FACULTY:

John F.Kordek	Miriam Ben-Yoseph
DePaul University	DePaul University
International Programs and Government Relations	School for New Learning
Telephone: (312) 362-5652	Telephone: (312) 362-6560
Fax: (312) 362-5776	Fax: (312) 362-8809
E-mail: jkordek@wppost.depaul.edu	E-mail: mben@wppost.depaul.edu

CONTENTS:

The history of the Holocaust represents one of the most effective subjects for an examination of basic moral issues. An inquiry into the history of the event provides vital lessons for an investigation of human behavior. A study of the Holocaust also addresses one of the main tenets of American education, which is to examine what it means to be a responsible citizen.

Class participation involves attendance and contribution to class activities and discussions. This requires attendance and preparation for each session. The success of this course depends upon the student's participation, which includes sharing your perspectives and experiences with the class. The more you participate, the more valuable the course will be to you and to your colleagues.

A key feature of the learning experience in this course will be your work in small groups or teams. The class will be divided into several teams/groups. Each will be responsible for leading class discussions, a final presentation/written report, and for contributing in other ways to the learning of its members and of the class as a whole. We will form the teams/groups on the second night of class.

• At the end of the course, you will be asked to assess your own learning and that of your team members. We will use your assessment in our own assessment of your work and that of your team members.

• The criteria for assessing your reading include: How regularly and carefully did you complete the reading assignments? How well did your questions and comments in class or in your group discussions show that you understood the reading materials? How well did your written work show that you incorporated the reading material?

• The criteria for assessing your participation in class discussion include: Did you attend all sessions? How well did your questions and comments advance your own learning and support the learning of others in the class?

• The criteria for assessing your contribution to your learning team include: How well did you support the learning of the other members of your team? How actively involved were you in your team's discussions, presentations and information gathering? (Please use these additional criteria to assess the contribution of your team members to your learning and to the learning of your team).

• The criteria for assessing your written report/presentation include: How well does your written report/presentation show that you understand the issues of the course? To what extent are you able to integrate the relevant literature and references into your written report /presentation? To what extent are you able to apply the understanding and awareness you acquired to your own decision making process? Is a bibliography or reference page included in your written report? How clearly and concisely are you able to express your ideas in writing? How creatively are you able to present your ideas in front of a group?

Activity	Due	Percent
Class Participation	Ongoing	30
Scrapbook/Journal	Ongoing	20
Final Presentation and Written Report	Sessions 9 and 10	20 30

Notes:

1. Teams may sign up for one of the following topics and refine them according to team members' interest:
   • The key events which led to the Holocaust.

   • The Allies'/United States' response (or lack thereof) to reports of mass genocide in Europe.

   • How could so many Germans and their collaborators participate in the killing of men, women and children because of ethnicity? Could this happen again? Where? Why?

   • Memory and History.

   • Antisemitism

   • Rescuers: Why or why not?

   • The Holocaust in the Arts.

   • Women and the Holocaust.

   • Children and the Holocaust.

2. The final written report should document the problem or issue the team has been studying, and describe findings and conclusions based on the students' research. The report should be double-spaced and approximately 10-15 pages in length, including references. The final written report is due in class on June 3.

3. The final presentation to the class on the completed project will occur on May 27 and June 3. Students are encouraged to be creative by using visual aids such as handouts, transparencies, flipcharts, videotapes and slides. Students must stay within presentation time limits (15-20 minutes) including questions and answers.

4. In addition to the above assignments, teams will be asked to assume a more logistical responsibility for the benefit of the class as a whole. Opportunities will be discussed in class.

5. Finally, students will be asked to maintain a journal/scrapbook. This involves the collection of two books/articles for each class session. One book or article must relate to the student's area of interest, i.e. children and the holocaust; the other article must relate to a Holocaust-type event, such as the "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia. The students summarize the articles and then comment on them while relating them to the course. By the end of the quarter the students will have both increased their knowledge in the area of their interest and deepened their awareness of the number of Holocaust type of events still going on.

6. Students will be asked to participate in the evaluation of the final reports of their classmates.