Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Lesson Plan:
Justice and Fairness
Objectives:
• Students will develop an understanding of the concepts of Justice and Fairness.
• Students will be able to distinguish the difference between the concepts of
justice and fairness.
• Students will work with visual history testimony.
• Students will use visual history testimony to examine examples of justice and
fairness.
• Students will define justice and be able to identify examples of justice and
Key Concepts: injustice in their own lives.
Justice • Students will explore their own viewpoints regarding justice and will identify
Fairness steps they can take to promote justice.
Liberty
Revenge
Restitution Procedures:
1. Choose six student volunteers to participate in an experiential activity. Explain to
Materials:
the rest of the class that during this activity, they will be observing and recording
• White board, chalkboard, overhead
projector or easel with chart paper the reactions of the volunteering participants.
• Downloadable testimony clips: 2. Seat the six volunteers at the front of the room, facing the class. Explain to
Testimony - Justice and Fairness
the volunteers that they are participating in a quiz show and that students who
• TV and DVD player and/or a computer answer questions correctly will be rewarded.
with a broadband connection is
recommended for viewing directly from 3. Prior to beginning the questioning, secretly identify one or two participants
the online resource Creating Character against whom you will actively discriminate during the activity. This discrimination
• Tangible reward of some sort: candy, pens, may be based on either a real difference (eye color, hair color, left-handedness, etc.)
stickers, stars, or extra credit points or it may be a random choice.
• Student Handouts:
Viewing Guide - Justice & Fairness 4. Begin asking the six volunteers relatively easy questions. These questions can be
Concept Map - Justice based on other lessons in this resource, on material that the class has previously
Independent Practice - Justice & Fairness covered, on current events, or on easy topics of student interest. Reward students
(Possible alternative: use a transparency
who correctly answer the questions with something tangible, such as candy, stick-
of the above student handouts in lieu
of individual copies.) ers, stars, pens, or extra credit points. Do not acknowledge the responses from
the student(s) who you have decided to actively discriminate against.
Time Required:
1-2 Class Periods 5. Continue the questioning process for approximately three to five minutes.

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION 1
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Lesson Plan:
Justice and Fairness
6. Once the activity has concluded, instruct all students, participants, and observers
alike to silently reflect upon and write about this experience. Make sure students
address the following:
• What exactly happened during this activity?
• What do you think was actually happening?
• What were the reactions of the participants during the activity?
• At what point did it become evident that certain participants were
being treated unfairly?
• What were their general feelings about the activity?

7. Facilitate a discussion of student responses with the whole class.

8. Once responses have been shared, initiate a broader discussion of justice and
fairness and the experiences students have had with these two concepts. Some
or all of the following questions may be used in guiding the discussion:
• What is the meaning of justice? What is the meaning of fairness?
How are they similar? How are they different?
• Who determines what is just? Who determines what is fair?
• Can people disagree on the fairness of something? Provide an example that
illustrates this argument. Can people disagree on the justice of something?
If a disagreement ensues, how should it be handled?
• Does justice look the same in different states? Does it look the same in
different countries? Provide an example that illustrates this argument.
Has justice looked the same during different time periods throughout history?
Provide an example that illustrates this argument.
• How are the concepts of justice and vengeance related? In what ways are they
similar? In what ways are they different?
• When have you experienced injustice or unfair treatment? Explain.

9. Inform students that they are about to watch testimony clips taken from testi-
monies given by Holocaust survivors and witnesses. Explain to students that the
following clips are brief excerpts from longer interviews.

NOTE: Some background knowledge of the Holocaust is necessary for students to under-
stand the context of the visual history testimony clips. Some general resources are available
on the USC Shoah Foundation Institute website at www.usc.edu/vhi or in the bibliography
listed in the Additional Resources section. In addition, comprehensive classroom lessons
that provide historical context on the Holocaust are included in Echoes and Reflections –
a multimedia curriculum on the Holocaust, available at www.echoesandreflections.org.

10. Distribute copies of the Student Handout: Viewing Guide - Justice and Fairness.

ALTERNATIVE: You may want to display a transparency of the Viewing Guide using the
overhead projector and allow students to create their own replica.

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION 2
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Lesson Plan:
Justice and Fairness
11. Play testimony clips: Testimony - Justice and Fairness.

12. Inform students that as they are watching the video, they should look for exam-
ples that each survivor describes regarding justice and fairness. Students should
write these examples in the “examples” column.

NOTE: For clarification, you may want to pause the video after playing each testimony clip
or play the clips more than once.

13. After viewing the three testimony clips, students should write the survivor’s
viewpoint regarding justice and fairness. Students should record their answers in
the “viewpoint” column.

14. Break students into small groups and distribute copies of the Student Handout:
Concept Map - Justice and Fairness. Ask student groups to create a definition of
justice together and write it in the “define justice” circle on their Concept Map.

15. Students should complete the rest of the Concept Map on their own. Once they
complete the task, students will share their responses with the other members of
their group.

16. Once students have finished sharing within their group, ask students to volunteer
some of their responses for the benefit of the entire class.

17. Conduct a large class discussion using some or all of the following questions
as a guide:
• How did your group define justice? In what ways was your group’s definition
similar to definitions from other groups?
• If the class were to agree on a definition of the concept of justice, what
would that definition be? Is it possible for this class to reach consensus on a
definition? If it is not possible, why not?
• Identify some of the examples of justice and injustice from the testimony clips.
How are the survivor’s examples similar to student examples? How are the
examples different?
• In the student-generated examples, which examples were personal examples
and which had a more global reach? How are these examples similar? How are
these examples different?
• Reflecting on the causes of injustice, how can individuals make choices,
both great and small, to work against injustice? Can what appears to be a small
choice in daily life be a choice that advocates a greater justice? Explain how
this might occur.

18. For homework or independent practice, assign one or more of the following activities:

ALTERNATIVE: Have students choose the activity they would like to do for homework or
practice.

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION 3
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Lesson Plan:
Justice and Fairness
• Distribute the Student Handout: Independent Practice - Justice and Fairness.
Respond to each question by writing a few sentences that explain why you
agree or disagree with each of the given statements.
• Write a journal entry or reflection on the following prompt:
Leopold Oberhard discusses his feelings of wanting revenge after surviving the
Holocaust. However, he also says that after he saw dead soldiers, he no longer
wanted revenge. He goes on to say that guilty people should be punished but
that one cannot live with revenge. If you could have a conversation with him
about his experiences and his thoughts regarding justice and revenge, what
questions would you ask him? How do you think your thoughts and beliefs on
these subjects might compare to Leopold’s?
• Choose one of the following quotes and write a response to its author that
explains why you either agree or disagree with the quote. In your response,
reference your own experiences, the experiences exemplified in the testimony
clips viewed, and/or the outcomes and insights garnered from class activities
and class discussions of justice and fairness.
❍ An eye for an eye ends up making the whole world blind.
— Mahatma Gandhi
❍ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
❍ The man who opts for revenge should dig two graves.
— Chinese proverb

Extension Activities:
1. As a class, brainstorm situations in the school, community, state, nation, or world
that can be considered unfair or unjust. Reach consensus on one example to
pursue as a class. Research the issue and identify groups or organizations that
are currently working to remedy this situation. Identify possible ways to support
their work. Create a display for the school that recognizes the efforts of those who
are working for justice. Be sure to include information about how other students
can get involved in the work of these organizations.

2. Research an example from history about a person or group of people who worked
toward achieving social justice. Prepare a presentation for the class on the person
or group. Be sure to include responses for the following questions:
• What was this person or group fighting for?
• What were some of the efforts they used for achieving social justice?
• Were these efforts successful? Why or why not?
• How was this success measured?
• Are they still pursuing these ideals? If not, has someone else or another
organization continued to pursue their work?

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION 4
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Viewing Guide: Justice and Fairness

Name

As the testimony clips for

Justice and Fairness are viewed,
complete the two columns below:

Interviewee Examples of justice and/or fairness Viewpoint of justice and/or fairness

Alex Stern

Manny Spindler

Leopold Oberhard

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Viewing Guide: Justice and Fairness

Teacher’s Answer Key

Name

As the testimony clips for

Justice and Fairness are viewed,
complete the two columns below:

Interviewee Examples of justice and/or fairness Viewpoint of justice and/or fairness

Alex Stern Alex went back to Germany to testify Even though the trip was hard on his
against the commandants who had health and his nervous system, he felt
persecuted him and murdered his father. it was his obligation to testify.

Even though he was never the same

afterward, he was satisfied that he
did his part.

Manny Spindler When Manny was about to be executed for Manny believed he owed Karl his life,
carrying blades to cut his bread, Karl (a therefore he was willing to help him.
German Stormtrooper) saved him by taking
full responsibility for the incident.

In order to protect Karl once the war was

over, Manny agreed to write a letter saying
Karl had treated the Jewish prisoners well.

Leopold Oberhard Leopold said he was comforted by his Leopold said his feelings of revenge left
thoughts of revenge. him once he saw the deaths of German
soldiers.
Toward the end of the war, he witnessed
German soldiers being killed. He said he realized that they all suffered,
even the German perpetrators.

Leopold believes that there should be

punishment, but that you cannot live
with revenge.

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Concept Map: Justice and Fairness

Name

As a group, define justice,

and then individually complete
the remaining boxes.

Examples of justice from your world: Examples of injustice from your world:

Define justice:

My viewpoint on justice: Steps I can take to promote justice: My viewpoint on revenge:

Symbol of justice:

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION
 Creating Character Visual History Lessons on Character Education

Independent Practice: Justice and Fairness

Name

Respond to each statement by 1. We live in a fair and just society.

writing an explanation as to why I agree/disagree because:
you agree or disagree.

2. It is important to treat others with justice and fairness.

I agree/disagree because:

3. Revenge can sometimes be justified.

I agree/disagree because:

4. There is justice and fairness at my school.

I agree/disagree because:

© 2006 USC SHOAH FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION