Topic outline
General
This series of three lessons is part of a World War II unit in World At War, an elective class taught at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, Michigan.
The lessons use the work of Holocaust survivor and artist Miriam Brysk to consider the theme of Bystanders, Resistance and Perpetrators. As a student, you will come to grips with the big ideas or over-arching concepts of how individuals treat one another through a study of war in the 20th century. A Teacher's Page is available.
We will consider how actions in our own lives yield both good and bad results. In the context of war and genocide, however, action (or inaction) can have decidedly evil or virtuous outcomes. You will be able to apply this learning on a personal level, making connections to your present day life and community. This lesson will utilize mobile devices and we hope to create an online ebook documenting our learning.
Lesson 1: The Einsatzgruppen and Bystanders
This lesson will introduce you to the atrocities committed by the Einsatzgruppen while noting the role played by Bystanders. The effects of the killings by death squads on individuals and communities will be analyzed.
Vilna-Ponar from Children of the Holocaust He Perished in Ponar from In A Confined Silence - As an individual student, you will complete the Exploration of the Art of Miriam Brysk for Lesson 1.
- As a class, we will DISCUSS the role played by Einsatzgruppen and Bystanders.
Lesson 2: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
This lesson helps you to understand what prevented Jews from resisting actions by the Nazis in a widespread and concerted way. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising will be highlighted as one example where Jews did rise up to fight the enemy. Finally, this lesson will explore results of inaction by Jews in the ghetto and of inaction on the part of the rest of the world.
Ghetto Uprising (image) from In A Confined Silence Ghetto Uprising (text) In A Confined Silence - As an individual student, you will complete the Exploration of the Art of Miriam Brysk for Lesson 2.
- As a class, we will REFLECT on the significance of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and its impact on Resistance.
Lesson 3: Children of Lodz, Chelmno and Perpetrators
In this lesson, you will consider the terrible choices which Jews were forced to make through the story of Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski’s speech to the residents of the Lodz ghetto. You will follow the plight of the children of Lodz to their ultimate death at the Chelmno Extermination Camp.
Lodz-Chelmno (image) from Children of the Holocaust Lodz-Chelmno (text) from Children of the Holocaust - As an individual student, you will complete the Exploration of the Art of Miriam Brysk for Lesson 3.
- Using a template form, class members will each create a final project that includes examples of Miriam Brysk's artwork, student photographs and personal reflections. See Mrs. Lincoln's example uploaded to ePub.
- As a class, we will thereby CONNECT the lessons of the Holocaust to our own lives.