Subjects
Government and civics, world history and English Language Arts
Estimated Time
One 45 minute class period
Grade Level
High School
Warm Up Activity
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Ask students the following questions about genocide:
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What is genocide?
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How do neighbors end up turning against neighbors?
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If you have time, play the first 11 mintues from “Worse than War” to give students a background in genocide.
Click here
to watch the film. Warning- this film has some graphic images and difficult subject matter and is meant for older students or at the teacher’s discretion.
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Ask students what they know about Kristallnacht and write answers on the board. Prompt students for the who, what, where, when, why and how.
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Either watch the short video clip about Kristallnacht from PBS or read the background article “Kristallnacht, 75 Years Ago”
Main Activity
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Listen to the NPR story
“Bearing Witness to Nazis' Life-Shattering Kristallnacht."
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Watch the interview of Fritz Gluckstein,
a survivor of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.
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Read the fact sheet
“Jewish people’s experiences of discrimination and hate crime in European Union Member States.”
Discussion Questions
(answers can be written or verbally shared):
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What role did Kristallnacht play in the larger Holocaust?
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Describe what happened at Kristallnacht? Have other “Kristallnachts” taken place since 1938? Are there any indications that similar events are happening now? Explain your answers.
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What can we do to prevent another “Kristallnacht”? What can we do as individuals? What can we do as a country?
