The Nazi Hunters:
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Teaching Invitations
Genocide - Victims of the Holocaust
WHII.12 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War II by (b) examining the Holocaust and other examples of genocide in the twentieth century (VDOE, 2008b, p.43).
Have students explore the Holocaust Encyclopedia, and select an ID card representing a victim of the Holocaust. Then have students create a blog post about an individual's personal account, and through comments in student blogs, discuss this example of genocide. Have students work in groups to research additional instances of genocide in the twentieth century, and share their findings digitally.
Digital Map Creation
WHII.1b The student will improve skills in historical research, and geographical analysis by using maps, globes, artifacts, and pictures to analyze the physical and cultural landscapes of the world and to interpret the past since 1500 A.D. (C.E.) (VDOE, 2008b, p.1).
Explore the animated maps and Google map resources from the United States Holocaust Museum. Using the ID resources from the Holocaust Encyclopedia, plot individual Holocaust victim stories and journeys on a shared Google map, including notes about the individual's life.
Diary of...
English SOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis (VDOE, 2010, p.14).
The end of The Nazi Hunters shares about Adolf Eichmann's meekness once captured, and the tumultuous feelings of his captors as they awaited the flight for Israel. Have students take the viewpoint of either Eichmann or a captor and write daily journal entries representing the time from Eichmann's capture to his arrival in Israel.
Artistic Testimonies
Visual Art SOL AI.5 The student will employ a variety of subject matter, including cultural or social concepts, to express ideas in original works of art (VDOE, 2013, p.18).
Immediately following the Holocaust, little was shared about the horrific experiences for so many individuals. The trial of Eichmann, sixteen years after the end of the war, finally gave permission to survivors to tell their accounts. After viewing survivor testimonies, have students create collage or other media representing the feelings expressed by survivors. Host an event sharing both the testimonies that inspired the artwork, and the student created pieces. If possible, submit artwork to the Virginia Holocaust Museum's Visual Art Competition for middle and high school students, with attention to the yearly theme.
Global Health PSA
Health SOL 9.4 The student will use various sources of information to evaluate global health issues. Key concepts/skills include (b) the benefits of information provided by recognized sources, such as state and local health departments, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Dietetic Association, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (VDOE, 2008a, p.13).
The living conditions in concentration camps during the Holocaust caused many to become ill with serious diseases that in many cases led to death. Have students use school databases and resources from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and other trusted sources to research a current global health concern, and create a digital public service announcement sharing concerns about global health issues, and how students can make a difference.
WHII.12 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War II by (b) examining the Holocaust and other examples of genocide in the twentieth century (VDOE, 2008b, p.43).
Have students explore the Holocaust Encyclopedia, and select an ID card representing a victim of the Holocaust. Then have students create a blog post about an individual's personal account, and through comments in student blogs, discuss this example of genocide. Have students work in groups to research additional instances of genocide in the twentieth century, and share their findings digitally.
Digital Map Creation
WHII.1b The student will improve skills in historical research, and geographical analysis by using maps, globes, artifacts, and pictures to analyze the physical and cultural landscapes of the world and to interpret the past since 1500 A.D. (C.E.) (VDOE, 2008b, p.1).
Explore the animated maps and Google map resources from the United States Holocaust Museum. Using the ID resources from the Holocaust Encyclopedia, plot individual Holocaust victim stories and journeys on a shared Google map, including notes about the individual's life.
Diary of...
English SOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis (VDOE, 2010, p.14).
The end of The Nazi Hunters shares about Adolf Eichmann's meekness once captured, and the tumultuous feelings of his captors as they awaited the flight for Israel. Have students take the viewpoint of either Eichmann or a captor and write daily journal entries representing the time from Eichmann's capture to his arrival in Israel.
Artistic Testimonies
Visual Art SOL AI.5 The student will employ a variety of subject matter, including cultural or social concepts, to express ideas in original works of art (VDOE, 2013, p.18).
Immediately following the Holocaust, little was shared about the horrific experiences for so many individuals. The trial of Eichmann, sixteen years after the end of the war, finally gave permission to survivors to tell their accounts. After viewing survivor testimonies, have students create collage or other media representing the feelings expressed by survivors. Host an event sharing both the testimonies that inspired the artwork, and the student created pieces. If possible, submit artwork to the Virginia Holocaust Museum's Visual Art Competition for middle and high school students, with attention to the yearly theme.
Global Health PSA
Health SOL 9.4 The student will use various sources of information to evaluate global health issues. Key concepts/skills include (b) the benefits of information provided by recognized sources, such as state and local health departments, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Dietetic Association, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (VDOE, 2008a, p.13).
The living conditions in concentration camps during the Holocaust caused many to become ill with serious diseases that in many cases led to death. Have students use school databases and resources from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and other trusted sources to research a current global health concern, and create a digital public service announcement sharing concerns about global health issues, and how students can make a difference.
Partner Titles
Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures by Menn Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol
Anne Frank and her sister Margo had a childhood full of beach visits, birthday parties, and playing with friends. Slowly their world transformed, as the events of World War II turned their world upside down. Living in hiding in the secret annex of their father’s business, Anne began keeping a diary of life events and her most personal thoughts. This collection of photographs, excerpts of Anne’s diary entries, and historical content is a heart-wrenching companion to The Nazi Hunters, in its personal testimony of life as a Jewish child during the Holocaust. The glossary and accompanying maps provide students with a deeper understanding of the time period. Recognized as an honor title in 2010 by the Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature, this selection accurately and expertly portrays Anne Frank's young life. |
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
"While many books for the young have chronicled the experiences of Hitler's victims, far fewer have looked at the impact of Nazi ideology on those who subscribed to it" (Smith, 2005, p.345). This award winning title offers a unique view from the lives of 12 children who were a part of Hitler's Youth Group. While The Nazi Hunters captures the experiences and emotions of those who were victims of the Holocaust, this book provides an opposing view point as it shares the stories of those that were brought into the Nazi party as young teens. |
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Developed from one of the factual accounts within Hitler's Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, this fiction title shares the story of Helmuth Hubener's initial awe of the Hitler Youth program and his later brave efforts to communicate truth. Similarly to The Nazi Hunters, the main character in this book takes numerous risks to uncover the truth about the treatment of Jewish citizens. While his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, this account shares that "even if the effort proves unsuccessful, the courage and convictions of a minority should be motivation to speak the truth rather than remain silent" (Soltan, 2008a, p.119). The author's note included in this text outlines the factual components, and also provides photographs and a thorough bibliography. |
In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry by Carla Killough McClafferty
After working in Germany prior to World War II, Varian Fry, an American journalist, was driven to rescue others from the anti-Semitic environment he witnessed. Beginning in 1940, Fry spent 13 secretive months assisting in the escape of as many artists, writers, and scientists as possible (in addition to ordinary Jews). Like The Nazi Hunters, his efforts were not without risk. "This is an intriguing look at how life completely changed for so many and how ingenuity and daring used by a few outwitted the enemy and saved lives" (Soltan, 2008b, p.206). |
Once by Morris Gleitzman
Unaware of the dangers for a young Jewish boy in 1942 Poland, the main character, Felix, leaves his safe haven orphanage on a quest to find his parents. Intentionally left at the orphanage to ensure his safety, Felix is now vulnerable in a world where his naive outlook is confronted with the tragic realities of the Holocaust. This first book in Morris Gleitzman's fictional series provides a chilling view of the time period from the eyes of a child. A review in Horn Book Magazine describes that "this is the rare Holocaust book for young readers that doesn't alleviate its dark themes with a comforting ending" (Gross, 2010, p.56). A fictional account of this time period will be a valuable companion to the fact rich content in The Nazi Hunters. While this is a fictional title, the author includes information about primary sources that inspired the text. |
Further Explorations
- Virginia Holocaust Museum - In addition to being a great resource for local field trip experiences, the Virginia Holocaust Museum website also includes primary source documents, links to witness accounts of genocide, and a place for questions to be submitted to the museum research staff.
- Genocide Prevention Task Force - This webpage from the United States Institute of Peace shares current efforts to prevent genocide. A concise summary of the document contents is included in the linked brochure, and the summary of recommendations outlines the responsibilities of committees and individuals in genocide prevention.
- Simon Wiesenthal Center - Simon Wiesenthal, an integral person in the hunt for Adolf Eichmann, spent much of his life tracking down Nazi criminals and collecting stories of the Holocaust from witnesses and family members. This website includes biographical information about Wiesenthal, as well as digital archives from the time period.
- Holocaust Survivors Audio Gallery - Survivors of the Holocaust share stories, songs and prayers in this audio collection. The audio files are accompanied by transcription to support listening, and also include translation when necessary.
- The Eichmann Trial - This YouTube channel includes a collection of testimonies and excerpts from Adolf Eichmann's trial organized in over 200 video clips.
- Adolf Hitler Biography - Including photos and videos, this biography from Encyclopedia Britannica describes the life of the dictator of Germany, and leader of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party.
- Neal Bascomb Podcast - In a thoughtful interview produced by the Feldman Children's Library, Neal Bascomb tells about the purpose and process for writing The Nazi Hunters, which is a young adult title based on his adult book, Hunting Eichmann. He also describes a young teen's role in the beginning of the hunt for Adolf Eichmann, which is further described in this title.