Holocaust Literature Study

         

"Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Brings Freedom) was the sign over the gates of Auschwitz. It was

placed there by Major Rudolf Hoss, commandant of the camp.

Big Questions1.  What lessons can we learn from the Holocaust? 2.  How can literature help us understand the human

experience?

3. How can literature distort history?   

What is the Holocaust?The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihiliation of European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945.  Jews were the primary victims:  six million were murdered.  Gypsies, the handicapped, and Polish people were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons.  Millions more including:  homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Russian prisoners of war, and political dissidents also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.  Eleven million people were murdered during the Holocaust. With your partner:• record words you aren't familiar with• key words• questions you might have

    

What does 11 million people look like? 

11 million people approximately equals the population of: 

Ontario: 12 million

Of those 11 million victims 1.5 million were children.

   Quick Write:  Why study the Holocaust?

Why study the Holocaust?1.  A study of the Holocaust helps us think about the use and abuse of power and the roles and responsibilities of individuals, organizations, and nations when confronted with civil rights violations and/or policies of genocide. 2.  The Holocaust provides a context for exploring the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent in the face of others' oppression. 3.  Using literature as a vehicle for studying the Holocaust helps us develop as readers, writers, and thinkers.  Being an informed and active citizen in a global society requires advanced literacy skills. What do you hope to learn from our study of the Holocaust?

How could the Holocaust happen?

The Terrible ThingsAn Allegory of the Holocaust

In Europe, during World War II, many people looked the other way while terrible things happened.  They pretended not to know that their neighbors were being taken away and locked in concentration camps.  They pretended not to hear their cries for help.  The Nazis killed millions of Jews and others in the Holocaust.  If everyone had stood together at the first sign of evil would this have happened? Standing up for what you know is right is not always easy.  Especially if the one you face is bigger and stronger than you.  It is easier to look the other way.  But if you do, terrible things can happen.                    -Eve Bunting

How were the victims oppressed?

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20090226

Was there resistance?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du47gpx39mM

Why should we remember?

The Holocaust was NOT an accident in History

• It happened because individuals, organizations, and governments made choices that legalized discrimination and allowed prejudice, hatred, and finally mass murder to occur

We must value our rights as citizens and take responsibility for our actions.

Understanding history fosters perspective-taking, critical thinking, and moral decision making.

History is the result of choices made by countless individuals and groups. Even the smallest of those decisions can have enormous consequences for both good and evil.

Prejudice in modern day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNfec7Fa2Cc