Voices of the Holocaust

Introduction

Holocaust Remembrance Day"Holocaust Remembrance Day" by Ulf Bodin is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Welcome & Overview

Welcome to the Voices of the Holocaust WebQuest project. The objectives of this project include the development and practice of research and information literacy skills, working collaboratively within a group, and most importantly, deepening knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust. 

This activity is appropriate for students grade 8 and above and would be best implemented through ELA, Social Studies, and/or the Media Center. Standard connections may be found on the "Teacher Page," along with other useful resources.

WebQuest created by Megan Dominguez

Introduction

You lie awake on the cold floor of the crowded apartment your family has been forced to live in for the past year. Your younger sister, only three years old, is crying with hunger from lack of food and the discomfort of disease. Your mother tries to make do with a few rotten potatoes and bit of lard that are the weekly ration, but your empty stomach painfully contracts as there wasn't enough for you this time. You think back on the day the Germans rounded up all of the Jewish families in town and forced them to march to the ghetto. People you had known your whole life, children you had played with and gone to school with, looked away and drew their curtains as you were herded through the streets like cattle. The yellow star stitched to your shirt like a death sentence.

There have been rumors going around that the Gestapo will start deportations soon. But what lies beyond the barbed wire fence of the ghetto, down the long line of train tracks, and beyond the crowded freight cars? What is life like in these so-called forced labor camps? Will your family be able to stay together? Will you even survive tonight - the hunger, the disease, the cold? And then you hear it - the loud stomping of SS boots along the steps, angry voices piercing through the cold dark night, and the crashing in of the door...

Task

January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day"January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day" by donjuan78 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

You will be working together to create a project honoring the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. During the project, you will conduct research to deepen your understanding of the events of the Holocaust, what those who lived through it experienced, and to give a voice to their stories. 

Essential Questions

What did victims and survivors of the Holocaust experience?

What lasting impact did the Holocaust have on survivors?

Why is it important to honor and remember victims and survivors of the Holocaust?

Group Roles

You have been assigned to a group of four peers. Each group member will select one of the following roles: Holocaust survivor or journalist. This means there will be two survivors and two journalists in each gruop. After conducting research as described under the "Process" tab and completing your role sheet, you will then work with your other group members to create a presentation that tells the story of two Holocaust survivors.

Holocaust Survivor: Two group members will perform the role of Holocaust survivors. Each will research, read, and select a survivor from the "Behind Every Name a Story" essay project found on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website. As you explore the experiences of Holocaust victims, select a survivor, and read their essay, you will need to complete the Holocaust Survivor Sheet. This sheet will help you answer interview questions presented by one of the journalists in the group. 

Journalist: Two group members will perform the role of journalists. Each journalist will conduct research about the experience of every day life for Holocaust victims, complete the Journalist Sheet, and develop additional interview questions to ask the Holocaust survivors. 

Presentation

After conducting research and completing each role sheet, survivors and journalists will collaborate to create a presentation that tells the story of two Holocaust survivors. Presentations may be in the form of a multimedia presentation (Google Slideshow or Prezi) or mock interview. 

Evaluation

Each group member should review the evaluation rubric before, during, and upon project submission to ensure all grading criteria is met.

Process

Holocaust Remembrance"Holocaust Remembrance" by U.S. Army Europe is licensed under CC PDM 1.0

Step 1: Role Selection

Select your individual role within the group. As a group, agree on who will perform each role. Note: There will be two Holocaust survivors and two journalists.

Step 2: Research

Select your individual role sheet below. Complete each step listed. Note: Each individual member must complete their own role sheet to be turned in at the end of the project.

Holocaust Survivor Role Sheet

Journalist Role Sheet

Step 3: Interview

Now that each individual member has conducted research, completed their role sheet, and shared interview questions, survivors and journalists will pair up to conduct interviews. The journalist should ask the Holocaust survivor the questions recorded on their role sheet. The survivor should answer each question with as much accuracy and detail as possible. You may need to add details that would likely have occurred based upon your research findings. After the interviews are finished, share what you have learned as a whole group.

Step 4: Final Product

As a group, select your final product. You may choose to create a multimedia presentation using Google Slides or Prezi or conduct a Mock Interview. You will be presenting your final product to the class. Guidelines for final products are below.

Multimedia Presentation

  • Must include bio information about the Holocaust survivor.
  • Must include images and graphics.
  • Research information must be accurate and thorough.
  • Two Holocaust survivors must be featured. 
  • Each group member must contribute to the project and have a speaking role during the presentation. 

Mock Interview

  • Each group will conduct two Mock Interviews (one per survivor/journalist pair).
  • Interview answers should honor the story of the selected, real-life Holocaust survivor.
  • Interview answers should be as historically accurate as possible.
  • Interview questions should follow those listed on the role sheet. 
  • The interview may be recorded or conducted live in class. If recorded, audiovisual quality should be verified before presenting in class.
  • Business casual interview attire should be worn and follow school dress code policies.

 

Evaluation

                                                      Voices of the Holocaust Evaluation Rubric

Criteria 20 Points 15 Points 10 Points 0 Points Score
Research Content (Includes all aspects of project)

All information was clear, accurate, and thorough

 Most information was clear, accurate, and thorough

Most information was clear and accurate but was not thorough

Most information was clear and accurate but was not thorough

  
Role Sheet

All steps are addressed; role sheet is thoroughly completed 
All steps are addressed; role sheet is mostly completed Some steps are addressed; role sheet is somewhat completed

No steps are addressed; role sheet is not completed
 

Interview

(Step 3)

Questions/answers align with historical context, are accurate, and detailed
Questions/answers mostly align with historical context, are accurate, and detailed

Questions/answers align somewhat with historical context, are somewhat accurate, but lack detail
Questions/answers do not align with historical context, are inaccurate, and lack detail  
Final Product Final product communicates the story of two Holocaust survivors with excellent detail and accuracy Final product communicates the story of two Holocaust survivors with adequate detail and accuracy Final product communicates the story of only one Holocaust survivor with adequate detail and accuracy

Final product does not communicate the story of any Holocaust survivor; includes no details and is not accurate
 
Collaboration

Works well with each group member; eager to accept and fulfill individual role within group
Works well with groups members most of the time; accepts and fulfills individual role within group

Occasionally works well with group members; reluctantly accepts and fulfills individual role within group

Does not work well with group members; does not accept and/or fulfill individual role within group
 

 

Conclusion

Holocaust Memorial"Holocaust Memorial" by lanier67 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Now that we have heard some of the voices of the Holocaust, we will be writing narrative essays from the perspective of a victim or survivor based on the research and knowledge we have gained. We will also take time to honor victims and survivors with a special activity in class on this year's Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

                                                  "For the dead and the living, we must bear witness."

                                                                                             - Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Suvivor

Credits

Teacher Page

Description: 

Students will work in collaborative groups to research information about the Holocaust and the experience of victims and survivors. Each student will complete an individual role sheet. Students will conduct interviews and discuss their found research. They will synthesize research information to create a multimedia presentation or mock interview.

Grade Level:

8 and Up

Content Area(s):

English Language Arts, History/Social Studies, American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

Standards:

Oklahoma Academic Standards - English Language Arts: Grade 8

  • 8.1.S.1 - Students will work effectively and respectfully in diverse groups by showing willingness to make necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, sharing responsibility for collaborative work, and recognizing individual contributions.
  • 8.1.S.2 - Students will engage in collaborative discussions about what they are reading and writing, expressing their own ideas clearly while building on the ideas of others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole-class settings.
  • 8.6.R.2 - Students will find, record, and organize information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, following ethical and legal guidelines.
  • 8.6.W.3 - Students will quote, paraphrase, and summarize findings following a consistent citation style (e.g., MLA, APA) to avoid plagiarism.
  • 8.6.W.4 - Students will create research papers and/or projects independently for shorter timeframes (e.g., two or three days) and over extended periods of time (e.g., one week)
  • 8.7.W - Students will create engaging multimodal content (i.e., alphabetic, aural, visual, gestural and/or spatial) that intentionally addresses an audience and accomplishes a purpose.

(Oklahoma Education, 2021)

American Association of School Librarians - Standards Framework for Learners

  • I.B.1 - Using evidence to investigate questions.
  • I.C.4 - Sharing products with an authentic audience
  • I.D.1 - Continually seeking knowledge.
  • I.D.2 - Engaging in sustained inquiry.
  • III.A.1 - Demonstrating their desire to broaden and deepen understandings.
  • III.A.2 - Developing new understandings through engagement in a learning group.
  • III.B.2 - Establishing connections with other learners to build on their own prior knowledge and create new knowledge.
  • III.C.2 - Involving diverse perspectives in their own inquiry processes.
  • III.D.1 - Actively contributing to group discussions.
  • III.D.2 - Recognizing learning as a social responsibility.

(American Association of School Librarians, 2018)

Resources:

Enrichment/Extension Ideas

  • Create Holocaust victim I.D. cards
  • Essay Composition
  • Gallery Walk
  • Holocaust Remembrance Day Activities
  • Holocaust Survivor Documentaries
  • Propaganda and Political Cartoon Analysis
  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Virtual Tour