Introduction
We are going to read The Book Thief which takes place during the Holocaust. Rather than spending an extensive amount of time teaching you about the Holocaust throughout the unit, this webquest will give you the foundational knowledge you need to apply to understand themes in the text.
Task
Use the following websites to access information. You will need internet access.
1. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/mobile/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143 Use any page on this website.
2. http://www.auschwitz.dk/ Use any page on this website.
3. http://remember.org/ Use any page on this website.
4. http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/10/world-war-ii-the-holocaust/100170/ Use only this page.
You will be answering questions based on the information on the websites.
Process
1. Create a timeline of at least 10 events that happened during the Holocaust that you think were significant.
2. Give at least 5 examples where Jews experienced prejudice or racism during the Holocaust.
3. Draw an image of what Holocaust victims or survivors looked like during the Holocaust.
4. Describe an event that a Holocaust survivor experienced. Why was that event significant?
5. Describe something that would have been taken from a Jew on the way to a concentration camp. Why would that item be taken or lost and why would it have a serious impact on the person who lost it?
6. What are concentration camps?
7. What is a Holocaust or genocide?
8. How many lives were lost during the Holocaust?
9. If a Jew survived the Holocaust, what steps would they have gone through during the Holocaust?
10. What ways were Jews killed during this time? Give at least 3 examples.
Evaluation
1. Imagine you are a Jew in America related to a Jew in Germany at the time of the Holocaust before they have been taken from their home. Write them a short letter about your concerns for them and what you would advise them to do.
2. Imagine you are a German child during the Holocaust. What do you think of all of the things you see happening to the Jews? Write a short diary entry describing what you see and how you feel about it.