Arianna Tucker

ELED 3223
Teacher Brief
The Holocaust
Introduction:
My topic is on the significance of the Holocaust and the lasting impact it
has had on our nation in many ways, and how to portray this topic to sixth grade
students. The topic on the Holocaust will inform individuals about how the
holocaust vastly effected the way we now view prejudice acts and dictatorship
beliefs. In my research we will be exploring three critical questions on the
Holocaust. The three critical questions are: how has the holocaust changed
things in the world, what does it mean to be prejudice, and how can you take a
stand?
History/Reasoning:
The Holocaust was an event that occurred during World War 2, which
resulted in the killing of 6 million Jews (World War II). Adolf Hitler the leader of
Germany had a hatred for Jews and was on the quest for a specific Aryan race
(World War II). Hitler hated Jews because he blamed them for Germanys defeat
in World War 1.

Hitler and the German Nazi army would force Jewish people

into ghettos. A ghetto is on section of a town in Europe that would be

surrounded by barbed wire and limited on food supply by the Nazi army (World

War II). Jewish people in ghettos were forced with a big decision they could be
caught and sent to concentration camps or chance hiding with non-Jewish
families. Concentration camps were places were the Jewish people would
eventually go to after being taken to the ghetto. The Jewish people were told
they were just going to be relocated but that is not where they were going at all.
The Jews were forced to do hard labor and the weak were quickly killed or died
of starvation. Some camps even had gas chambers (World War II).
Concentration camps were horrible places, the Jews were all required to shave
their heads and were given tattoos and that was now how they were identified.
Anne Franks Perspective:
Children were sometimes disguised as non-Jewish and had to maintain this
during the Holocaust. If you could not pass as non-Jewish you could go into
hiding. Most people hid in attics or cellars as families. A popular story about
hiding during the Holocaust is Anne Franks diary. Anne Frank wrote this diary
while her family was hiding in an attic for two years. Anne spends most of her
life in a terrible time when Jews were persecuted; yet, her belief in the goodness
of people is amazing. She states several times in her journal, even when the
family is in hiding from those who want to kill them, that she still believes that
people are inherently good (The Diary of Anne Frank Notes). In Annes journal
she writes about what it feels like to have to be quiet and hide for so long. She
writes about how lonely and boring things got but also about how happy she was
that she was able to stay hidden with her family. She also writes about what she
wants to do in the future and what she hopes to do with her journal when the war

is over. Her father later published Annes journal, he was the only one that
survived the war. Annes journal gives us a great insight on what things felt like
during that time. Anne wrote in her journal "I've reached the point where I hardly
care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can't
do anything to change events anyway. I'll just let matters take their course and
concentrate on studying and hope that everything will be all right in the end. She
also writes about their family friends being taken away "Our many Jewish friends
and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treating them
very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in
Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews....If it's that bad in Holland, what
must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are
sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English
radio says they're being gassed" (Diary Excerpts). Anne died at a concentration
camp in March at the age of 15 (Anne Frank). It is hard to imagine hiding for so
long and being so fearful. Anne Franks diary provides us with a primary source
of what things felt like during the holocaust.
Changing the World:
The Holocaust has changed the world, after the holocaust Recognition
that the protection of human rights is an international concern expanded
dramatically with the 1948 adoption by the United Nations of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (World War II). This means that human rights are
now experienced all over the world as a result of what happened during the
Holocaust. The Holocaust still has a lasting impact on todays world. The

government now gives power to the people, so that dictatorships dont happen. A
dictatorship is a country, government, or the form of government in which
absolute power is exercised by a dictator (Dictionary). If we as a nation do not
allow dictatorships to take power, things like the Holocaust will never happen
again. Every person has a voice and opinion we can all change the world with
that.
Prejudice:
The holocaust happened because the German Nazis were prejudice
toward the Jewish population. To be prejudice means, to have a preconceived
opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience (Dictionary). The Nazis
were prejudice toward Jewish people because Hitler considered Jewish people
to be less than human. He wanted to use Darwinism and breeding to create a
race of perfect people (World War II 2016). This shows the results of what being
prejudice can do. Every person in this world is different and we need to
understand that and be able to accept others the way they are. Just because
someone is different doesnt mean they are all the same, get to know someone
before making preconceived notions.
Prejudice Prevention:
We can stop bad things like the Holocaust from happening just by taking a
stand. When you dont agree with something going on you should always speak
up. Werner Erhard defines taking a stand by A powerful way of being that
can enable an individual to have an impact in the course of humanity

(Sustainable Action Leadership, 2008). I think this is important for the

individuals to see that this event didnt have to take place. The
Holocaust couldve been stopped. Individuals can take a stand
against anything, we as people need to stand up for what is right. If
you dont agree with something or dont want to be apart of
something you should step into action and stop things from
happening. Taking a stand against something is easy, you just need
reasons to back your stand up and others may or may not support
you.
Conclusion:
The main ideas about the holocaust that I would like individuals
to know is why the Holocaust happened, what does it mean to be
prejudice, and how can we as people stop bad things from happening
by taking a stand? I think some other questions that can be covered
about the holocaust would be how many Nazis were brought to
justice after the Holocaust? How many people survived the
holocaust? I think this topic is very important to learn about because it
combines global and local connections, by increasing the importance
of diversity and equality within the nation we live in.

References
Anne Frank. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2016, from
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/women_leaders/anne_frank.php
Diary Excerpts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from
http://annefrank.com/about-anne-frank/diary-excerpts/
Dictionary.com (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dictatorship
Guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust. (n.d.). Retrieved February
14, 2016, from http://www.ushmm.org/educators/teaching-about-theholocaust/general-teaching-guidelines
Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust. (2016). Retrieved
February 26, 2016, from https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?
ModuleId=10006123
Sustainable Action Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2016, from
http://coralrose.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/what-does-it-re.html
The Diary of Anne Frank Notes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/daf/#gsc.tab=0
World War II. (n.d.). Retrieved February 29, 2016,
fromhttp://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/holocaust.php