A MULTIMEDIA PROJECT FOR 8 T H -12 T H GRADERS BY:

NAOMI VASQUEZ-MONTES

The Holocaust

The Holocaust- What was it?

The Holocaust

How did it start? Let’s hear from one survivor:

http://www.hopesite.ca/sympo/words.html

The Holocaust

The Holocaust was a period of time when six million Jews were systematically exterminated.

They were not exterminated because of anything they had done, but because they became scapegoats for the German nation.

Words began the propaganda that changed the lives of millions.

It all started with words.

A Jewish Family Before the Holocaust

Picture taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Beginning of the Holocaust

The Holocaust began during World War II (1933) when Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany.

He wanted to create a master race, and he wanted to get rid of anyone who did not fit his criteria.

A Master Race

Genocide- The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group (American Heritage Dictionary).

The Beginning of the Holocaust

Hitler, a great orator, had many loyal followers whoreadily joined the Nazi party to support his cause.

Hereis a video clip of Hitler making a speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbduo4fHANA

Using words, not facts or data, Hitler convinced the Germans that the Jews were to blame for the deteriorating government, high unemployment rate, and general economic instability.

Propaganda

A weekly Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer (The Attacker) helped to spread the message against the Jews.

The propaganda showed the Nazi party as brave defenders of Germany.

Jews were depicted as having large noses and being cheap, cruel, evil and cowardly.

Words turned to action

Ghettos were established as areas to isolate and contain Jews.

Ghettos lacked food, water, and enough space for the millions of Jews forced to move there.

The conditions were unsanitary.

Many people died in the ghettos.

http://www.hopesite.ca/sympo/witness/judy/ghetto_2.html

stateoftheart.popphoto.com

Quotes from actual survivors

Picture taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Then, it got worse.

Nazis were able to use the crowded conditions in the ghettos as an excuse to move Jews to Concentration Camps.

Initially, the Jews did not know that they were being moved to “death camps”.

Marches

Jews were rounded up from towns and forced to march to huge pits that had been dug previously by other Jews.

They were forced to remove their clothing and then shot. Their bodies were buried in mass graves.

It is estimated that 1.3 million Jews were killed in this manner.

Concentration Camps

Concentration camps were located near railways so that Jews could easily be transported.

Jews were taken to work camps and forced to do hard labor from dawn to dusk with little food or water.

Other Jews were put into gas chambers and killed. Their bodies were then burned in crematoria, large ovens.

Pregnant women, the elderly, and children were sent immediately to gas chambers because they could not work.

The Children

More quotes from survivors

Pictures taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Virtual Tour of a Concentration Camp

http://en.auschwitz.org.pl/z/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=8

The Concentration Camp Experience

Heads were shaved, even womenForced to remove clothing and shower with

many other peopleIdentified by a badge as being Jewish, gypsy,

homosexual, and other identifiers Little food or waterA bucket was shared by many to be used as a

toiletA number was tattooed on the forearmThe smell of burning bodies was always in

the air

The Badges

Picture taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Death Marches

As the war came to a close, those who remained alive in concentration camps were forced to walk hundreds of miles.

Many died or were shot along the way.

About 250,000 Jews died during death marches.

Death Marches

Picture taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Liberation

The Jews were rescued from the concentration camps gradually by the Allied forces.

Although they were free, the Jews were displaced.

They had no homes to go to and many were still separated from their families.

Many still feared for their lives and chose to move to other countries, such as Palestine, Israel, the U.S., and South America to rebuild their lives.

Going Home

http://www.hopesite.ca/sympo/witness/david/going_home_15.html

http://www.hopesite.ca/sympo/witness/judy/liberated_12.html

After

Pictures taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Did anyone try to help?

There were many heroes during the Holocaust.

They helped smuggle Jews to safer areas.

Everything had to be done secretly or the rescuers faced persecution for helping the Jews.

Two Heroes

Pictures taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Quote:

Many Nazi soldiers eventually faced trials for war crimes.

Although they tried to use the defense that they were following orders, many Nazis were convicted of committing these horrific crimes.

These trials have continued through the 21st century.

Crime and Punishment

Pictures taken at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum

Now that you know, what will you do?

It all started with words. The words we use can affect others in ways

we never imagined. We can use our words to help others or to

harm them. What could have happened if people of the

world would have protested against the treatment of the Jews? Could anything have changed?

Silence can be deadly.

SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS TO RESEARCH:1) THE NAZI PARTY2) ADOLF HITLER3) PROPAGANDA4) GHETTOS5) CONCENTRATION CAMPS6) DEATH MARCHES7) RESISTANCE/ HEROES8) RESCUE AND LIBERATION OF THE JEWS9) WAR CRIME TRIALS

Your Turn

Sources:

Holocaust Memorial Center: http://www.holocaustcenter.org

Survivors’ Video Clipshttp://www.hopesite.ca/toc.html

San Antonio Holocaust Museum