NAME: _________________________________ 

CP Humanities

Kathleen Moylan
Worcester Technical HS, MA
Layered Curriculum Unit: The “Age of Anxiety”, the Rise of Fascism, and World War II

DUE DATE: __________________________ 

Unit Overview: Following the “War to End all Wars,” the world experienced crises in all areas of life: political, social, religious, and economic. In response to the devastation of the first World War, artists and philosophers created modernism, and governments turned to fascism for answers. In this unit, we will explore why these ideologies developed, and the consequences of these movements for the world—then and today. 

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of why the interwar years are referred to as the “Age of Anxiety, ” and how political, social, and economic conditions affected art, literature, and philosophy
• Demonstrate understanding of the economic, social, and political effects of totalitarianism on Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia
• Demonstrate understanding of the multiple causes of World War II
• Demonstrate understanding of how Hitler used ideas and actions to implement his “Final Solution”, resulting in the Holocaust

“C” Level: maximum 70 points

Please choose from the assignments below for a maximum of 70 points. No more than 2 assignments will be evaluated on the unit due date. Please refer to the general rubric sheet to determine how to fulfill the requirements for each assignment

 

Listen quietly, and take notes on class lectures: 10 points per lecture

The Age of Anxiety: Modernism is born ___________

Hitler and Mussolini: Fascism establishes a boothold in Europe _________ 

Mandatory Assignment:

Read one or more of the historical documents that accompany this unit, and fill out an historical documents worksheet for the reading         10-15 points each

Some of the selections:

Sigmund Freud “ A Legacy of Embitterment”

Paul Valery  “Disillusionment”

Pastor Martin Niemoller reading

Adolf Hitler’s First anti-Semitic letter

Benito Mussolini “What is Fascism?”

Franz Kafka “Before the Law”

 

Read one or more of the Facing History and Ourselves readings, and be ready to answer the Connections questions            10 points          

Using Google Images, a textbook, or some other source, evaluate a map that illustrates German conquests, Japanese conquests, or some other element of World War II. Use the map evaluation sheet to explain what the map shows            15 points 
 
 
 
 

Go to the website www.besthistorysites.net        15 points

Choose one of the websites listed under the World War II category, and write a one page review of the website, or prepare a five minute class presentation in which you demonstrate how to navigate the website. What are the site’s strengths? Why do you think it was chosen as one of the best? What did you learn from visiting this website?

View the German Art transparencies and answer the questions below in writing, for three images that you choose. Be sure to include the title and artist of the piece along with your answers   15 points

• What contemporary event or aspect of life might the artist have been responding to or influenced by?

• Why might that issue have been controversial or appealing?
• If you were a viewer of this work in 1920s or 1930s Germany, what would it have reminded you of? What aspect of your culture, history, or expectations about art would it have challenged?
• Why do you think this piece of art was considered “degenerate” by the Nazi Regime?

 
 

Go to one of the following websites to view photographs of the Lodz Ghetto and the Holocaust: 10 points

*****some of these photos are very disturbing; I have listed the least upsetting site first

http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/blpictures.htm

http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/lodzpictoc.html

http://shamash.org/holocaust/photos/

Choose three photos to explain in writing or in an interview. How do these photos personalize the Holocaust? 

Read the selections in “Life in the Darkness”. Choose one of the stories and be ready to answer the following questions about it.           10 points

• Why is this person’s story included in the article, and why did you choose this particular story?
• What experience is being retold in this excerpt?
• How did this first person account increase your understanding of what happened during the Holocaust?

 

Read “Understanding the Horror” and be ready to respond to the questions in the black boxes 10 points 

View the video: Anne Frank Remembered with the class, and complete the study guide  10 points 
 

Combined A and B level

Participate in a Socratic Seminar based on the readings given to the class. Following the seminar, write a reflective essay about the Holocaust that addresses the following question:

 

Can we prevent it from happening again?