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KS3 Questions for use with the Case Studies
KS3 Questions for use with the Case Studies
General Questions:
*In what way(s) were the people in the story different from those around them?
*List the different ways in which others involved in the stories reacted to the central character in the case study. Suggest some reasons for their actions.
*Hitler and his followers presented their ideal picture of a German citizen, as healthy, fair skinned, blond haired and blue eyed. In propaganda films, those with different physical features became clear targets for persecution but why do you think Hitler also feared, people whose thoughts and actions deviated from his concept of normality?
For further consideration:
*Find some more stories about the impact of Kristallnacht on individuals or communities.
*Explain what a ‘Bar Mitzvah’ is. (Albert Friedlander’s story)
*Check out the background to the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (and terms such as ‘Interahamwe’). (You might like to look at the hmd website).
*Conduct some research into the history and culture of the Roma people in Europe. What are some of the main problems facing this community today?
*Think for a while about our modern world and the city, town or village community where you live. Next, in groups spend a few moments talking about possible answers to these questions:
(a) We claim to celebrate diversity but are all people in your community given the same chance to express their feelings or explain their needs to others?
(b)What could your community do to make sure that all its members feel valued by others?
(c) Some people believe that actions speak louder than words. In 2007 what could young people, in your community, do to help people put the same. but different aim into action?
Case Study Questions:
a. What problems faced Henry on the day of his Bar Mitzvah? Why do you think it was important to still try and hold the event?
b. How did Albert’s family try to avoid the violence of Kristallnacht?
c. What things can we learn about the character of Albert from his story?
a. What led to the arrest of Albrecht?
b. Why do you think Albrecht and other gay men were sent to join the army on the Russian front rather than troops in Western Europe?
c. If there was an open view towards homosexuality in Germany, especially in Berlin, in the 1920s, why did it take so long for the new West Germany to change the Nazi anti-gay laws?
a. Why were Amalie’s people regarded with suspicion?
b. Why did the Nazi doctors want to ‘prove’ that the Roma children were inferior to German children?
c. How important is it to have eyewitness accounts of what happened to victims of the Nazis?
a. What was the Kindertransport?
b. The lies were spread by ‘Goebbels and his propaganda machine’. Explain what is meant by a ‘propaganda machine’.
c. Why do you think the parents threatened to smash Cousin Hanna’s windows if Micheli played outside? This behaviour may strike us as outrageous; suggest some reasons why these neighbours thought it was acceptable.
d. What different things can we learn about human nature from this narrative?
a. Why do you think Kemal did not want to be recognised?
b. What does ‘premeditated’ mean? Which words of Kemal’s illustrate the fact that he thought this genocide was ‘premeditated’?
c. Do you think the fact that the guards were former classmates made things more or less difficult? Why?
a. What clues do we get about Odette’s fear when the boys entered the dining hall?
b. How did the Belgian colonists manage to divide the people of Rwanda against each other?
c. What sentences in the narrative illustrate how ridiculous these divisions were?
Finally
Now you have examined all the case studies and thought about the same.but different slogan, discuss together whether all people in modern society are equally valued by everyone. Try to find examples which show that people are more welcoming to others today but also highlight at least one area of inequality and suggest how this unfairness could be removed.
If we really want to learn from the past and make a difference to the future we may have to put ourselves in the spotlight and as individuals ask ourselves difficult questions.
The following questions are part of a more difficult and personal task. You may want to think about them in private rather than discuss your answers with others.
Take a few quiet moments to think about the people you’ve studied. Now ask yourself these questions:
What am I doing/ will I do to fight injustice and promote equality in my community? This is a huge question and most adults would find it difficult to answer. Let’s break it into smaller personal questions:
*What am I doing to make a difference to individual lives today?
*How can I make a special effort to listen to the voices of others, even if others ignore them?
*What can I do to make a person, new to my community, my school and my street feel accepted and welcome?
*What have I learned from the case studies I have examined?
