CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES: Introduction

The people of Poland, both Jewish and non-Jewish, lived on the same land for centuries. While many Jews lived their day to day lives somewhat isolated within Polish society, the lives of Jews and non-Jews did intersect. While there are 5,000 Polish "Righteous Gentiles" identified by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, Polish rescuers represented only one out of every six thousand people, less than one-percent of the non-Jewish population of Poland at that time. Many interesting and complex discussions can be generated when studying the formation of communities and the responsibilities of the individuals who live in them. Whether you use these lesson plans or others, set some ground rules at the beginning of the activities and reinforce them throughout the lessons. It can be helpful to elicit ground rules for discussion from your students. Ground rules must include agreement to demonstrate respect for everyone's opinions and values. Remind students that they do not have to agree with one another, however, they must agree to listen and to use respectful language in their discussions.