Priceless Art, Personal Object, Countless Lives Monument Men Close Reading

The Monuments Men Education Website http://www.monumentsmeneducation.com/

Eisenhower, Hitler, & the Monuments Men
Document-Based Learning for the Classroom
What makes this text complex and worth and Worth Reading?
Quantitative: The ability levels in an Art I can range from a freshman enrolled in LRE English to a senior
enrolled AP English. Using the Flesch-Kincade scale, the Eisenhower document scores a 9.8, making it
suitable for ninth or tenth grade. The Hitler document scores a 16.5 on Flesch-Kincaid s, making it
suitable for eleventh grade; however; when foreign names and terms are removed, the score changes to
12.1, also making it suitable for ninth or tenth graders.
Qualitative: Both documents are examples of the formal language in government documents.
Reader and Task: These two documents could l be read as either an anticipatory activity a follow up to
the movie Monuments Men and should add to their understanding of the movie. Even though the
documents are complex, they are brief, helping to elevate student frustration.
In a war, commanders must balance their directives, the realities on the ground, and the needs of their
men in the face of resistance by the enemy. During World War II, the cultural treasures of Europe were
under threat as Adolf Hitler wanted to strip the cultural heritage of his enemies away to weaken their
spirit. He directed his forces to confiscate Europes greatest works of art for the benefit of the Nazi
Party. Trying to simultaneously liberate and protect Europe, the Allies, under the command of General
Dwight D. Eisenhower, sought to safeguard Europes art and culture within the realities of war. The
Monuments Men formed as a special unit with the objective to save as much of Europes material
culture from Nazi destruction as possible. In this lesson, students will use primary sources to compare
the objectives of each side and reflect on the significance of a societys cultural heritage.
OBJECTIVE: By reading documents from General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adolf Hitler, students will
be able to describe the significance of art and cultural symbols to a society and be able to
differentiate the points of view of each leader as to the treatment of art and culture.
GRADE LEVEL: 7-12
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: ELA Anchor Standards for Reading:
CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical
inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the text.
CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices
shape meaning or tone.

Directions: Read the two documents provided. Using your own paper, answer each question below with
either one or two complete sentences. Answers that are not complete sentences will be given only half
credit.

Eisenhower:
1. What does Eisenhower mean when he says to respect the monuments as far as war allows?
R4
2. What Eisenhower mean when he refers to military necessity and military convenience?
R4
Hitler:
1. According to the decree, where in the occupied territories can Nazis search and confiscate
artifacts and property?
R1
2. Why does Hitler decree that Jewish possessions are ownerless?
R1
3. Why do you think the Nazis were so interested in looting culturally significant artifacts? Cite
evidence from the text.
R1
Eisenhower vs Hitler
1 How do these two documents differ in their instructions on the treatment of monuments
and artifacts? Cite evidence from the text.
R1, R 6
Art and Monuments in the United States
Protecting art and monuments from invading armies is nothing new. During the War of 1812,
First Lady Dolley Madison ordered servants to load Gilbert Stuarts portrait of George Washington onto
her carriage as she fled from the city, which was being invaded by the British, who intent on burning it
to the ground.
In todays world the two biggest threats to our nations sovereignty come from two main
sources: radical Islam and Communist nations such as Russia, China, and North Korea. Look at the
Power Point of the works of noteworthy American artists and answer the questions below.
1. Which work of art do you believe that Islamic extremists would most want to destroy and why?
2. Which work of art would Communist nations would most want to confiscate and why?
3. Which work of art do you believe most deserves to be protected and why?










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