Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

NJ Holocaust Grades 9-12 Curriculum: Unit 2

Unit Topic: From Prejucide to Policy in Nazi Germany 
Grade(s): 9-12

Unit Goal: Students will develop a thorough understanding of how prejudicial policies developed in Nazi Germany, examining the progression from discrimination to systematic persecution and the devastating impact on targeted groups. Students will gain insight into the mechanisms of state-sponsored oppression and the consequences of unchecked prejudice and authoritarianism.

Objectives: 

  1. Investigate how the societal and economic repercussions of Germany's defeat in World War I, coupled with the perceived injustices of the Treaty of Versailles, contributed to the widespread acceptance of Hitler’s nationalist and antisemitic ideologies among segments of the German population
  2. Identify and explain the key characteristics of fascism and investigate how propaganda, nationalism, and scapegoating were used by fascist leaders to consolidate power, leading to the marginalization and persecution of minority groups. 
  3. Assess the responses of various segments of German society to the Nazis’ discriminatory policies, evaluating the factors that influenced individuals' choices to conform or oppose.
  4. Explore how Nazi propaganda was utilized to normalize prejudice and dehumanize targeted groups, analyzing specific campaigns and messages that facilitated the acceptance of discriminatory policies.
  5. Explore how various institutions, including the legal, education, and medical systems, participated in the establishment and enforcement of anti-Jewish policies, while evaluating the broader implications of institutional complicity.
  6. Investigate the increasing antisemitic rhetoric during the 1930s, culminating in the events of Kristallnacht, and evaluate its impact on the Jewish community, including the intensification of violence and the shift towards more aggressive policies of exclusion and persecution.
  7. Examine the obstacles encountered by individuals and families trying to emigrate from Nazi Germany, including restrictive immigration policies, financial barriers, and the bureaucratic complexities involved in obtaining visas and safe passage, as well as the broader implications of international responses to the refugee crises.

  1. What factors in Germany lead to the demise of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi Party?
  2. How did state-sponsored antisemitism amplify prevailing attitudes of Germans toward Jews?
  3. How did the Nazi regime use propaganda to normalize prejudice and justify discriminatory policies against Jews and other targeted groups?
  4. How did Nazi laws and policies evolve from discrimination to genocide, and what did these changes reveal about societal attitudes toward targeted groups?
  5. In what ways did individuals and institutions either support or resist the implementation of Nazi policies, and what factors influenced their decisions?
  6. What obstacles did Jews encounter in their attempts to flee Nazi Germany, and how did these challenges impact their decisions and chances of survival?

  1. The social, economic, and political turmoil following World War I created an environment in which extremist ideologies could gain traction, emphasizing the importance of context in understanding the rise of oppressive regimes. 
  2. State-sponsored antisemitism in Nazi Germany intensified and legitimized existing negative attitudes toward Jews, creating an environment where discrimination, violence, and hatred were widely accepted. 
  3. The use of propaganda by the Nazi regime effectively influenced public opinion, dehumanizing targeted groups and making their persecution acceptable in the eyes of society.
  4. Nazi laws and policies used and manipulated deeply ingrained societal attitudes of hatred and prejudice. 
  5. Individuals and institutions supported or resisted Nazi policies based on factors such as fear, personal beliefs, moral values, and pressure to conform. Understanding these choices helps us recognize the impact of personal responsibility and the challenges of standing up against unjust regimes.
  6. Jews faced numerous obstacles in their attempts to flee Nazi Germany, including strict immigration laws, limited resources, and the difficulty of finding safe countries to accept them. These challenges made escape difficult, often impossible, highlighting the harsh realities of seeking refuge during the Holocaust.

HITLER’S RISE TO POWER AND NAZI IDEOLOGY

      NAZI PROPAGANDA

      ANTI-JEWISH POLICIES AND DECREES

      KRISTALLNACHT - NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS

      DIFFICULTIES OF IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION

      UNIT LITERATURE

      HITLER’S RISE TO POWER AND NAZI IDEOLOGY

      NAZI PROPAGANDA 

      ANTI-JEWISH POLICIES AND DECREES

      KRISTALLNACHT - NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS

      DIFFICULTIES OF IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION

      Media Literacy 

      US History + Government

      Current Events

      Biology and Psychology

      Art and Music

      World Languages - French

          • 6.2.12.CivicsPI.4.a: Compare and contrast socialism, communism, fascism, and liberal democracy, analyze the extent to which they promote and protect civil, political, social and economic rights for people, and explain the reasons for their growth or decline around the world.
          • 6.2.12.EconEM.4.a: Analyze government responses to the Great Depression and their consequences, including the growth of fascist, socialist, and communist movements and the effects on capitalist economic theory and practice.
          • 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.”