LFHS Holocaust Web Quest: January 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Welcome to the English 9 Holocaust Web Quest!

This quarter, you will read a novel set during World War II and the Holocaust. You will read about the Nazi Party, lead by Adolf Hitler. You will learn about hatred and discrimination. You will become aware of the pain brought upon millions of innocent people.

In order to understand the concepts presented in your text and to appreciate fully the seriousness of World War II and the Holocaust, you will work in small groups to complete a web quest. Most of you have conducted web quests before, so you are likely familiar with the format. Just in case you need a refresher, read the following explanation.

A web quest is a quest (or a journey) to discovering appropriate and correct information about a particular topic. You conduct your quest on the web. I know your teachers often frown upon using the internet for research, but, in this case, I will select websites I find to be reputable. This way, you can access the abundant available online information and learn what good information looks like.
To get started, follow the link for your class, step one, to the right.

Period F2, Step Two

Now that your group has selected its topic for further research, it must conduct careful and in-depth research on the topic and create a presentation for the class. Below are cues to help focus your research. Your research, however, should not be limited to the cues provided.

The Nazi Party/Third Reich
What were the Nazi Party and the Third Reich?
What was their objective?

The Holocaust/Persecution of Jews
How were the Jewish people persecuted during World War II?
Why and by whom were they persecuted?
What is the Holocaust?

World War II Overview
Who was involved in World War II (on the European Front)?
What were the major causes of WWII?
What were the outcomes of WWII?

Book Burning in World War II
What books were banned and burned during World War II?
Why were books banned and burned?
What happened to individuals caught with banned books?

The Nazi Flag and Nationalism
What did the Nazi flag look like?
What did the flag represent?
What role did Nationalism (in Germany) play during World War II?

Adolf Hitler and Mein Kampf
What was Adolf Hitler's biographical background?
What was his role in World War II?
How did he rise to power?

Transportation in Nazi Germany
What were typical means of transportation in Europe during WWII?
How were Jews typically transported?
How did WWII affect transportation and vice versa in Germany?

Helping the Jewish People
What kind of help did the Jewish people receive during World War II?
What happened to individuals who helped Jews at that time?
What were some methods people used to hide and help Jews?

The Nuremberg Laws
What were the Nuremberg Laws?
What groups implemented the Laws?
What groups suffered because of them?

Hitler Youth/Band of German Girls
Who were the Hitler Youth and the Band of German Girls?
What types of people were part of these groups?
What was the purpose of these groups?

Your group's presentation must include a visual, a written, and an oral component. It is your group's task to answer this question:

Why can't this topic be ignored?

--You may create a poster with clear labels and images and present it to the class.
--You may create a pamphlet with photos and text and present that to the class.
--You may lecture and show a slideshow with images and text.
--You may create a 'newspaper' to share your information and images and then present it to the class.

You can be creative with your product, as long as the information is thorough and correct. Your images must be school-appropriate.

The Very Long View
Holocaust Facts
Library ThinkQuest
Auschwitz
Holocaust Survivors
Holocaust History
U.S. Holocaust Museum
Remember.org
History Place
WebPath Express
Marvel!
History Place
Fighting Fires of Hate
Helping Jewish People
Rescuing Jewish People
World War II Facts
World War II Info

Period F2, Step One

For your web quest, you will investigate several important topics central to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. In this book, you will experience the Holocaust through the eyes of death, who finds himself particularly busy in early- to mid-World War II. Far from being morbid, the story centers around a pugnacious girl who comes-of-age, experiencing personal loss, moral righteousness, and forbidden words.

So, before we begin this terrific story, we need to learn about several topics. To achieve this goal, each of you will embark on a web quest. The topics for exploration include:

The Nazi Party/Third Reich
The Holocaust/Persecution of Jews
World War II Overview
Book Burning in World War II
The Nazi Flag and Nationalism
Adolf Hitler and Mein Kampf
Transportation in Nazi Germany
Helping the Jewish People
The Nuremberg Laws
Hitler Youth/Band of German Girls

Step one in your web quest is to take thirty minutes to explore the ten topics above, working with one partner. Both members of the group have a role at this stage:

1) Computer Operator
The Computer Operator (CO) is in charge of signing out and taking care of the group's laptop. The CO will also navigate (visit) the Web sites listed below.

2)Transcriptionist
The Transcriptionist (T) is responsible for taking notes for the group when they discover an important piece of information. The T should also keep track of the source (the web address) for each note.

The Web sites that have been selected for your use in this web quest are listed below. You may not use any other sites.

The Very Long View
Holocaust Facts
Library ThinkQuest
Auschwitz
Holocaust Survivors
Holocaust History
U.S. Holocaust Museum
Remember.org
History Place
WebPath Express
Marvel!
History Place
Fighting Fires of Hate

Once your group has had a chance to explore all ten topics, rank your interest level for each, from 1-10. 1 represents your first choice, 2 your second choice, and so on.

When the thirty minutes are up, we will embark on Step Two.

Period F1, Step Two

Period F1, Step One

For your web quest, you will investigate four important topics central to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. In this book, you will experience the Holocaust through the eyes of death, who finds himself particularly busy in early- to mid-World War II. Far from being morbid, the story centers around a pugnacious girl who comes-of-age, experiencing personal loss, moral righteousness, and forbidden words.

So, before we begin this terrific story, we need to learn about several topics. To achieve this goal, each of you will embark on a web quest. The topics for exploration include:

The Nazi Party/Third Reich
The Holocaust/Persecution of Jews
World War II Overview
Book Burning in World War II
The Nazi Flag and Nationalism
Adolf Hitler and Mein Kampf
Transportation in Nazi Germany
Helping the Jewish People
The Nuremberg Laws
Hitler Youth/Band of German Girls

Step one in your web quest is to take thirty minutes to explore the ten topics above, working with one partner. Both members of the group have a role at this stage:

1) Computer Operator
The Computer Operator (CO) is in charge of signing out and taking care of the group's laptop. The CO will also navigate (visit) the Web sites listed below.

2)Transcriptionist
The Transcriptionist (T) is responsible for taking notes for the group when they discover an important piece of information. The T should also keep track of the source (the web address) for each note.

The Web sites that have been selected for your use in this web quest are listed below. You may not use any other sites.

The Very Long View
Holocaust Facts
Library ThinkQuest
Auschwitz
Holocaust Survivors
Holocaust History
U.S. Holocaust Museum
Remember.org
History Place
WebPath Express
Marvel!
History Place
Fighting Fires of Hate

Once your group has had a chance to explore all ten topics, rank your interest level for each, from 1-10. 1 represents your first choice, 2 your second choice, and so on.

When the thirty minutes are up, we will embark on Step Two.

Period L3, Step Two

Period L3, Step One

Period L2, Step Two

Period L2, Step One

Period L1, Step One

For your web quest, you will investigate four important topics central to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. In this book, you will experience the Holocaust through the eyes of a young boy, though the content (what happens) in the book is not for the young. It needs to be read with respect for the millions of people who died during the Holocaust.

So, before we begin this terrific story, we need to learn about four topics.
Children during the Holocaust
Adolf Hitler
The Nazi Party
Auschwitz

Step one in our quest (journey) is to take twenty minutes, working with your group members, to investigate all four topics listed above. Use the links below to conduct your web-based investigation.

The Very Long View
Holocaust Facts
Library ThinkQuest
Auschwitz
Holocaust Survivors
Holocaust History
U.S. Holocaust Museum
Remember.org
History Place
WebPath Express
Marvel!

When the twenty minutes is up, we will embark on step two.

Period L1, Step Two

Initial Web Quest:

You will have five minutes per topic to explore in your small group. Each member of your group will have a specific role:

1) Computer Operator
2) Transcriptionist
3) Project Manager
4) (If needed) Additional Resource Manager

The Computer Operator (CO) is in charge of signing out and taking care of the group's laptop. The CO will also navigate (visit) the Web sites listed in Step One.

The Transcriptionist (T) is responsible for taking notes for the group when they discover an important piece of information. The T should also keep track of the source (the web address) for each note.

The Project Manager (PM) is in charge of keeping the group on task during all stages of the assignment. The PM must organize materials, keep track of progress on the final product, and make sure that all members are completing tasks on time.

The Additional Resource Manager (ARM) must organize any materials, besides the Web sites listed in Step One, that the group may need during its research. These materials might be a dictionary to look up words, note paper for taking notes, or craft supplies for use on the final product.

All members of the group must contribute equally to the project. Roles may be rotated or swapped if the group decides that is best for them. A daily rubric for participation will be used by both group members and teachers to determine daily grades.

Once the twenty minutes are up, groups must rate the four topics 1-4. 1 indicates the group's first choice for further research; 2, the second choice; and so on.

Period L1, Step Three

Now that your group has selected its topic for further research, it must conduct careful and in-depth research on the topic and create a presentation for the class. Below are some cues to help guide your research.

Children of the Holocaust

What was expected of German boys and girls during the Holocaust?
Who were the "Hitler Youth" and the "Band of German Girls"?
What happened to Jewish boys and girls during the Holocaust?
Can you find any first-hand accounts (survivor stories) from the point of view of a child in the concentration camps?

Children in the Holocaust
Hitler Youth
Children of the Holocaust

Adolf Hitler

Who was Adolf Hitler?
What is his biographical background?
What was his role during World War II?
Why did he do the things he did?
What was his nickname?

Adolf Hitler Biography
Adolf Hitler Facts

Auschwitz

What was Auschwitz?
Where was it located?
What was Auschwitz used for?
Who worked there?

Holocaust Facts
Holocaust Information

Nazi Party

What was the Nazi Party?
Who joined the Nazi Party?
What were the goals or objectives of the Nazi Party?
What happened to the Nazi Party during and after World War II?

Basic Information
Rise of the Nazi Party

Your group's presentation must include a visual, a written, and an oral component. It is your group's task to answer this question:

Why can't this topic be ignored?

--You may create a poster with clear labels and images and present it to the class.
--You may create a pamphlet with photos and text and present that to the class.
--You may lecture and show a slideshow with images and text.
--You may create a 'newspaper' to share your information and images and then present it to the class.

You can be creative with your product, as long as the information is thorough and correct. Your images must be school-appropriate.

LFHS Holocaust Web Quest