My annotated bibliography focuses on a 9th grade English class reading Night. The unit will begin with an overview of the Holocaust and WWII in Europe. The students will complete reading guides as they progress through the text. Challenging vocabulary will be introduced at the beginning of each chapter. Students will read other personal testimonies captured in texts about the Holocaust to expose them to different aspects of that event not covered in Night. Students will complete a multi-phase composition activity in which they write a personal narrative of their experience in the Holocaust. At the conclusion of our unit of study, students will research genocides that have occurred since the Holocaust. They will complete a group research project which will be presented to the class.
The texts I have selected will assist the average ability student by providing them with accessible materials to further their knowledge about the ideas presented in class. The use of a text that is broken into important snippets of information will assist students struggling with understanding the complexities of the Holocaust. Also the use of pictures will help them understand what Elie’s world looked like. The use of internet sites will allow students to interact with the information in a medium they enjoy. This will also allow them to access information on the Holocaust whenever they want. Finally, though Night is not written at a high reading level, it does cover material that is challenging and places the reader in a world with which they are completely unfamiliar. Through the guided texts relaying personal stories from the Holocaust, students can access personal testimonies on the subject while receiving some guidance from the author on the background and what it all means.
United states holocaust memorial museum. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://www.ushmm.org/
This website is accessible to ninth grade students due to its use of clearly defined tabs and links, and it is easy to find information through said tabs and links or through the very effective search bar.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website provides a plethora of information on the Holocaust and genocide. It is divided into different sections: museum, education, research, history, remembrance, genocide, support, and connect. In each section, there are different tools to use to find any information you could ever want to know about the Holocaust and the Holocaust museum. Of particular interest are the education, history, and genocide sections. In the education section, there are resources dedicated to students and teachers. The teacher section walks through how to teach about the Holocaust and provides activities for the classroom, including lesson plans and guides for online exhibits. The student section offers concise articles about Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust, the causes of the Holocaust, the causes of WWII, how the war and the Holocaust enfolded, and much more. There are timelines, photographs, maps, artifacts, films, online activities and many personal testimonies. The history section provides a great introduction to the Holocaust and a Holocaust encyclopedia, which provides articles on specific topics related to the Holocaust in a variety of languages. It also links to the mapping initiative, which uses Google Earth and other maps to present a visual representation of the Holocaust and current genocides in an effort to inform and engage its visitors. The genocide section of the website provides information on other genocides throughout the world. It provides a clear, succinct definition of genocide, offers warning signs, covers genocides that have occurred, are occurring, and countries that are at risk of genocide. Information is relayed through articles, timelines, photos, videos, podcasts, blogs, and online exhibits. This section also greatly encourages taking action to prevent genocide. It provides links to advocacy groups and many outside resources to further your education on genocide.
I will utilize this site throughout our study of Night to assist my students in their understanding of the Holocaust, WWII, and other genocides. At first, the site will be used to ensure all students are aware of the general development of WWII and the Holocaust. Students will complete a worksheet based off the “Introduction to the Holocaust” and “World War II in Europe” articles. We will then use the site, along with in-class trade books, to create a timeline charting the development of the Holocaust in Europe versus the life of Elie in Night. As students begin to explore other personal stories of the Holocaust, the site will be used to view personal testimonies from Holocaust survivors surrounding certain occurrences. These personal testimonies will also be used to bring to life certain events Elie faces during the Holocaust. As he enters the concentration camp, the students will view Leo Schneiderman’s piece describing his arrival at Auschwitz, selection, and separation from his family, and Lilly Appelbaum Lublin Malnik’s account of her registration in Auschwitz. Students will be encouraged to use the site on their own to develop a greater depth of knowledge on the Holocaust, WWII, and history in general as these events still affect the world today. The final use for the website will be for their research project on genocide since the Holocaust. Students will work in groups to explore a specific area in the world that has seen or is experiencing genocide. Using the articles, links, maps, videos, and photos they will investigate genocide in their region, concentrating on reasons for the genocide, the world’s response during the genocide, the end result of the genocide on the country and the world, and present an idea on how to have stopped, or stop, this particular genocide. Students will have the option to present this information in a newscast, blog, wiki space, PowerPoint presentation, research paper or brochure.
Wood, A. G. (2007). Holocaust: the events and their impact on real people. New York: DK Publishing. 1090L Lexile = 8th to 9th grade reading level
Holocaust: the events and their impact on real people is a book that chronicles the lives of Jews in Europe before, during and after the Holocaust. Broken into seven chapters, each chapter begins with a short recap of the chapter’s ideas and a timeline of events surrounding the topic of the chapter. Each chapter relies on visuals, in the form of photographs, advertisements, paintings, maps and charts, to move the reader through the subject matter. Interviews and quotes are also used to connect the reader to the personal experiences of the people living through these times. The first chapter, The Jews of Europe, examines the history of the Jewish population in Europe, including the origins of Judaism, their lives and the development of Jewish towns, and the history of anti-Semitism. The second chapter focuses on Nazi rule in Europe from the end of the Great War to the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich, ending on World War II. Chapter three chronicles the development of and life inside the ghettos. Chapter four covers the mass murders that occurred during the Holocaust. It covers the labor, concentration and death camps, Jewish populations in certain areas of Europe, and the final solution. Chapter five focuses on the Holocaust victims attempt to escape their Nazi determined fate. Efforts made by Jews and non-Jews to protect the victims by escape, hiding, and community or governmental intervention are relayed, along with the actions of those in the concentration camps to stay alive or determine their own fate. Chapter six details the end of the war, by describing the final days of internment, the liberation of Holocaust victims and the challenges Jews faced as they reentered the world. The final chapter, the Aftermath, speaks to the damage the Holocaust caused to the world and the survivors. It also addresses the efforts made to bring the perpetrators to justice and compensate the victims. It concludes with an examination of lessons learned from this tragic event. The book also provides a DVD of personal testimonies that were used throughout the book.
Holocaust is a wonderful resource to use in the classroom. Some students will have a hard time following along with the events in Night and picturing what Elie is recounting in their minds. This book provides a wide range of images to bring the time period to life for my students. It is also a great resource to answer some of those larger questions the students may have; “why did the Nazi’s pick out the Jews” and “what happened to them after the war.” This book is also a quick read. Students who may get overwhelmed completing website activities or reading larger database articles on the Holocaust can sit down with this book and find information very easily. I will rely on this book throughout our study of Night for this purpose. I will also refer to the timelines in the front of each chapter to assist in our class completion of our Jews in Europe versus Elie’s life timeline. I will again, use the personal testimonies on the DVD to highlight key events in Elie’s life as we encounter them. When Elie lives in the ghettos, the class will view Thea Rumstein’s account of her life in the Theresienstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia to show the hardships many other victims faced. Finally, I will use the first chapter on Jews in Europe to build knowledge of Jewish life before the Holocaust during an in-class research activity geared at broadening our understanding of the Holocaust outside of Elie’s life in Night.
Altman, L. J. (2010). Hidden teens, hidden lives: primary sources from the holocaust. USA: Enslow Publishers. 6.8 Flesch-Kincaid = 6th grade, 8 months
Hidden teens, hidden lives: primary sources from the holocaust is a book that recounts the stories of Jewish teens who attempted to hide during the Holocaust. Through her exploration of countless documents about the Holocaust and accounts of those who tried to escape, some successful, others not, Altman weaves a story of the Holocaust from its inception to its deadly end that is informative and easy to follow. The book begins by introducing Hitler’s rise and the Jewish discussion surrounding his plans. It then details different preparations Jews took to survive the Nazi terror, such as attempting to leave their countries, building hideouts and collecting goods necessary for survival. The book also discusses the difficulties in interpreting Nazi actions which lead to many Jews attempting to hide too early or waiting too long. The story continues as it discusses hardships one faced while hiding. Obstacles to overcome included looking Jewish, cramped and dangerous hideouts, using secret knocks and communication to survive, and relying on non-Jews to keep one safe which risked their own lives. Next, Altman relays how many Jews hid in plain sight. She recounts how Jews obtained false papers, learned how to play the role of the gentile and hide their fear of being caught by the Gestapo. The book then discusses the gentiles who assisted the young Jewish children and teens in their escape of persecution and death. It describes the danger these people faced by helping the Jews and also the extreme gratitude the Jews felt toward them. It also reveals that some did so out of friendship and kindness, while others did so for financial reward. Next, the book chronicles the lives of those Jews who joined the resistance against the Nazis by entering the underground movement and becoming forest dwellers when their towns were liquidated. Their struggles are retold, including the danger the civilians posed to them while they hid from the Nazi eye. The final chapter of the book speaks to the struggles the hidden Jewish teens had when they were allowed to come out of hiding. Their stories of confusion with identity and challenges to rebuild their lives provide the reader with the lasting impression the Holocaust had on all those who witnessed it.
This book will be a great resource in the classroom. Night focuses on one boy’s story as he makes his way through the ghettos and concentration camps. Hidden teens, hidden lives will give my class the chance to experience the victims of the Holocaust in a whole new way. It offers perspectives of men and women that attempt escape. They are all also children or teens at the time which will allow my students to connect to their stories. The typeface is larger so it is physically easy to read the book. The form of the book as a story with interviews inserted, allows firsthand accounts to be paired with author connections that make the material more accessible. In the classroom, I will use this book in a variety of ways. First, I will relate stories from the book to the events of Elie’s life. One story that sticks out is that of Fela Steinberg beginning on page 7. The students can compare the preparations of Fela’s family with that of Elie’s as they live in the ghetto. As mentioned with the previous book, students with complete an in-class research activity to broaden their understanding of the Holocaust. Students will use certain stories from this book to complete a worksheet on Jews who lived in hiding during the Holocaust. In particular, they will read and answer questions on two of the following four sections: Emergency Hideouts on page 27, Trapped in Hiding on page 45, Accidental Sunlight on page 71, and A Matter of Life or Death on page 97. This book will also serve as a resource as the students write their personal narratives of their Holocaust. By reading stories of teens who suffered the particular fate they ascribe themselves, students will be able to create a more accurate and descriptive narrative.
Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler youth: growing up in hitler's shadow. USA: Scholastic. 1050L Lexile = 7th to 9th grade reading level
Hitler Youth: growing up in hitler’s shadow gives a voice to the youth growing up in Germany during the rise of Adolf Hitler who were sought after to strengthen the Nazi party. It tells of those who eagerly joined the Hitler Youth, their reasons for joining and their lives while in the organization. It also addresses those who left and started anti-Nazi movements, and it shows the lives of Jews during the reign of the Third Reich. Bartoletti follows the events of the Holocaust sequentially through the lives of many youths with particular on twelve individuals. She begins with the tale of Herbert Norkus, a Hitler Youth member who was beaten and stabbed to death by communist supporters in 1932. His death was used as a rallying cry for the Nazi party to recruit many more youth to their organization. The book then discusses Hitler’s rise to power, showing how Hitler used great showmanship in his speeches and parades to entice youth over to his side and made grand promises that played on German desperation. The following chapter covers the organization of the Hitler Youth. It reveals that the Nazis used propaganda posters and the appeal of fun, adventure, uniforms, special radio broadcasts and peer led squadrons to draw Aryan German children into their program. This chapter also discusses the training exercises of the Hitler Youth and the importance of solidarity, discipline and obedience. It reveals that initially German society and the world viewed the Hitler Youth as a worthwhile institution that was making intelligent, physically fit, disciplined children with pride in their country. The following chapter delves into Nazi education. It discusses the control the Nazis had over schools, using them to entice new members to the Hitler Youth and training Aryan German students to view the Jewish as inferior. It also discusses the rise of Hitler schools and restrictions that were put on the everyday citizen, including the burning of blacklisted books. In subsequent chapters, Bartoletti discusses how the Hitler Youth were used to prepare for and assist in the war effort on the frontlines, in the Jewish camps, and as workers filling empty jobs. Other chapters focus on the persecution of the Jews, starting at the beginning with the closing of Jewish shops to gentiles, the introduction of identification cards and Kristallnacht, and following on to the limitation of emigration, the mass killings by the SS, and the deportation of Jews to ghettos and then camps. The book also discusses how the Nazi’s focused their propaganda and murderous efforts on the extermination of physically and mentally disabled people at the beginning of the Holocaust. Bartoletti also tells the story of the youth in Germany who resisted Nazi rule, and were often imprisoned and killed for their clandestine efforts.
This book has a lot to offer a class reading Night. Again, it is an additional resource to reveal more about the world Elie was living in during the Holocaust. It also helps answer the question, why did people go along with Hitler? Many students will not understand the climate in which World War II and the Holocaust are set. Hitler youth will provide them with insight. Also, students in my class may be able to identify with the stories the youths reveal about how Hitler enticed them. In particular, I will have students use this book during the in-class research activity to broaden their knowledge of the non-Jews during the Holocaust. Varying viewpoints allow a reader to develop a deeper understanding on any topic. Students will read and answer questions on Melita Maschmann’s account that details excitement over Hitler’s appointment as chancellor on pages 15-20, Karl Schnibbe’s account on his induction into the Hitler Youth on pages 23-24 and a glimpse at Nazi education on pages 39 and 42. This book also offers students more information on which to base their personal narrative, and, perhaps a few students will opt to write their piece from the eyes of a non-Jewish youth.
Great source iwrite (2006). Retrieved December 12, 2001, from http://www.greatsource.com/iwrite/
This website is accessible to ninth grade students because it has a colorful visual appearance and easy to navigate tabs and links.
Great Source iwrite is a website that focuses on the writing process. It is broken into three sections: educators, students and their parents. In each section, the audience is provided with resources to facilitate effective writing skills, primarily in five specific forms of writing: narrative, persuasive, expository, research and response to literature. Iwrite provides templates, tutorials, graphic organizers, videos and a grammar handbook to illustrate how to write effectively in each form. There is also a section on the writing process that provides a walk-through of each of the four steps, prewriting, writing, revising and editing. The six traits of effective writing are also a main focus of iwrite. This website is a great source for writing instruction and it is simple enough that once introduced, students could explore it on their own to assist their writing out of class.
I will use this website at various times throughout our unit on Night. I will first introduce this website in class. As my students will be exploring a personal narrative in my unit, I will use the website to review the characteristics of narrative writing and later introduce different graphic organizers to assist them in completing their own narrative writing piece. I will utilize the website to cover the writing progress as they progress through the assignment. I will also use the website to cover grammar. After I have introduced the website to the students, I would encourage them to review the site at home for assistance with their writing assignments. If all students have easy access to the Internet on a daily basis, I will assign reviews of certain aspects of writing as homework to prepare them for the next day's activity. I will finally use this site as the class tackles their research projects. I will introduce our project through the research writing tutorial. As students begin their research, I will present them with a modified version of the gathering grid graphic organizer to help them organize their findings. I will also encourage the students to review the website when completing their works cited page.
I will use this website at various times throughout our unit on Night. I will first introduce this website in class. As my students will be exploring a personal narrative in my unit, I will use the website to review the characteristics of narrative writing and later introduce different graphic organizers to assist them in completing their own narrative writing piece. I will utilize the website to cover the writing progress as they progress through the assignment. I will also use the website to cover grammar. After I have introduced the website to the students, I would encourage them to review the site at home for assistance with their writing assignments. If all students have easy access to the Internet on a daily basis, I will assign reviews of certain aspects of writing as homework to prepare them for the next day's activity. I will finally use this site as the class tackles their research projects. I will introduce our project through the research writing tutorial. As students begin their research, I will present them with a modified version of the gathering grid graphic organizer to help them organize their findings. I will also encourage the students to review the website when completing their works cited page.
