th115+Learning+about+the+Holocaust

=Hard but Necessary = = = =We've all seen those brats on TV, the ones that complain about their oatmeal not being just the right temperature. Or what about the popular girl at school? You know the one; she simply can't bear it when someone rejects her friend request on Facebook. She may think it's the end of the world! But ask someone who was a Jewish child in Europe during 1940 if a little problem like this is the end of the world, and they may tell you differently. What is life? Does it mean having all of your dreams come true, or having loads of friends and a big house? What about just being in a happy environment surrounded by people you love? Having food on your plate and a job you enjoy doing everyday. Think... Really think about what I've just said. All adults have heard but the Holocaust, but what about kids? There are many debates on when kids are ready to learn about this rigorous topic. By rigurous topic I mean that the Holocaust wasn't made up of butterflys and rainbows, rather there were some very intense things that went on. And, while it's a sort of hard topic to learn about, it's still important.  The Holocaust was a time when Jews were treated very unfairly. They were forced to live in concentration camps under harsh conditions, and were killed in large groups because of their religion.  Any extra food you could scrounge up was as good as money. Th fact being that concentration canps didn't even hav places to shop, extra food was most likly better than money. The Holocaust was led by Adolf Hitler who ended up shooting himself. One parent argues, "Yes, while it is a difficult subject, I believe sixth graders are mature enough to handle the material. In addition, I prefer they learn about the Holocaust in a formal education environment, as opposed to through rumor and incomplete descriptions." Sixth graders should learn about the Holocaust because it helps kids to learn about the past and what discrimination can lead to so nothing like this will ever happen again, to give people of any kind courage, and to help kids realize how fortunate they are. = = = =One reason sixth graders should learn about the Holocaust is to help them learn about the past and what discrimination can lead to so that nothing like this will happen ever again. If kids don't know about all of the bad things that happened then they might repeat some of it. Not to as large a scale as Hitler, but maybe just not letting someone of a certain race sit at their lunch table. Also, if people completely forget about the Holocaust, someone might turn on another race and have the whole thing happen again, killing thousands of people from that race too. If things like the Holocaust keep happening the world will have about one hundred people left. Here's a interesting story. Once upon a time there was a man named Martin Luther King Jr. He lived during a time when blacks were being treated unfairly in America. Instead of fighting though, he protested peacefullly. I don't think Hitler has ever heard of peaceful protest. Anyone who protested against him was killed on the spot. See, even things sort of like the Holocaust have happened in America. But after that, people understood why not to discriminate and why protesting isn't bad as long as you're not hurting people. The sad thing is, the Jews didn't even get to protest peacefully. Some people may think kids aren't ready, but they will be ready sometime. Hopefully it's not to late. So why don't we tell them about the Holocaust now. A teacher in my school states "Yes, because it's important to know the world's history so we don't repeat the past." The bottom line is: We need to remember the Holocaust so we don't repeat it. = = = =The second reason is that it will give people of any kind courage. Let's say that Jack has been having an awful day and now he has a test that he didn't get to study for because he was being bullied. He could remember the moment as if it had just happened. Sitting in study hall studying for his science test when the teacher got up to leave the room for a minute. Feeling the harsh tap on his shoulder. Turning around and seeing a group of five or six boys. All taunting him and calling him names. One even pushed him too the floor. Then, looking up and seeing all of their sneering faces. Tears burned in his eyes and everything then blurred. He never did get to study.  Maybe thinking of the Holocaust and what all of those children went through will help him find the courage an strength he needs to complete the day. If someone is Jewish and one of their relatives is a survivor of the Holocaust, just knowing that may make them keep their head just a little bit higher. The book Devils Arithmetic is about a modern girl who goes back in time and lives at a concentration camp during the Holocaust. At one point the bachan who resembles a court jester says "This is not a place for a fool where there are idiots in charge." Saying that to a Nazi holding a gun took courage. If a Jew had that much courage especially with guns surrounding him, then kids can think of that every time they have to do something like stand up to a bully. While it's true that the Holocaust may scare some kids, you must also realize that it's over now and once they realize that it will help them advance more as a person. = = = =A final reason is that it can help kids realize how fortunate they are. Maybe next time Chloe gets upset because she spilled juice on her outfit, she'll think of the clothes the Jews had to wear and while being basically old rags, were also very stained. Maud Dahme a hidden child during the holocaust states “Exterminating Jewish children was a top priority. They were the first chosen to die in the camps because they were useless as laborers.” That was a Nazi hobby, exterminating Jewish children! Children! Kids need to know about that, not to scare but to help them understand what a great world they live in today and why they should preserve it. In the book Devil's Arithmetic, the author says "These were not camps, these were factories designed for the effective murder of human beings." Kids need to realize that when they go to camp they have a lot more fun than the Jews did. When they complain that they have to go to their grandparents house instead of a friends, maybe they can think about what went on in the camps and what a Jew would give to see one of their grandparents again. At first you might think that I'm being unfair because I have no idea how big a problem might seem to you; however unless your being beaten and malnourished, your problems aren't quite as big as the people's in the camps. We all need to realize that. = = = =<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's possible that the Holocaust is too scary for a handful of kids, and in the end it's their parent's decision. But, for the majority of kids, sixth grade is the perfect year to learn about the Holocaust in school. Then, there's always this thought: What about the German kids? Won't they feel shameful or be bullied by the Jewish children. The answer is no. Not If they can just put all of their differences aside and realize exactly what Hitler couldn't. We are all equal. We are all people. We all have our different religions. We are all a certain race. And, we live together in this world mostly peacefully. If they can just pretend that a person is a person and forget about everything else, then they should have no problem learning about the Holocaust and how horrible it was. How horrible we as people made it. Have you ever wanted to give up? Ask any Holocaust survivor and they'll tell you that they never lost hope. And I'll bet you a million dollars that that's one of the reasons why they're still alive today. Kids should learn about the Holocaust in sixth grade because it helps them learn about the past and what discrimination can lead to so nothing like this will ever happen again, gives people of any kind courage, and it help kids realize how fortunate they are. I'd like to end with a quote about learning about the Holocaust from a Holocaust survivor named Renee Firestone. "I wonder whether the world learned anything. The way you look around the world today you wonder - What did we learn from the Holocaust?” = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =