Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In 1933, Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany. In the following 12 years, Hitler would attempt to reshape the course of history by introducing an ideology that centered on German “Aryan” racial superiority. Consider what you know about Hitler’s ideology and policies. Which people did Hitler believe were superior, and which groups did he consider inferior? Why was separating groups central to his core philosophy? What were some ways in which Nazi Germany sought to control the racial demographics of the German population?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students to the context of the book, particularly in the racist ideologies that Michael encounters while spying on the Hitler Youth. It will benefit students about to read Projekt 1065 to understand (or review from connected curricula) that one of the core beliefs in Hitler’s philosophy was the protection and preservation of the “Aryan race,” ultimately leading to the establishment of concentration camps for populations deemed to be “unfit” by the Nazi German state.

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website provides
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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