NJ Holocaust Grades 9-12 Curriculum: Unit 7

Unit Topic: Issues of Conscience, Moral Responsibility, and Memorialization
Grade(s): 9-12

Unit Goal: This unit focuses on defining responsibility, individually and collectively, and works as a conclusion/reflection on the Holocaust seven-day unit.

Objectives: 

  1. Students will be able to analyze the concepts of responsibility, values, and morality.
  2. Students will be able to examine the organization and setup of the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal and compare and contrast the sentences given to the original Nazi defendants.
  3. Students will be able to reevaluate their previous generalizations about human nature.
  4. Students will examine memorials, monuments, and museums to assess the validity and variety of modern responses to the events of the Holocaust.

  1. What is the survivor's face upon liberation: search for family, safety, well-being, healthcare, etc.?
  2. What social structures helped support survivors upon liberation?
  3. How was the immigration /emigration process difficult for survivors?
  4. How have memorials and museums shaped the memory of the Holocaust?
  5. How and why did people decide to become upstanders?

  1. Responsible actions by citizens in a democracy can influence the government during war and humanitarian crises. 
  2. Social structures are necessary for any functioning democracy.
  3. Understand that human rights protections have been established as a result of the Holocaust.
  4. Memorials and museums can shape the memory and view of historical events. 
  5. An upstander is an induvial who stands up for what is right even in the face of adversity.

  1. I’ve Lived 1000 Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust. Livia Bitton-Jackson. 1999
  2. Chocolate: A Taste of Freedom. Maud Dahme, 2015
  3. One Voice: Two Lives. Cantor David S. Wisnia 2015
  4. Survivors Club. Michael Bornstein and Debbie Holinstat  Bornstein, 2019
  5. Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation. Ari Folman 2018
  6. Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children. Kath Shackleton, Zane Whittingham et al. 2019

Step 1: 

  • Have students write their personal definition of “responsibility” in their notebooks. Then, have students list 5 things/activities that they are responsible for. 
  • Discuss as a class and come up with a class definition of “responsibility,” which can be written on the whiteboard.

Step 2: 

  • Use Reading #1: “Assessing and Defining Responsibility”
  • Have students work with partners to complete the sheet. They may choose partners or be assigned based on your class dynamics. This activity asks students to assign how “responsible” each individual/group is for the atrocity of the Holocaust. Students rank the parties 1-4 based on how responsible they feel each individual/group is.
  • There are 30 parties to rank for this activity. If you feel that this is too many for your students to work with, please cut the ones you feel are appropriate. This will make your list shorter and give you more time. For example, depending on the length of your class time and how quickly your students work,  you may want to shorten this list to 10.
  • Bring the class together as a whole group to compare and contrast how students ranked the levels of responsibility. This is a good space to have a discussion about why some individuals/groups were found to be more “responsible” than others.

Step 3:

  • Discuss the question, “What is the purpose of a trial: Is it to judge the guilty, avenge the victims, or warn those who might commit similar acts in the future?”
    • This question is found in Reading 7: “Judgment.”
    • As a teacher, you may want to read this article ahead of time to get an idea of the article.
    • This discussion question leads into the next activity, Step 4.

Step 4:

  • Use Reading #5: “Judgment at Nuremberg”
  • For a more advanced class, such as an Honors or AP level class, have them read Reading #5: “Judgment at Nuremberg” the previous night for homework/independently. They should come prepared to class to have a discussion about the article. This reading requires some independent thinking, so that is why it is suggested for academically higher-level students. Please re-read the article ahead of time to determine if your students are capable of reading this text selection without assistance. At this time, do not give them the last page of the article that is entitled “The Nuremberg Defendants.”
  • Moving forward, your students would either:
    • Come to class with the article read and ready for discussion.
      • This puts them one step ahead and prepared for the next interactive activity.
    • You did not assign the article for independent reading, so they will not have background knowledge/facts of this event.
      • If this is the case, that is okay! You can give a brief verbal summary of the article to your students and answer any questions they may have about it.
  • Remind students (whether they read the article or not) that the four counts of indictment during the Nuremberg Trials were:
  1. Common Plan or Conspiracy
  2. Crimes Against Peace
  3. War Crimes
  4. Crimes Against Humanity
  • Choose 2-3 Nuremberg Defendants to discuss in class - found on the back of Reading #5
    • First, put the name of 1 defendant on the board. Then, write what their participation/responsibility was in the Holocaust. Along with any quote listed on the page.
    • Have students pair up and decide what they believe the person should be guilty of (2-3 minutes) in terms of:
      • Indictment number
      • Penalty/Sentence (ex: nothing, # of years in prison, death, etc.)
    • Reveal the correct answer (found on the last page of Reading #5). 
  • Repeat this with the other 2 defendants you chose.
  • Give students the entire last page of Reading #5 which lists 22 different defendants.

Step 5:

  • As an exit ticket to the unit, have students respond in a few sentences to the following question(s): 
    • What do you believe you, as an individual, can do in your life to promote the kind of values that can make a positive difference for humanity?
    • In what ways has your generalization about human nature changed as a result of your study of the Holocaust? Why do you think this has happened?

Assessments:

  • Partner discussion through various activities
  • Whole class discussion through various activities
  • “Assessing and Defining Responsibility” worksheet
  • “Judgment at Nuremberg” discussion and responses
  • Exit ticket (step #5)

  • Reading #1: Curriculum guide “Assessing and Defining Responsibility” page 890 
  • Reading #5: Curriculum guide “Judgment at Nuremberg” pages 898-907 
  • Reading 7: Curriculum guide “Judgment” pages 910 and 911

Ben Ferencz, the last living Nuremberg prosecutor 60 minutes YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZHTtfTXjrA 13:46 minutes 

Governments around the world support universal human rights to varying degrees. 

6.2.12.CivicsHR.4.a: Analyze the motivations, causes, and consequences of the genocides of Armenians, Ukrainians, and Jews in the Holocaust and assess the responses by individuals, groups, and governments and analyze large-scale atrocities including 20th-century20th century massacres in China. 

6.2.12.CivicsPI.4.b: Assess government responses to incidents of ethnic cleansing and genocide

Historical events and developments were shaped by the unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts. 

6.2.12.HistoryCC.4.g: Use a variety of resources from different perspectives to analyze the role of racial bias, nationalism, and propaganda in mobilizing civilian populations in support of “total war.” 

6.2.12.HistoryCC.4.h: Compare and contrast World Wars I and II in terms of technological innovations (i.e., industrial production, scientific research, war tactics) and social impact (i.e., national mobilization, loss of life, and destruction of property).

Complex interacting factors influence people’s perspective 

6.2.12.HistoryUP.4.b: Report on the influence of war, economic depression, and genocide on the arts, cultural values, and social ideas. 

6.2.12.HistoryUP.4.c: Compare and contrast the actions of individuals as perpetrators, bystanders, and rescuers during events of persecution or genocide, and describe the long-term consequences of genocide for all involved.