Grade: 9th Grade
Subject: World History
The Rise of Antisemitism in Europe
Explaining the key issues and developments surrounding the underlying and developing antisemitism in Europe preceding and during WWII.

Expected Outcome Of This Lesson Plan-

Teacher Objectives-
* Students will learn about the rise of antisemitism in pre-WWII Europe.
* Students will learn about propaganda and stereotypes
* Students will make connections to current-day antisemitism, racism, prejudice and bigotry
- Handout for definitions of "antisemitism" and other key words
- Worksheets with examples of antisemitic messages
-DVD Player
-DVDs and Clips of instructional aids
- "Long is the Road"
- "Schindler's List"
Teaching Methods-

1. Lesson Introduction-

1. Bellringer: Read and then briefly discuss a manifesto published by Holocaust survivors in 2002.

2. Go over the definitions of the following words: antisemitism, discrimination, propaganda, racism and stereotype. (See handout.)

2. Lesson Progression-

1. Introduce via lecture and transparency materials the "Elders of Zion" and The Dreyfus Affair to provide historical context.

2. Watch film clips to help students understand the propaganda and stereotypes prevalent in pre-WWII Europe

3. Guided Practice-

1. Have students discuss how antisemitism set the stage for genocide in World War II, drawing information from the film and related course materials.

2. Also discuss how antisemitism and other forms of bigotry persist today, using examples from the school, community, state, nation and world. As a starting point, have students consider how specific groups — Asian Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Arab Americans, Muslims, immigrants, people with disabilities, etc. — are portrayed in the media, discussing the damage done by stereotypes.

4. Student Practice-

1. Hand out the worksheets and have students write about or discuss the specific examples of antisemitic propaganda. This will be done as a homework assignment.

2. Have students examine magazines, newspaper, websites and other materials for images that include stereotypes. Then ask students, individually or in groups, to deconstruct these images following the model used in this exercise.

5. Learner Accommodations-

A variety of instructional strategies will be used during this lesson that should accommodate all learning styles.

Bodily/Kinesthetic: Exercise on propaganda and stereotypes.

Spatial: Images/Maps on propaganda

Linguistic: Worksheet on deconstruction of stereotypes.

Musical: Film/Audio clips from Holocaust survivors.

Logical/Math: Charts in textbook regarding rise of Nazi power and maps of distribution of Jewish Europeans.

Naturalist: Discussion of psychological impact of stereotypes/propaganda from Holocaust survivor testimony.

Intrapersonal: Homework assignment on stereotypes.

Interpersonal: group work on antisemitic propaganda.

Technology: showing web clips and graphics from primary source depositories.

6. Assessment-

1. Collect student definitions
2. Short 5 question quiz following lesson the next day.
2. Include 5-10 T/F questions on unit test.

7. Lesson Closure-

Students really need to understand what anti-Semitism is before getting into Holocaust study. Literature can provide a great means of not only defining anti-Semitism for kids, but also showing them how it looked and felt.
Measuring Student Progress-
Unit test will cover material.

This Lesson Plan is available at (