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Rationale: The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn about the life of a Holocaust rescuer, Giovanni Palatucci, who took extraordinary risks to rescue Jews from persecution and death. (Palatucci was later captured by the Nazis and sent to Dachau, where he died just two months before the camp was liberated in 1945). This lesson plan encourages students to consider Giovanni Palatucci's motivations for his heroic actions, and to learn about the actions of other Righteous Among the Nations. Students are challenged to consider whether the motivation to be an ally is within the reach of every human being, regardless of religious or cultural differences. Objectives:
National Standards:
Civics History Language Arts Life Skills Age Range: Grades 8 – 10 Requirements:
Handouts/Supporting Documents:  Handouts/Supporting Documents:
(Click on the link above for a master pdf file with all of the handouts or click on any individual title below for an html version of that single handout.) Time: 45-60 minutes or 1 class period for Part I. Part I engages students in an activity that can serve as a stand alone class exercise appropriate for younger students with an introductory understanding of the Holocaust. Parts II and III may also serve as stand alone exercises, but times will vary dependent upon individual research and writing assignments incorporated in the lesson. Parts II and III are designed for more advanced classes that seek to expand on their knowledge of the Holocaust and the altruistic responses of rescuers and resistors. Educators are encouraged to read through all parts of this lesson to determine the most appropriate activities for their grade level. Techniques and Skills: analyzing biographical documents, analyzing maps, case study, connecting past to present, conducting ethnography, cooperative group work, critical thinking, forming opinions, historical understanding, large and small group discussion, reading skills, research skills, using the Internet, writing skills Key Words: ally, ambassador, anti-Semitism, attorney, Auschwitz, collaborators, commuted, concentration camp, conspiracy, consul, Dachau, deportation, detainment, emigrated, exile, extermination camp, Gestapo, Holocaust, impending, indifference, inspector, internment camp, Nazi, occupy, persecution, port, Provincial of the Franciscan Order, refugee, rescuer, righteous, stereotype, treason, tyranny, visa Procedures: Note: It is important that students have an introductory level understanding and knowledge of the Holocaust before proceeding with this lesson. The following links provide background information that may be useful:
Part I (45-60 minutes or 1 class period) 1. Read the following quote to students, and hold a class discussion using some of the questions provided below:
"The road to Auschwitz was built by hate, but paved with indifference." - Ian Kershaw 2. Divide students into groups of 4. 3. Instruct students that they will begin learning about the different motivations of Holocaust rescuers by studying the life of one Holocaust rescuer who refused to remain indifferent, and consequently saved thousands of Jewish lives. Distribute the following handouts, one to each student: A Biography of Giovanni Palatucci (1909 - 1945) (357 Kb) and Glossary of Terms. (90 Kb) 4. Ask each group to read through Giovanni Palatucci's biography, and to discuss the following questions in their groups:
5. Once students have read the biography and discussed their answers, hold a class discussion using the following questions:
Part II (Time for independent assignments and group work will vary) 6. Inform students that each group member will have an opportunity to conduct a research study to compare and contrast the acts of resistance of four different Holocaust rescuers, and their different motivations to be allies. Inform students that within their groups of 4, they will each be responsible for independently researching and writing a short biography (1-2 pages) on the four Holocaust rescuers listed below (Step 7), one per group member. Students will conduct independent library and internet research, and will complete their writing assignments as homework. Students will then return to their groups upon completion of their individual assignments to compare and contrast biographies using discussion questions provided below (Step 8). 7. Distribute one copy of the Short List of Resources for Research on Holocaust Rescuers (48 Kb) handout to each student to aid their independent research process. Group members should collaboratively decide which of the four Holocaust rescuers each student will research. A. Oskar Schindler B. Renee Scott C. Chiune-Sempo Sugihara D. Raoul Wallenberg Within the body of each biography, students should seek to incorporate answers to the following questions:
8. Once students have completed their writing assignments, ask each group to reconvene, and compare the biographies of the Holocaust rescuers. Groups should compare and discuss their responses to the following questions:
9. Hold a class discussion and chart responses using the following questions:
10. Give the following journal assignment to each student for homework:
Read the following two quotes, and write in your journals a response to the questions below: There are two kinds of heroism, the one that arises from an unexpected need or impulse, and Palatucci's: an everyday heroism that repeats and confirms itself to the certainty of danger to which it risks. The chief of police could not have ignored the risk and he was too involved in the security mechanism not to realize. He acted knowing that he was heading to his own sacrifice; for him, it was merit to give his life for just one man - Amos Luzzatto, Former President, Group of Italian Jewish Communities I have a chance to do a little bit of good, and people are truly grateful to me for it…Apart from this, there is nothing special about me to tell you. - Giovanni Palatucci Part III (Time for group work and individual projects will vary) 11. Hold a class discussion on the following questions:
12. Explain to students that a memorial was created in Israel to honor the heroes that risked their own lives to save Jewish lives, and to commemorate the six million Jews that perished during the Holocaust. Ask students if they have heard of, or know what "Yad Vashem" means? (If they do not know, tell students that Yad Vashem means "monument" or "memorial"). Explain that in 1963, Yad Vashem formed a commission to officially appoint the title "Righteous Among the Nations" to any person who faced personal danger and risk to save the lives of others during the Holocaust. 13. Divide students into their original groups of 4. Ask students to visit the website of Yad Vashem to research and discuss the questions below. (Note: If it is not possible for students to conduct Internet research in school, print out and distribute pages from the Yad Vashem website. )
14. Inform students that they will have an opportunity to acknowledge and honor the everyday heroes in their own lives. Present the following long-term project to the students: Building a Wall of Honor: Students build a "Wall of Honor" in their classroom (or in another location in their school) for the everyday heroes in their own lives. Inform students that they will choose one person they consider to be an everyday hero, and will develop a short ethnography and/or a documentary about that person. Students may use the Short Guide to Writing an Ethnography (89 Kb)handout as a guide for conducting an ethnography of their everyday hero; it may also be used as a guide for students who choose to interview their everyday hero on film. Students then create a photo collage wall exhibit displaying their everyday heroes. In addition to photos, the collage may include primary documents, short descriptions about the everyday heroes, and any other artifacts relevant to their lives. For students who choose to conduct a documentary of their everyday hero, the films may also be shown in class. Follow-up Topics & Activities: 1. Assign readings with first-hand accounts of Holocaust rescuers, such as In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer (Random House, ISBN: 0385720327) or TO SAVE A LIFE: STORIES OF HOLOCAUST RESCUE (University of Illinois Press, ISBN: 0-252-02515-6) 2. Assign readings about the country-wide effort in Denmark to save Danish Jews during the Holocaust, such as Darkness over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews (Holiday House, ISBN: 0823414477), or Number the Stars (Laurel Leaf Books, ISBN: 0440227534).  |
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