After listening to the audio guide, have students write down their reactions to a particular survivor’s story. Using one or two sentences, they can write down what stood out to them about the survivor’s story and what impacted them. Then, using one or two sentences, they can write about an event that stood out to them and things they want to learn more about. To expand on the activity, students can write a research paper using USHMM encyclopedia about that particular event and the impact the event had on the particular survivor in the audio guide.
Have students listen to the stories of Ralph Rehbock, Lucille Wolf, Walter Hesse, and Judy Kolb. Have students read the USHMM article, “Refugees.” Have students think and write down the answers to the following questions:
What was happening in the world at the time the Survivors wanted to leave Germany?
What were the motivations and pressures that made the families want to leave?
What hard decisions did they have to make?
What was the end result of their decision?
Answer KeyAsk students: What would you ask one of the Survivors that you heard on the audio guide if you had the chance to meet him/her? Tell students to come up with at least 5 interview questions that they would ask the Survivor that would help them better understand their story. Then write a letter to the Survivor telling them their reactions to the Survivor’s story.
After listening to the audio guide, have students look up the term “Upstander.” Ask the students to identify which survivors encountered an Upstander in their stories. Have the students answer the following questions:
How did the Upstanders help them survive? What actions did they take?
What motivates an Upstander to take action?
What are the challenges of being an Upstander?
What did they risk to be an Upstander?
Answer KeyAfter listening to the audio guide, have the students read USHMM’s article, “Jewish Resistance.” Have the student’s identify survivors who resisted the Nazi Regime. Then, answer the following questions:
What are some different forms of Jewish resistance?
How did the survivors’ in the audio guide resist the Nazi regime?
What were their motivations and pressures to resist the Nazi regime?
Answer KeyUsing USHMM’s encyclopedia, have the students research the time and place one of the survivors who resisted in the audio guide. Students can write a research paper on how Jews resisted in the Holocaust and what choices they had to make to survive or maintain their dignity.
Have the students follow the story of Adam and Pela Starkopf in the audio guide. Have them make a timeline of the Starkopf’s life before, during, and after the war. Have them think about what struggles they went through to survive. How did they rebuild their lives? What stood out to the students about Adam, Pela, and Johanna’s Starkopf’s story?
Adam & Pela Starkopf Timeline