Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Activity 1: Power of
Language and Images
Courses: Western Civilization or Modern History, Speech,
Rhetoric, Diversity, Political Science
Part A: In-Class Presentation
Purpose of exercise: Enhance student understanding of the power of language to shape and
reflect attitudes
Outcomes:
1. Provide examples of propaganda techniques used by the Nazi “Popular
Enlightenment and Propaganda” office to dehumanize
and devalue the Jewish population
2. Examine language, images, “junk”science, and/or art used to
shape Arian-German perception of the Jewish population
3. Examine language, images, “junk” science, and/or art used to
reflect Nazi perception of the Jewish population
Materials needed:
1. A computer per 2 students
2. Internet Access
Time requirements:
50 minute class period- Allow 20 minutes for research and 2-3 minutes per
pair to present discoveries
LO access:
1. Log in http://www.ushmm.org
2. Access “racism” and/or “propaganda” in “search site” box
Learning activity :
1. Ask the class to work in pairs, one pair per computer.
2. The students will search the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website,
accessing “propaganda” and “racism”.
3. Depending upon the size of the class, the instructor could divide the research in the
following way:
a. Each pair find one language, one image, one artistic, and one “junk” science
example used in Nazi propaganda spins
or
b. Assign each pair a specific propaganda technique; i.e. one pair finds 3 language
examples, one pair finds 3 images, one pair finds 3 “junk” science examples.
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
4. Examine how the propaganda technique shaped the attitudes of the German population
and/or reflected the attitudes of the Nazi party.
5. Ask each pair to present 2 of their three discoveries and their analysis of the power of the
language and/or images to shape and/or reflect attitudes
6. For further thought: Hand out an index card or ask each student to pull out a sheet of
paper. Ask each student to write his/her reaction to his/her discovery.
7. Ask each student to identify another moment in history or a contemporary example of a
group using such tactics to dehumanize another group of people.
Assessment:
1. Successfully identified propaganda techniques
2. Successfully identified how the language, image, or “junk” science
tactic shaped or reflected attitudes of the non-Jewish, German population
3. Upon further thought, the individual student made a connection to another
point in history when such tactics were engaged.
Part B: Out-of-class Writing Assignment
Purpose of exercise: Enhance student understanding of the power of language to shape and
reflect attitudes
Outcomes:
1. Provide examples of propaganda techniques used by the Nazi “Popular
Enlightenment and Propaganda” office to dehumanize
and devalue the Jewish population
2. Examine language, images, “junk”science, and/or art used to
shape German perception of the Jewish population
4. Examine language, images, “junk” science, and/or art used to
reflect Nazi perception of the Jewish population
4. Synthesize research and analysis in a formal writing assignment
Materials needed:
Instructor
Optional: One computer with overhead to introduce the website
Student
1. A computer
2. Internet Access
3. Word processing software
Time requirements:
30 minutes: time to introduce the website, the outcomes of the assignment,
and structure of the writing assignment
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
LO access:
1. Log in http://www.ushmm.org
2. Access “propaganda” in “search site” box
3. Access “racism” in “search site” box
Learning Activity
1. Assignment
Write a 2-3 page paper identifying propaganda techniques used by the Nazi office of “Popular
Enlightenment and Propaganda” to dehumanize and devalue the Jewish population.
2. Considerations in research
-Language- specific words like “vermin”
-Images- pictures in propaganda publications and posters
-Arts and literature- children’s literature, posters
-Junk science- “research” and “scientific studies” claiming that Jewish Germans were
inferior to non-Jewish Germans
3. Structure
-Offer brief background information the reader may need to know about the Nazi
propaganda efforts put forth by the Nazi office of “Popular Enlightenment and
Propaganda” or other pro-Nazi organizations.
-Identify three specific examples found on the website, considering the above strategieslanguage, images, arts and literature, “junk” science.
-Explain how the cited examples shape and/or reflect Nazi- German attitudes of the
Jewish population.
Assessment:
1. Successfully identified three propaganda strategies used to devalue or
dehumanize the Jewish population
2. Successfully identified how the cited strategy reflects attitudes
and/or
Successfully identified how the cited strategy shapes attitudes
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Activity 2:
Propaganda and Web Design
Courses: Western Civilization or Modern History, English 101,
Diversity, Political Science, Web or Computer Design
Having completed either the in-class or at-home Power of Language and Images activities, the
student's goal is now to explore whether the same techniques are still being used to spread
misinformation and intolerance in today's society. Students will do this by working in small
groups to find a Neo-Nazi or other misinformation web site and analyze the effects its authors
intend it to have. The students will then consider how to counter such misinformation
Part A: Analyzing Web Site Legitimacy
Step 1: Use Google.com to find a web site that promotes intolerant misinformation about a
culture group living in the US today.
Step 2: Use the following web site to analyze its (il)legitimacy:
http://www.mc.cc.md.us/library/webevalintro.htm
Materials needed:
 Internet Connected Computer, printer
 Time required: 1-1.5 hours
 Suggested form of analysis: Paragraph outline, chart or table
Part B: Counter-Propaganda
Apply principles of design to the site you have located and analyzed. Think about web design as
used in professional corporate web sites and compare this to your selected site. Is it well
designed? What design aspects make it look deceptively legitimate? Does this give you insight
into designing a counter-site?
Analyze how the site it supposed to appeal. Compare the site to the holocaust museum site. Do
you see the same appeals to cultural fears? What is the persecuted group being tagged as a
scapegoat for? How does the modern web site act on the viewer in comparison to WWII era
Nazi propaganda?
Materials needed:
 Internet Connected Computer, printer
 Time required: 1 hour
 Suggested form of analysis: Three-column chart or table comparing a legitimate site to the
propaganda/hate site chosen and to the Nazi propaganda from the USHMM web site.
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
Suggestions for use: Use in a history, literature, psychology, or diversity class to introduce the
concept of "the Other," how "Others" are treated in society, and how pervasive and persuasive
misinformation can be.
Additional Assessment strategies: Given the subjective and potentially emotional discussions
this activity will evoke, a suggested means of assessment is via class discussion of comparison
charts, a reaction paper or introspective student journal.
In a web design class, student working alone or in groups should design a counter-intelligence
web site web site created to make effective use of design principles in countering hate
propaganda. Non-web design classes might want to develop a Trivial Pursuit- or Jeopardy- style
game designed to spread correct information.
Learning Objectives: By completing this assignment, student will:




demonstrate an understanding of how propaganda continues to be used in 21st century
society
demonstrate ability to engage in interactive class discussions via bulletin board or in person
demonstrate writing or web design ability
demonstrate an awareness of diversity and human rights issues in our society.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Activity 3:
Roleplaying a persona, First Person Perspective
Courses: Western Civilization or Modern History, Speech,
Writing, English 101, Diversity, Political Science
United States Holocaust Museum Identity Cards
Description: This excellent site has resources for both teachers and students. For example, there
is an on-line activity where students are asked to trace the steps of four passengers using their
archived files. This site would be useful to students of history or sociology.
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
Sample ID Card
At http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/ under Teaching Materials and Resources is a
PDF file containing "identity cards" of holocaust victims. The address of the PDF file is
http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/resource/idcards.pdf. Above is a sample:
The stories on each of these cards are divided into four parts
1. A picture and biography
2. The person’s life from 1933 to 1939 (coinciding with the rise of Nazism and AntiSemitism)
3. The person’s life from 1940 to around 1945 (coinciding with the period of the "final
solution)
4. The end of the story: either their murder by or their escape from the Nazis.
Activity A. Writing
Print out the cards and distribute them to students.
Activity 1: Have the students write a one-paragraph obituary of their subject
Activity 2: Have the students write a letter from their ID person to another person. The
students can write one letter from each era of the person’s life, or the instructor can
choose an era.
Option A: Write to the ID person’s father, mother, wife or husband
Option B: Have students write to each other, i.e. one student as
Survivor A and another student has survivor B, and they write letters
to each other.
Project Synergy
Enhanced Learning Object Activities
Activity B. Role-Play
Choose ID cards for the class. Make sure there is a mix of Endings: some people escape, some
people are rescued, some people die in the camps, etc. Cut these ID cards into four sections: The
first will contain the picture and the bio, the second will contain the era 1933-39, the third will
contain the 1940s, and the last will contain the end. Hand out all of the bio/picture sections. Tell
the students this is who they are. Students can tape the picture to themselves, at the instructor’s
discretion. A few stars of David could be photocopied and these could be taped or pinned to the
student’s arms. Tell them they are not to read their bios to those they meet, but rather act like
they are that person.
Part 1: Small group activity. Divide students in to groups of four or five. Give students
time to mingle and introduce themselves. The instructor can pass out further sections of
the stories, one era at a time, so the students gradually learn their fate. As they learn their
fate, they relate to the others in class.
Part 2: Pass out further sections of the stories randomly, and students must look around
and ask other students to find out their fate.
Follow up activity: Have students discuss and/or write a paragraph about how they felt.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Activity 4: Primary
Source Research and Analysis
Courses: Western Civilization or Modern History, Diversity
issues, Political Science
The activity is based on effective research -- finding and evaluating a source of information.
Students should conduct some research on the site to find one specific primary or secondary
source related to the Holocaust. Students should write a brief (1 page) review citing the quality
of the source, significant content and overall credibility factors of the source. The assignment is
meant to be brief and easily accomplished, in preface to a discussion on the topic and/or as a
lesson to develop information literacy skills. Evaluation of student work should focus on:
 Clarity
 Analytical content
 Organization
This assignment emphasizes critical reasoning and written communication skills.