Whangarei Girls’ High School Whangarei Girls’ High School

Year 11 History - Hitler: Monster or Madman

11HISM
Course Description

This half year course focuses on the dark years of Germany 1933 to 1945. Explore how and why Austrian born Adolf Hitler so easily took power; how and why he tried to reshape Germany and why there was so little resistance. How racial theories drove the Nazis to breed Aryan “superhumans” and to slaughter communities believed to be inferior, leading inevitably to a war that spread across the globe and deeply impacted us here in NZ. A key focus is the Holocaust- the Nazi attempt to destroy an entire people and the recent disturbing  trend of Holocaust denial.

Learning Opportunities

In this course you will need to:

Develop these skills:Explore this content:
  • Critical thinking- using logic, interpreting information to create understanding, identifying patterns and trends.
  • Why were the Germans and Hitler so resentful over their loss in WWI?
  • Information literacy- identifying fact and opinion, making judgements about the quality of information, assessing the reliability of different sources of information such as websites.
  • How did Hitler rise so quickly to power in the 1930s?

  • Communication skills- communicating effectively in a variety of formats: for example in small group and full class discussions; written work; visual formats.

  • How did Hitler impact how ordinary Germans lived?


  • What were some of Hitler’s key ideas? 


  • Why did Hitler start World War Two and why did NZ get involved?

  • What role did Hitler’s racial theories play in how he ruled over Germany and the territories he conquered?

  • What was the Holocaust and why is it important today?

  • What impact did WWII have on New Zealand?



Year Levels/Departments:

Year 11, History




			
					
					Resources Required
										

1B8 exercise book