DOCUMENT RESUME ED 473 215 SO 034 471 AUTHOR Petrianos, Paul TITLE Lesson Plan on the Poetry of the Holocaust. Fulbright-Hayes Summer Seminars Abroad Program, 2002 (Hungary and Poland). SPONS AGENCY Center for International Education (ED), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 2002-00-00 NOTE 77p. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) Reports Descriptive. (141) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Course Descriptions; *Curriculum Development; European History; Foreign Countries; High Schools; *Literature Appreciation; *Poetry; Social Studies; Summer Programs; World War II IDENTIFIERS *Auschwitz; Fulbright Hays Seminars Abroad Program; Gypsies; *Holocaust; Holocaust Literature; Hungary; Poland ABSTRACT The poetry writing in the concentration camps during the Holocaust enabled some people to survive, not in the biological sense, but in the psychological sense because it helped preserve their self esteem. The goal of this curriculum project is to expose students to the Holocaust by reading about the tragedy through the poetry of the victims. The project presents 60 poems written by inmates of Auschwitz (Poland). The lesson plan consists of the following: summary of curriculum project; 60 Holocaust poems; short museum guide book of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps; Elie Wiesel student competition writing form; list of films and documentaries on the Holocaust; travel essay from "New York Times" travel section, "Auschwitz Pilgrimage"; Nuremberg laws; topics on the Holocaust; information on Yad Vashem; some Holocaust Web sites; and gypsies in the Holocaust. It is intended for use with students in grades 10-11. The lesson plan provides a description, goals, procedures, assignments, and assessment suggestions. (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. FULBRIGHT -HAYS SUMMER SEMINAR 2002 IN POLAND AND HUNGARY POLAND: "BUILDING PARTNERSHIP FOR EUROPE: POLAND AFTER A DECADE OF SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION HUNGARY: "STABLE PARTNER IN DEMOCRACY JUNE 19-AUGUST 2, 2002 LESSON PLAN ON THE POETRY OF THE HOLOCAUST CONTENTS: 60 HOLOCAUST POEMS SHORT MUSEUM GUIDE BOOK OF AUSCHWITZ- BIRKENAUCONCENTRATION CAMPS ELIE WIESEL STUDENT COMPETITION WRITING FORM LIST OF FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES ON THE HOLOCAUST TRAVEL ESSAY FROM N.Y. TIMES TRAVEL SECTION -"AUSCHWITZ PILGRIMAGE" THE NUREMBERG LAWS TOPICS ON THE HOLOCAUST INFORMATION ON YAD VASHEM SOME HOLOCAUST WEB SITES GYPSIES IN THE HOLOCAUST N PAUL PETRIANOS 71- PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL 71". SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA Ocr) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement BESTCOPY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION AVAILABLE CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent 2 official OERI position or policy. Lesson Plan: The POETRY OF THE HOLOCAUST AND AND THEN SOME --MORE MINI-IDEAS/PROJECTS SUMMARY OF CURRICULUM PROJECT Why Holocaust Poetry? Why Not Study the Holocaust through Poetry? The goal of this vast curriculum project is to expose students to the Holocaust by reading about the tragedy through the poetry of the victims. The writting of poetry in the Camps enabled some people to survive---not in the biological sense, but psychological- - because it helped preserve their self-esteem. The Auschwitz poetry read again here expands not only our knowledge and awareness of history, but it makes us more sensitive and aware of this colossal tragedy and the millions of victims. These poems may not have features of outstanding poetry, but each of them is undoubtedly of historical value; they are authentic documents, evidence of inhuman behavior in the time World War II. They are a specific kind of evidence of crime and the strongest although subjective message of the truth about Auschwitz. One can distinguish four points of view or different time frames in the contents: Auschwitz perceived by those who persihed there or lost their closest relatives; by those who survived the war and the hard Auschwitz days; by those who only visited Auschwitz as a museum; and a few poems are written by Nazi soldiers. A unique approach to teaching the holocaust is to allow students to understand historical events and experiences better than the bare facts alone can do because they enable us to absorb them inwardly. In involving ourselves in the authentic literature of the holocaust, we come as close as we can to entering psychologically into those unique events as they were actually felt by those individuals who experiencedthem..Primary sources are one of the best ways to experience history. Literature mayhave a number of other functions to, but in letting the reader into a representative situation, experience, or historical period, it is supreme. As Aristotle pointed out, literature has more to tell us about truth than historial narrative has. Some 60 poems are present here and emanate from many writers, Jews and non-Jews alike, and in many languages. Many Jews would say, "If you should live to tell the tale, tell the world world what they did to us." Even in the ghettos (in the camps it was impossible) the urge to write, to portray their incremental agony day after day, was overwhelmingly urgent for those who were able to wield a pen. 'Record, record,' urged EmanuelRingelblum fevereishly as he sat at his table in the Warsaw Ghetto, pen in hand, hungary and cold, knowing that is death is near. People often buried their writings so that it would be preserved. Also included: IIPurchased from a book store at Auschwitz is a copy here of one of the short, consise, and informative guides of the site for students or the teachers to read. You may want to make a class set of this guide to give to students to read so they can learn first hand about the camp and appreciatethe meaning of the poetry better. IIISearching the internet I came upon the ElieWiesel student competition writing form as a classroom assignment. You may wantto use it for your class as an essay assignment or just to read or discuss thepowerful quotes. IVI have searched some movie books tofind out and list most of the major motion pictures made about the Holocaust. Thelist is rich in films and, of course, some documentaries are also listed. Our generationof students are a 'visual generation' and I believe that showing them a powerful film ordocumentary would add to their appreciation of the Holocaust Poetry and this willmake the poetry more meaningful. f V Reading the Travel Section of the NewYork Times Sunday paper I found a current article on someonewriting about their experience at Auschwitz,entitled, "Auschwitz Pilgrimage" --I include a copybecause it is very insightful. The following week letters appeared (also included) responding tothis travel article in the N.Y.Times. VI On the internet I found different sourcesof the Nuremberg Laws. These laws are the beginning of the end of the rightsof the Jews. It would be interesting for your students to examine the specific laws and seewhat they are all about and how vast and cruel the laws were. One internet assignmentthat you can give your students is to have them individually or in groups examinethe Apartheid Laws of South Africa, the Jim Crows in the U.S. and the Nuremberg Lawsof Nazi Germany and to discuss and see how racist regimes and institutions legalize segregation,racism and bigotry. VII Also found on the internet was a copyof interesting topics on the Holocaust you may want toassign to your students as projects. When they seethe list they will realize the vastness of sub and related topics tothis vast subject. VIIII have visited Israel four times and one ofthe sites to visit and experience is Yad Vashem, which is a memorial to the memoryof the victims of the Holocaust. You may want to tell yourstudents about this place and its meaning to Jews.This one page is a nice summary and explanation of the site. VIIII I have discovered that there are so manyHolocaust sites on the internet and on the various search engines and have listed afew here. IXI found this interesting summary on whathappened to Gypsies during the Nazi period and am including it for your information. I have discovered that by just reading somebooks on Holocaust poetry and attempting to do a lesson plan on just that onesubject has led me to other topics and areas on the holocaust Itruly believe would be of great interest andvalue to you and your students. I hope that you can use whateverinformation here you find relevant, useful and educational in approaching such a powerfultopic. 4 Grade Level (S) 10, 11 Subjects: U.S.History, World History Duration: This depends on how long the instructor deems it necessary to coverthe material contained in the unit or what parts he/she decides to use andhow it fits in to individual instructors curriculum. The state ofCalifornia now requires that a portion of time be given to the teaching of the holocaustin W.W. II. Each instructor will decide and determine how you use the films and handouts compiled here for use in projects, presentations, and discussions. Description: The teacher can use the poems to explain the Holocaust period as seen and experienced by the victims, Jews and nonJews at Auschwitz-Berkenau. Goals: Students will demonstrate an understanding of what the victims of the Holocaust underwent by getting insights and the personal perspectives of the authors of the poetry. Students will understanding how effective and real primary sources are in depicting the agony and suffering of the victims. Procedures: Put the students in groups and give each group a packet of 6-10 holocaust poems that you reproduced for the class. Each groupof students will read their own selected poems and decide which two they would like to read and explain to the class.