Unit
Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War
These lesson plans use the Ken Burns’ documentary "Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War" to explore what motivated Waitstill and Martha Sharp to help refugees.
At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- History
Grade
6–12Duration
Three or more 50-min class periods- The Holocaust
Overview
About This Unit
Ken Burns’ documentary Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War tells Martha and Waitstill Sharps’ extraordinary story. Our 3 lesson-unit uses excerpts of the film, personal letters, photographs, and thought-provoking questions to help you to explore what motivated the Sharps’ mission, the dilemmas they faced, and the impact of their courageous actions.
Watch the trailer here.
Lesson Plans
The Sharps’ Dilemmas
Students are introduced to upstanders Waitstill and Martha Sharp, an American minister and his wife who undertook a rescue mission to help save Jews and refugees fleeing Nazi occupation.
Responses to the 1930s Refugee Crisis
Students activate their thinking around being an upstander and their responsibility toward others in light of the Sharps' mission work in Czechoslovakia.
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