Begin by asking your students if they have heard of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. What does it state? What was the theory applied to?

Show students a YouTube video titled, Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education: Race Doctrine by Yad Vashem. Before starting the video, give students the list of questions. Let them know they will have a chance to watch the video a second time.

1. What did the Nazis base the categorization of races from?
2. What did this theory state?
3. How did Hitler alter this theory to fit his preconceived notion of the division of races?
4. Where did Jews fall in his hierarchy of races?
5. What did Hitler say would happen if Aryans were to mix with the lesser races?

Give students a few minutes to finish writing down their answers. Watch the video a second time if needed and then go over the questions as a class.

Divide the class into groups of four. Provide them with this quote by American novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Toni Morrison, “There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race – scientifically, anthropologically.”

In their groups, ask students to have a discussion with the questions below:

1. The video placed heavy influence on the importance of race and hierarchy of humans. How does this quote combat that view?
2. In what ways is race still an important part of society today?

Reconvene as a class to open up the discussion. Were there any disagreements within the groups?

Ask students what they might already know about Kristallnacht.

For the younger grades, or if the students are newly being introduced to Holocaust education, include some additional information. For example, tell students the name “Kristallnacht” is translated as “Night of Crystal” but is often referred to as the “Night of Broken Glass.” Some may know this name more than the official one. If they are not sure, have them guess what it could be based on the name.

Direct students to the resource, Kristallnacht by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Read through the document as a class. Start with the three key facts at the top of the page so students understand the main points as they go through the reading.

In a class discussion, go over the following questions:

1. What led up to the event of Kristallnacht?
2. How did the events of Kristallnacht compare to previous anti-Jewish actions and violence in Germany under the Nazis?

Divide the class into groups of three to five and ask them to answer these questions about the reading. Ask students to take notes on their answers.

1. How did Kristallnacht propel the Nazi agenda forward?
2. What steps were taken to help the Jews by the German government and by other countries following that night and the next months?
3. What do you suppose the response from other nations was to Hitler and the Nazi party?

If time permits, come together as a class to go over the answers the groups came up with.

Ask students, what is segregation? Have them come up with some examples of ways in which people can be segregated from one another. Open the class into a brief conversation about segregation by asking the questions below.

1. Can segregation occur naturally? (city lines, areas of ethnic concentration, etc.)
2. What problems can segregation cause?

Pull up the video, From Citizens to Outcasts, by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Introduce the video by reading through the context that can be found directly above the Discussion Question. Provide students with the question below prior to starting the video. While they watch, have students take notes to answer it.

How did Nazi Germany gradually isolate, segregate, impoverish, and incarcerate Jews and persecute other perceived enemies of the state between 1933 and 1939?

Reiterate to students that Nazi Germany took great measurers in order to dehumanize the Jews. Propaganda made them out to be enemies of the state. These tactics made many non-Jewish Germans take little notice or regard for the mistreatment and grave injustice that would continue against the Jews.

Divide the class into groups of five. Provide the groups with the instructions below. Give students the opportunity and time to research if necessary.

1. Answer the question, What lesson does looking back at Nazi Germany’s mistreatment of Jews teach us about present day injustices?
2. Think of a current or recent example where you can see an injustice being done against a particular group.
   1. Who is this group?
   2. Why are they being persecuted against?
   3. What is being said about them?
   4. What injustices are being taken out against them?
   5. Is there potential that things could escalate?
3. Prepare a brief presentation on the group you chose to highlight. Presentations can be done verbally, or if desired, with PowerPoint or Prezi.

Begin by asking the class to write a short response answering the questions below. Assure students they will not be asked to share what they have written.

1. What is segregation? What does it mean to you?
2. Is segregation a thing of the past or does it have a place in today’s world?

You may also want to provide students with the official definition. Take this time to mention to students that segregation can be racial and religious.

Segregation: the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment.

It is equally important to note that segregation can be further identified as being de jure or de facto. De jure segregation is implemented by laws while de facto segregation is based off common understanding and personal choice.

Watch video testimonies on Kurt Baum (clips 19-23; 19:00-23:00 minutes) and Nomick Cyanmon (clip 17; 4:32-6:45) on USC IWitness.

Show testimonies one at a time, stopping to answer the questions for one before moving on to the other.

Questions for Kurt Baum:

1. What changes did Kurt Baum describe from his social circle?
2. How did Kurt’s father react to being kicked off the board from his club?
3. What were some other instances of segregation in the community that he describes?

Questions for Nomick Cynamon:

1. What did Nomick notice when he returned to the United States?
2. How did he react to segregation that he saw?
3. Why do you think he reacted the way he did?

In an open forum, ask students for examples of segregation in communities, both in times of the Holocaust and in modern times.

1. What was the purpose of segregating the Jews?
2. In what ways can a community reinforce or dismantle segregation?
3. Did your initial thoughts of segregation change over the course of this lesson?

Give students some time to add to what they wrote down at the beginning of the class.