Created by Jessica Rockhold. Revised by Laura Patton, January 2024.Midwest Center for Holocaust Education Grade Level8th-12th grade SubjectSocial StudiesLanguage Arts/Reading Time Needed2-3 class period(s) IntroductionJewish responses to the Holocaust are best described as “choiceless choices.” They were put in positions to make judgments and decisions without there being real, viable alternatives to their situation. Despite this, many decisions were made. Students often have a difficult time understanding why Jews did not “just leave" or "just shoot a Nazi.” This critical thinking exercise is designed to help them understand the dilemmas and decisions faced by Jews during the Holocaust and to…
Created by Jessica Rockhold. Updated January 2024. Midwest Center for Holocaust Education Grade Level7th-12th grade SubjectSocial StudiesLanguage Arts/Reading Time Needed1-2 class periods IntroductionJewish responses to the Holocaust are best described as “choiceless choices.” Jews had to form judgements and make decisions without there being real, viable alternatives to their situation. This activity allows students to analyze the types of decisions four different individuals or groups made during the Holocaust. It is intended to provide an overall snap-shot of the Holocaust experience. A similar exercise could be constructed with the primary source testimony of any victim of the Holocaust. The lesson…
The goal of the lesson is to help students understand--by reading excerpts from memoirs, biographies, and diaries--the resistance efforts of Jews during the Holocaust. Learners will be challenged to analyze the excerpts and identify examples of resistance within them. Grade Level: 7-12. Difficulty may be adjusted by changing the number and reading level of the excerpts selected for instruction. Eight excerpts are provided. Lexile levels of the texts are provided when available. Lesson Plan
