Rosemary
Bell, Professor
History 680SA - The Holocaust
Meeting time: Tu/Th, 12:35 - 1:50pm,room 1-1219B
Phone: 650 738-4213,
E-mail: bellro@smccd.edu
Office: Building 1, Room 102
Office hrs: MWF 11-12 pm, or by appt.
Website:http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellro/
History 680SA - The Holocaust/Genocide
Recommended: Eligibility for English 100 or 105, or equivalent
Transfer: CSU
The Course
"Where is God Now?" - Elie Wiesel, Night
"At the time I did not think about the problem of killing Soviet prisoners of war. It was an order and I had to execute it. However, I will say frankly that killing that group of people by gas relieved my anxieties. It would soon be necessary to start the mass extermination of the Jews, and until that moment neither I nor Adolf Eichmann had known how to conduct a mass killing. A sort of gas was to be used, but it was not known what kind of gas was meant and how to use it. Now we had both the gas and the way of using it. I had always been concerned at the thought of mass shootings, particularly of women and children. I was already sick of all the executions. Now my mind was at ease." -SS Captain Rudolph Hoss, Commandant of Auschwitz
This course will attempt to put the Holocaust and Genocide into historical perspective and reflect on its meaning and impact on contemporary society. We will study such topics as Western anti-semitism and its impact on Nazi Germany, the extermination of not only the Jews, but other "subhumans", the bureaucracy that was created to carry out the "Final Solution", the victims, bystanders, perpetrators, heroes and heroines, efforts for survival and resistance, war crimes, and the moral, ethical and philosophical implications. We will also try to answer the question: What makes the Holocaust unique, and how does Genocide differ from the Final Solution?
Student Responsibilities:
This class will be interactive in nature; i.e. students are expected to participate
extensively in discussion of the material covered in each class session. As
a result, regular class participation is considered an essential part of the
student's educational experience, as well as a requirement for an adequate evaluation
of student academic progress. Try to discard the notion that you
already know all that is to be known about the Holocaust and search for new
truths and ideas.
Assignments:
Primarily, this will be a writing and discussion course. No multiple-choice quizzes, however, you may have a crossword puzzle quiz. There will be a series of short answer essays based on the questions in the
reader or on handouts that I may give you. We will be doing group projects, the format will be determined. There will also be a final exam in the course, the format will be announced.
Grading - You can
earn a total of 400 pts. for this class
Essay writing assignments -2 @ 50 pts. each = 100 pts.
Group project, presentations, assessment- 150 pts.
Reflection paper project -100 pts. TBA
Final Exam - 50 pts.
Grading Breakdown
400-365 =A
365-330 =B
330-295 =C
295-260 =D
below 260 =F
The required book for the course is The Holocaust: Readings and Interpretations,
by Joseph R. Mitchell and Helen Buss Mitchell, McGraw-Hill Dushkin, 2001.
This book was chosen because it covers a wide range of special topics on the
Holocaust. I will suggest other books as we go along or give you handouts.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this course I hope you will be able to do the following:
1. Communicate effectively your ideas both orally and in writing.
2. Develop critical reading and interpretative skills.
3. Understand and apply definitions of words and strengthen your vocabulary.
4. Listen responsively and attempt to maintain a level of open mindedness.
5. Apply ideas and concepts from this course to present day events.
6. Finish the course successfully!
Attendance
It is important that you come to class. You will be allowed four absences, any
over this number and I will deduct five points for each additional absence from
your final grade. Chronic lateness will also be penalized by a deduction in
points at the end of the semester. I do have the option of dropping you from
the class for poor attendance or classwork.
Please
1. No pagers
2. No cellphones
3. If you are going to be absent for more than one consecutive class, please
call me. This is for your protection as well as mine.
4. If you need to leave early please let me know before class begins.
5. Please do not give me elaborate excuses as to why you weren't in class or
why you did not do the assignments. I'll respect you more if you tell me the
truth.
Students
With Disabilities
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please advise me during
the first week of class. To be provided with the appropriate accommodations,
you will need to obtain a signed form from the Disabled Students Programs and
Services (650-738-4280).
Basic
Information
1. Assignments are due at the BEGINNING of class. For each weekday an assignment
is late I will deduct 10 pts.
2. If you simply stop attending class and do not withdraw through Admissions
and Records you will receive an F grade.
3. Attendance will be taken daily.
4. Please turn off all pagers and cell phones before class begins. In case of
emergency - and only in these cases - the cell phone may be placed in silent
mode. At no times are cell phones to be answered or used in class for
any purposes.
5. All submitted work must be typed (double-spaced) and stapled with your G#
on it. I will not accept papers with social security numbers or names
on them.
Integrity
I can not emphasize strongly enough the importance of maintaining and respecting
academic integrity. What we're talking about is cheating and plagiarism. Cheating
is the act of obtaining academic work through the use of dishonest, deceptive,
or fraudulent acts. Plagiarism is taking someone else's work and passing it
off as your own. I have "zero tolerance" for cheating and plagiarism.
If I catch you plagiarizing (and believe me I will!) you will receive an F for
the course. If you want to discuss this further please see me or check out page
24 in the Skyline College catalog.
My door is always open if you have questions or any other problems. Thank
you.