We Remember the Holocaust
Katie O'Malley

Teacher of the Lesson: Katie O'Malley
Lesson Topic: Robert Leroy Video
Grade Level: Fifth
Approximate Time: 2 days (1 hour each day)

Objectives:

1. Students will reflect on the video and testimony of one survivor.

Materials:

• VCR cart and TV
• video of Robert Leroy: Story of a Survivor
• Journal for brief writing assignment

Procedures:
Introduction --

1. Briefly introduce the video by asking questions regarding the main character in our reading book, The Devil's Arithmetic , Chaya.
2. Explain that we are going to watch a video of a person who made that same trip to the Nazi concentration camps by train for "resettlement" that Chaya did. His name is Robert Leroy.
3. Warn the students that just like in the book, he will talk about a few issues that can be frustrating and possibly gruesome to a member of the audience.
4. Inform them that the video is lengthy, but very excellent. In order to get the full effect without losing interest, we are going to split up our viewing time over two days.
5. As an ending note, tell the students that after completion of the video, we will be writing a persuasive article lobbying for the Jews during WWII. It may be important to take notes on the key issues that you want to address in your article. These are things that are especially frustrating for you to understand.

Sequence of Instruction --
DAY ONE:

1. Play the video for the first segment of 25 minutes. Stop the video throughout at points where the issue needs to be clarified or expanded.
2. Upon returning from Music class, continue the video for the second segment of approximately 30 minutes. When stopping at the end of the second segment, inform the students that we will continue with this on Monday morning. An assignment over the weekend is for them to reflect on what they have heard Mr. Leroy say, thus far.

DAY TWO:

1. Play the remaining portion of the video, once again stopping at key points within where added clarification needs to occur.
2. At the end of the video, ask for the students to share what they learned from Robert Leroy that they didn't know from their novels and other sources for the unit.
3. In small groups, have the students share with each other their homework assignment from Friday, a brief reflection of some issues that stimulated their thinking.
4. Regroup as a whole class and make a class chart of the issues that they feel needed to be addressed back at that time in history. How could this happen? As a bystander and member of the human race, what appeals need to be made to other enemy powers to stop this from occurring.

Closure --

1. Tell the students that tomorrow we will be using our chart to create a persuasive piece of writing in appeal for the rescue of all Jews under Nazi persecution.

Evidence of Students Achieving Objectives:

Students ability to reflect in their journal entry will be evaluated on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. They must list four to five different issues they feel are important to address and the reasons why.

Adaptation or Reteaching Ideas:

To curtail behavior problems and boredom with the long length of the video, we will watch it in segment of about 30 minutes, stopping it frequently to discuss the topics that have been covered. Also, it may be more appropriate to begin the class chart during the movie, so that by the next segment, students will not have forgotten what happened previously.

Reflection:

It is important to me as a teacher of the upper grades to be able to use primary source documents in social studies, effectively. I want the students to see the videos that we watch as educational and not a time to shut down their brains.