Who Is Responsible?: An Analysis of the Holocaust
Who Is Responsible?: An Analysis of the Holocaust
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How did the Holocaust happen? How could a well-educated society like Germany perpetrate a Holocaust? How could other countries allow the murder of six million people? Who is most responsible for Hitler coming to power? How much responsibility do other religious groups bear? What about the men (soldiers) who rounded up the Jews from their homes? The leaders who wrote the Nuremberg Laws that mandated the formation of the ghettos, how much responsibility do they have for the Holocaust? When was the decision made to exterminate the Jews and when did other countries become aware of that policy? Should the people who voted for the Hitler’s political party be held responsible? To what extent is this tragedy the result of one man?
OVERVIEW OF
OVERVIEW OF
The Who Is Responsible? Research Project
The Who Is Responsible? Research Project
(4 parts)
(4 parts)
Historical Research Notes in your History Class
Assigned Group Recorded Presentation in your History Class
Peer Review Chart in your History Class
Who Is Responsible Debate in your English Class
Students: please note that this web page occasionally updates.
Overarching Goal of Research & Presentation
You, and a small group of other students, will be assigned one of eight groups (or individual) who bear responsibility for the Holocaust. Consider yourself a member of a “think tank” charged with providing analysis and information so that others may use it to formulate and support their own ideas about the level of responsibility your assigned group had in carrying out the Holocaust.
Groups Responsible for The Holocaust
Non-Jewish Europeans (not from Germany)
German Citizens
Religious Groups of all denominations
Leaders of the Allied Forces
Top SS (Nazi Military Leaders)
Minor SS (Nazi Soldiers)
Adolf Hitler
NAZI Propagandists
Part 1:
Part 1:
Assigning Blame:
Assigning Blame:
Historical Research Notes
Historical Research Notes
Solo Work in your History Class
You will work alone for Part 1: Historical Research Notes.
Your objective for this assignment is to determine how and why your group is culpable for the Holocaust.
Culpable means meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful.
Your claim of culpability is accessed in two parts: 1) blame for the Holocaust and 2) percentage of blame
Claim of culpability: you are not defending the group, per say, instead you are providing reasons for their guilt (their role in the Holocaust)
You must find historic evidence relating to your group. Your research will include information from your History lessons and verified/reliable sources.
For example, you might find quotes from an authoritative source that states the Catholic Church could have done more to protect or save Jews, thus increasing their culpability by not opposing genocide. Conversely, you could find out what the Catholic Church was doing to protect Jews in a given country, thereby reducing their culpability.
Each student must have 3 sources that proves your claim of culpability
Your resources must be reliable - if in doubt, please check them with your history teacher
IMPORTANT: each assigned group member must have different notes and research different information to receive credit for this part of the assignment.
What is required: type out your Historical Notes and include the following information for each source:
Your name and your assigned Group/Person
Name of source and URL link
Claim of culpability: your statement about why your group bears responsibility for The Holocaust
Context (historical information)
Evidence (textual evidence from your source)
Reason: analysis of culpability (how your source connects to your claim)
Percentage of blame for your group
Remember that your goal is to help other students assess blame for the Holocaust.
Below is a graphic organizer to help you with the research.
YOUR HISTORY TEACHER WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO TURN THIS IN.
Please ask your History teacher how they want you to submit your research and analysis.
The following document is a list of approved sources
The following document is a list of approved sources
Please note: this document occasionally updates.
Part 2:
Part 2:
Assigned Group Recorded Presentation
Assigned Group Recorded Presentation
Group Work
YOUR HISTORY TEACHER WILL PROVIDE SPECIFICS ON HOW TO TURN THIS IN
Here is the general idea:
Part 2 is a recorded presentation to the class so they can determine the level of culpability for each of the eight groups.
Your group will record a presentation about your assigned group.
You must also provide a percentage of blame for your assigned group.
Remember that your goal is to help our class become informed about your group's culpability so that this may be discussed during the Holocaust Debate. Keep in mind you are not the group, but an expert on this group.
All recorded presentations will be available for Part 3: Peer Review of the Eight Presentations
Use any form of digital information in your presentation (charts, graphs, maps, etc.)
Please keep all recordings to approximately 4-5 minutes.
All students must be involved in this recording.
You will submit your groups Recorded Presentation to the assignment Google Form. Your History teacher will provide this link for you.
You will use the slide template below to create the presentation and record using Screencastify
Part 3:
Part 3:
Peer Review of Eight Presentations
Peer Review of Eight Presentations
Solo Work in your History Class
For Part 3 you are working alone. You will be peer reviewing and gathering data from eight different presentations.
This will happen in your History Class
You will be watching/listening to eight recordings, one from each of the 8 groups, and you will be taking notes on each one.
The goal is to be knowledgeable about each of the 8 groups in preparation for the Debate in your English Class.
Overarching Goal of Part 4: Debate
Now you will utilize the analysis and information you have researched as a class and determine the level of culpability and responsibility for each of the groups in carrying out the Holocaust. All groups will assign blame in debate fashion in your English class.
Part 4:
Part 4:
Who is Responsible? Debate
Who is Responsible? Debate
English Class
Although you will be sitting with your group, this is an individual grade.
Debate: Assigning Blame As a Community
Debate: Assigning Blame As a Community
You (individually) must participate in this Debate to receive credit!
You may use digital information (e.g. charts, graphs, maps, etc.) of researched data to support your stance on your assigned group’s responsibility for the Holocaust.
You will take part in this debate in order to better analyze the responsibility of the assigned groups after listening to the research recordings. This will provide you with diverse opinions and reasoning that may influence your assessment of responsibility.
You should also be prepared to defend or refute the level of culpability of your assigned group.
Assigning blame as a community: each class will come to a consensus on each group's responsibility for the Holocaust. At the end of the Debate, your class will contribute to a pie chart which includes the percentage of culpability for all the assigned groups.
Here is a link to a list and description of each of the groups you may be assigned to:
Here is a link to a list and description of each of the groups you may be assigned to:
Your English Teacher will give you specific instructions on how you will join a group
Student Archive of past WIR Historical Research Presentations
Student Archive of past WIR Historical Research Presentations
This is an archive of Part 2 of the WIR Research Project WIR Part 2 Examples
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