Grade Level(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/History
• Social Studies/World History/Holocaust

This lesson leads to a greater understanding of the dehumanization that took place during the Holocaust and can be used as introductory lesson in an English classroom or Social Studies classroom. Students generally understand the physical effects that the Holocaust had on people, but this lesson helps them understand the emotional and psychological effects that occurred through the dehumanization of individuals.

Students discuss what an individual needs in order to exist and in order to exist happily, and they analyze the different types of human needs - physical, emotional, intellectual, etc.. Students discuss the possible impact of having these basic needs unfulfilled.

Objectives:

Students will:

• create their own Hierarchy of Needs similar to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• examine the chronology of decrees which revoked the rights of the Jewish population and discuss the impact these laws would have on an individual based on the needs of an individual (social, emotional, physical, etc.)

I've taught this lesson as described here with older groups. With younger groups and lower ability groups, you might choose to begin with Part B and/or reading the chronology to give them ideas about things people need.

Part A

1. Have students work independently to list their response to: What do you need to live?

2. Have students add to this list: What do you need to live happily?

3. List all responses on the board and discuss why each of these items is needed (friends for companionship and security; pets for companionship; radio for entertainment and information, etc...).

4. Build a hierarchy of needs on the board as a class, categorizing the types of needs. (Begin with the absolute basics as the first level of the hierarchy - food, water, air, etc... which would be categorized as Basic Physical Needs and build from there, letting students determine what category and needs are second most important)

5. Discuss the needs as you build the hierarchy.

Part B

1. Distribute this handout and have students complete it independently:

Rights & Freedoms

Think of the freedom the following rights allow you and your family, and think of the ways you and your family would be affected if these rights were revoked. Remember that if they were revoked, this would mean giving up things you already have.

Rank these rights from 1 to 6 -- 1 being MOST important to you.

The Right To...

____ own or use a public telephone

____ date/marry whomever you choose

____ own a radio, CD player, Nintendo...

____ own a pet

____ go to a movie or concert

____ leave your house whenever you choose (you would still be able to leave the house, but there would be strict limitations on when you could go out.)

1A. Optional - Have students work in small groups to discuss their decisions and work to come to a consensus to re-rank the rights as a group.

2. Share the individual or small group responses and discuss their rationales.

3. Discuss the laws that revoked many rights of individuals - see brief listing below (CHRONOLOGY). For an excellent resource with a complete chronology, see the novel Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter published by Puffin Books, 1987.

4. Discuss ways an individual would be affected through the revoking of rights and freedoms. Discuss dehumanization in the concentration camps.

Chronology

1933 - all non-Aryan civil servants forcibly retired; Kosher butchering outlawed; German nationality can be revoked from those considered "undesirable"

1934 - Jewish newspapers can no longer be sold in the streets; Jews deprived of the status of citizenship; marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Aryans forbidden

1936 - Jews no longer have the right to vote

1937 - passport for Jews for travel abroad greatly restricted

1938 - Jews must carry id. cards and Jewish passports are marked with a J; Jews may no longer own or bear arms; Jews may no longer head businesses; Jews may no longer attend plays, concerts, etc.; all Jewish children are moved to Jewish schools; all Jewish businesses are shut down; Jews may no longer be in certain places at certain times; Jews must hand over drivers' licenses and car registrations; Jews must sell their businesses and hand over securities and jewels; Jews may no longer attend universities

1939 - Jews must follow curfews; Jews must turn in radios to the police; Jews must wear yellow stars of David

1940 - Jews may no longer have phones; German Jews begin being taken into "protective custody" - deported to concentration camps

1941 - Jews may not leave their houses without permission from the police; Jews may no longer use public telephones