HOLOCAUST: The Events and Their Impact on Real People

I have always been interested in the Holocaust but this book opened my eyes to things not even I knew.

There is an incredible amount of content in this book for you to share with students. It addresses what life was like for those who were discriminated long before Hitler took power and began the genocide. It also helps you to discover what life might have been like for the members of Hilter's army, a group of people that we often do not focus on. Throughout the book their are letters written in regards to the Holocaust by survivors and those involved as they reflect on their experiences and the ways in which the remarkable event impacted their lives. This nonfiction book does a great job to cover a wide range of material in way that makes it very comprehensive for all audiences.

Websites

• This resource is dedicates itself to providing all the resources necessary for teaching about the Holocaust.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum also does well to explain Holocaust. There is article upon article of information here that your students can use a resources to assist in their understanding.

 Vocabulary

There is a multitude of content specific vocabulary that you can teach with the use of this book in the classroom.

• Assimilation
• Aryan
• Chancellor
• Dehumanization
• Euthanasia
• Genocide
• Ghetto
• Holocaust
• Judaism
• Nationalism
• Prejudice
• Scapegoat

All these terms are relevant and may taught explicitly to those students who are struggling to form an understanding.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Be sure that your students are aware of the terminology that is associated with the content. In doing so you may create a KWL chart where students write about what they already know in regards to the Holocaust, what they want to know, and once you have finished reading, what they have learned from the provided literature.

During Reading

Teachers may wish to make use of the DVD that is provided with this text. It can make the experience seem even more realistic for students when they are presented with the faces and conversations of the people the Holocaust had impacted. It is important the DVD is used as a conversational piece and that students are given the opportunity to speak on their reactions to what they have viewed, especially because of the emotionally heavy nature of the topic.

After Reading

Reflecting on what they have learned from this book students may be asked to write an essay which emphasizes their personal reaction to the information and demonstrates what they may have felt having been presented with a similar situation. Not only does this provide the teacher with an understanding of what their students are comprehending but also creates a situation where they can make sure their students are emotionally stable after a heavy topic.