Grade Level:

Overview:

This activity presents students with photographs and drawings of the Holocaust. It asks them to put themselves into the shoes of the individuals pictured and to interpret the meanings of the drawings. Although no visual representation can truly portray the terror of the Holocaust, this exercise will show students how photographs and drawings can convey some of the emotions of the era.

Time Frame:

Objectives:

• Look at Holocaust-era photographs and write about how you would feel if you were part of the scene depicted in each photograph.
• Look at students’ drawings of the Holocaust. Choose one drawing to describe and write a poem or short story about it.
• Draw a picture of something you have learned about the Holocaust.
• Share and discuss your poems, stories, and pictures with the class.

Extensions:

• Read to the class one of the poems from the Imagine Art Gallery (http://www.remember.org/imagine/index.html) and discuss its meaning. Have the class draw pictures to illustrate the poem.