German Chancellor Angela Merkel's 'open-door' policy towards the recent wave of migrants and refugees to Europe shows promise for expanding the workforce and increasing diversity, yet opens up some significant cultural and religious differences. Although the government has created programs to aid in their transition, little attention has been paid…

This article draws on memory studies and media studies to explore how memory practices unfold in schools today. It explores history education as a media-saturated cultural site in which particular social orderings and categorizations emerge as commonsensical and others are contested. Describing vignettes from ethnographic fieldwork in German…

A case is made for the use of the politically provocative photomontages of Heartfield (a.k.a. Berlin-born Helmut Herzfeld) in the German classroom. The interplay of language, art, culture, and history makes them especially useful as realia. A model for teaching them is presented, including a chronology and nine reproductions. (Author/LB)

Presents a selective chronology of three aspects of German history since World War II: the origins of the postwar division of Germany; the effects of two major policy decisions by West Germany after 1949; and the unification process after 1989. Contends that France and Germany will remain the core nations in the evolution of the European…

This military history board game can be used as an extracurricular, extra credit, or classroom incentive project. The game serves to quantify an historical event so that it enriches the study of history for both verbally and mathematically inclined students. Although most suitable for eighth grade and above, the game may be played by some younger…

Presents a classroom lesson that utilizes primary sources about Auschwitz, the World War II Nazi concentration camp. Two letters confronting the issue of whether or not U.S. planes should bomb the camps are included. Recommends seven teaching strategies for the lesson and identifies additional resources. (CFR)

Discusses racist teaching charts which accompanied a Nazi German teacher's textbook on race biology. Examines the significance of the work of Alfred Vogel within the context of Nazi race education. Warns that school curriculum can easily be used to pervert science and advance racism when under control of a racist state. (DK)

This board game encourages junior and senior high school student analysis of the German campaign against the USSR and gauges student decision-making skills. The World War II Russo-German Front is simulated in a standard board game format. A key element of the game is its analysis and results form. Using this form compels students to analyze and…

Presents a set of four maps illustrating changing German political borders. Includes the time period from 1933, when Hitler came to power, until the division of Germany in 1945. Includes a map showing the Allied Powers against Germany, nations allied with Germany, and neutral nations. (CFR)

Analyzes primary document from German Holocaust period in which German bureaucrats described in euphemistic terms the murder of the Jews. Illustrates how the document can be used as a teaching aid by having students replace the euphemisms using words with their intended meaning, and reading it aloud in class. References include sources of…

This subunit on the history of Western Europe is part of one of four resource units for an eleventh grade area studies course. The subunit contains an introduction followed by a list of objectives dealing with generalizations, skills, and attitudes. A double-page format relates objectives, content, teaching procedures, and instructional materials.…

The paper discusses rationales for simulation gaming and describes "Spiegeldorf," a socio-historical game which simulates socioeconomic conditions in early 1930 Germany and Nazi party tactics used to gain mass support. Objectives are to identify characteristic Nazi tactics and points of political ideology, describe German social classes…

Presents a unit of study on the Holocaust designed by a team of teachers for sixth-grade students. Includes student objectives, suggested learning activities, and methods of student evaluation. Provides a full-page description of a culminating activity. (CFR)

Discusses key concerns regarding issues of rationale, methodology, and resources when teaching about the Holocaust. Identifies 12 objectives and 5 content criteria for the topic. Includes five frequently asked questions about the Holocaust and their answers from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (CFR)

Presents a Holocaust chronology timeline of the years 1933-1948. Includes political, military, and social events of the time period. Identifies anti-Semitic laws and information about German death. (CFR)