Ask students how they might go about solving a problem under difficult circumstances. (Maybe they want money for a game system that their parents do not want to pay for. Perhaps their parents do not approve of them spending time with a new friend.) How does being faced with a difficult problem help inspire creativity?

Watch the video, Facing History Scholar Reflections: The Weimar Republic by Facing History and Ourselves once through as a class. Watch it a second time pausing after the following sections to discuss. Ask students what questions they have about the clips. Go through the questions that accompany each clip.

Beginning – 1:11 Intro to Weimar and the end of WWI

• How did the end of WWI set the stage for what was to come?
• Do you think the Allies had other options than the terms they set at Versailles?

1:20-2:32 Politics and the arts

• Name some ways German society changed during the early Weimar years?
• What are some of the most interesting developments during this era, in your opinion?

2:32-4:08 Outsiders and Insiders

• What was the event that led to rising popularity for the extremists?
• What is opportunism?

4:09-End Growing popularity with the Nazi party

• How do you think the Nazi party was able to gain so much traction?
• Why did people follow Nazism? Was it because of their anti-Jewish stance or for other reasons?

Open up a discussion about how the Nazi party aimed to solve the problems prevalent during the Weimar years.

1. What problems were people facing?
2. How did the Nazi party benefit from these hard times?
3. How were people convinced by their rhetoric?

Explain to students that they will be reading an overview of the Weimar Republic and how that era helped foster the rise of Nazism. Discuss with students that the creation of the first democracy in Germany seemed to happen overnight, making it a time of confusion and excitement in politics, culture, and society as a whole.

Direct students to the Echoes & Reflections resource, The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party. Have them read through the document using the 3Ps method- taking notes on what they find a) Powerful b) Puzzling and c) Propelling.

In order to familiarize yourself, and your class with this model, please look over this guide: 3Ps: A Critical Reading Guide.

Split the class up into groups of four or five. Give students a chance to try to help answer each other’s puzzling reflections and share their more profound insights. Then ask groups to share what remains puzzling to them. Allow 10-15 minutes for group work.

Finally, assign each group one of the discussion questions below. Double up if necessary. Allow the group 5 minutes to formulate a response that they can share with the class in large discussion thereafter.

1. What were some of the main problems that needed to be addressed during this time?
2. This time was defined by new changes and challenges, what were some of these new developments?
3. When reading through the Selections From ‘The Program of the National-Socialist (Nazi) German Workers Party’, which stands out to you the most? Why is this noteworthy?
4. Regarding the Program of the Nazi Party, do any of the demands seem reasonable to you?
5. Look back at the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. Does it explain why the German people might be open to a more Nationalist view? Why do you think that is?

Ask students what they think Germany was like following the end of World War I. What might they expect it to have been like, after a war that saw them lose a great deal of power? Would they expect that the initial response would be radical democracy? Would they expect that democracy could lead to Nazism?

Pull up the resource, ‘The Weimar Republic: The Fragility of Democracy‘ by Facing History and Ourselves. Scroll to the bottom where all of the readings are located. Point out the different titles of resources that represent all that was happening during this brief period in German history.

Click on the reading titled, ‘Virtual Essay: Free Expression in the Weimar Republic‘ Read through the first paragraph and click through some of the images with the class. They will be assigned different readings from this page.

Divide the class into groups of three to five. Assign each group a reading. You may choose others, but recommendations include ‘Rumors of Betrayal’, ‘When Money Had No Value’, ‘Women in the Weimar Republic’, ‘A New Economic Crisis’ and ‘Voices in the Dark.’

Have students read through their article in groups and prepare to share what they learned from it with the class. Students should be able to answer what contribution it played into the fragile democracy.

Open up the lesson with this simple activity: Imagine you have to split one pizza among four people. One person is gluten free, one is a vegetarian, one is allergic to olives, and the other LOVES meat. How do you compromise? What kind of pizza can you order that everyone could agree to?

You may want to draw a pizza on the board and have students raise their hands with options for crust and toppings.

Explain to the class that they will be divided into three groups in order to simulate the negotiations for the Paris Peace Conference. This document will provide the three groups with the information they will need in order to speak on behalf of either France, Britain, or the United States.

Divide the class into three groups and assign them to be France, Britain, or the US. Ask the students to read the materials for their country to understand where they stand in the negotiations.

The worksheets that will be used below can be found on the Treaty of Versailles Simulation resource.

Provide students with the Options for Negotiation (page 4) so they are able to see what their options are during the negotiations.

It would be beneficial if you can arrange the classroom in a manner that would allow the three groups to converse openly during the negotiations, such as forming a giant circle with all chairs facing towards the center.

As the teacher you will be the one facilitating the negotiations. Using the Options for Negotiation (page 4), ask the first question to the class as a point for negotiation. You may not have time to go over every question so read them through and pick out which ones you find the most suited for your class. Provide students with the Negotiation Worksheet (page 5) to record the terms of agreement they were able to come up with.

Explain to students that they are going to be watching a video that will help explain the Treaty of Versailles, which brought an end to World War I and set the terms for the interwar period. Since Germany started WWI, do they suppose the Treaty was kind to them or unkind?

Watch YouTube videos, The Treaty of Versailles, What Did the Big Three Want? 1/2 and The Treaty of Versailles, Terms of the Treaty 2/2 from Simple History.

While the students are watching, have them take note of some things that stood out to them. Were they aware that Germany did not have a seat at the negotiation table?

Divide the class into groups of four. Have them discuss their first reactions to the contents of the video amongst themselves. Give 5 minutes for them to address their first impressions and questions that they have about the video. Ask them thereafter to share these thoughts with the large group and ask their questions to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Then review the discussion questions as a class.

1. Did you think the reparations decided in the Treaty of Versailles were fair?
2. What are the consequences of imposing such harsh punishments on Germany?
3. Would it have been more constructive to focus on how to settle international disputes during this conference?
4. What do you think the long-term consequences and challenges ahead for Germany might be?

Ask each group to return to discussion and address these questions. Give 10 minutes for discussion and then ask each group to respond to one question in an effort to kick off broader conversations about each.

Talk with students briefly about the ending of World War I, how it ended soon after the U.S. got involved. Explain how the major powers came together at the Paris Peace Conference in order to negotiate a settlement and reparations. Note that there was no seat at the table for Germany, but for all of the main countries who fought against Germany during WWI. If possible, remind students about what the major players wanted to come out of the treaty–land, money, security.

Ask the students to read the first paragraph on the first page of the US Army resource to get their bearings for the task at hand. Then ask students to examine closely the documents on page 2 and 3.

Prompt students that all the text, captions, and images are of great value to understanding the effect of the treaty on the German state.

Ask students to take notes on the geographic and population losses of both Germany and Austria. What trend do they notice? How might this make the country and its people feel? Give students 15 minutes for this exercise.

Ask students to pair up with one another and share what they discovered through their examination of these documents. What did they find to be the most interesting element? What was the most confusing?

Have small groups share with the class, teasing out their confusion and helping them understand more clearly what the treaty meant. Give 10 minutes for the pairing and sharing.

Then, ask them to examine the document on page 5. Ask in an open discussion, what do they notice here? Is the reaction what they might have expected?

Finally, have the students reflect on one or all of the following questions in writing:

1. What is a fair resolution to war? Is that even possible?
2. Given the terms of the treaty, were the Allies seeking fairness or gain? Do the protesters in Berlin have any legitimacy, in your opinion?
3. Can you imagine a more fair resolution? What would that look like?

Ask students what they know about Adolf Hitler. What were his ideas?

Explain to the students that they will be reading an overview of some major events in Hitler’s life and his growing interest in antisemitism.

Direct students to the reading, Hitler’s antisemitism, Why did he hate the Jews? by Anne Frank House. Have students take notes according to the 3Ps method- noting what they find a) Powerful b) Puzzling and c) Propelling.

In order to familiarize yourself, and your class with this model, please look over this guide: 3Ps: A Critical Reading Guide.

As a class, go over what students wrote down for their 3Ps. Take some time to clear up any questions students may have from their puzzling section.

Divide the students into groups of three for a group discussion. Let students know that there is no right or wrong, the exercise is here to foster discussion.

1. Why do you think Hitler targeted the Jewish people?
2. What events in his life could have triggered the ideology that he would adopt in his political career?
3. Looking back at things now, it seems fairly clear what Hitler’s intentions were. What do you think people thought back then? Do you think they could have imagined what would transpire?

If time permits, come back together as a class and ask groups to share what they discussed.

Begin by asking students, What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?
After giving them a few minutes to come up with their definitions, you can share the official definitions provided by Dictionary.com.

Patriotism: Devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty.
Nationalism: The policy of doctrine asserting the interests of one’s own nation viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations. In short, nationalism is a kind of excessive, aggressive patriotism.

Explain to students that political parties and candidates create platforms that help translate their ideas and goals into actions. Tell the class that during this lesson they will read through the National Socialist German Workers’ Party Platform to read through provisions that Hitler proposed to the party.

Direct students to the Facing History and Ourselves source titled, National Socialist German Workers’ Party Platform and read through it together as a class. After you go through the platform, ask the class what their initial thoughts are. Does any one provision stick out to them?

Ask students to get together in small groups of two or three. Give 10-15 minutes for groups to go over the following questions:

1. Do you notice a general theme in the party platform?
2. The party puts the needs of German’s above all else, belittling other cultures and languages in German society. Do you see this sort of rhetoric happening in today’s environment?

Read the quote below by a German Nationalist in 1810 to help you answer the remaining questions:

“A state without a Volk (a people who share a language and culture) is nothing, a soulless artifice; a Volk without a state is nothing, a bodiless airy phantom, like the Gypsies* and the Jews. Only state and Volk together could forma Reich (great empire), and such a Reich cannot be preserved without Volkdom.” -Taken from Facing History and Ourselves.

1. Does this quote represent patriotism or nationalism? How can you tell?
2. Is nationalism a dangerous concept? Does it always foster an “us versus them” narrative?

Go over the questions as a class, collect answers to the main themes to use in future discussions about nationalism and propaganda.

Ask students what they know about Adolf Hitler. Has anyone heard of any of the books he has written?

Explain to students that the first two excerpts come from Hitler’s books, both published before he took office. The first, Mein Kampf, was written while he was in jail after a failed attempt to overthrow the government. His second book, Zweites Buch, was written on his thoughts on foreign policy but was not published in his lifetime. The last came from a speech he gave in the Reichstag after he became chancellor.

Direct students to the document, Nazi Ideology from Echoes & Reflections to read excerpts from three of Hitler’s writings. Prep students by informing them that much of what they will read of Hitler’s words are disturbing and hateful. We are reading them to learn how destructive and wrong these beliefs are. 

Have students pair up in groups of two to try to understand and rewrite each excerpt. Give students 10-12 minutes for these rewrites.

Ask the students to share their summaries with the class. Did everyone get the same general take-aways for each one? Open the class into a discussion asking the following questions:

1. Was it difficult to understand what Hitler was trying to say?
2. Were you surprised by the blatant hatred depicted in these writings? 
3. How did his wording change before and after he took the chancellorship?
4. How do you think people would react nowadays if they heard a politician speaking so harshly?

Record some of the students’ answers to be used in other discussions about propaganda and Nazi ideology.

Ask students to define propaganda as they understand it. Explore the similarities and differences between what each individual understands and then compare the class definition to the one provided by Echoes & Reflections: “False or partly false information intended to shape people’s opinion and action that fulfills the propagandist’s intent.”

Direct students to the resource “Heil Hitler!”: Lessons of Daily Life by Facing History and Ourselves. Have students read the excerpt from Erika Mann and prep their reading with the following prompts; encourage them to highlight or underline sections of the story that help answer these questions:

1. Reflect on how the definition of propaganda is demonstrated in this story.
2. What means were used to distribute the message in Nazi Germany?
3. Why was it so effective?

Divide the class into groups of three to five. Ask the students to think about messages that they hear today.

First, as a group, they should write down as many messages as they can think of that they hear echoing in their world. These may come from advertisements, from their life in their town, from school, etc.

Then, ask them to consider whether the messages they hear or see are propaganda by answering the following questions:

1. What is the intention behind these messages that you hear regularly?
2. Do the messages you hear today fit the definition of propaganda?
3. Do the messages you hear today seem to have a similar impact on you that the messages Erika Mann heard seemed to have on her and her peers?
4. Do you think there is an opportunity for people to spread propaganda in today’s society?
5. If so, how can we prevent being influenced by these messages?