What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander.
​ - Elie Wiesel 

Upstanders and bystanders in wwii

“How could this have happened? Why didn’t anyone stop the Nazis?” These are questions we are forced to confront as we study the events of World War II. In this unit, you will explore stories of individuals, groups, and nations who made choices to resist the Nazis and rescue Jews and other victims of persecution. You will also explore stories of bystanders—individuals, groups, and nations who knew about the persecution of Jews and others but decided to remain silent. These stories raise profound moral and civic questions for us: Under what circumstances do we stand up to injustice and violence? Under what circumstances do we stand by while injustice continues? To whom are we responsible? What are the consequences of our choices— for ourselves, our families, and our communities?

Unit Goals

  1. Students will understand the causes, events, outcomes, and effects of World War II according to their impact on past, present, and future societies.
  2. Students will understand the role of the U.S. government in WWII in reference to its contributions to the war and how it affected the outcome of the war.
  3. Students will be able to identify the significance of  the attack on Pearl Harbor and the atomic bomb.
  4. Students will be able to identify and contrast the Holocaust and the internment of the Japanese. 
  5. Students will be able to analyze and discuss the various stages of the Nazi Holocaust that occurred during WWII. 

Key vocabulary

Holocaust, Shoah, antisemitism, caricatures, swastika, Nazi, Jew, Romani, Hitler, Third Reich, Aryan, Nuremberg Laws, scapegoat, synagogue, ghetto, final solution, concentration camp, genocide, victim, bystander, upstander, internment, ally, fascism, 

Enduring Understandings

  1. War changes a society. Societies make good and bad decisions in a time of war, but they all have consequences.​
  2. Women and African Americans gained more rights as a result of the demand for wartime labor and production.
  3. Some American citizens were singled out for prejudicial treatment because of race or nationality; members of such groups still sought to prove their patriotism and loyalty.
  4. Some wars are considered “just” wars because people believe they must confront an evil enemy.

Essential Questions

  1. Under what circumstances do we stand up to injustice and violence?
  2. Under what circumstances do we stand by while injustice continues?
  3. What choices and decisions do societies face in war? 
  4. What factors led to the rise of dictators? Why do dictatorships flourish during times of depression?
  5. How are freedom and democracy threatened during times of war?
  6. What is propaganda? What is rhetoric? How are propaganda and rhetoric used during times of war?
  7. Is it ever justified to use a weapon of mass destruction?
Macario Garcia
Watch the story of Macario Garcia, a WW II hero.
The Hangman
Read the poem and watch the videos below.