This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the ways in which people resisted the Nazi’s during the Holocaust. Students analyze two sources to understand different ways people showed courage by resisting the Nazis themselves or in groups and the strategies they use. Overall, students will be challenged to think about the role people play in helping others and speaking out.
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
How can ordinary people show courage when they see others being treated unjustly?
Standards
Skills USII a: synthesizing evidence from information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams to understand events in United States history;
USII 6h: examining the causes and consequences of the Holocaust including, but not limited to Jewish life before the Holocaust, antisemitism, the rise of the Nazi Party, Nuremberg Laws, persecution of Jews and other targeted groups, resistance efforts, the United States’ response, and the Nuremberg Trials
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with the reading of Source A: First They Came poem and sparking a conversation about resistance. This class discussion should get students to think: What is resistance? Is there only one way to resist? Can anyone show resistance? Next, students will be split into a Jigsaw activity. Half the class is given Source B: How one person saved over 2,000 children from the Nazis and the other half is given Source C: The Danish network that defied Hitler by Fiona Macdonald. Within small groups students work to understand their given source and prepare a summary. After their analysis students present the summaries to the other group. Finally, students use the information collected from their analysis, class discussion, and overall jigsaw activity to create an image that answers the CQ. Then images are placed around the room for a gallery walk.
Ultimately, teachers could expand on this conversation and the compelling question by bringing it to the present day and posing to students how they can show courage in the present day for those being treated unjustly?
Formative Tasks
COLLABORATE: Read the First They Came poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller and discuss the idea of resistance.
DELIBERATE: Analyze Source B & C as a Jigsaw activity. Then discuss how these people showed courage & resisted.
PRODUCE: Create an image that depicts an answer to the CQ. Then do a gallery walk to showcase all images.
Sources
Source A: First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller
Source B: How one person saved over 2,000 children from the Nazis - Iseult Gillespie
Source C: The Danish network that defied Hitler by Fiona Macdonald
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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