Week of November 17-- Is it starting to feel like a balancing act???

I know that you all have felt pretty stressed out lately and it probably feels like a balancing act. I feel the same way. But the high stress days and huge assignments are really behind us now. We have a test and seminar this week, relaxed week next week, then a big presentation and test with the following unit (Vietnam), then debates (which you will LOVE), then a nine week test. That's it!!! Book chats (easy!) and journals are the only major grades other the the previous ones. Your high pressure days are behind you. Now you just need to dig in and finish strong, okay?

I am in shock that we are already at the end of the 4.5 weeks of the SECOND NINE WEEKS! I really have had a great semester with you guys and I have been most impressed with you reactions to the Holocaust unit. I absolutely cannot wait until this Friday to get to hear Mr. Dorris.

Monday, November 17
Read Night

Tuesday, November 18
Read Night

Wednesday, November 19
Night Seminar
Holocaust Test

Thursday, November 20
Culminating activity

Friday, November 21
Mr. James Dorris, Holocaust Liberator

Kristallnacht- The November 1938 Pogroms

If you are interested in learning more about Kristallnacht, check out the link above to the USHMM online exhibition. Again, feel free to leave any comments. For example, why were their places of worship attacked? Can you think of other examples in history where places of worship were attacked?

Father Patrick DesBois

I read this afternoon about a French priest who has taken on the mission of discovering every mass grave of Jews in the Ukraine. It is a pretty interesting story and the link to the NY TImes article is below. I am also linking a podcast (below that) from the USHMM about it.

NY Times article:


Podcast:


If you read the article or listen to the podcast, I would love to hear your thoughts on it. These would have been the victims of the mobile killing squads we talked about today.

What is the importance of knowing where someone is buried, of having an actual grave to visit? Why do people return to the scene of accidents and deaths? Why are these things so important to us as humans?

Week of November 10

I have been so impressed by your attention thus far to the Holocaust unit I certainly think that the further we go into this unit will really enlighten you.

Monday, November 10
Nazi Germany notes
Children of the Holocaust (butterfly activity)

Tuesday, November 11
Final solution notes
Finish photo activities
Finish butterfly activity

Wednesday, November 12
PLAN test

Thursday, November 13
Responsibility Discussion
Triangle
Rescue, Resistance, and Liberation

Friday, November 14
Read Night
DUE: Journals

Photo Activity

I did not book the computer lab in enough time, so I need you all to do something for me between now and Monday, the 10th.

First of all, jot down three words that you relate to every day life. These words might be eating, sleeping, shopping, playing outside, playing sports, reading, school, etc.

Then, please go to the below website:
http://www.ushmm.org/research/collections/search/ph_catalog.php

At this site, you will find a place to enter a search term into the field and hit search. Enter one of the words you jotted down. It will pull up a list of photos with thumbnails. Scroll through the photos until you find one that really speaks to you. (Please don't just pick the first one you come to!) You might want to search each of your three words. Pick TWO photos that you really like. You need to pick photos that were taken PRIOR TO the camps and ghettos, of everyday Jewish life. (There are descriptions on most of the photos that will let you know that information.)

Once you have selected two that fit the above requirements, please copy and paste them onto a sheet of paper and print them out (they will be black and white). I typically have some questions for you to answer, but since you are doing this at home, we will skip that part.

Bring these printed photos with you on Monday. This is for a grade.

Honor to Whom Honor is Due

You all might have noticed that I changed the song on the blog. I just thought that with Veteran's Day coming up next week, Election Day today, and beginning the Holocaust unit, this would be a great time to reflect on the honor we owe our veterans and current armed forces personnel. You guys will see as we go through this unit how blessed we are to live in America. The rights that we enjoy (the same rights which were taken from the Jews in Nazi Germany) are protected by our military personnel. Your political persuasions don't come into play, your personal opinions about our current war don't matter, and your like or dislike for the way our country is run has nothing to do with the fact that we are a blessed people. Next week, you will be writing a thank you letter to veteran. The week after that, you will hear from a liberator of a concentration camp. I would like for you to spend some time between now and those two days and reflect on what it means to be American, and what kind of a debt of gratitude we owe to people like that.

Week of November 3

Election Week! No matter who you are voting for, this is such an exciting week for our country! We are so blessed that we have the right to vote and that the change of power takes place in such a peaceful way. (AND you get a day off this week! What can be better than that?)

This week is also the start of our Holocaust unit. Holocaust education is really my passion and I am so anxious to share this with you. We are especially lucky to hear first-hand from a Holocaust survivor. Your children will never have that opportunity.

Monday, November 3
Star of David Activity

Tuesday, November 4
OFF!!!

Wednesday, November 5
Holocaust Intro, notes, chronology
DUE: Creative essay

Thursday, November 6
Victim groups, propaganda

Friday, November 7
Photo activity, Nazi Germany notes, Veteran's letter
DUE: Essay packet