Economics, Social Sciences

CONNECTIONS TO MANDATE/MISSION:

Examine historical processes through an economic investigation to understand fundamental rights and responsibilities of human beings.

CORE CONCEPTS:

• Change: interrelationships of groups in a democratic and pluralistic society.
• Conflict: cultural, personal, political, and socioeconomic conflicts resulting from remaining silent.
• Culture: economic discrimination, prejudice, anti-Semitism.
• Interdependence: economic, social, political, and/or personal ramifications of remaining silent in the face of human injustice.
• Perspective: analysis of various human reactions, taking into consideration varied personal, cultural, economical, and political backgrounds and histories.
• Responsibility: how economic and political roles of individuals and analysis of events that threaten men have affected the quality of life and democracy.
• Scarcity: the impact of limited resources on economic, political, and social decisions.

During this unit, lesson, or activity, students, individually or in groups:

• Examine historical processes through an economic investigation to understand fundamental rights and responsibilities of human beings.
• Examine economic situation of Post World War I era. 
• Research political parties in Germany from January 1919 to March 1933.
• Examine percentage of vote each party received in the German elections during those years. Graph information, and interpret the data. Discuss high and low points for each party.
• Examine impact of Treaty of Versailles on the economy of Germany and the rise of the Nazi party. 
• Examine the use of propaganda and its effectiveness in persecuting minority groups.
• Evaluate impact of economic conditions and prejudice of scapegoating.
• Demonstrate that the Nazi takeover was not simply a direct result of World War I.
• Students develop timelines that include major events of Hitler's life, investigating the reasons that people followed him.
• Examine the Great Depression, Post 1918 Chaos in Europe.
• Investigate how the Great Depression led to the spread of Totalitarianism, Fascism, Communism, and  Nazism. 
• Show how prejudice took over while on the brink of economic disaster.
• Examine economic consequences of waging war.
• Examine how waves of immigrants created ghetto life, caused a lack of assimilation and forced existing groups to move out as new immigrants arrived.
• Examine prejudice that new immigrant groups found, and explore the nature of prejudice in any society.
• Examine current news articles illustrating the personal, social, economic, or political consequences of remaining silent and/or of speaking out.
• Examine political cartoons, which deal with political, societal, economic, and personal apathy.
• Research and compare instances when an individual, community, state or nation should have advocated a change but remained silent.
• Analyze historical and social origins of political hate groups in modern society.
• Examine contemporary issues that create prejudice and stereotyping.
• Understand that personal decisions disregarding the value of human life or tolerating barbarous practices are unethical.
• Learn to recognize the meaning of the term, "moral dilemma."
• Recognize the connection between ideas and actions.
• Learn that ideas have ethical implications.
• Examine moral dilemmas faced by those who find themselves dealing with inhuman acts and have to make decisions based on choices between ideology or ethical values.

• Yad Vashem
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Florida Holocaust Museum
• Imperial War Museum
• Ellis Island

Concerned that a growing number of high school white males are becoming involved in a neo-Nazi skinhead group at school, a number of faculty members have implemented an integrated program targeting students to help them understand the economic, political and social ramifications of tolerating and/or participating with this type of group or any group which deliberately isolates itself from other ethnic/cultural groups.  In an economics class, students have just finished watching Children of the Swastika, a film that brings the reality of Fascism into a perspective relevant to students.  The students have formed groups to discuss the various methods the Nazi party used to win the loyalty of German youth.  They are brainstorming ideas as to why the children were receptive to these methods and what could have been done to discourage their involvement.  Students are then assigned to read Elie Wiesel's writing, "Have You Learned the Most Important Lesson of All?"  Later in the day students will be working on their senior research papers.  Many have selected themes which explore racial intolerance, discrimination and the politics of hate.  They are accessing information using various technological tools available to them, including the Internet.  They discover much misinformation during these searches and are trying to synthesize the information to construct their own meaning. Others have decided to do an "I-Search" involving individual research and oral history interviews with individuals who have information related to the Holocaust.  One student has been in contact with a survivor and has invited him to speak with the class.  He is preparing an outline to ready the class for the survivor's visit.

LEARNING ASSESSMENTS:

At the conclusion of units, lessons, or activities students might

• engage in debates
• present
• create expository writings of literature read, and articles read.
• evaluate conflicting ideas found in print.
• recognize that all need to make ethical choices in life.
• analyze reasons why diverse people make unethical choices.