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Lesson Plan
Your Name: Sebastian Kreindel
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Unit: World War II and You
Topic/Title: The Holocaust/ Genocides
Teaching date: 3/6-7/13
Subject/Course: World History II
Grade Level: Freshman/ Sophomores
Time Frame: 90minutes
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Context/Rational: Included in this unit is the study of the Holocaust and other major
genocides that were based on the destruction of racial, political, religious, and/or cultural groups.
Students will understand the development in German thought that led to the Holocaust, such as
the Madagascar Plan, Hitler’s belief in the master race, and the prevalence of anti-Semitism in
Europe. This totalitarianism combined with nationalism led to the overwhelming compliance of
citizens and soldiers acting out against innocent peoples. Other genocides that will be brought up
will be the Armenian Genocide, the purging of the Soviet Union by Stalin, the Pol Pot genocide
of Cambodia, and the genocide in Rwanda.
SOLs and Objectives: Terms to know
 genocide: The systematic and purposeful destruction of a racial, political, religious, or cultural
group
Elements leading to the Holocaust
 Totalitarianism combined with nationalism
 History of anti-Semitism
 Defeat in World War I and economic depression blamed on German Jews
 Hitler’s belief in the master race
 Final solution: Extermination camps, gas chambers
Other examples of genocide
 Armenians by leaders of the Ottoman Empire
 Peasants, government and military leaders, and members of the elite in the Soviet Union by
Joseph Stalin
 Artists, technicians, former government officials, monks, minorities, and other educated
individuals by Pol Pot in Cambodia
 Tutsi minority by Hutu in Rwanda
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Non- SOL objectives:
Compare and contrast the Holocaust to the crimes against humanity carried out by other war
criminals
Discuss and modify hypotheses on how to prevent further genocides
Evaluate the role of anti-Semitism and racism in the Holocaust
Essential Questions: SOL- Why did the Holocaust occur? What are other examples of genocide
in the twentieth century?
Non- SOL- What is genocide? Why is it so important that we study genocides?
Materials/Resources: Concept formation maps, worksheet, PowerPoint
Content and Instructional Strategies- Concept Formation, Socratic Method, and Direct Lecture
Hook: Word web on the topic of “genocide”- 10 minutes
Content: Concept Formation sheet and worksheet- 15 minutes
PowerPoint on Information- 25 minutes
Interview footage of Holocaust survivors- 10 minutes
Socratic Method discussion- 25 minutes
Conclusions/ homework assignments- 10 minutes
+/- 5 minutes to assign wherever it is necessary
Differentiation: There are two levels of genocide worksheets, if students need slower speed or
easier readings they can use the lower of the two level worksheets. I can further differentiate this
assignment by having students work in groups to create their concept formation maps
Adaptations: Some adaptations that can be made for this class is supplying students with the
PowerPoint lecture as guided notes, or preparing separate guided notes to help them. I can also
underline
Assessment: Will be evaluated through the worksheet and the personalized letter
Homework: Letter to me answering two of the four questions about the lesson due the following
class. Finish Worksheet by the following class.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed teaching this lesson. In the future I will use a different concept formation
worksheet that allows students to generalize the characteristics of the word “genocide.” During
the Socratic discussion, the students empathized to with Jews and other undesirables who were
murdered during the Holocaust. The prompts were very powerful and nearly every student in the
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class participated in discourse. I would feel very comfortable giving this lesson again in the
future.