Lesson+Overview+and+Maturity+Comparison


 * Study Overview and Lesson Comparison **

This aspect of the Remembrance Study is geared toward introducing 7th grade students to the Holocaust as a human history event through various media. Per Indiana State Academic Standards, students will use various non-fiction materials in research. This will be a somewhat guided research project as students will be provided several options to use in seeking information.
 * Middle School Component **

Guided study is offered primarily for two reasons. First, students at this age have considerably less technology experience than their older counterparts. This seems unusual because this generation is so technologically oriented, but it is essential to note that a great deal of the usage 12 and 13 year olds are versed in is communication technology consisting of instant messaging, texting, and emailing. Use of technology by this group of middle school students for purposes of research have been minimal and requires guidance in order to successfully access information in the allotted class time. Left to find information independently, students could extend well beyond the available time in which this endeavor can take place.

Another and more important reason guidance is needed in this area is due to some of the grisly content for which these students may not be ready. Some of this might be due to immaturity on an emotional level, but could also be inappropriate as these students are still young and not all have been exposed to the type of violence present within this event. Out of respect to parents and students, guidance is needed here due to the content under consideration.

The content presented for this study is considered after students have learned about the parties involved in World War II as part of class reading and discussion. The following is an overview of the Middle School Holocaust Remembrance Study: -Research and compare Jewish pre-war life to students’ lives. -Explore post war life of European Jews. -Analyze information for difference and similarity to student’s life -Create a visual presentation (graphic organizer, power point, etc.) as support for a group presentation of findings. -Explore purpose of Terezin Work Camp within Nazi Germany. -Read and share ideas about children’s poetry collected from the camps -Research the symbolic meaning of the butterfly within this event -Create Butterfly Tributes to the children of the Holocaust memorializing their experience. This may be done using a variety of media. the actions of this event. facts that were of value within this unit. This report may take on a variety of forms, but must reflect their understanding of the event and the conclusions they have arrived at based on their explorations.
 * Lesson 1 - Students will explore Nazi victims’ lives pre and post Holocaust.
 * Lesson 2 - Students will explore the situations of Jewish children during World War II and the Holocaust.
 * Lesson 3 - Students will summarize their findings to determine if they have enough information with which to take a position on
 * Lesson 4 - Once enough information is accumulated, students will report their findings by identifying what they learned beyond

As previously noted, student populations within this district are fairly consistent with little movement between middle school and high school. Due to this consistency, most high school students will have explored the Holocaust as part of their 7th grade language curriculum. For those students, several years will have passed requiring a refresher on the circumstances of this event. New students to the district may not have a learning background in this area which would require some familiarization with World War II and the Holocaust as historic human events.
 * High School Component **

Students in this class group will range from fifteen to seventeen years of age. The additional experience of several years and maturity developed within this time position students to act as independent researchers. The teacher and media specialist will act as support when necessary and in contacting outside entities for information (safety issue). The following is an overview of the High School Remembrance Study: -Students should consider who was involved, in what manner were they involved, and their motive for the actions they took or did not take. -Students should create a representation of the information found in this exploration as a point of reference for future work in this area. -Students will use the internet, news sources, political entities, etc to gather information about attempts at genocide that have occurred since the Holocaust. -Students will create a concept map or power point presentation along with a brief written response. Both artifacts should represent the student’s conclusions about this type of event within society and the information upon which their conclusions are based.
 * Lesson 1 - Students will use internet resources, texts, and original documents to review the World War II conflict and the Holocaust event.
 * Lesson 2 – Upon completing a background review of the World War II with a focus on the Holocaust and Nazi victims, students will compare this genocidal attempt with other instances of genocide in the world since World War II.