Current Connections

Subject: Social Studies

Grade Levels: 9 through 12

Objectives:

  1. to recognize that history can be easily altered and changed
  2. to consider ways to prevent deceptions about the Holocaust
Sunshine State Standards: View all Sunshine State Standards

Materials:

All materials are available through the Florida Holocaust Museum; St. Petersburg, Florida

  1. 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.)
  2. Participating in Democracy: Choosing to Make a Difference, Facing History and Ourselves
  3. Weaving Activity
Procedure:

  1. See Weaving Activity.
  2. Not in Our Town, Choosing to Participate, Facing History and Ourselves (P28-34), Not in Our Town Video, Christmas Menorahs, book. Read, view, discuss community responses to how they can get people involved in taking a stand.
  3. Survey backgrounds of students’ families. Talk about what countries their ancestors came from, what reasons they had for coming to America, and when they emigrated to America. Find common strands between their respective backgrounds.
  4. Write journal entries about a time in which students experienced or witnessed an act of prejudice. They should describe how they felt at the time and what they did about it. If this were to happen again, how would they react to the situation? Have students share their experience with the rest of the class in a Quaker meeting. This is where all sit in a round circle and read from their journals. There is no discussion, just sharing, and one student picks up when the previous student is finished reading. It is free choice in order and random sharing.
  5. Invite a survivor or liberator to speak in your classroom.
  6. See recommended techniques for survivor testimony. This is a powerful experience and will greatly enhance the students understanding and studies. It will provide the class with a wonderful opportunity to have history come alive for the students. It is imperative that the teacher be aware that this must be done with a great deal of sensitivity and proper planning. It is recommended that the teacher contact the survivor to apprise him of what the students have learned, what their interests are, and what the time limitations of the presentation will be allowing for questions and answers. Do not open this up to a large group, or put a survivor on the stage. Keep the setting intimate. This is a difficult task for the survivor, but they want to share. The teacher must act as the facilitator.
  7. Listen to lyrics from songs, "The Sounds of Silence" (Simon and Garfunkel) and "Carefully Taught" (from South Pacific--Rodgers and Hammerstein). Discuss the issues of silence, indifference, fear of new people and situations--how we may accept other’s prejudices too easily without thinking.
  8. Create a class quilt that shows how to create harmony, understanding and tolerance of others. Display the quilt. This may be made from fabric squares, or paper squares.

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


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