Contextualizing a Found Poem

About This Assessment

In this summative assessment, students will apply the lessons they learned about the Holocaust and Jewish communities in wartime North Africa as they create an artifact that explains the context of the found poems they wrote in Lesson 3. While the poems have meaning on their own, their impact on someone outside of the class will be enhanced by understanding the context for the poem’s creation. This authentic task is designed to assess student learning while centering student agency.

Essential Question

In what ways do the experiences of Jews in pre-war and wartime North Africa provide a more complete story of World War II and the Holocaust?

Guiding Questions

• Why is it important to engage with the history of the Holocaust and wartime North Africa?
• How did the Nazis and their collaborators seek to deprive their victims of basic human dignity, and how did those targeted attempt to preserve or reclaim their dignity?

Learning Objectives

Students will convey their understanding of:

• Pre-war Jewish life in North Africa.
• Shifting realities for North African Jews associated with increasing antisemitism and the actions of the Nazis and their supporters. 
• The ways in which people can make choices to affirm dignity in the face of oppression.

Lesson Plans 

Activity 1: Reflect on Previous Lessons

Introduce the goals of the project in terms of creating scaffolding for the found poem that would help an outside audience understand its origins and significance. Before giving students independent work time to complete the project, you may want to start with a reflection on their learning from previous lessons. For example, you might ask students to write a reflection in their journals in response to these questions: 

• What did you learn about the diversity of pre-war Jewish life in North Africa?
• What antisemitic laws were passed in North Africa, and how did they impact Jews in the region?
• What experiences of North African Jews in the camps did you learn about?

Activity 2: Brainstorm Formats for the Project

As a class, discuss ways to accomplish the goal of creating scaffolding for their found poems. This brainstorm activity opens possibilities for students to consider different formats they could use for their project (e.g., digital presentation, tri-fold poster board, etc.).

Activity 3: Outlining and Starting the Project

Share with students that they will create a presentation, in the format of their choice, of their learning as it relates to:

• The map of the region and aspects of pre-war Jewish life.
• Shifting realities for North African Jews associated with increasing antisemitism and the actions of the Nazis and their supporters. 
• A summary of the specific story from which the words of the poem were drawn. 
• Reflections on the theme students chose for their found poem.