Lesson Plan

From Prejudice to Oppression

Students will go through resources on antisemitism in the early modern era as well as a resource on the Nazi book burning of 1933.

30-60 Min Grades 5-8
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Domain
Intolerance
Subject
Antisemitism
Topic
Oppression

Enduring Understanding

Antisemitism and oppression has plagued the Jewish people for centuries. In the early modern era, and continuing on into Nazi rule, the Jews were kept from working certain jobs and often looked at in a negative light.

Essential Question

  • 1How does prejudice turn into violent oppression?

Readiness

5 Min

Ask students what it means to be an oppressed group. Can you think of some groups throughout history that faced oppression?

Input

30 Min

Walk students through the resource, Antisemitism in History: The Early Modern Era, 1300-1800 by the United Stated Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Then ask your students, why do people generalize characteristics for an entire group? How can this be dangerous? Take a few minutes to discuss this as a class before moving on.

Next, pull up the resource, Book Burning by the USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia and go over the Critical Thinking Questions at the bottom of the page.

Output

10 Min

In groups of five, ask students to consider the following question:

  1. What tends to follow acts of oppression? Does it always lead to violence? What about revolution?
  2. What are some ways you can think of to counter prejudice and oppression?

Wisconsin Academic Standards

This lessons meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

BH1.b: Personal Identity and EmpathyBH2.a: Relationship of People and GroupsBH3.a: Social InteractionsHist1.a: CauseHist1.b: EffectHist2.a: Patterns stay the same over a period of timeHist2.c: ContextualizationHist3.a: ConnectionsHist3.c: Current ImplicationsPS2.c: Asserting and Reaffirming of Human Rights
Teacher Primer

Know Before You Go

Before you teach, use our teacher primer to freshen up on your content knowledge.

IntoleranceAntisemitismOppression