Holocaust Children Project
Welcome to an impactful educational activity designed to enhance your understanding of the Holocaust through a unique, personal lens. This five-day activity revolves around creating identification cards for children who were victims of the Holocaust, connecting each student with a singular historical narrative to foster a deeper comprehension of this tragic historical event.
Our aim is to bring history alive for the students, helping them to understand the individual lives affected and the personal stories that often get lost in large-scale historical events. By creating an ID card for a child from the Holocaust, we hope to humanize history, emphasizing the personal aspects and tragedies of the Holocaust, thereby enhancing empathy and understanding.
In line with the Indiana Academic Standards for US History (US5.4), we will be delving into Adolf Hitler’s “final solution” policy, and exploring the Allied responses to the Holocaust.
This activity is hands-on, involving cutting and pasting, fingerprinting, and creative writing. Over the course of five days, students will complete an ID card, adding new pieces of information each day. By the end of the week, students will have a better understanding of the realities of the Holocaust, and a personal connection to one of its victims.
Let’s engage, learn, and remember – together we can make history resonate and ensure the lessons of the past continue to illuminate our future.
| Preparation | – One set of copies of the Holocaust Children Document – Make one complete Id card as an example |
| Procedure | – Give each student a piece of hard stock paper – Have them fold it in half (landscape/lengthwise) – Each student cuts out a Jewish star/there id section of their child – After each student places them on their id they will place a thumb and index fingerprint on their id card – On the back of the id card, they will write their prediction if they live or die – Each day the students receive the next section of their background about their person. The last day they will receive a ribbon and safety pin (black – died in the holocaust, yellow – lived through the holocaust) |
| Materials | – Heavy 20lb paper folded in half (off-white would be the best) – Glue sticks (5 sticks) – Scissors Printed out Holocaust Cards – Lee Inkless Finger Print Pad |
| Length | – 5 days – 10 minutes each day |
| Purpose | – To have the learners connect with a real victims of the holocaust |
| Indiana Academic Standards: US History | – US5.4 Describe Hitler’s “final solution” policy and identify the Allied responses to the Holocaust. |