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.
Lesson Plan
Kindertransport
Students will learn about the Kindertransport, the rescue effort by Great Britain for Jewish refugee children.
Enduring Understanding
During times of strife, people make choices that have strong lasting consequences. The Kindertransport exemplifies people making these lasting choices through responsibility and courage in order to protect vulnerable people.
Essential Questions
- 1How did people choose to take action in order to protect children under Nazi governance?
- 2How did the Kindertransport affect the lives of those involved?
- 3What can the Kindertransport teach us about courage during times of injustice?
Readiness
Explain to students that after Kristallnacht, the violent outbreak against Jews, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Jewish people to leave Germany. Seeing this threat, Great Britain led a series of rescue efforts allowing thousands of refugee Jewish children temporary visas so they could leave Nazi Germany.
Input
Pull up the resource, Kindertransport, by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and read through it as a class. Watch the videos and look at the historical artifacts included on the website.
Then play this short clip by Gerard Friedenfeld, local Wisconsin Holocaust survivor.
Open up into a class discussion with the questions below.
- How does Gerard explain his treatment by the SS?
- How did Gerard end up on the Kindertransport?
Share Jack Hellman’s teddy bear from the reading. Explain that many children brought very few personal items from home.
- Memory Box Activity: Have students journal about what memories or stories from their childhood they’d want to make sure they preserved and why.
- Consider having students sketch a drawing of their memory or write down their memory and anonymously display them on the classroom wall.
Output
3-2-1 Exit Ticket
On a half sheet of paper, have students respond to the following based on today’s lessons:
- List three specific things you learned about the Kindertransport.
- Write two questions that are still on your mind.
- Write one personal reaction or reflection from today’s lesson.
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.