History of Hatred
Students will learn the history of anti-Judaism and its relevance when studying the Holocaust. Open up into a discussion about prejudices in history and how rumors and hatred get carried through generations.
Month: February 2023
Lesson Plan
Art and Politics
Explore the relationship between art and politics by analyzing pieces from the Weimar Republic.
Enduring Understanding
The art scene during the Weimar Republic reflected the freedom of expression that came along with the new democracy. Many used art as a way of processing the war or expressing dissatisfaction with the political environment.
Essential Question
- 1What is the correlation between art and politics?
Readiness
Begin by asking students what art means to them. Next, ask students to name different types of art and write down these responses in a communal space.
Input
Teacher's Note
If timing is an issue, prioritize the deeper look into the Hannah Hoch piece over going through all art pieces in the visual essay.
Pull up the Visual Essay: Free Expression in the Weimar Republic by Facing History and Ourselves. Read the Introduction to the Visual Essay as a class and scroll through the different artworks. Prompt students to look at the art and think about what they see, what the piece represents, and whether or not it sheds a positive light on Germany. The brief descriptions accompanying each piece should help.
One of the pieces featured, Hannah Hoch, The Kitchen Knife, 1919, has a video (4.5 minutes) from Smarthistory that takes a deeper dive into the aspects of the piece. Show this video when you come to that piece.
After showing that video, ask students the following:
- Why could an art piece like this only be created in a democracy?
- How does this piece demonstrate art being a form of social criticism?
Output
In pairs or small groups, have students respond to the three questions at the bottom of the visual essay (shown below). Give students approximately 10 minutes to discuss on their own before opening up into a class discussion to go over their answers.
- Fritz Mackensen’s 1982 painting Der Saeugling (The Baby) is one example of the more traditional art that many Germans were familiar with before World War I. Compare and contrast this painting with the more modern Weimar-era works of art that follow in this visual essay. What differences do you notice? What might those differences reveal about tensions present within German society during the Weimar Republic?
- What can we learn about history from artwork? How do the works of art here connect to what you have already learned about the Weimar era in Germany? How do they extend your knowledge of this era? How do they challenge your thinking about Weimar Germany?
- Is freedom of expression important to a democracy? Under what conditions, if any, should such freedom be restricted?
Wisconsin Academic Standards
This lesson meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Teacher Primer
Know Before You Go
Before you teach, use our teacher primer to freshen up on your content knowledge.
Lesson Plan
Auschwitz Through Art
Explore art created by victims of Auschwitz and the reasons and risks people took in order to create them.
Enduring Understanding
Art created by survivors from Auschwitz paint a picture of what life was like in the notorious death camp.
Essential Question
- 1What makes art a significant resource for telling history?
Readiness
Explain to your students that art can be a powerful way to learn about people and places. In Auschwitz, access to materials was incredibly limited. However, some artists were commissioned to produce art or signs for the Nazis, thus providing them access. Using these materials for personal use was a punishable offense. Some of the art they will see was created while people were in Auschwitz while others were drawn after liberation.
Input
Pull up the resource, Teaching about Auschwitz through Art, by Yad Vashem. As a class, read through the sections: Art as Evidence (1), Portraits (2) and Art as a Means of Conveying (4). While you go through each section, expand the accompanying art and ask students to share what they see and how it makes them feel.
Output
In partners, ask students to discuss their answers to the questions below. Provide 10 minutes for this discussion and then ask for people to share.
- What are the different reasons why people created art about their experiences?
- How do these pieces help tell the story of the Holocaust?
- What does it say about the importance of art that people risked their lives to create it in the camp?
Wisconsin Academic Standards
This lesson meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Teacher Primer
Know Before You Go
Before you teach, use our teacher primer to freshen up on your content knowledge.