through the site as the possibilities really seem limitless. ·  Attachment: I have included an image of the site’s homepage in Attachment 4.
 * __Part C: Online Interactive Resources __**

Text 9:Interactive Website- A Time To Remember ·  Citation: //(n.d.)// A Time To Remember: A Timeline of Events and Actions of The Holocaust. Retrieved February 23, 2008 from http://library.thinkquest.org/12663/timeline/ ·  Text Summary: This website provides an incredible amount of information pertaining to the Holocaust; including a glossary of terms, comprehensive lists of camps, etc. What makes the site so pertinent to the lesson is the feature of an interactive timeline. The timeline give the students the option to select specific years and to view a chronological list of events that occurred during that year. ·  Rationale: I chose to include this text because it complements almost every other source included in the set. Through my own personal study of history I have found that having a sequential framework to refer to when digesting new material helps me to organize and categorize the information into my own personal schema. Having this base to refer to throughout the lesson will hopefully provide some of the students who struggle with history and the literacy skills necessary to succeed with a form of scaffolding. ·  Use of text: I will introduce the web site at the beginning of the lesson and demonstrate how it can be used to seek a better understanding of the other sources the students will be studying. ·  Attachment: There is no attachment for this text.


 * __Part D: Instructional Resources__**

Text 10: Lesson Plan- The Holocaust’s Legacy ·  Citation: //(n.d.)// The Holocaust’s Legacy. For 9-12 Grade History Classes: Retrieved February 25, 2008 from Discovery Education from http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/holocaust/ ·  Text Summary: There is no author listed for this lesson plan. The plan calls for students to form small groups and research and explore the concept of hate groups that still exist today. Their assignment will be to develop an argument for or against these groups right to freedom of speech. The lesson will culminate in a debate where the conflicting sides present their opinions supported by their research. ·  Rationale: I felt this would be an appropriate lesson to use to solidify the concepts and theories developed in the text set. It will give students an opportunity to seek out and form their own opinions how hatred affects and manifest’s itself in society. This is important in making students understand how the Holocaust still permeates into our modern world. ·  Use of text: This lesson plan would be a great way to wrap up a unit on the Holocaust. The texts the students studied in class will provide a good starting point for their research. It will also call for them to seek out sources and ideas relating to modern day hate groups and civil rights. Hopefully this will make the Holocaust not seem like an era from long ago, but make the material real and applicable to the students’ contemporary world. ·  Attachment: I have added a copy of the plan in Attachment 5.

·  As far as the National Standards for World History are concerned, I feel that this lesson will particularly deal with developing student’s analytical and cognitive ability. Part I of Chapter 2 in the standards discusses chronological thinking. While this text set seems to bounce back and forth between separate periods within the Holocaust and after, I like to think that the two interactive internet sources will tie together the varying sources and put them into a sequential classification the students can understand and internalize (National Center for History in the Schools, UCLA, Dept. of History). ·  My text set and lesson plan are in keeping with R–10–4.3 “Generating questions before, during, and after reading to enhance/expand understanding and/or gain new information”. Inquiry will be essential to the success of the lesson. Students will need to form their own question before and during their exposure to the texts in order to actively construct knowledge.
 * __Using these texts together in the classroom:__** To introduce the lesson I would begin with a basic background on German history right after the First World War. I would use a showing of //Triumph of The Will// to show how and why the Nazi party was able to rise to power and implement their Anti-Semitic agenda. I would then introduce the two websites I included in the text set. Ideally, each student would be able to have their own laptop to explore and investigate them at their own pace. The next portion of the lesson will deal specifically with the Jewish experience. This is where I will use texts 1, 3, 4, and 5. I will use certain selections from each as it would probably be unrealistic to try to tackle the entirety of each, especially as this is a world history course and I could not focus the entire class on one specific concept. The song “Red Sector A” would be a great way to conclude this portion as it will feature the major themes developed in the other sources about concentration camps and demonstrate how the Holocaust has impacted even modern popular music. The lesson plan from Discovery Teaching would be the final part of this session and would allow the students to reinforce the models they dealt with in the text set. Hopefully all of these texts will be appropriate for the variety of multiple intelligences and learning types in my class.
 * __Learning Objectives__**

National Center for History in the Schools, UCLA, Dept. of History. National Standards for World History. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/wrldtoc.html RIDE Office of Instruction. Rhode Island Grade Level Expectancies for Reading Grades 5-12. Retrieved February 26, 2008 from http://www.ride.ri.gov/Instruction/DOCS/gle/Reading%20GLE%20GSE%20in%20word/Grades%205-12%20Reading%20GLEs%20%20GSEs%20Final%20Version%202006.doc
 * __Works Cited__**

Hey Joe, I think you did a great job on this diverse text assignment. All of your sources seem to flow and gel together to give students a great overall impression on how the Nazi's "Final Solution" came about and how great of an impact it had on the people who were being opressed, especially the European Jewish population. I think Anne Frank's novel, //Diary of a Young Girl//, is a novel all students should read and will have a great impact on the students. The video, "Triumph of The Will", is great way to show students the power of propoganda and the power of Hitler during this movement. The online museum and the interactive timeline also seem like great sources that will keep the students actively engaged. I really like the final lesson plan because it shows students that groups like that still exist today and they will have to decide whether or not the right to freedom of speech should apply to these hate groups.

Joe Gonsalves

Joe, I think that you selected excellent texts for your lesson on the Holocaust. The female students in the class will most likely appreciate having the opportunity to learn about a major historical event from a woman’s perspective, which does not happen in many history classes. I think you are also right that including the voices of children in the text set will help to make the lesson more relevant to the students in your class. I really like your idea of using the song to frame the lesson and to help engage the students who are especially interested in music. Asking the students to research present-day hate groups and to debate their right to freedom of speech is a great way to help students understand the complexity of law. Anne Frank’s book is an excellent choice; I also really liked //Night// by Elie Wiesel and //Friedrich//, both of which relate the experiences of adolescent Jewish boys before, during, and after Hitler’s rise to power. I think your class will really appreciate what they learn from this lesson. Toni Janik

Hi Joe, I think you have come up with an excellent and very complete collection of texts for this assignment. I think the addition of the Diary of Anne Frank is an excellent choice, because it will help the female members of the class to relate more easily to the topic than they would to just any history lesson. The collection of poems and artwork is also something that I feel was an awesome choice. The students will see these and it will make it more real for them, knowing that actual kids, like them, were in this situation and created these things. The fact that you also chose to incorporate video into the unit is something commendable. I remember when I was learning about this topic in school, my teacher was hesitant to show any video because she didnt want to scare us, and I think it is a brave decision of you, and will be a very usefull tool in making the severity of the Holocaust real to your students. It is important that you mention this is for an AP level course, because I feel that if it were in a standard level course, many of the materials you have chosen may be difficult for the students. Jen Cullen