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.
Wisconsin Academic Standard: BH2.b: Cultural Patterns
Cultural Patterns
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
The Circle
Learn the story of Mildred Fish Harnack, a Milwaukee-born woman famous for her role in the underground resistance in Germany. Mildred was the only American civilian killed on the direct order of Hitler.
Enduring Understanding
Some people risked their lives to speak out against Nazi ideology.
Essential Questions
- 1How does one combat harmful ideology?
- 2In what way can education encourage people to become free thinkers?
Readiness
Begin by asking your students, how far would you go to stand up for what you believe in?
Input
Teacher's Note
Mildred Harnack was executed for her role in the resistance as well as for her political views. Mildred and her husband were both communists. You may want to take time in this lesson to discuss the reasons why other groups were targeted by the Nazis.
Read through this resource on Mildred Fish Harnack as a class.
Explain that neither Mildred nor Arvid were Jewish or deemed “undesirable” by Hitler’s standards. To the contrary, Arvid was employed by the government and was considered to fit the mold of the ideal Aryan. Despite not being affected by discriminatory policies imposed by the Third Reich, Mildred and Arvid went to great lengths to oppose Nazi ideology.
Output
In pairs or small groups, have the class answer the following questions:
- Why do you think Mildred wasn’t swayed by Nazi propaganda
- Why do you think Mildred risked her life to denounce Hitler and Nazi ideology?
- How can education help combat hateful propaganda?
- What is your biggest takeaway from learning about Mildred Harnack?
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
The Anguish of Liberation
Watch a short video with testimony about the reality of liberation and life after the war in Displaced Person (DP) camps. Students will engage with the content by exploring a variety of questions about the post-war situation for Holocaust victims.
Enduring Understanding
The period immediately following the war was often one of the most difficult for Jewish survivors.
Essential Question
- 1Why did survivors struggle so much once the war was over?
Readiness
Teacher's Note
Students should have a basic understanding of the conditions in concentration and death camps before continuing this lesson.
Explain to the students that the end of the war left millions of people homeless; that liberation was difficult for many survivors because of the mental and physical problems that they had to overcome.
Input
Lead a short discussion asking the students what they think Holocaust survivors felt, and some of the problems that they had when they learned the war was over. Take time to list individual answers.
Watch this short video by Yad Vashem with the class, with a short pause between each survivor. Ask students to list different problems and feelings that survivors discuss in their testimonies.
Output
Lead another short discussion, asking the students if there were any problems that survivors faced that they had not thought about before, writing the answers on the board. Ask the students if there is any story/feeling in particular that stuck out to them in these survivor stories.
Discuss the following questions as a class:
- Why did survivors feel like liberation came too late?
- What were some of the immediate health issues that survivors had to deal with after the war?
- How do you think it felt for a survivor to meet liberating soldiers?
- Why do you think it is something that survivors will remember?
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
The Question of Home
Read a short text about the reality of life after the war in Displaced Person (DP) camps. Students will engage with the content by exploring a variety of questions about the post-war situation for Holocaust victims.
Enduring Understanding
The process of rebuilding lives after the Holocaust was often long, painful, and arduous.
Essential Question
- 1Why was it so complicated for Jewish survivors to rebuild after the war? How was this affected by the concept of "home"?
Readiness
Lead a class discussion, asking students what they think of when they think of the word “home.” What does home mean to them?
Input
Read the resource, Displaced Persons by Echoes & Reflections with the class, taking time to answer questions and clarify if necessary.
Take time to look at the statistics of Jewish DP’s in camps by 1946, pointing out that these were the majority of the survivors remaining in continental Europe from the population of about 10 million in 1933. Point out that many were forced to live in Displaced Person (DP) camps, often built within Nazi camp structures scattered across Europe.
Output
Have students take 10-15 minutes to fill in their answers at the bottom of the resource they read by Echoes & Reflections. Once they finish, return as a class to go over their answers.
Lastly, return to the question of home. Has their idea of what home means changed from the start of the 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.
Lesson Plan
A New Life
Students will learn about the difficult circumstances that survivors faced after the war in rebuilding their lives, and learn about the different factors in many people’s decision not to return to the countries where they had previously lived.
Enduring Understanding
Often, Jewish survivors made the decision to settle in countries besides their native ones after the war because their families, communities, and lives back home had been destroyed and they faced continued violence and antisemitism there.
Essential Question
- 1Where could survivors find a place they could call home after theirs had been destroyed?
Readiness
Ask the students what kinds of problems they thought survivors might have faced when they were finally liberated. Lead a short discussion, based on previous knowledge of the war and the Holocaust, about the difficulties in rebuilding people’s lives.
Input
Read the resource, Survivors and the Displaced Persons era by ‘The Holocaust Explained,’ The Wiener Holocaust Library with the class, including the accompanying images. You can stop reading at the section titled, ‘German-Jewish Communities Outside the Camps.’ Take time to answer questions to the best of your ability and clarify if necessary. Ask students to take notes on key facts that stood out to them about why survivors felt they could not return to their home countries, or the antisemitism they continued to encounter.
Output
As a class, discuss the reasons why many people may have chosen not to move back to countries such as Poland or Hungary at the end of the war.
Lead a discussion with students about what the word “home,” “country,” or “citizenship” means to them, and how difficult it would be to have lost these things. Make sure to discuss how difficult it was to feel as if you could not go back to where you were before because you might be injured or worse, but how other countries did not want you, either.
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
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.
Enduring Understanding
Stereotypes and misinformation of the Jewish people has persisted and changed through the years, with much of it still visible in present day.
Essential Question
- 1Why is it important to study the history of anti-Judaism when discussing the Holocaust?
Readiness
Ask students how they define religion. Then, how might they define ‘religious differences’?
Furthermore, can they consider how religious differences have been handled throughout history? Is this a peaceful history or a bloody one?
Input
Divide the class into a maximum of six groups. Have each group elect one person as their recorder. Note that everyone else must read and all members should contribute to the answers.
Direct student to the resource, Anti-Judaism before the Enlightenment by Facing History and Ourselves. Ask students to read through the resource and go over the Connection Questions found at the bottom of the page in their small group. Have groups write down their answers. Give 25 minutes for this exercise.
Output
Come back together as a class and go over the answers to the connection questions. Ask each group to answer one question, selecting them randomly. Tell students they should be adding to their answers with thoughts discussed by the class and answers from other groups.
If time permits, ask students the questions below in an open discussion.
- Does this history feel relevant to the present day?
- Can you think of other groups that have faced similar hardships in history that still prevail today?
Wisconsin Academic Standards
This lesson meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
BH1.b: Personal Identity and Empathy
BH2.a: Relationship of People and Groups
BH2.b: Cultural Patterns
BH3.a: Social Interactions
Hist1.a: Cause
Hist1.b: Effect
Hist2.a: Patterns stay the same over a period of time
Hist2.b: Patterns Change over a period of time
Hist3.a: Connections
Hist3.b: Perspective
Hist3.c: Current Implications
Hist4.a: Historical Context
Inq3.a: Develop claims to answer inquiry question
Inq4.a: Communicate conclusions
Teacher Primer
Know Before You Go
Before you teach, use our teacher primer to freshen up on your content knowledge.
Lesson Plan
Understanding the Weimar Republic
Navigate the complex and trying time of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) by exploring readings and testimonies from the era.
Enduring Understanding
The Weimar Republic was Germany’s first democracy; meaning leaders were tasked with a complete makeover of institutions, political culture, education, and judiciary systems.
Essential Question
- 1How can changes in government affect all aspects of society?
Readiness
Teacher's Note
Prior to this lesson, students should have general knowledge and understanding about the Treaty of Versailles. If necessary, go over a lesson on the Treaty of Versailles before continuing on.
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?
Input
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.
Output
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.
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
How Public Opinion is Built
Examine opinion polls throughout the era of war and investigate key figures in American politics who helped shape the landscape of public opinion and action in this time period.
Enduring Understanding
Public opinion is shaped by multiple factors and does not guarantee that action will be taken on behalf of that opinion.
Essential Questions
- 1How do we balance and respond to the varied opinions that we accept about ourselves and the world around us?
- 2Why can we condemn actions elsewhere and accept similar actions here?
Readiness
Ask students to reflect on what they think contributes to their opinion on something? Who are the influencers in their world? Do all influences carry equal weight? How do they balance the difference of opinions that they hear and that they may agree with?
Input
Cycle through the opinion polls that run the length of the Holocaust, presented via the US Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibit on Americans and the Holocaust.
As you cycle through, prompt students to quickly jot down answers to the following questions that pair with each slide:
- What do you make of the disparity between disapproval of persecution and willingness to allow more refugees into the country in 1938?
- Why do you think Americans were uncomfortable entering a war with Germany in 1940?
- Americans were widely opposed to information they heard about Nazi concentration camps, what do you suppose puts them in favor of Japanese Internment?
- The United States and our allies won the war – in both Europe and the Far East. Why do you suppose we weren’t more welcoming to immigrants at that time? Who did we welcome?
Output
Students will explore the writings and primary sources about various influential people from the 1930s and 40s. Groups should be created, each assigned to a different person of influence. Begin at the bottom of this page from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum with the public voices and extend into the political voices if need be.
Groups should prepare a brief presentation about the person to which they are assigned. Each group should answer at least the following questions:
- What was this person’s role in US society? How influential were they, based on examples?
Did they influence policy, public opinion or both? In what ways? - What were the main actions they took during this time?
- How were they able to influence public opinion – especially the publics’ opinion on war, immigration, concentration camps, Internment camps? Why do you think their perspectives were so pertinent to this subject?
- How do you judge them in light of our current situation? What lessons can they teach us?
Wisconsin Academic Standards
This lesson meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
BH2.a: Relationship of People and Groups
BH2.b: Cultural Patterns
BH3.a: Social Interactions
Econ1.a: Choices and Decision Making
Econ3.b: Money
Hist1.a: Cause
Hist1.b: Effect
Hist2.b: Patterns Change over a period of time
Hist3.b: Perspective
Hist3.c: Current Implications
Hist4.a: Historical Context
Hist4.d: Point of View
Inq5.a: Civic Engagement
PS1.a: Values & Principals of American Constitutional Democracy
PS2.a: Civil Rights and Liberties
PS2.c: Asserting and Reaffirming of Human Rights
PS3.c: Power in Government
PS3.d: Public Policy
PS4.b: Compromise, Diplomacy, and Consensus Building
Teacher Primer
Know Before You Go
Before you teach, use our teacher primer to freshen up on your content knowledge.
Lesson Plan
Always the Scapegoat
Follow the evolvement of antisemitism from its origin to its use in racial Nazi ideology. Students will break into groups to discuss questions on antisemitism, scapegoating, and the effects of hate speech.
Enduring Understanding
Nazi racial ideology fed off of pre-existing antisemitic prejudices.
Essential Questions
- 1How do prejudices take form in society?
- 2Why are we compelled to scapegoat?
Readiness
Ask your students if they know why the Nazis persecuted Jews, specifically? What is their understanding of this?
Ask your students if they think antisemitism first started during the Nazi era.
Would they consider antisemitism to be a form of racism? Why or why not?
Input
Play the video, Why the Jews: History of Antisemitism by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Output
Divide the class into groups of three or five to discuss the questions from USHMM found underneath the video. Assign each group one of the Discussion Questions to discuss amongst themselves.
Ask each group to write down some thoughts their group had and have them be prepared to share what they came up with to the class. Give groups 5-10 minutes for their discussions before reconvening as a class. Have each group present what they discussed. Encourage the students listening to share their thoughts, opinions, and questions on the other groups’ answers.
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.