Activity 8: Britain and the Legacy of Loss: Part 2

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Warning: This lesson includes video testimony relating to suicide.

 

Age group:

Years 7-11 (ages 12-16)

Progression Steps 4 and 5

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This activity introduces students to the experience of Holocaust survivors and the legacy of loss they endured in the aftermath of World War 2. Students will consider the value of survivor testimony and the role it plays in our understanding of the history of the Holocaust.

 

Students will watch video testimony from Irene Kirstein Watts, a survivor of Nazi persecution and Kindertransport refugee, and reflect on the challenges she faced and the means by which she was able to rebuild her life. Through this lens, students will be reminded that while the Holocaust ended in 1945, its devastating human impact did not.

 

The activity also explores some of the complexities of Britain’s response to news of Jewish persecution and murder during the Holocaust. In particular, students will be introduced to Britain’s policy on internment and consider the political and social context which Jewish refugees faced living in the UK.

 

To be best able to understand this lesson, it is recommended that students first complete Activity 5: The Legal Effect: How Laws can Persecute or Protect.

 

This lesson can be completed as a standalone class or as part two of a two-part course of study. The first part of the lesson is set out in Activity 7: Britain and the Legacy of Loss – Part 1.