Sunday 15 February 2015

To think about


Banned books 


Are all of the proposals to librarians and by the students bad? 
Why do you think they had these ideas?
Is it useful for us to read literature from other cultures? Why or why not?
Is it ever right to ban what is written?
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

The Blackout 

Apart from serious accidents, in which other ways could a Blackout be inconvenient?
How would it affect you today?
Dim-out was eventually introduced. Does this suggest that the rules had been too strict earlier?
Why do you think the rules were so strict?  
Why do you think the government was able relax them?
Click on the title above to get some ideas

The Blutschutzgesetz 

Can you think of any other countries who have used or are indeed still using laws anything like this?  
Is there any way in which such laws could be protective? 
Why do you think the Germans wanted pure blood? 

Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Bombings 

The Allies bombed German towns as well. Do you know where the worst bombings happened?
Renate's family had a dilemma.
Her mother was being bombed by the Germans in London.
The Allies were bombing towns where her friends and family lived.
Her father was helping to design bombs for the German military

Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

  Bund Deutscher Mädel

http://www.thehouseonschellbergstreet.com/search/label/Bund%20Deutscher%20Madel  
Do you think you would have liked to join the BDM? Why or why not?
The uniform was very smart but when you look at old photographs sometimes the girls aren't wearing shoes that go well with their uniform. Why do you think this is? 
Can you name some advantages of belonging to an organization like this?   
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Concentration camps

Arguably, life had to go on and if one got rid of every bystander, who would be left to do the work?  
Why was Rossel deceived?
Why did “bystanders” do nothing?
What would you do? 
Was it right to intern German Jews during World War II?
Can an internment camp be made humane?     
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Enemy Aliens

Why do you think the rules about what Enemy Aliens Class B could do were made?
How might these rules have affected someone like Renate?
How might it have affected her mother?  (She lived in London for much of World War II.) 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

 Food

Do you find food symbolic?
Take a look at a British or a German ration card. Could you manage on that amount of food?
Look around where you live. How could you find free or very cheap food here?   
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Ghettos

How would a “natural” ghetto be formed?
Can you think of any that you know of?
What impression do you get of ghetto life by looking at the pictures?
Often the Rexingen Jews are referred to as a community. What is the difference between a normal community and a ghetto?   
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Heimwehr

http://www.thehouseonschellbergstreet.com/search/label/Heimwehr
Why do you think so many teen boys were willing to take on the Allies when they moved into Germany?
How might their training with the Hitler Youth have helped these young people?
The Heimwehr is similar to our own Home Guard. However, there are differences. Can you think what they might be?        
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

The Hitler Youth

Is it a good idea to make such organizations as this compulsory?
Is this better or worse than having military service for young people?
Would belonging to an organisaiton like this help you develop life-skills?  
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

  

  Indoctrination

Should we ban publications like the Deutsche Mädel now?
Why do you think the Deutsche Mädel was enjoyed by so many girls?
Think of a magazine that you like to read today. Is it “indoctrinating” you in any way? 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Internment

Was it right to intern German Jews during World War II?
Can an internment camp be made humane?  
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     
  

The Kinder

Which do you think is best for the child?
How might being evacuated affect your schooling and your family life? 
What are the advantages of evacuation? 
And the disadvantages? 
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?      
Some believe we should have offered homes to whole families. Why do you think we didn't?
How could we decide which ones to help?
What would you think if your family wanted to send you away for your own safety?
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     
  

Kinderlandvershcickung

If you had to be evacuated because of a war situation, would you prefer to live with your friends or within a family? 
Which do you think is best for the child?
How might being evacuated affect your schooling and your family life? 
What are the advantages of evacuation? 
And the disadvantages? 
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     
 
How would your family feel about sponsoring a child to the tune of £3500?
Why do you think the Quakers were motivated to help?

Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Kriegeshilfedienst

There was a lot of unemployment in Germany in the 1930s. Do you think the RAD and the Kreigeshilfedienst helped combat that?    
How did these two initiatives specifically help women?
How had war often helped  women in the work place?
What happens after the war is over?
Do you see any similarities here with anything you ahve read about what british women did in World Wars I and II?    
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Kristallnacht

A lot of the shops could be looted. Who would do that? 
Why do you think the Germans felt so angry about the Jews? 
Was Ernst von Rath's assassination a justification or an excuse? 
Sometimes we are surprised that certain people, ourselves included, actually join in looting parties. Why do people who normally keep to the laws suddenly start doing something so peculiar?  
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

    

Landgirls

What sort of work do you think the land girls had to do? 
How was this different from the way the German girls may have worked?
Which jobs are a farm are easier in the 21st century?
Why was ENSA useful?
Would something like ENSA be uesful today?
Do we in fact have anything like that?    

Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

Lebensborn

The Lebesnborn initiative was an attempt to create perfect babies who would turn into perfect human beings. Do we still do this?
What about farm animals and pets?
Would single mums have been more comfortable within the Lebensborn system than they would have been in Britain at the time?
How does that compare with our experience in the 21st Century. 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

 

Nazi Key Figures

What do you think may have motivated these men? 
Can you find their redeeming features?
Why do you think ordinary people were influenced by them?
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     



Nuremberg laws

Can you think of any other countries who have used or are indeed still using laws anything like this?  
Is there any way in which such laws could be protective? 
Why do you think the Germans wanted pure blood? 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     


Places

Have you visited any of these places?
What is your impression of them?  
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

  

The Quakers

How would your family feel about sponsoring a child to the tune of £3500?
Why do you think the Quakers were motivated to help?
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     


Reichsarbeitsdienst

Is it right and fair to expect young people to do their duty during war time?
Should they also do duty during peace time? 
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     


Reichsbürgergesetz

Can you think of any other countries who have used or are indeed still using laws anything like this?  
Is there any way in which such laws could be protective? 
Why do you think the Germans wanted pure blood?  
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

  

The Rexingen Jews

Rexingen became a natural ghetto. What do you understand by the word "gehtto"?
How are ghettos formed?
Why can they sometimes become dangerous?
What might be an alternative to a ghetto?
How can we stop dangerous ghettos forming?

Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

  
   

Steiner Schools

Germany does not have many private schools but it does approve of the Streiner schools. Why do you think this is so?
In many ways the Waldorf / Steiner schools were ahead of their times. How does the school in the books compare with your own school? 
These schools are known for promoting creativity.  What do you understand by that?
Click on the title above to get some ideas.     

The White Rose

What worries you in today’s society? Is there anything that you object to that your government is doing?
Do current laws in your country allow you to an express an opinion about that?
We see Sophie and Hans as heroes. No doubt the government at the time saw them as trouble-makers. What is the difference?   
Click on the title above to get some ideas.