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Hate Debate
Despite the atrocities committed during World War II by the Nazis in Germany, there are still people today who support the Nazi Party and its beliefs. Because of the First Amendment, however—which states in part that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech”—the actions and speech of these people have often been legally protected. Have your students use print and/or Web resources to investigate “hate groups,” as they are commonly known. What kinds of beliefs do they espouse? How are they organized? What kinds of actions have they been known to take? What kinds of public statements have they made? What are the arguments for and against tolerating their existence? Are there any landmark court cases that have involved hate groups? (One great source of information is http://www.adl.org, the Web site of the Anti-Defamation League.) When their research is complete, divide your class into two groups and have each group argue one side of the debate about whether the First Amendment should apply to the spread of hate. Conclude with a discussion about what students have learned from the experience of investigating hate groups in their own country.
Holocaust Stories
One of the most well known stories of life during the Holocaust is that of Anne Frank, a German-Jewish teenager who was forced to go into hiding. She and her family, along with four others, spent 25 months during World War II in an annex of rooms above her father’s office in Amsterdam. During this time, Anne kept a now-famous diary of her life in hiding, which was eventually published under the title Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. (After being betrayed to the Nazis, Anne and the others were arrested and deported to Nazi concentration camps. Nine months later, Anne died of typhus.) Ask your students to use the Internet and/or print resources to research another person who either survived the Holocaust or, like Anne Frank, died during it; as an alternative, they may want to interview someone they know personally. When their research is complete, have each student prepare a presentation about the survivor they researched. (You may want to ask students to create a multimedia presentation using HyperStudio or PowerPoint.) When the students have shared their presentations with the class, lead a discussion about the stories they have heard. Were there any common aspects to the stories? Did the people they research have any experiences in common? What lessons can be learned from the lives of those who survived—or perished in—such tragedy?
Positive Propaganda
During World War II, propaganda played a huge role in convincing the German people that the intolerance of Jews was acceptable. Have your students research the science of propaganda. What kinds of images and words does it often include? What kind of rhetoric is involved? How can a poster, for example, be persuasive enough to convince people of even abhorrent ideas? When they have completed their research, ask them to create their own propaganda materials—an assortment, rather than a single item—that support the tolerance of a diverse society. They might want to create posters, pamphlets, billboards, slogans, scripts for radio or television, or print advertisements. Students can then view each other’s finished products and discuss which of them is the most effective and why. You can conclude with a discussion about whether propaganda—even positive propaganda—is ethically “right.” Does it help people make up their own minds, or does it encourage them to think alike?
Model United Nations
The United Nations (UN) was founded at the end of World War II with a goal of preventing any future world wars from occurring. The UN’s goal today is achieving peace and human dignity throughout the world. It attempts to stop disagreements before wars begin and comes to the aid of people who are mistreated by wrongful governments. Assign each of your students to one of the UN countries. Ask them to research more about that country’s current struggles and any important historical, economic, and cultural issues in which that country has been involved since World War II. Does the country they have been assigned have problems with neighboring countries? Is its economy stable? Is it divided by religious differences? Students should also research the basic workings of the UN—one good source of information is the UN site at http://www.un.org/. After their research is complete, have the class meet as a model United Nations. Their goal should be to work together to create a five-point plan that will ensure that a tragic event like the Holocaust won’t ever happen again. What five steps could the countries of the UN take that would prevent mass destruction on a global scale? Remind students, as they debate the five points of the plan, to take into account the ways in which the plan will impact their current national struggles. You might also want to ask students to take into account the countries that are not part of the UN. How might the new plan affect those countries as well? Will they accept it?
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