Welcome to Hope Chest
Hope Chest is a curriculum and complete set of teaching resources designed to immerse students in Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch’s memoir, A Boy’s Story, A Man’s Memory: Surviving the Holocaust 1933–1945. This emotional coming-of-age story recounts Oskar and his family’s struggle to escape the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany by fleeing to Poland, only to be subjugated to the Kraków ghetto and forced labor camps. Oskar’s story of survival and relevant themes of hope, respect, and giving 110% will inspire and connect directly to students’ lives while supporting academic standards, Holocaust education, and social and emotional learning competencies.
Curriculum connections: English language arts, history, social sciences, social and emotional learning competencies
Chapters are grouped into themed sections, each with engaging lesson plans that include journal prompts, arts activities, and chapter questions. Students will be captivated when the Hope Chest—an authentic World War II-era trunk—arrives in the classroom! Open to find a treasure trove of materials, including a class set of A Boy’s Story, A Man’s Memory: Surviving the Holocaust 1933–1945, replica WWII-era maps, artifacts, and workbook journals for students to keep! The experience concludes with the presentation of personalized certificates achievement that students will sign and to commit to being upstanders and receive their “keys” to success.
