Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

NJ Holocaust Grades 9-12 Curriculum: Unit 1

Unit Topic: The Roots of Prejudice and Discrimination 
Grade(s): 9-12

Unit Goal: Students will examine the historical, psychological, and social roots of prejudice and discrimination, studying the landscape of Europe before Hitler’s rise, examining long-standing antisemitism, the cultural vibrancy and diversity of Jewish life, and the vulnerabilities of the Weimar Republic. Through this exploration, students will gain insight into how prejudice, economic instability, and political turmoil created conditions that allowed extremist ideologies to take hold.

Objectives: 

  1. Examine the psychological and sociological mechanisms behind prejudice and discrimination, including stereotypes, scapegoating, and dehumanization, and discuss how these mechanisms were used to marginalize various groups.
  2. Identify factors that contribute to genocidal intent while evaluating the social and political difficulties involved in labeling an occurrence a genocide.
  3. Investigate the historical, social, and political factors that contributed to the development of antisemitic ideologies in Germany before the rise of the Nazi Party, understanding how prejudice can be rooted in cultural and societal narratives.
  4. Reflect on contemporary examples of prejudice and discrimination and discuss the parallels to historical events.
  5. Develop an understanding of pre–World War II Jewish religious, cultural, and communal life in Europe in order to distinguish individual lives from the statistics of the Holocaust.
  6. Examine how social, economic, and political factors can weaken democratic institutions, making them susceptible to authoritarian influences, and assess historical examples of democratic decline, particularly in pre-World War II Germany.

  1. How does the term “genocide” fail, or succeed, in capturing the tremendous tragedy and loss of human life seen during the Holocaust?
  2. How does a society ostracize a group and make it acceptable to commit atrocities against them?
  3. Why is it important to understand the lives of the Jews of Europe prior to the devastation of the Holocaust?
  4. What is antisemitism, and what have been its effects on Jewish people and the societies in which they have lived?
  5. How has antisemitism transformed over time, and how have certain elements remained the same?
  6. What social, political, and economic factors contributed to the rise of antisemitism in Germany during the early 20th century?

  1. Stereotyping and dehumanization are tools used to justify discrimination and persecution and can lead to the exclusion and mistreatment of targeted communities.
  2. Prejudice does not emerge in isolation but is frequently fueled by societal fears, stereotypes, and misinformation.
  3. Unchecked prejudice can lead to systematic oppression and violence that, without intervention, can escalate into exclusionary laws, human rights abuses, and ultimately, genocide.
  4. Antisemitism has evolved, shifting from religious to racial and economic forms of prejudice. Understanding this helps us recognize the enduring impact of antisemitism.
  5. In post-World War I Germany, economic hardships and negative stereotypes contributed to the rise of antisemitism.
  6. Understanding the lives of Jews in Europe before the Holocaust helps us recognize the rich contributions they made to society while also showing us the depth of the loss caused by the Holocaust.

CREATING AN UNDERSTANDING OF GENOCIDE

A HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM

JEWISH LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST

THE FRAGILITY OF DEMOCRACY AND THE RISE OF FASCISM

UNIT LITERATURE

CREATING AN UNDERSTANDING OF GENOCIDE 

A HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM

JEWISH LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST

  • When I Grow Up: The Lost Autobiographies of Six Yiddish Teenagers - Ken Krimstein 
  • Awakening Lives: Autobiographies of Jewish Youth in Poland before the Holocaust -Jeffrey Shandler

THE FRAGILITY OF DEMOCRACY AND THE RISE OF FASCISM

Media Literacy 

Social Studies + Government

Psychology

    World Languages - French

    • 6.2.12.CivicsHR.4.a: Analyze the motivations, causes, and consequences of the genocides of Armenians, Ukrainians, Jews in the Holocaust and assess the responses by individuals, groups, and governments and analyze large-scale atrocities including 20th century massacres in China.
    • 6.2.12.HistoryCC.4.c: Analyze the extent to which the legacy of World War I, the global depression, ethnic and ideological conflicts, imperialism, and traditional political or economic rivalries caused World War II.
    • 6.2.12.HistoryCC.4.g: Use a variety of resources from different perspectives to analyze the role of racial bias, nationalism, and propaganda in mobilizing civilian populations in support of “total war.”