ASSESSMENT

Assessment Option #1

Now that you have completed your tour of the museum, it is time to show what you have learned, what you understand, and what you can do with that knowledge. There are so many authentic ways to produce history. First, you need a question. Perhaps you already have one. If not, here are a few:

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• What caused the Holocaust?

• Why is the Holocaust important?

•  What choices did ordinary people make in the Holocaust? Why did they make them?

• Which historian's interpretation of the Holocaust seems strongest? Why?

• Why should we still study the Holocaust today? What is its most important lesson?

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Once you have your question, then you need a format to produce a historical argument. Most historians have traditionally written their histories in formal texts. However, there are a variety of other authentic forms of history worth considering when producing your argument. Each one has unique styles and norms. Here are a few that serve as excellent mediums for producing history on the Holocaust:

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• Poetry

• Historical Fiction

• Perspective Pieces

• Painting/Visual Art/Sculpture

• Memorials

• A video testimonial

• Documentary

• Newscast

• Civic Action on a current issue

• Music/Song

• Picture Book

• Graphic History

• Podcast

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Assessment Option #2

For the past 60 years, filmmakers have used movies to try to help the public better understand genocides. In what ways can we use film as a source to comprehend genocide? Watch one of the following films about a genocide (or two films and compare them) and then produce a film review. Your film review may take the form of a written review or a video review with you talking. 

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Film Choices:

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• The Pianist

• Schindler's List

• Life is Beautiful

• The Reader

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• The Resistance Banker

• Defiance

• Hotel Rwanda

• Sometimes in April

• Lark Farm

 

Here are some questions for you to consider in your review:

• How historically accurate is the film?

• What is the film's lesson/purpose? To what extent does it achieve it?

• What did you find most interesting? Why?

• Do the characters face any difficult moral crisis where they have a tough decision of “right or wrong” to make? What choice do they make? Do you agree with that choice? How do those choices contribute to the film's messagE?

• Why do you think the filmmakers wanted to make this movie? What did they think it would add to our understanding of genocide?

• Is this a film based on a true story or is it a fictional account? Does that affect your sense of its meaning, purpose, or importance?​

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