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Preface
Through Our Eyes presents the Holocaust from its ideological conception in the pre-war period to the liberation and return to life of those who survived. It consists of an introduction and then eight study segments compiled in chronological order. It includes children’s diary entries and survivor testimony, representing the various countries throughout Europe in which the events took place. It is recommended for middle school students (grades 6-8).
Each segment develops a specific topic, thus preparing the student for the next chapter in Holocaust history. Together, the segments provide both an overview and an intensive examination of the Holocaust as it unfolded from the early 1930’s through 1945 and its aftermath.
Through Our Eyes is a unit devoted solely to the Holocaust as it was perceived by children. It examines the experiences of the one and a half million children who perished, as well as those young victims who survived. Through this focus on the children of the Holocaust, the student will gain a genuine and empathetic comprehension of the destruction of the six million Jews who perished.
Sensitivity to this tragic era is heightened by the eyewitness accounts of children, confronted by death and destruction, who were approximately the same age as the students themselves at the time of the event. The essence of Through Our Eyes reveals what they perceived and subsequently recorded in their poems, diary entries, and testimonies. Their first-hand report of daily events represents a primary source of Jewish history. The candor and variety of their words disclose their personalities and inner-most feelings, challenging students to empathize and identify with their stories.
When students understand and emotionally connect to historical events by entering wholeheartedly into the lives of others, the historical data becomes more meaningful and unforgettable.
Pedagogical Instruction
- Process of discovery:
By examining photographs and comparing texts, the student becomes involved in the process of discovering the facts and realities of the Holocaust. The student learns the history while discovering the thoughts and feelings of the children as they have recorded them. - Terminology:
Words such as ghetto, deportation, concentration camp etc. are not assumed to be understood. All terms are introduced carefully and clearly in the proper context and in the order that they occurred in the children’s lives. Just as the children of the Holocaust were confronted or bombarded with unfamiliar terms and problems, so is the student. As quotations are presented that illustrate how the children of the Holocaust adjusted to their new situation, the reader is able to put the pieces together with them. - The Step-by-Step Process:
The Nazi takeover and implementation of their ideology and policies was done step by step. The material in this unit is presented in the same manner, step by step. The children of the Holocaust reveal to us the new things about the changing situations they encountered and their feelings about those changes. - Collection of Details:
No one diary or history book gives every detail of every facet of what happened to the children. That is why in Through Our Eyes we find a collection of little details from many eyewitness accounts. This collection of details presents a more complete and vivid picture in the proper historical sequence. - Broad Spectrum:
Jews throughout Europe fell victim to the Nazis and their collaborators. They came from many different countries, spoke a variety of languages, followed different customs, and held different beliefs. Through Our Eyes brings together the words of Jewish children from multiple types of backgrounds. - Reflection:
Questions are raised to highlight certain concepts for deeper evaluation.
Through Our Eyes is a hybrid unit: it can be used either in its online format, or it can be used by the teacher as a lesson plan with material included.