Text Set #3

 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2006) by John Boyne

To buy this book on Amazon.com, click here.

1. Virtual Tour of Holocaust Concentration Camp, Aushwitz/Birkenau

http://www.remember.org/auschwitz/index.html

Note: You might need to install Quicktime or Flash Player if you don’t already have it on your computer.  Also, music plays, so students need to wear headphones or have their computers on mute.  The music definitely adds a certain emotional element to an already emotional experience.  Also, one picture—the aerial view of the camp “could not be found” on my computer.  If this happens to you too, I would go ahead and mention that to students before they take the tour, or you’ll have 20+ students all telling you when they get to that page.     

Students are able to click on photographs with their mouse, and if they hold the button on the mouse down, they can drag the picture to the left or right to see a 360 degree view.  There is caption to the side of each picture to tell students about each of the areas.  Students explore the camp’s buildings, even the gas chamber and crematorium.  They also get to read about real people from the Holocaust.  I recommend taking this tour yourself before you let your students go to the site.  I don’t think it should be edited down, but depending on your group of students, you’ll probably need to prepare them for what they will see.  Also, I suggest letting students go to the computer lab for this tour rather than doing it whole group.  That way, students can be in charge of their own tour, and they are reading!   ;)

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 8.4

2. Virtual Tour of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/museum/virtual_tour.asp

Note:  Students need headphones.  Again, I suggest letting students go to the computer lab so they can explore this on their own. 

I don’t like this tour as much as I like the Aushwitz/Birkenau tour.  However, if you are willing to search, you can find some great information.  For instance, as I was clicking through pictures in the “Galleries,” to the side of the pictures was a video testimonyfrom a Holocaust survivor, Uri ben Ari.  I suggest finding some “treasures” yourself and presenting this page as a “treasure hunt” sort of project.  Reading through the entire pages would exhaust and overwhelm most students.  Perhaps they could also keep a Word Document Open and copy and paste interesting information or links that they would like to share with the class later. 

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 15

 3. I'm Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust (2008), Lauren Lazin (Director)

To buy this documentary on Amazon.com, click here.

This documentary is, by far, my favorite Holocaust documentary.  It focuses on the youth that were affected during the Holocaust.  Thousands of diaries exist from the Holocaust, not just Anne Frank’s.  Actors read excerpts from these diaries, which were mostly written by teenagers, as their stories are visually represented, sometimes with real photographs and video footage from the Holocaust era. 

Age Group: Upper Middle or High school

4. Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust (2002), Alexandra Zapruder (editor)

To buy this book on Amazon.com, click here.

The diary entries from the documentary that I just mentioned, I’m Still Here, were taken from this book.  Students who were particularly touched by one or several of the diary entries in the documentary might want to read more from the diaries in this book. 


Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: I’m not sure. A student borrowed this book from me and I let her keep it over the summer.  However, it is definitely high school level. 

 

5. Paperclips (2004), Elliot Berlin, Joe Fab (Directors)

To buy this documentary on Amazon.com, click here. 

Editorial Review from Amazon:
Paper Clips is an inspiring 2004 documentary about a consciousness-raising project that blossomed into something beautiful at a rural Tennessee school. When the principal of Whitwell Middle School sought a program that would teach diversity to a predominantly white, Protestant student body, the notion of focusing on the Holocaust--specifically Hitler's extermination of six million Jews--seemed like an obvious way to go. But understanding what "six million" looks like became a challenge. Thus was born the idea of collecting that number of paper clips at Whitwell as a visual reference.  But then it turned out paper clips actually have, in historical terms, symbolic value where the Holocaust is concerned. In this moving film, one sees Whitwell students dig into research on Germany's genocidal campaign, solicit clips from a variety of leaders and celebrities, and make a name for themselves on the national news. In time, the world comes to Whitwell's doorstep, via unsolicited donations of clips from people around the world, and in a tearful meeting of students and Holocaust survivors. The dimensions of the project, the lessons about prejudice and intolerance, are stunning to watch grow beyond anyone's wildest expectations. This is a great film for families and classrooms to watch together. --Tom Keogh

Age Group: Middle or High School

 6. Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of a Children's Holocaust Memorial

To buy this book from Amazon.com, click here.

This is a book that documents the Paperclip project in Whitwell, TN, (described above). 

Age Group: Middle or High School

7. Nazi Primer

http://www.nazi.org.uk/political%20pdfs/NaziPrimer-TheHitlerYouthManual.pdf

This is an excellent example of German propaganda that was written for the Hitler Youth, who essentially thought they were what we would think of as “Eagle Scouts.” 

Age Group: High School

8. Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda? Analyzing World War II Posters (ReadWriteThink)

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/argument-persuasion-propaganda-analyzing-829.html?tab=3#tabs

Overview from ReadWriteThink: In this lesson plan, students analyze World War II posters, chosen from online collections, to explore how argument, persuasion and propaganda differ. The lesson begins with a full-class exploration of the famous "I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY" poster, wherein students explore the similarities and differences between argument, persuasion, and propaganda and apply one of the genres to the poster. Students then work independently to complete an online analysis of another poster and submit either an analysis worksheet or use their worksheet responses to write a more formal essay.

Age Group: High School

 

9. Walt Disney Cartoon - Hitler's Children Education For Death

United States Propaganda about the Nazis. You’ll find more examples of propaganda if you look, but here are some big examples I see: Hitler is depicted as a knight in shining armor with an insane countenance and even has devil horns. Every time a Nazi soldier is shown, he seems evil and is bigger than everyone else—at one point, he is shown with a dark face and evil eyes. Some of the other Nazi leaders look like goblins in their pictures on the classroom wall. The Holy Bible morphes into Mein Kampf and the crucifix turns into a sword. Finally, the narrator says, “Marching and heiling, heiling and marching, Hans grows up. In him is planted no seed of laughter, hope, tolerance or mercy.”

Age Group: Middle or High School

10. Propaganda Donald Duck- WWII

Warning: Donald Duck doesn’t appear in this cartoon. Hahaha…nice title.

Pluto wants the bacon grease before he realizes he can help the boys on the front line have extra ammunition. Then he acts very patriotic. The narrator then tells how to collect the grease. The clean wide mouth can has “glow”coming off of it. The narrator says, “Take it to your meat dealer, who is PATRIOTICALLY cooperating.”

Age Group: Middle or High School

11. WWII Propaganda Cartoon - Donald Duck

Whoa.  Listen to the song! This is shocking! (read the lyrics below) You’ll see other examples of propaganda in this video too, but the song is definitely the most shocking.   

Age Group: Middle or High School

Opening of cartoon: The army's not the army anymore, It's better than it’s ever been before! The bugler blows, I can't get 'em up at quarter after seven, But if you're tired stay right there, Sleep until eleven! Oh, the Army's not the Army anymore!  The Army's not the Army anymore, It's better than it's ever been before! You used to walk a mile for beans, But now they bring them to ya, And all the Generals say "Hello!" As though they really knew ya! Oh, the Army's not the Army anymore! They've got a lot of hostesses, The gals are really cuties, And entertaining these co-eds Is part of your regular duties! Oh, the Army's not the Army anymore! Ending of cartoon: The army’s not the army anymore.  It’s better than it’s ever been before!  The Sergeant isn’t tough anymore more; He’s careful not to bore you, Just tell him when you're peelin' spuds, And he will peel them for you! Oh, the Army's not the Army anymore! No, the Army's not the Army anymore!”

12. Cartoon: Bugs Bunny WWII Anti-Japanese Propaganda

Nothing like watching Bugs Bunny killing Japanese soldiers and marking how many he’s killed on a tree.  Also, the Japanese are depicted very stereotypically, with black framed glasses and big teeth.  : /

Age Group: Middle or High School

 13. Quizlet.com

http://quizlet.com/subject/boy-in-the-striped-pajamas/

Here are several flash cards that have been made for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  Here, you can browse through to see what other teachers have emphasized, or you can create your own set for free. 

 Teacher Resource

14. TVtrops.org

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DramaticIrony

This website defines dramatic irony, and then it gives several links for the user to read about examples of dramatic irony from the following categories: Anime and Manga, Comics, Fan Fiction, Film-Animated, Film-Live Action, Literature, Live Action Television, Theater, Video Games, Web Comics, Web Original, and Western Animation.  I didn’t read through each example, but the ones I DID read were on point. :D

Dramatic Irony is HUGE in Boy in the Striped Pajamas because everyone knows what’s going on with the Jews and the concentration camp except for Bruno. 

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 9.5

 15. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008), movie

Age Goup: I recommend high school, because of the ending...but you can decide for yourself. 

Apparently, you can watch the whole move on YOUTUBE.  Is this legal?