Introduction
We have been reading Night by Elie Wiesel and discussing this tragic event in the history of our world. Through this literary work you have gained a glimpse of the impact of the Holocaust on the lives of those involved.
Like many teengagers at the start of World War II, you are just living your daily life going to school, socializing with your friends, and planning for the future. For Jewish teens in the 1940's, the war was far away and they did not expect it to have any major effect on their lives. They were very wrong! They were "indifferent" which Elie Wiesel warns us, "is the greatest source of evil and danger in the world."
This web quest will ask you to explore the story of Elie Weisel's life, the history of the Holocaust, and analyze why it is so important for our society to never forget the Holocaust and the people involved.
Task
You will be searching on various websites, reading articles, and answering questions. It might not sound like fun but either did "Flappy Bird" when you first started....
Process
Search the following website and answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper in complete sentences.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Wiesel.html
1. Name of Elie's parents and sisters?
2. Explain the Talmud and its importance to the Jewish faith.
3. What month and year did the Germans invade Sighet and what did they force them to do?
4. What did Elie say about life in the cattle cars (direct quote needed)?
5. How long did it take to get to Auschwitz and what happened to Elie's mother and sisters?
6. What did Elie's name become? What else did the SS do to strip the Jews of their identity?
7. How many days were the Jews forced to run on "their death march?"
8. How many Jews were forced on the death march and how many survived?
9. How did Elie's father die?
Read the following article from the New York Times and answer the questions that follow.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060120friday.html
10. What was the name of James Frey's book?
11. How many copies were sold and in how many months?
12. What did The Smoking Gun reveal about the book?
13. What did Elie win in 1986?
14. What does Jeff Seroy say about "Night."
15. What does Ms. Wiesel say about the book at the end of the article?
Read the following article and answer the questions that follow.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005151
16. What is the "Final Solution?"
17. What happened on July 17th, 1941?
18. How many Jews suffered death through killing centers either by asphyxiation with poison gas or by shooting?
19. How many total Jews were killed throughout the Holocaust?
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007407
20. Who is Heinrich Himmler?
21. How did he become the head of the SS?
22. Was Himmler antisemitic or just following orders?
23. How did he die?
24. What words did Joachim Fest say were, "one of the most horrifying testaments in the German language?"
25. List the 6 books one could read on Heinrich Himmler.
Evaluation
40 points. You will be graded on the thoroughness of your answers. Must be in complete sentences and on a separate sheet of paper. Due at the end of the period.
Conclusion
