Final Project: Observation of the 80th Anniversary of the End of WW2 (Co-teaching)

IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-8/victory-in-europe

CAPTION: On May 8, 1945, Great Britain, the United States and other Allied countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in the U.S., U.K., and Western Europe, along with in the Soviet Union, Canada and Australia put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II.

The eighth of May marked the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark—the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany.

80th anniversary of the end of World War II: How does a country fall into the abyss of hatred?

In order to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2, we are going to be working on a new history project in Year 3. This project will be carried out during our co-teaching lessons. This project aims at a multifaceted understanding of Totalitarianism and its historical implications. This approach to this topic not only honours the historical significance of the End of World War II but also  it empowers our students to become informed and empathetic global citizens.

"Totalitarianism Unmasked: Standing for Human Rights"

SESSION 1: Historical Comprehension

In this session our students will analyse the rise and characteristics of totalitarian regimes, focusing on propaganda, censorship, and aggressive expansionism. In addition, our students will evaluate the manipulative nature of propaganda used by totalitarian regimes to control public opinion, promoting in this way their critical thinking skills.

Activities: The activities below have been designed by our history teacher, Patricia Clemente. 

1. Fill in the gaps to identify key features of totalitarian states:

1. Propaganda, censorship, violence: to maintain ……………………over the ……………………and to …………………. the opposition.
2. Cult of personality:  
3. -Depicted …………………figure ( solve ……………………………).
4. -As …………..status, portrayed as …………………….
5. Use of ideology: To justify the ………………………….., promoting by…………………………….., the media and other means of ……………………………... Other ideologies, beliefs, religious doctrines are ……………………………………….
6. Aggresive expansionism: Seeking to …………………………..their ideology and influence beyond…………………………….
7. Opinion by Historians: Incompatible with individual……………………….. and freedoms ( committing …………………………….human rights, genocide, ethnic ………………………)

Critical Analysis of Propaganda and Red Flags (Critical thinking skills)

With the next activity, our students will recognise the warning signs indicative of emerging totalitarian tendencies in societies.

2. Identification of Societal 'Red Flags': Identify “the red flags” that are dangerous to society. In this activity you will discuss the role of ideology in justifying oppressive actions.

SESSION 2: Development of Mediation Skills

Our students will enhance their ability to interpret and convey information across languages and contexts, promoting empathy and understanding.

ACTIVITY: Watch this video and then complete, in English (this is where the mediation happens) the graphic organiser provided in class, summarising  in this way the key points stated in the video and facilitating class discussions on those points.

Our students will analise these as historical instances of human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

SESSION 3: Promotion of Human Rights Awareness

At this point, we expect our students to come to an objective understanding of the importance of safeguarding human rights and the dangers posed by their infringement.

We will continue analising historical instances of human rights violations with a focus on the case of Agustín Santos. We will visit the exhibition "Deported People from Extremadura in Nazi Concentration Camps", organised by the Geography and History Department of our school, a historical exhibition that analyses the impact of the deportation of people from Extremadura (Spain) including figures, and that also puts a face to some of the victims and survivors, such as Agustín Santos.

THE CASE OF AGUSTÍN SANTOS