• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
IV. Developing Vocabulary in a Facing History Classroom
Facing History and Ourselves believes that definitions are “works-in-progress.” Ourunderstanding of ideas is continually refined as we learn new information, often in col-laboration with others. As they study the past and reflect on experiences in the present, we encourage students to construct their own meaning of important concepts explored inthis unit. The “working definitions” provided in this glossary reflect how students mightbegin to define key terms in the context of studying
Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior 
.
Introduction
• 15
Strategies for helping students build their vocabulary Journals:
Students can use their journals as a place to keep their workingdefinitions of terms, noting how those definitions change as they learnmore about the past and the present. The back section of their journalscould be used as a place where students record, review, and revise their working definitions.
Word walls:
A “word wall” is a large display in the classroom where themeanings of important ideas are displayed, using words and pictures. New terms can be added to the word wall as needed. Students can update theideas on their word wall as they learn new information and develop adeeper understanding of key terms.
Visualizing vocabulary:
Expressing concepts through an image, such asa drawing or symbol, often helps students comprehend and retain infor-mation. You might ask students to draw their definitions of key terms andshare their drawings with the class. Some of these drawings might beincluded on a word wall.
 
Glossary of Key Terms Related to a Study of 
Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior 
aliens
— immigrants who are not citizens
allies
— the nations fighting against the Germans during World War II, including theUnited States, the Soviet Union, and Britain
antisemitism
— hatred for Jews, often leading to discrimination against Jewish people
 Article 48
— a section of the Weimar Republic’s constitution that allowed the Presidentto pass laws without the approval of the Reichstag (parliament) in times of crisis
 Aryans
— a made-up race of Nordic people whom the Nazis said invaded India many centuries ago; the Nazis believed the Aryans were their direct ancestors and that Aryans are superior to people of other races
atrocities
— crimes
audience
— the person or people who receive a message
 Auschwitz
— a town in what is now southwest Poland; site of the biggest Nazi concen-tration camp during World War II
authority 
— the person or group of people in charge of a group, the leader
belonging
— being accepted, the feeling that you are part of a larger community 
blind obedience
— obeying orders without thinking about consequences of these actionsfor yourself or others
bully 
— a person or group that tries to intimidate and overpower someone else
bureaucracy 
— the rules, structures, and regulations that control individuals’ work withinan organization, typically a large organization like a government office
bureaucrat
— a person working for an organization whose job requires following ordersand procedures
bystanders
— a person or a group of people who see unacceptable behavior but do noth-ing to stop it
chancellor
— leader of the Reichstag, the Weimar Republic’s parliament
choosing to participate
— the act of deciding to act in ways that benefit a larger commu-nity 
citizen
— a person who is given special legal rights as a member of a nation
civic education
— the preparation of citizens, training people for their role as membersof larger communities
community 
— a group of people who share certain characteristics, such as proximity (they live close to each other), beliefs, or backgrounds
concentration camps
— places where “enemies of a state” are held against their will andoften forced to do heavy labor. In 1933, the Nazis opened their first concentrationcamp for people who disagreed with their ideas. Later, during World War II, they sent millions of Jews and other victims, including gypsies and homosexuals, to con-centration camps where most of them were killed, either by being murdered or as aresult of horrible living conditions.
conformity 
— when people act in the same ways and/or believe the same ideas as otherpeople in their group in order to feel a sense of belonging
consequences
— the results of a person or group’s actions or behaviors
constitution
— a document which sets up the way a nation will govern itself 
contract
— an agreement
crimes against humanity 
— planned and organized murder or other inhumane acts com-mitted against a group of people
Introduction
• 16
 
democracy 
— a form of government in which people have a voice in how they are gov-erned, such as by voting in elections
deportation
— when a person or a group of people are removed, by force, from the place where they live
depression
— a time when many workers are unemployed. Companies make less money and some may close. As a result, workers lose their jobs.
dictator
— a person who has complete control of how a nation is governed
dictatorship
— a government ruled by a dictator
discrimination
— treating people differently, usually unfairly, because they belong to aparticular group
dissent
— disagreeing with a person or a group of people
emigration
— moving from one’s native country in order to settle in another
exclusion
— when someone is not allowed membership in a group
expectations/norms/rules
— guidelines a group develops together and agrees to follow 
extermination
— to kill on a large scale
Facing History and Ourselves
— a nonprofit organization that encourages students of many different backgrounds to look at racism, prejudice and antisemitism in order topromote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry 
fear
— being scared of a person, place, thing, or idea
Final Solution
— the Nazi program of killing the Jews of Europe during World War II
fragility 
— being delicate or fragile; easily broken
genocide
— acts committed with the intent to destroy an ethnic, racial, national, or reli-gious group
Gestapo
— German police in Nazi Germany 
ghetto
— during World War II in Europe, a section of a city in which all of the Jews were required to live
head and heart
— participating in an activity with both your mind (head) and your feel-ings (heart)
Heinrich Himmler
— one of the most powerful Nazi politicians. He was head of theGestapo and also oversaw the Final Solution (the planned mass murder of Jews andothers deemed unfit).
President Paul von Hindenburg
— President of the Weimar Republic (Germany) from1925 to 1934. He appointed Hitler to the position of Chancellor of the Reichstag(parliament).
historical context
— the particular events, trends, and ideas that characterize a particulartime and place
 Adolf Hitler
— the Nazi dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945
Holocaust
— a period of 4 years (1941–1944) during which the Nazis organized andcarried out the murder of six million Jews, as well as millions of others such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Gypsies, and homosexuals
identity 
— how a person answers the question, “Who am I?” often including their inter-ests, beliefs, religion, family, ethnic background, etc. Identity is shaped by the indi-vidual and it is also influenced by society.
ideology 
— a set of beliefs
inclusion
— when someone is allowed to join a particular group or community 
inflation
— when money loses its value. During inflation, you need more money to buy the same item (e.g., $3 to buy milk that used to cost $2).
intermarriage
— marriage between people of two different backgrounds; in this case,marrying someone from a different religion, such as a Jew marrying a Protestant
isolated
— to be separated from the main group
Introduction
• 17
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...