Detailed Lesson Plan

Unit: 1
Day: 1

Established Goal(s):
Students will know the number of civilians killed in the Holocaust, with a specific emphasis on groups
targeted for complete destruction based solely on race and ethnicity (European Jews and Romani).
Other groups who faced persecution and often death, including the Polish elite, the disabled,
homosexuals, political dissenters, and Soviet Prisoners of War will also become known. The method
of mass killings, namely concentration camps, death camps, and mass shootings will be taught and
learned.

Understanding(s): Essential Question(s):

- Students will understand Jewish Could such an event, of the same magnitude,
and Romani Europeans were happen again? Could it happen in the United
targeted specifically, and solely, States?
for their ethnicity and race.

- Students will understand

the Nazi's intended to kill every
last European Jew and Romani
who came under Nazi occupation.

- Students will understand

other groups of people were targeted
for political and social purposes, with
a continuous underlying
ideology of racial
inferiority.

- Students will understand

others were targeted for
reasons such as sexual orientation
and disability.

Students Will Know:

- Six-million Jewish Europeans died in the Holocaust.
- Two-hundred-and-twenty-thousand Romani Europeans died in the Holocaust.
- Millions of others, including political dissenters, disabled peoples, and others from supposedly
inferior racial groups, as according to Nazi ideology, were also killed.
- Students will know what a concentration camp is, what a death camp is, and the distinction between
the two.
Class Schedule: (Based on Philadelphia School District Schedule of 42 minute classes)

Introductions: Introduce myself. Emphasize that in this classroom there is no such thing as a wrong
question only opportunities to learn. Discuss that I expect to learn from them, and what they bring to
our classroom environment, just as much as I hope they will learn from me. (1 minute)

Ask students to give their name, tell us how their summer was, and describe their interest level in
History from Very Interested, Interested, Neutral, Not That Interested, or Not At All
Interested. (8-10 minutes)

Begin Discussion: Ask students is they have ever heard of the Holocaust? If so, what is their
knowledge of it? - Emphasize that there are no wrong answers to this, only opportunities to learn.
(2-3 minutes)

Activity: Students will be asked to gather in groups of three to four members and discuss with one
another their own knowledge of one of the following: The Holocaust, World War II, Genocide(s) in
general, or war(s) in general. One student will be a designated notetaker, writing down all of the
ideas and knowledge students in their group, including themselves, have about the previously
mentioned subjects. After 4-5 minutes of group discussion, I will ask each group to share at least one
idea, opinion, or fact discussed related to the subjects. While every group must come up with at least
one idea, opinion, and/or fact, it is encouraged that as many members as possible of each group share if
they are able and willing to. Emphasize there are, again, no wrong answers, only opportunities to learn.
(10 minutes)

Ask the class if, after doing this activity, can you say you now know more about something in history
than you did just ten minutes ago? Emphasize the idea of a growth mindset, in that all students have
already shown they are capable of learning and understanding new concepts, and of great importance,
these concepts were taught to them from their peers, not a teacher or authority figure. (1 minute)

Hand Out: Introduction to the Holocaust - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Give each student a copy of the two-page handout. Ask if anyone would like to volunteer to read the
first page aloud to the class, and then if anyone would like to read the second page aloud to the class.
As the reading goes on, write down two key components on the board as the student reads. First 6
million Jews and second 220,000 Roma or 'Gypsies' (Gypsies is described in hand out).
(3-5 minutes)

Take time to ask the class if they have any questions. (2-3 minutes)

Lecture: Project this map onto the board.

With the backdrop of the map, point out that this is a map of continental Europe. Show the students
where on the map Germany is located, and then discuss that all the territory shaded in red was, at one
point, under the control of Nazi Germany during the course of WWII which lasted from 1939 until
1945. Mention the following key components in lecture:
9 million Jews in Europe as of 1939
Most European Jews Resided in Central and Eastern Europe which was, almost entirely, under
Nazi control at varying points during the war. Poland had the second largest Jewish community
in the world at the time second only to the USA, with over 3 million Polish Jews.
By the end of the war, 6 million Jews were killed, 2 out of every 3 European Jews died between
1939 and 1945.
220,000 Romani killed, about 1 in every 4 European Romani died between 1939 and 1945.
Jews and Romani were transported, in cattle cars, from around Europe to Death Camps for
immediate execution by gassing. All such death camps were located away from German public
and in modern day Poland.
Other Jews and Romani as well as political prisoners were also taken to concentration camps
for slave labor, the vast majority of whom died from oppressive labor and little to know food or
water being provided.
Many Jews and Romani in Eastern European countries (Ukraine etc.) were shot and buried in
mass graves outside of cities, towns, and villages.
Others were targeted for political opposition, sexual orientation, ability, or being a member of
the Polish elite. These individuals often met similar fates in death and/or concentration camps.
(5 minutes)

Questions?
(2 minutes)

Show Video: Day in Aushwitz Documentary on YouTube from minute 10:58 - 13:09.
This portion of video shows processing of people at a Death Camp.
(2 minutes)

Wrap Up: Hand out journal prompt and directions, asking How?, ask students to think about this
question as we go through the unit. The journal is not due until Friday. Questions regarding the
homework assignment can be taken next class or e-mailed to me before tomorrow due to time restraint.
(1 minute)