The Holocaust

1
The Holocaust

• American History, 9th Grade
• World War II
• Mary Ellen Buechter
• Ed 439 Professor Helms Feb. 6, 2002

2
Objectives

• At the end of this section you will
• 1. Have a general understanding of the Holocaust
• 2. Learn factual information about the Holocaust
• 3. Know where to look for further information
  about the Holocaust
• 4. Be aware of societal circumstances that led
  to the Holocaust
• 5. Be able to discuss our prejudices in todays
  society
• 6. Discuss and learn how to prevent tragedies
  like the Holocaust
• 7. Learn how to work together to make the world
  a better place

3
Materials Needed

• Computer, projector, screen
• Computers for students with internet access,
  printers and word processing software
• Textbook
• Story from Readers Digest
• 40 copies of the Newspaper Supplement The
  Holocaust (Dayton Daily News)

4
Holocaust in Pictures

• Review these sites
• http//www.remember.org/camps/
• http//www.remember.org/witness/

5
Definition

• The Holocaust was a Nazi effort before and during
  World War II to murder anyone considered
  undesirable under the program of Adolf Hitler.
• The chief target of this hatred and destruction
  were the Jews of Europe, and during the Nazi
  years about 6 million people were killed in slave
  camps or gas chambers.
• Nazi philosophy sought to create a master race
  dominated by blond, blue-eyed Aryan features and
  also sought to eliminate the mentally or
  physically handicapped, gypsies, Slavs and
  homosexuals.

6
Vocabulary
7
Vocabulary Review(Group work activity)

• Write each vocabulary word on paper.
• Define each word using the text, dictionary or
  computer.
• Make a puzzle with the words on
• http//puzzlemaker.com/

8
Hitler

• Hitler, it can be said with all objectivity, was
  a failure as a boy and young man. He was unable
  to demonstrate conviction or industry of any
  sort. He never completed high school, and he
  barely survived by doing odd jobs. His negative
  attitude was formed early in life. He blamed his
  lack of success on everyone but himself. He had
  a hatred, totally unfounded, of Jews whom he
  blamed for his lack of success. But Jews were
  not his only hatred. He had no use for democracy
  or democratic procedures, and he particularly
  hated anyone who disagreed with him. He would
  become hysterically enraged at any opposition to
  his opinions.
• Hitler was an Austrian by birth and a German by
  choice. In 1914 he moved to Germany. When WWI
  broke out in 1914, he joined the German army. In
  the army, Hitler found himself and developed
  qualities of leadership.
• After the war, Germany was in chaos. People were
  poor, hungry, jobless, and disillusioned. Hitler
  capitalized on German discontent and, with
  others, formed a new political party, the members
  of which were called Nazis. The charismatic
  Hitler led the party to eventual domination of
  Germany.
• Hitlers rise to power was marked by ruthless
  persecution of all who opposed him. His
  particular targets were the Jews of Germany and
  of other countries his armies conquered. He
  picked on the weak and the helpless and in the
  process had millions of Jewish children and
  adults murdered by his storm troopers.
• How he conducted the war is another story, but in
  the end he lost. Finally, he killed himself as
  the Russians and Americans were storming the last
  bastion of his empire---Berlin.

9
Hitlers Goals

• Eliminate any power the Jews possess
• Eliminate citizenship for the Jews
• Eliminate the Jewish population

10
Eichmann

• October, 1939
• Deportations
• Ghettos
• December, 1939
• Lodz
• Labor Camps

• Soviet Union
• Gas chambers
• Wannsee Conference
• Final Solution
• End of the War

http//www.pbs.org/eichmann/study2.htm/
Activity Print the story of Eichmann on the web
address and highlight the dates/words listed
above. What sentence would you give him for his
war crimes?
11
Attitudes Then/Today

• Prejudice
• Resentment
• Mistrust
• Jealousy
• Fear

Class Discussion What attitudes do we (society)
have today that reflect these same attitudes the
Nazis had toward the Jews? How can we as a
society overcome these attitudes? Have attitudes
in society improved since WWII? How and why?
12
Attitude Activity

• Write one attitude you have that affects how you
  act/react to others.
• Do not put your name on the paper.
• The teacher will read the attitudes and the
  students will list suggestions for changing that
  attitude.
• Discuss how to make changes in your life one day
  at a time.

13
Nuremberg LawsSept. 15, 1935

• Marriage between Jews and non-Jewish Germans are
  forbidden. Marriages performed in violation of
  this law are invalid, even if the marriage was
  entered into outside of Germany.
• Relationships between male and female, Jews and
  Germans, are prohibited.
• Jews must not employ German maids in their homes
  who are under 45 years of age.
• Jews cannot display the German flag.
• Only a person who is of German ancestry can be a
  citizen. Jews are subjects, but not citizens, of
  Germany
• The Reich (German) citizen, a person of German
  blood, is the only holder of full political
  rights.
• A Jew cannot be a citizen of the Reich (Germany),
  cannot vote and cannot hold public office.
• Jews cannot attend public schools, go to
  theaters, vacation at resorts, or reside or even
  walk in certain sections of German cities.
• Jews are required to wear arm bands or badges
  bearing the six-pointed Star of David to publicly
  identify themselves as Jewish.

14
Kristallnacht and After

• Read page 6 of the newspaper and answer the
  questions on a separate piece of paper.
• Click below and read about the activities of
  those two days.
• http//www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-
  knacht.htm

15
Timeline
Review the timeline of the Holocaust through this
link. http//www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holoca
ust/timeline.html Activity Make your own
timeline. List at least 10 items on your
timeline, include month, day and year of activity
and draw a picture/diagram with each item.
16
Death Camps

• Review pages 8 and 9 of your newspaper.
• Read the information about the death camps.
• Review the maps on the pages and answer the
  questions about the concentration and death
  camps.
• Review the site below.
• http//www.nizkor.org/faqs/auschwitz/auschwitz-faq
  -03.html
• If you were in the Nazi army and assigned to a
  death camp, what would you do when you were told
  to kill? Write 1 paragraph.

17
Death Tolls

• Make a graph of the following death tolls using
  your text book and the internet.
• 1. Total murdered in each camp location.
• 2. Total murdered by nationality.
• 3. Total murdered by sex and age.
• 4. Total murdered by direct killing and those
  who died by disease/starvation.
• This site will assist you
• http//www.vho.org/GB/Journals/JHR/11/3/Nordling33
  5-344.html

18
How Could This Happen?

• List on the board the events leading up to the
  Holocaust.
• Make stop signs along the way and each time
  explain how the Holocaust could have been
  stopped? Include by whom, where, and when.

19
Our Freedoms

• What document guarantees our freedoms?
• Using your textbook, list and explain the first
  ten amendments.
• Write a brief summary of how two of those
  amendments, if they were in place in Nazi Germany
  in 1930, could have prevented the Holocaust.

20
Liberation

• Review the following web site.
• http//www.remember.org/mooney/full_version.html
• Class discussion
• 1. Why did the allies wait so long for the
  liberation of the death camps?
• 2. Who liberated which camps?
• 3. What did the soldiers find when they arrived?
• 4. Was that the end to the problem? What
  happened next?

21
In My Hands

• Listen to the Readers Digest version of the
  book.
• Activity
• Write a short book report on the story.

22
Images

• Review the web site below and print three images
  from the Holocaust. Write a short explanation of
  your image. Include the date of the photo.
• http//remember.org/image/index.html

23
Holocaust National Museum

• The greatest tribute to the Holocaust.
• Visit the Museum in Washington, D.C.
• Review this site, discuss location, travel
  distance, time and cost.
• http//www.ushmm.org/