How would you explain the Holocaust to a group of students?

Question

Ages 9-14

Answer 1

You should explain how everybody in Germany was afraid and starving and the Hitler came along and said all their problems were because of the Jews. Then after awhile, the people of Germany saw that Hitler was actually bad but then they were too afraid of Hitler and the SS to stand up to them. Hitler was the same as a school bully who picks on a few kids and no one else has the courage to stop him.

Answer 2

Tell them the truth. Kids are not dumb, and often know more than we give them credit for.
Tell them how many Jews Hitler killed, and his terrible reasons. Give them a precise number, if you can. Stress that these lives were all individual, and unique etc. Maybe show them some of the literature that has come out of it?
I never got much of a Holocaust education - you get told what Hitler did but you don't empathise like you should because history is full of nostalgia. The truth is what children need - you've got to know what can NEVER be allowed to happen again.

Answer 3

The Holocaust was the mass murder of European Jews by the Nazis during World War II. They also killed many other groups of people such as the Gypsies and Poles. The word holocaust means widespread destruction.

The Nazis prohibited Jews from attending universities and took away their property and businesses. Millions of them were imprisoned in concentration camps and killed with poison gas. Some of the camps had factories where prisoners were worked to death. They lived under horrible conditions and many died of starvation and disease.

Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator planned to wipe out the entire population of his plan to conquer the world. He felt the Jews were sub-human, not pure German, and that the Germans were superior people.

Answer 4

One of my most vivid memories during my Middle School years was a one-month study of the Holocaust in History class. I was about 13 and, for the first time in my life, I saw pictures and films of actual Holocaust victims: starved to death or near starvation; naked and humiliated; treated like subhuman beings. It was the first time in my life that I really understood how deeply evil humanity was. It was like a cold bucket of water was emptied on my head, waking me up from the idealized, false impression I had of humanity. It changed my life forever.

For months afterward, I was uneasy in my spirit; I even had occasional nightmares. But if I had a choice, I wouldn't have deleted one image or film from my teacher's lesson.

If I were a teacher, I would go about it the same way my teacher did: I wouldn't hide any facts; I would show the pictures and films with all the horrors so they could understand exactly what happened. Our culture is too full of half-truths as it is; but to lie about what happened during the Holocaust would be a HUGE disservice to those who died AND to our children.

God help us if we, as a people, ever forget what happened to the Jews. Now, the president of Iran denies the Holocaust ever happened. In essence, he'd like another Holocaust to occur. As the wise saying goes, those who forget history are destined to repeat it.

Peace.

Answer 5

I would first discuss with them how there is great good and great evil in this world. There is no need to go too deep, or graphic, into the atrocities. Then maybe a discussion on what people like Oskar Schindler and Jack Werber did during this tragic time in history.

Answer 6

there is another movie besides Schindler's List called " Broken Silence " which has five parts to it -- some who lived - eyes of the holocaust - children from the abyss - i remember - hell on earth. these stories need to be remembered as well as Anne Frank's Diary. there are many good stories from this period as well though. but will not repeat them here as this is not the proper time or place.

Answer 7

There is not much in terms of violence that kids that age haven't seen on TV. It was not a beautiful thing, and there is no beautiful way to describe it. I wouldn't dwell on the details of it, but I would clearly describe what happened. They know what death is, and what genocide is, so I would make a short precise historical account of what happened. I think parents may be concerned if you dwell on exact details of the gassings etc. But they need to know what Hitler did, and how many people died. (11,000,000 total, 6,000,000 Jews)

Answer 8

take them to see schindlers list then ask them to wright a snall story about what they think of the show then make them read that bit to the others and see who is the Germans (notizes) and who are the jews (unwanted)

you can im me and i will ecplain more (living in Germany)

Answer 9

They probably know of it, Be honest but not too graphic, I mean no need to say that the Nazis stabbed little babies. Explain who, why and whens

Answer 10

Explain it like it happened according to text. through everything that is dark there is light.