Classroom Holocaust Museum

Classroom Needs

Posted on September 21st, 2008 in News

Needs that I encountered for the Museum:

• One room
• 100 000 Paper clips (possible hanging accessories) – all donated, would have cost $400 CDN.
• Resources for teaching the Holocaust – (from students, community, Yad Vashem)
• Research capabilities
• Exposure in the media
• Project board, scissors, glue, etc.
• CD recorder

Cross Curricular dimension:

At a minimum you can involve the following subject areas in the creation of the museum:
Language Arts, Art, History, Math, Science and Music.

Creating the museum

Students and community members are involved in the creation of the museum.
Students arrange displays.
Students prepare to become tour guides to the public and to the other classes in the school.  Other schools can be invited to visit the museum as well.

My museum focused on three specific cases from the Holocaust:
a.    Janusz Korczak
b.    Max Kolbe
c.    Anne Frank

My museum created the following stations:
d.    Tommy (pictures from Terezin Ghetto)
e.    Map of Ghettoes in Poland
f.    Three pictures: Janus Korczak, Max Kolbe, Anne Frank
g.    Meanings of the triangles on uniforms
h.    Picture display that a student’s uncle took while visiting Stutthof, near Gdańsk, Poland.
i.    Schindler’s List of his workers and photos of two of his survivors.
j.    Two songs written in the ghettoes and recorded by a flautist (CD)
k.    Symbolic chains representing those left in the camps upon liberation
l.    Passports and Nazi era letters of the Jewish parents of a community member.
m.    Map of Concentration camps in Poland and Germany
n.    Enamel pot similar to one used by inmates in Auschwitz
o.    Samples of money during Germany’s period of hyper-inflation
p.    Pastor Niemöller’s Words
q.    Students’ count of the Victims on a CD: Holocaust Math.  This allowed students to determine how many days it would take to read the names of the victims.  Astonishing!
r.    Atlantic Jewish Council panels on Holocaust
s.    Chain of small paper clips = babies
t.    Symbol of gas chamber victims – entangled paperclips
u.    Centre chain donated by Linda Hooper from Whitwell, Tennessee

Resources I used:

•    Schindler’s list of names,
•    Schindler’s list movie,
•    A picture of Genya and Nachum (Schindler Jews who survived) along with their love story,
•    Tommy, Nazi Platform (1920),
•    Mein Kampf excerpts,
•    pre-war photos of Jews,
•    current famous Jews list,
•    Photos of Janus Korczak, Anne Frank, Fr. Max Kolbe,
•    Copy of the documentary Getto,
•    Night by Elie Wiesel.
•    Diary of Anne Frank,
•    Maus (Graphic Novel) (bring the book),
•    triangle codes,
•    picture of model of Auschwitz,
•    colour copies of documents,
•    German Marks from hyperinflation period,
•    Niemöller’s comment,
•    Holocaust Math – students counting the victims,
•    assorted posters map of ghetto and extermination camps,
•    racial purity chart,
•    songs written in ghetto and recorded on CD,
•    enamel pot,

Community involvement

The Canadian Legion (donated paper clips and publicity), students (brought in artifacts and ideas), parents brought in artifacts, people outside of community brought in artifacts.  One person was an anonymous benefactor who paid for three class sets of books.  A survivor from Auschwitz came to address the students and parents from the community.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at
waymac@hrsb.ns.ca

Wayne MacIntyre