Wisconsin Academic Standard: Hist2.b: Patterns Change over a period of time

Patterns Change over a period of time

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.

30-60 MinGrades 5-8
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Domain
Intolerance
Subject
Anti-Judaism
Topic
Early Anti-Judaism

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

5 Min

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

25 Min

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

15 Min

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.

  1. Does this history feel relevant to the present day?
  2. 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.

IntoleranceAnti-JudaismEarly Anti-Judaism
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.

30-60 MinGrades 9-12
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Domain
Responsibility
Subject
Political Roles
Topic
America and the Holocaust

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

5 Min

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

15 Min

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:

  1. What do you make of the disparity between disapproval of persecution and willingness to allow more refugees into the country in 1938?
  2. Why do you think Americans were uncomfortable entering a war with Germany in 1940?
  3. Americans were widely opposed to information they heard about Nazi concentration camps, what do you suppose puts them in favor of Japanese Internment?
  4. 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

30 Min

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:

  1. 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?
  2. What were the main actions they took during this time?
  3. 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?
  4. 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.

ResponsibilityPolitical RolesAmerica and the Holocaust