The Final Solution

Subject: Social Studies

Grade Levels: 9 through 12

Objectives:

• to describe conditions in concentration camps

Sunshine State Standards:

• Grades 9-12
  • SS.A.1.4.3, 3.4.9, 5.4.5
  • SS.C.1.4.1, 2.4.3

View all Sunshine State Standards

Materials:

• State of Florida Resource Manual on Holocaust Education, Grades 9-12, 1999 (Please Note: One copy was sent to every high school in the State of Florida in June, 1999.)
• Night, Elie Wiesel

Procedure:

Final Solution:

1. Distinguish between concentration, labor and death camps.
2. Were the perpetrators punished in any way? Describe these events in detail.
3. Read and discuss Night, by Elie Wiesel.
4. Research and describe the methods Nazis used to disguise the true purpose of the death camps and the concentration camps.
5. Using the Internet, microfiche or other available resources, students research newspaper articles from the early 1940s to investigate what information the world had at this time. In addition to researching newspaper articles, students can examine the editorial pages from newspapers during this time. What do the articles and editorials suggest about what the public knew and the public opinion during this time period?
6. Read Excerpt from All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein (State Resource Manual Unit 6, p.32-34.) Discuss.
7. Explore Euphemisms that were used by the Nazis as well as modern day euphemisms. Compare and Contrast. Unit 6 p. 53-54 State Resource Guide.

A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida ©2000.