OER Exploration

Title: Youth and the National Community (from the Teaching Holocaust and Human Behavior
Unit)
Link: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-holocaust-and-human-
behavior/youth-and-national-community
Description:
This OER is a full lesson plan with provided materials and activities. This lesson was
interesting to me because students are analyzing the youth of Germany and their exposure to
Nazi propaganda during Hitler’s rise to power. The lesson plan does suggest that teachers utilize
this lesson following the teaching of how the Nazis used laws and propaganda as a persuasion
tool. I would teach this lesson as a follow up to Hitler and the Nazi propaganda promoting Aryan
superiority to attempt answering why some Germans accepted Nazi ideology.
This lesson addresses presentism, in analyzing how and why people believed antisemitic
propaganda. I believe this resource is relevant in attempting to understand how people were able
to ostracize and persecute the Jewish community. Teachers address how they Jewish people
gradually became ostracized, through propaganda, however, I believe specifically addressing
how Hitler incorporated the German youth into his Aryan ideology would resonate with students
because they are still within the age range Hitler reached out to. This resource aligns with World
History standards, as it falls under concept 8 po6: Examine genocide as a manifestation of
extreme nationalism in the 20th century (Holocaust).
Activities: The teacher handouts an Anticipation Guide that asks students questions like,
“It’s easier to manipulate teenagers than adults.” Students answer if they strongly agree –
strongly disagree. Then, the teacher directs the students to stand in a corner of the room
representing their answer for a class discussion on the questions. Following the discussion, the
teacher will show two short videos of testimonies from Jewish teenagers at the time of Hitler’s
rise to power in Germany. After the videos, students are arranged into four groups to read and
annotate four different documents on multiple youth perspectives affected by Nazi propaganda.
The class will also come together to discuss what they have discovered. For a closing activity,
students revisit the answers they provided to the Anticipation Guide.
Title: Facing History and Ourselves
Link: https://www.facinghistory.org/topics/race-us-history
Description:
This OER focuses on analyzing the different choices people have made throughout social
and political movements, concerning both world and American history. This resource addresses
multiple topics, categorizing issues from democracy and civic engagement to justice and human
rights. In focusing on these issues, this resource often addresses issues of race, mass violence,
and ostracism.
I believe this OER could easily be aligned with state standards and incorporated into
lesson plans. By browsing the “Race in America” category, there are many major events covered
by this resource, EXs: Teaching in Little Rock and Dr. King’s Legacy and Choosing to
Participate. Teachers can integrate these resources into their lesson plans if they wish to analyze
the choices behind the movements. Teachers can guide students through discovering how events
played out through the choices leaders, organizers, and participants make as a movement
progresses by utilizing this OER.

OER Module Questions:

OER’s are beneficial because they provide teachers with additional materials to incorporate into
lessons, in order to enhance comprehension and engagement for all students.
I preferred the Curriki portal because it was the easiest for me to navigate and I found a very
useful resource, Facing History and Ourselves, that I would like to incorporate in my future
classroom.