Begin working on our first project of the year, the autobiography. What is that you ask? Well, let's break it down; you know that bio means life and that a biography is typically the story of a person's life. Chances are when you see "Alpha" you think of the alphabet. If you put those together, you get the story of one's life written in a form mimicking the alphabet. Please see the attached links for further information.
Following our discussion on hate crimes and crimes against humanity, you will need to choose an article from the New York Times (follow the link below) that you will then write a short summary for. Your summary must include the following:
Location - Where the crime(s) took place
Date of crime(s)
Who were the victims?
How were they victimized?
Who were the oppressors?
What was the solution (if one was given)?
Definition of bigotry: acts or beliefs characteristic of a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group (such as a racial or religious group)
Monday, March 31st Today you will have an assignment that requires you to imagine yourself in the position that Gerda and many other Jewish children found themselves in, having to leave home, without any certainty of what was to come, and only being allowed to bring a small amount of your belongings.
Define the following terms WITHOUT using a dictionary. You should be able to base your definitions on what you saw in the film.
Victim
Oppressor
Bystander
Now that you know what each one is (we will discuss as a class once you have had some time to develop your definition), you need to explain the role of each on in terms of the Holocaust. Please give me complete answers on this.
Your written (or typed) responses will be due when you come to class on Monday, at which time we will go into further discussion.
A Day No Pigs Would Die
As we prepare to read the novel, it would be helpful for us to understand some background information. So far we know that the author, Robert Newton Peck, wrote this novel based on his childhood. Now, to gain a deeper understanding, we will work together to research what it would have been like to grow up on a hog farm in Vermont. We will also need to learn what it means to be a Shaker (the religious beliefs of the author's family). Together with your group, you will research a particular topic which we will then use to create a bulletin board.
Pre-Reading Activities: Here are some links to help you get started on some research for the book