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History

10 March 2010


Activity page

"Heroes of the Holocaust"

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Primary activity

What was the Holocaust?

The Second World War had a massive effect on the lives of many people in Europe - but one group of people were driven from their homes, were stripped of their money and many were put to death just because of their religion. These people were the Jews.

In today's activity you are going to compile a report about what the Holocaust was and to briefly explain what happened to the Jews.

You will need to find out as much as you can using the internet and books to help you - but be careful there is lots of information about this subject so you will need to concentrate hard!

You can focus on any one of the following subjects:

  • Who were the Jews and where did they live?
  • What were the ghettos and what were they like?
  • Why were the Jews hated by the Nazis?
  • What sort of things were German Jews not allowed to do?
  • Who was Anne Frank and what happened to her?
  • What was the Kindertransport?

You should compile your report so that it can be read out to the class. Take some feedback - what does everyone else think of your report?

jews in auschwitz

Many Jews died during the Second World War, just because of their religion

Picture: Guardian/David Levene

Find out more

Holocaust Education Trust

www.het.org.uk/

Denis Avey's experiences

www.bbc.co.uk

Anne Frank Trust

www.annefrank.org.uk

Auschwitz Museum

www.en.auschwitz.org.pl

Holocaust Memorial Day

www.learnnewsdesk.co.uk

Teachers' notes

Primary lesson objectives

  • an overview of how the war affected people's everyday lives
  • about the restrictions on people, how they suffered during the war, their courage and resilience

Primary curriculum links

History at key stages 1 and 2    (Year 3/4)
Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War?
Section 6: In what other ways might the war have affected people?

Glossary

Concentration camp a type of prison, often consisting of a number of buildings inside a fence, where political prisoners are kept in extremely bad conditions

Convent where nuns live and worship

Holocaust the killing of millions of Jews by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s

Humanity people in general

Kindertransport the rescue mission that took place nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The United Kingdom took in nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi Germany and placed them in British foster homes, hostels, and farms.

Lobbied trying to influence people such as politicians

Nazi member of the National Socialist party which controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945

Persecuted to treat somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially because of their race, religion or political beliefs

Physiotherapist someone who treats injuries or diseases by the use of massage and exercise

Plight a difficult and sad situation

Posthumously when something is done after someone's death

Prisoner of war someone who is captured in war and held as a prisoner until the war has ended

Quaker a Christian religious group that meets without any formal ceremony and is strongly opposed to violence and war

Visas documents which allow someone from another country to enter a different country legally

© Guardian News and Media 2010