This lesson is a mini-unit that begins when students have an introductory level knowledge of the Holocaust. Students working in pairs decide on an event from the Holocaust they would like to learn more about (using the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum History Unfolded as a guide) and conduct background research on the topic.
After having a better understanding of the event they selected, students conduct primary source research on media coverage of the event (using online databases or a library trip for microfilm collections) and compare what they found in Jewish newspaper sources to “mainstream” newspaper sources. We then add in the element of acts of hate today such as the Tree of Life shooting so students examine modern media coverage of anti-Semitism. The lesson wraps up with students developing a creative expression (such as a song, poem, or painting) about how they think we as a society respond to hate.
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Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Projector, Laptops for Students, Internet Connection.
Instructional Time: 6 hours.