Media Literacy , the Holocaust, and 21st century genocide

I have been an English teacher at the middle school level for eight years. I am currently an Eighth grade teacher that is required to teach the Holocaust as part of the curriculum. In the past we have read The Diary of Anne Frank (which is required) as well as other
supporting material to give students some background knowledge previous to starting their ten page research paper. Some of the topics include researching influential people such as Adolf Hitler, Henrich Himmler, Holocaust survivors, as well as specific concentration camps and corporations who supported the Nazi regime. Students really love this unit because it is a part of our history that they usually know little about and can compare it to places like the Sudan and Iraq where genocide is still present today.

My hopes are to create a unit that still captures the interests of my students, but that not only requires them to demonstrate mastery in research skills and writing, but also to employ some kind of media literacy as well. While looking on YouTube, I was able to find several video clips that dealt primarily with this subject and could be easily used by students as they are researching their topics and/or creating their presentations. The following video-clips highlight a media that might be useful to students due to their rawness/graphic depictions in the pictures, musical choices, historical content, camera angles, and that more importantly appeal to our emotions.

In reading some of the bloggers responses to the video-clips that I will be highlighting below, I was really blown away with their raw honesty. There was definitely a lot of people that were horrified that the Holocaust took place, but several others state that it never existed and also shared their prejudices and racism very openly. This in itself would make for a very interesting dialogue with students.

IBM computer history

This particular video clip is important to show students because it highlights some big corporations and their involvement in producing things that benefited and supported the Nazi regime. There are specific references made about General Motors, Ford, and Coca-Cola. However, the corporation that is mainly highlighted is IBM's involvement in creating software that allowed the Nazis to track Jews and Poles through census reporting.

This video would be great to show to students and allow them to have a guided discussion about whether they are are for or against what these corporations are doing and why, and looking at how the elements of greed, morality, and ethics either shape or not shape our decisions. Follow-up questions could be: How does this or could the content presented in this video-clip compare to the War in Iraq? Do you see any similarities between the video-clip and the war we are currently fighting?

Heinrich Himmler reveals the truth about the holocaust

This video-clip is never before seen footage of a "secret" tape recorded by the second most powerful man during the Nazi regime; Henrich Himmler. He speaks very openly and candidly about the weapon factories, extermination of the Jews, and the importance of doing so to protect Germany. If I was to have students analyze this clip, I would first have them look at the way in which the recording and the written script are portrayed. We here Himmler's voice and see two languages scrolling on the screen; one in German and the other in English. I would ask them why do you think the video director chose this medium to present this footage. I would also have them analyze whether or not they felt it was effective. I personally thought that this technique was very effective because it made it feel very real. Some follow-up questions that students could discuss are again this theme of morality, what does it take to actually follow through with this demand, as well as whether or not they think that the SS soldiers were brainwashed into believing that they were doing this for the common good of the people or out of fear.

I am a Holocaust Survivor...

I chose this particular clip because I believe that many Holocaust survivors may not be around for much longer and this archive will be especially valuable in having students put a face to the Holocaust. Although the film techniques are not the best because the camera moves around a lot, her words expressed about her suffering are undeniably moving.

Virginia Tech Hero was Holocaust Survivor - Liviu Librescu

This particular video clip was taken from Fox News and they are reporting on a 77 year old man named Liviu Librescu who was an engineering professor at Virginia Tech when the shootings took place. He is being honored as not only a hero for saving several students in the classroom that day and paid the ultimate price with his life. Interestingly enough this courageous man survived the Holocaust in Romania with his wife and his son states that his father was afraid of nothing.

Night: The Holocaust

The reason I included this video clip is because it is created by some high school students for their English class. Since I, too, do creative projects like this, it would be great to have students evaluate this mini-movie's effectiveness and overall message.

IBM and the Holocaust

This is yet another video clip presented by Edwin Black that looks at IBM"s involvement during the Holocaust specifically in creating the technology to create censor reports. From a critical analysis standpoint, I believe the music chosen is a little creepy and made the documentary feel really dark. He also uses several cool techniques that make it look somewhat from outer space with his persona planted behind punch card numbers and other things. I think it would be interesting to have students analyze both video clips by Edwin Black and critique which one is more effective and why.

Never Again-The Holocaust

This video clip is the most moving portrayal of the suffering and injustice that Jews, Romanians, homosexuals, poles were faced with during the Holocaust. The first technique that the videoographer has done is in the music selection. Although the song is sang in German, you can feel the hopelessness, despair, anger, and sadness. Secondly, they show very raw and graphic pictures that deal with starving children and adults, the e, mass burials, gas chambers, etc. This video could be shared with students not only to critically analyze film technique, but what is the author's powerful message?