Holocaust & Human Rights Unit
- Kate Strein
- Feb 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 27, 2020
Created for 8th grade ELA
Major text: The Diary of Anne Frank
Time: 5 weeks/ 55 mins per class
Unit Summary: Students will investigate the history of the Holocaust and World War II, focusing on the violations of human rights. Students will create questions to ask a Holocaust survivor for the Skype in the Classroom virtual field trip. As a collaborative project with Hollywood High school in L.A. California, students will research another genocide in history and create an infographic on researched information and the human rights that were violated. At the end of the unit, classes will read “The Diary of Anne Frank” and make connections between their knowledge of the Holocaust and WWII and events that happen during the novel.
Students will be able to independently use their learning to:
understand the past and see connections in present day current events.
Recognize multiple perspectives and conflicts that arise during war
Acknowledge actions that we all can take to prevent tragedies and injustices in the world and our own communities
Reflect on their learning and identify how their perspective or understanding can grow and change over time
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Q1: What was the Holocaust and why is it important to learn about it?
Q2: How does learning about the Holocaust teach us about the power and impact of our choices today?
Q2: How did individuals and groups try to resist the Nazis, and how were they finally defeated?
Q3: How did the Nazis strip people of their basic human rights? How did the victims try to preserve and reclaim their dignity?
Q4: What are the fundamental human rights as outlined in the UNs Declaration of human rights?
Q5: What can individuals do to promote and protect human rights?
Q6: How do countries today violate and protect human rights?
Q7: How do organizations and government intervene when human rights are routinely violated?
Q8: How does cultural, experience, and perspective influence the beliefs one has regarding human rights?
SWBAT analyze several data sources representing human rights violations in assigned historical event. Students will work collaboratively via Google Slides, then use this data to create an infographic representing the events, reasons, and casualties of the genocide. Finished infographics will be posted on the class Google Site, where students will view and comment on peer infographic projects. This information could be used to prompt further student discussion by looking at factors common to these genocides and common causes for human rights violations.
Week 1
Discuss Human rights - TedTalk on human rights
Identify which human right is MOST important, which you think were violated the most during the Holocaust (See this lesson)
Post responses on Padlet. Connection to other class in CA. Read and respond to 1 of your peers and 1 student from collaboration class
Week 2
Read articles about Holocaust, Anti-semitism, and WWII (Scholastic.com)
Metacognition worksheet side 1 (beginning thoughts & perspectives)
Identify critical vocabulary
Week 3
Assign projects on Monday (genocide/human rights collaborative project with California classroom
Mini lesson on digital citizenship in preparation for collaborative activity
Comparative analysis of Holocaust and Rwandan survivors: http://www.hrcbuffalo.org/lesson-plans-1
Art Reflection - photos or art from Holocaust - what I see, what I think, what I feel activity (spotlight challenge #3)
Week 4
Belouga.org assignment - watch short videos on thinking global and acting local, respond to videos by following prompt (the danger of indifference)
Collab projects due ___________
Virtual Field trip through concentration camp / also visit current day CC on Google Earth / Virtual FT of Anne Frank House
Begin reading “The Diary of Anne Frank” and identify historical events that occur during the play, demonstrate understanding of how individuals were impacted during The Holocaust and how survivors all have their story to tell, explain how people change during times of tragedy
Week 5
Begin reading “The Diary of Anne Frank” and identify historical events that occur during the play, demonstrate understanding of how individuals were impacted during The Holocaust and how survivors all have their story to tell, explain how people change during times of tragedy
Skype for Classroom virtual interview with Holocaust survivor
Reflection from interview/thank you letter to survivor
Metacognition worksheet side 2 (change in thoughts & perspectives)
January:
Finish “Diary of Anne Frank”
Success stories from Holocaust - the good people who become heroes during tragedy
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