S+Gilbert,+Kasey

Teacher: Kasey Gilbert Office: Room 102 Office Phone: (207) 779-1304 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 10am-12pm E-mail: kasey.m.gilbert@maine.edu

Summary of Unit Welcome to Contemporary American and World History class! In this unit we will be learning about one of the darkest times in world history, the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a result of many events and people and effected not only its victims but also future generations. In this unit you will learn about some of the events that took place during the 1930s and 1940s and the people that had significant roles in the Holocaust. Also, a majority of the unit will be spend covering the experiences of European Jews. At the end of the unit you will know about events and people during the Holocaust, terms associated with the era and will be able to reflect on the time period. Some of the material in this unit will be graphic and disturbing. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, let me know.

Established Goals: Maine Learning Results: Social Studies- E. History E1 Historical Knowledge, concepts, themes and patterns Grade 9- Diploma "World War II and Postwar United States1939-1961 Students understand major eras, major enduring themes, and historic influences in United States and world history, including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals and institutions in the world. b. Analyze and critique major historical eras, major enduring themes, turning points, events, consequences, and people in the history of the United States and world and the implications for the present and future.

Understandings: Students will understand: • The Holocaust occurred as a result of many events and people. • The Holocaust effected many groups of people then as well as afterwards. • The Holocaust was a chaotic and disturbing time in world history.

Essential Questions: • How did deep seated anti-Semitism, the outcome of World War One, experiences of Adolf Hitler and the early events of World War Two, all contribute to how the Holocaust would unfold? • How did the Holocaust effect Europeans as well as other world citizens both then and now? • What was life like for people (specifically European Jews) from the 1930s to the late 1940s?

Students Will Know: • Important Events and People: Adolf Hitler, FDR, Kristallnacht, Nuremberg Laws, Himmler, Operation Barbarossa, Judenrat, Babi Yar, Wansee Conference, Dr. Mengele, D-Day •Key Factual Information: causes for anti-Semitism and its rationale, descriptions of ghetto and camp life, types of intervention, global impact •Terminology: exclusion, expropriation, exile, extermination, ghetto, Gentile, concentration camp, anti-Semitism, Nazi, war crimes

Students will be able to: • Design a timeline of major events that took place during the Holocaust. • Make sense of primary sources (journals, newspaper articles, propaganda, art) from the 1930s and 1940s and secondary sources (books) and relate them to major running themes and events that took place. • Use reading, writing and creative skills to write a journal or produce a visual aid (using Comic Life, iMovie, poster, etc) representing a real or fictional character who lived during the Holocaust. • b. Analyze and critique major enduring historical eras, major enduring themes, turning points, events, consequences, and people in the history of the United States and world and the implications for the present and future. • Consider the impact Nazi policies had on the daily life of Europeans. • Reflect on the dark nature of the Holocaust in order to realize its lasting effects.

Performance Task: Famous documentary maker, Ken Burns, is holding a contest to see who can make the best documentary about the Holocaust. The film that wins will be featured in an exhibit in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Since your class is studying the Holocaust, you suggest submitting a film. Each student will create a fictional character, or a real character who lived during the Holocaust. One person may decide to be Anne Frank or Primo Levi. Using the timeline made in class as a guide, each student will pick an event to research. The next step will be for each student to make a 1-3 minute "slide" about their event, in the role of their character (for example, one student might describe the massacre of Babi Yar in 1941 through the eyes of someone that died there), using iMovie. Then all of the slides will be put together in order like a completed timeline, in turn making it a complete documentary on the Holocaust! When the film is finished the class will present it to Ken Burns for a chance to be featured in a museum visited by millions each year!

Other Evidence: • Make a timeline of important dates during the Holocaust (i.e Kristallnacht, Nuremberg Decrees, Babi Yar, dates of massive deportations, first gassing, Warsaw Uprising, liberation, etc) as the unit progresses (adding events as they are introduced) to be completed by the end of the unit. • Test: Holocaust events and people • Create a visual aid (iMovie, blog, PowerPoint, poster ) to represent a scene, theme, idea, or character from the Diary of Anne Frank, Night, Speak You Also, Seed of Sarah or other readings approved by the teacher.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection: • Check timeline with other students while working on performance task. • Reflect: (writing prompt for article blog or for presentation) "Should justice be served for Holocaust victims and survivors?" • Blogging: Students will blog twice for one assignment. Once to show their work and a second time to comment on their blogs as well as others.

Expectations My goal is to create a fun and rich learning environment for you, but in order for that to happen, you must be willing to cooperate. You are expected to come to class prepared, on time, organized and ready to participate, everyday. Homework and all other projects have a due date for a reason, have them done on time! Late work is excepted but will result in a loss of points for each day late (5pts) and that includes Saturday and Sunday as well. Remember, it is better to pass something in late instead of not turning it in at all. If you are sick (I will need to see a note from a doctor or parent) you will have 1 or 2 days extension on work (without loss of points) depending on the amount of time you are absent. If you are absent, you are responsible for finding me to get the homework. If you know that you will be absent ahead of time, I will be happy to give you the assignments early. I do not offer extra credit on a regular basis but I will give everybody in the class a chance to bring their grade up with a movie assignment. In the event of my absence, you are expected to be respectful, helpful and cooperative with the substitute teacher. If you find that you are struggling with the material, assignments, another student, or if you have a special need I am not aware of, please see me. I am here to help! My classroom is a safe environment and I expect everybody to respect and be civil with me and other students.

Benchmarks: In this unit you will be assessed on many different levels to evaluate your understanding and learning. You will be able to earn a total of 500 points in this course. The following are the assignments you will be graded on:

• Participation: (50 pts) You will not be forced to participate in class everyday but an effort should be made. Completion of assignments will go towards your participation. Coming to class and paying attention will also count towards your 50 points. • Performance Task: (100 pts) Your performance task will be evaluated on the following criteria; historical accuracy, participation, role, knowledge gained, props/costume, representation, organization, clarity, engaging, reflection. You will receive more information about the performance task at a later date. • Time Line: (50 pts) You will have time to add to your time line as the unit progresses. Remember, you will be focusing on one event throughout the unit for your participation in the documentary. Some events may not be discussed until late in the unit so if your event falls after 1943, make sure you research it before hand. • Glossary: (50 pts) Each student will receive a number of terms to define and post on the class Wiki. Definitions must be complete and correct because the glossary will not only serve as a guide for you, but for other students as well. You will receive more information on this assignment at a later date. • Blog in Character: (50 pts) You will be creating a blog entry as the character that you read about in class as homework. The blog must include pictures. This could be in the form of a diary entry, obituary, article and etc. You will receive more information on this assignment at a later date. • Podcast: (50 pts) You will be creating a podcast with a partner in the role of two Jews who have acsess to a secret radio. Will you use your radio to send a call to arms of all Jews in the ghetto, or make contact with the outside world to tell them about you hardships you face? The decision is yours! You will receive more information about this assignment at a later date. • Article blog / Presentation: (50 pts) You will have the chance to argue for Holocaust victims and survivor justice by either writing a newspaper article or creating a presentation. You will receive more about this assignment at a later date. • Test: (100 pts) At the end of the unit you will be taking a comprehensive test over all the material covered. Extra Credit: Movie Review: (20 extra pts.) You will have the whole unit, three weeks, to watch a movie about the Holocaust. The movie must be approved by me first. A 2-3 page review about the film and your opinion on it, could earn you up to 20 extra points! Remember, this is optional! Grading Scale A+ 98-100 B- 80-83 D 64-66 A 95-97 C+ 77-79 D- 60-63 A- 90-94 C 74-76 F Below 60 B+ 87-89 C- 70-73 B 84-86 D+ 67-69