The History Teacher

Read the poem at least 2-3 times. Mark up the text with ideas about:

Visualization Prior knowledge Questions Making meaning inferences

Four Questions…

What piece of life is the poem concerned with?

(comprehend the subject of the poem)

What can you tell me about the speaker? (analyze the relationship between speaker and poet)

Happy or sad poem? (evaluate the tone and mood)

What is the poem REALLY about?(interpret the theme)

Why do we study history?

Type 1- Make a list of reasons why we study history.

2 minutes- on your own2 minutes- with a partner

Question: Should we only learn about the good parts of history? Should we learn about history around the world or only about our own ancestors’ past?

HOLOCAUST-IN GREEK, ORIGINALLY MEANT A SACRIFICE TOTALLY BURNED BY FIRE

REFERS TO THE STATE SPONSORED PERSECUTION AND MURDER OF EUROPEAN JEWS BY NAZI GERMANY AND ITS SUPPORTERS BETWEEN 1933 AND 1945

Who were the victims?

The Jewish people were the primary victims. 6 million were murdered.

Gypsies, the handicapped, and Poles were also targeted. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war, and political dissidents also suffered punishment and death under Nazi rule.

True or False?

All concentration camps were killing centers. There was little resistance to the Nazis and when

it occurred, it was in the form of armed revolt. The Holocaust was inevitable; it could not be

prevented from happening. All Germans were Nazis. Jewish adults were the only group targeted by

the Nazis. No one denies the horrors of the Holocaust. German school and universities taught ideas that

were against the Nazis.

Vocabulary Anti-Semitism-prejudice toward Jews or discrimination

against them Aryan-term used by the Nazis about those with German

background who were viewed as the superior race Concentration camps-prison camps, more than 100 existed

across German occupied Europe, thousands killed by starvation, disease, maltreatment

Death camp-extermination camp, people murdered by gassing

Genocide-deliberate, systematic destruction of a racial, cultural, or political group

Nazi-National Socialist German Workers Part, a political party formed in 1919, headed by Adolf Hitler from 1921 to 1945

Persecution-act of causing others to suffer, especially those who differ in background or lifestyle or hold different political or religious beliefs

Scapegoat-person or group of persons unfairly blamed for wrongs done by others

Shtetl- Jewish towns or villages

The Reasons We Learn About the Holocaust

Learning about the Holocaust is essential to learning about the history of the twentieth century, but also the history of humanity.

By studying the Holocaust, we learn about the consequences of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping in any society.

By studying the Holocaust, we learn about the dangers of remaining silent in the face of others’ oppression.

Holocaust history demonstrates how a modern nation can use technology to implement destructive policies.

A study of the Holocaust helps us think about the use and abuse of power, and the roles and responsibilities of individuals, organizations, and nations when confronted with civil rights violations and or policies of genocide.