A MESSAGE FROM THE GERDA AND KURT KLEIN FOUNDATION

We know that there is nothingthat teens can’t do when they

are inspired and motivated. Youngpeople have always been our hopefor improving the world by tacklingstill unsolved problems with energyand optimism. We welcome teens’impulses to challenge the prejudicesof previous generations, and in sodoing, to forge a brighter future forall people.

The Klein Foundation is namedfor two individuals whose youth wasindelibly scarred by prejudice andhate. Gerda and the late Kurt Kleincame of age under the terror of Nazi Germany. Kurt, a German Jew,

mission. The Foundation’s pro-grams urge young people to getinvolved through volunteerismand advocacy.

The TIME Classroom programhas been developed in that spirit—to empower students to promotetolerance and respect and inspirethem to take action against societalills through service. This guide isfilled with teaching suggestions forusing the inTIME publication andthe book and video on the Kleins.

This program comes to you withspecial thanks from Gerda Klein.

And with it, she offers a reminder of your power to affect and guidestudents. During the years of dark-ness in the camps, lessons fromher own teachers were her light.“Their words became the guide-lines to what was right and whatwas wrong and how to hope andhow to inspire,” says Gerda.“Teachers have the ability to influ-ence in the most incredible ways.”

escaped to Americabut lost his parentsin the Holocaust.Gerda, a Polish Jew,was the sole sur-vivor among herfamily and friends.

The Kleins’ storyis also one of

survival and hope.As a U.S. army offi-cer, Kurt liberatedGerda and then fellin love with her.

They married and made not only alife together but a commitment towarn of the dangers of bigotry andto promote tolerance and respect.

Through education programsand service initiatives, Gerda andKurt Klein have brought theirappeals for understanding andactivism to students across theUnited States. They went toColumbine High School after theshooting deaths in 1999. There, theymade a special connection with stu-dents by their example that painfullife experiences can be used for good.

Gerda’s firsthand experiencewith hunger during the warprompted the Kleins to make fight-ing hunger in America part of their

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO ACCOMPANY inTIME— THE STUDENT MAGAZINE

DEVELOPED BY TIME CLASSROOM

RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING ABOUTTHE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1

• ONE SURVIVOR REMEMBERS:ENRICHING A WORLD WAR II STUDY

• CHAMPIONS OF TOLERANCE: LEARNING FROM ACTIVISM

• INVOLVING STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE

• TAKING ACTION TO END HUNGER

• STUDENT ACTIVITY: YOUR SCHOOL’STOLERANCE TEMPERATURE

• STUDENT ACTIVITY: REFLECTIONS ON SERVICE

• STUDENT ACTIVITY: FOOD FORTHOUGHT

In This Guide

What Teens Can DoHelping Students Get InvolvedThrough Service to Make a Better World

What Teens Can DoHelping Students Get InvolvedThrough Service to Make a Better World

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The tragic yet inspiring story of GerdaWeissmann and Kurt Klein is onethat has special meaning for

high-school students. Both Gerda and Kurt experienced the brutality of NaziGermany as teens. In presentations beforetens of thousands of students over theyears, the Kleins have time and againtouched a chord in young people andhelped them to better understand the suf-fering of all victims of intolerance.

Using the Kleins’ story to enrich a study of the Second World War canhave the same impact on your students.They may already be familiar with somedetails of the Kleins’ experiences. All But My Life, Gerda’s memoir, has beenexcerpted in high-school social studiesand literature programs for years.

Whether your students are familiarwith the Kleins or are learning about themfor the first time, here are suggestions forintegrating the resources on this amazingcouple into a study of World War II, theHolocaust, or a service learning curricu-lum. Along with the article in the inTIMEpublication, this program includes mate-rials provided by the Klein Foundation:

• All But My Life, by GerdaWeissmann Klein, first published in 1957and revised in 1995 (Hill and Wang).

Gerda takes the readerthrough the harrowing waryears; her courtship withKurt Klein, who is amongthe U.S. liberation forces;their early life together in Buffalo, New York; andthe beginning of theiractivism. (The Hours After,published in 2000, and ABoring Evening at Home,released in 2003, continuetheir story to the present.)

• One Survivor Remembers, a 39-minute video based on Gerda’s memoir.This co-production of HBO and theUnited States Holocaust MemorialMuseum won an Oscar® for BestDocumentary Short Film at the 1996Academy Awards.® The award presenta-tion and a speech by Gerda are includedon the video.

Survival and MemoryGerda Weissmann was an innocent girlwhose life was devastated by the blindhatred of the Nazi campaign against Jewsand other minorities. Expand on the sum-mary of Gerda’s experience in the studentmagazine by showing the documentaryOne Survivor Remembers in class. It pro-

vides a chronologyof the war fromGerda’s perspectiveand features inter-views with both herand Kurt Klein.

After viewing,use questions suchas these to encour-age discussion:

• What makesGerda a survivor?

• How didGerda’s imagina-tion help her sur-vive?

• What factors

made a difference in who lived and whodid not?

• What is the “human spirit”? Are weborn with it or do life’s events develop it?What role does it play in survival?

• Gerda quotes the poet Göethewhen she shows Kurt the other survivors:“Noble be man, merciful and good.” Whatmakes this an ironic statement under thecircumstances?

• What purpose does memoryserve—for Gerda and for those who sharein her memories?

Powerful Primary SourcesThe resources on Gerda offer valuableprimary source materials for students to analyze.

The memoir All But My Life, onwhich the documentary is based, fills inmore detail to help students grasp theimpact of World War II on its victims.Share passages from the book, then followup with discussion or written assignmentsthat probe students’ understanding.

For example, Gerda describes theordinary quality of her life before the warand how that everyday reality disappears. Avivid moment is when she sneaks into thefamily garden, now off-limits to her, andsees the wallpaper of her bedroom throughan upstairs window. Ask students to con-template ordinary aspects of their own livesand then to imagine those features sudden-ly being removed or denied. Have students

One Survivor RemembersEnrich a Study of WorldWar ll with the Story ofGerda and Kurt Klein

One Survivor RemembersEnrich a Study of WorldWar ll with the Story ofGerda and Kurt Klein

Gerda Klein helps out at a food bank inWashington, D.C.

Cleaning the environment is a regularservice activity for these students.

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CHAMPIONSOFTOLERANCELEARNING FROM THE ACTIVISM OFGERDA AND KURT KLEINA KEY LESSON FOR STUDENTS fromthe lives of Gerda Klein and Kurt Klein,who died in 2002 at age 81, is notonly what happened to them duringthe 20th century’s most brutal war,but their determination long after tohelp others learn from their own suf-fering. Visit the Klein Foundation Website at www.kleinfoundation.org tofind out more about the organization’sactivities to promote tolerance andunderstanding. Discuss with studentsthe impact of having individuals likethe Kleins speaking out and educatingothers about the dangers of prejudiceand racism through their personaltragedies.

Two profiles of “Teens Making aDifference” in the student publicationoffer more role models of individualsstanding up to intolerance. JacquelineMurekatete, a Tutsi victim of the geno-cide in Rwanda in the 1990s, recountsher brush with death and her goal to

“Tolerance begins with each person,”says Jacqueline Murekatete.

convey their feelings in an essay, song,drawing or photograph that shows theircomprehension of Gerda’s plight.

The still photos and newsreel clipsin the documentary offer visualimpressions of Gerda’s experiences.Guide students in using them to gatherhistorical detail and insights by analyz-ing the information and emotion thevisuals convey.

Inspiring FriendshipGerda’s account of the slave labor campscaptures both the suffering and theindomitable human spirit. Among themost powerful memories she relates is astory about Ilse Kleinzähler, a childhoodfriend who is with Gerda all through thewar and dies just before liberation. Onemorning in camp, Ilse finds a bruisedraspberry on the ground. She carries it with her all day and presents it toGerda that evening. Ilse’s extraordinarygesture is immortalized in the NewEngland Holocaust Memorial, erectedalong Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Ask students to comment, throughdiscussion or in a written response.Questions to pique their thinking: Whydoes the raspberry have such an impacton Gerda? What makes Ilse’s act soremarkable? What does it say aboutfriendship and what defines it? Whatwould students be willing to do for theirown friends—and is it possible to knowthat under everyday circumstances?

The United States and the HolocaustThe story of Kurt Klein’s parents, whodied at Auschwitz, can personalize aninvestigation of American attitudes andpolicy toward helping Jews escape Hitlerbefore and during the war. The informa-tion in the student article is based on aPBS documentary, America and theHolocaust: Deceit and Indifference. In it,Kurt Klein recounted the desperateefforts that he and his siblings made toget their parents out of Europe. The filmfocuses on the problem of anti-Semitismin America during this time and thecharge that the State Department stalledthe issuing of visas that would havebrought Kurt’s parents and others tosafety in the United States.

The America and the HolocaustWeb site at www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/holocaust/sfeature/ offers a place to startwith research. Students can read

excerpts of letters from Kurt Klein’sparents that he translated and followthe chronology of his parents’ failedattempts to secure U.S. visas. Also recommended is the United StatesHolocaust Memorial Museum Web siteat www.ushmm.org.

More Voices of HistoryBuild on the Kleins’ personal history ofWorld War II by involving students in

gathering oral histories from relatives andlocal citizens who were adolescents oryoung adults during World War II.Students can audiotape or videotape recollections of former soldiers, civilianson the homefront and victims of the war’sintolerance and brutality. By comparingand analyzing the different accounts, stu-dents can look for insights on compellingquestions, such as, What are keys to sur-vival under horrific circumstances?

communicate to young people theimportance of education and under-standing to fight intolerance. Kansasteen Megan Stewart tells the story ofboth Irena Sendler, a Polish Christianwho saved Jewish children, and how Sendler’s courage compelledMegan to stand up to bullying amongher peers.

FIGHTING INTOLERANCE WHERE YOU LIVE

The natural follow-up to discus-sions of intolerance in other times andplaces is to challenge students toevaluate the mood in your school.Use the “Tolerance Temperature”activity on page 6 to help studentsrecognize problem behaviors. Discusstheir responses and guide them indrawing conclusions about the toler-ance level at school and the root ofproblems such as verbal abuse.

Lead students in brainstorming forsolutions. The words of peers MeganStewart and Jacqueline Murekateteoffer places to start: Every student canpromote tolerance by modeling accep-tance, challenging harassing behaviorand recognizing one’s own prejudicesand then working to eliminate them.

The “5 Rules to Live and ServeBy” in the student magazine are guid-ing principles from the Kleins. Discusshow students can apply them in theirown lives. Ask students to developtheir own rules to add to this list.

Challenge students to use therules and ideas to create an actionplan for improving teen-to-teen rela-tions in your school. Discuss ways toimplement the plan and support stu-dents in doing so. Check periodicallyon how students think the plan isworking, and brainstorm with them fornew approaches to fighting intolerance.

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students to apply and polish academicskills and knowledge. As students investi-gate an issue such as hunger in their com-munity, they may use interview skills toacquire information from directors oflocal food charities, gather and analyzestatistics, research for needed backgroundand frame persuasive arguments.

Equally valuable is the awarenessstudents gain through advocacy that theyhave the power to stand up and speakout—and the right to do so. The experi-ence can make concrete the principle thatgovernment officials are representativesof the people who serve the common good.

Even when a close-up view of a prob-lem reveals bureaucratic obstacles toachievable solutions, those insights can beinstructive too. They show students thatproblems such as hunger are not unsolv-able. Often the solutions only need thosewith the will to apply them.

Matching Students and ProjectsSome students may know immediatelythe kind of volunteering or advocacy theywant to do. Others will need your guid-ance in figuring out how they can help.Refer students to the “More Ways to Makea Difference” list in inTIME to kick off abrainstorming session on volunteer possi-bilities in your area. Suggest teens consid-er these points to help them find a type ofservice they will enjoy:

• Talents, interests or skills of theirown that they can apply to service

• Issues they care about, such ashunger, homelessness, illiteracy, disad-vantaged children, environmental con-cerns or animal rights

• Settings they prefer, such as indooror outdoor activities

• Age or condition they’d like to workwith, such as younger children, students

Your high school may be among an increasing number of schoolsaround the U.S. that has a community-

service requirement for graduation. Foryour students, the teen activists featuredin inTIME can confirm anew that they arepart of a broad movement of young peo-ple working to serve their communities. Ifservice is not an integral part of yourschool’s mission, the issue can show stu-dents what other teens gain through ser-vice and inspire your students to considerwhat they can do.

Engaging Students in ServiceFor students who are new to service, con-centrate on key points from the teen pro-files and service-success tips from “TheActivist’s Planner” to build kids’ interestand confidence. For example:

• Everyone has something to give.As Joshua Williams explains, most teenshave a talent or an interest that others canlearn from.

• Give the time you can. EricHsiao urges every teen to give just onehour a week . . . equating to millions ofpeople served.

• Get involved to have a voice.Today’s teens are tomorrow’s civic lead-ers, notes David Barnes. Service helps getyoung people ready to take the helm.

• Service has personal benefits.Highlight ways students gain from servicein learning about themselves and whatthey can do.

• Service can be a group effort.Many students are not comfortable volun-teering on their own—and that’s okay!Students at Bala Cynwyd School demon-strate the power in numbers when a ser-vice project is a class- or school-wideendeavor.

Linking Advocacy andLearningAdvocacy is an important part of service.Guiding students in lobbying on an issuecan have many benefits.

For starters, the project can motivate

Involving Your Students in Community ServiceTips and strategies, plus a recommended project:Tackle hunger through service-learning

Involving Your Students in Community ServiceTips and strategies, plus a recommended project:Tackle hunger through service-learning

Receive a Free Book! Tell us how this program motivated your students to get involved in community or school service. A brief description is all you need to write. The first 100 responses will receiveA Boring Evening at Home, Gerda Klein’s latest book. Send to: Time Classroom, PO Box 5175, New York, NY 10185-5175 or e-mail to:neelum_chandra@timeinc.com.

their own age, the elderly, disabled chil-dren or adults

• Situations they prefer, such as vol-unteering as part of a team or on theirown; helping one person at a time orinteracting with a group

• Estimated amount of time they cangive to the project

As students plan projects, help thembe mindful of how they can promote tolerance, respect, understanding andinclusiveness through their particularservice activity.

Monitoring and Reflecting on Service OutcomesMonitor students’ volunteer activities. If it’s a class project, schedule time fordebriefing and discussion after each service session. If students are volunteer-ing independently, ask for a written orverbal progress report to find out how theservice activity is going, what the studentdoes each session, problems to addressand opportunities for learning and enrich-ment that the service is providing.

Reflection is a key part of the experi-ence, particularly at the conclusion of aservice project. It prompts students toevaluate what they did, what they learnedand what they accomplished. Reflectioncan also help students recognize howthey influence others in positive waysthrough service. For a ready-to-usereflection sheet, see page 7 of this guide.Review students’ responses as a group, orhave students hand in the reflectionsheets and then comment on theirinsights. What you learn can help in planning additional service activities.

To reinforce the call for informationin the inTIME publication, encouragestudents to share their service activitieswith the Klein Foundation. The e-mailaddress is kleinfoundation@usa.net.

can find data and information foradvocacy efforts.

The six units in the curriculumcover the history of hunger in theworld; facts on hunger in America;the impact of hunger on victims andthe nation; why people go hungry;and solutions—including the roles ofcharity and policy and ideas of whatstudents can do.

MORE RESOURCES FOR HUNGERSERVICE PROJECTS Here are ideas for other programs andprojects to help the hungry.

• The Empty Bowls Project: Thisgrass-roots effort started in BloomfieldHills, Michigan, in 1991, and hasgrown to become a national programinvolving students and potters.Participants make homemade ceramicbowls and use them to raise funds forfood charities. To learn more, accessthe Kids Can Make a Difference Website for information from the project co-founder, teacher John Hartom:www.kidscanmakeadifference.org/Newsletter/nss2001e.htm.

• The Food Project: This Boston-areaprogram involves students and adultsin growing vegetables—from plantingto harvesting. The food is donated tohomeless shelters and sold at farmers’ markets. In 1998, it wasselected by the Kellogg Foundation asa national model for service-learning.To get ideas for starting a similar project and general resources, including fund-raising ideas, visitwww.thefoodproject.org.

• Kids Café: This program ofAmerica’s Second Harvest, thenation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and ConAgra, Inc.,provides places where hungry children can get free, prepared foodand nutrition education. There aremore than 600 Kids Cafés around thecountry operated by local food banks.Service possibilities for studentsinclude working with an existing KidsCafé or helping to set one up. Forinformation, go to www.secondhar-vest.org/childhunger/kidscafe.html.To locate a food bank in your area,click “Our Network” on the site mainmenu and choose your state.

It offers a powerful quote by GerdaKlein about her personal experiencewith hunger during the war. It alsofeatures four quotes that relate to theissue of hunger and to the importanceof individuals recognizing their ability—and obligation—to take actionto help solve problems like hunger.

Have students share theirresponses to the quotes they analyzed and encourage class discussion and debate. Guide students to build consensus on therespective role of government and theidea of charity versus social justice inhelping the hungry. Challenge themto consider the cost of inaction, inhumanitarian concerns and particularlyin terms of hungry children and thelost potential they may represent.

GETTING INVOLVED WITH HUNGER SERVICE-LEARNINGTo promote hunger activism, the Klein Foundation has developed freeservice-learning and curriculummaterials for high-school and middle-school teachers and students.

The Hunger Service-LearningProgram provides an action plan of

investigations and activities toguide students in identifyingspecific needs and participatingin food-service projects in yourcommunity. This program canbe accessed online atwww.kleinfoundation.org/brigade_main.htm.

“kNOw Hunger” is an education and advocacy curriculum from the KleinFoundation. It is designed tocomplement the “HungerService-Learning Program” andis available to download atwww.knowhunger.org.Developed with Dr. J. LarryBrown, director of the Centeron Hunger and Poverty atBrandeis University, the curriculum meets NationalCouncil on Social Studies standards and is based on current scientific research onhunger and poverty. The“kNOw Hunger” site includes alink to the Center on Hungerand Poverty, where students

5Students gather, pack and distribute food andhousehold supplies to the hungry.

TAKING ACTIONTO END HUNGERTHROUGHSERVICEInvolve students in investigatinghunger in your community and thentaking action through a food drive,a fund-raiser, volunteering with alocal food charity, an advocacy project—or a unique idea of theirown. Here is an array of resources tosupport a hunger service project.

GETTING STARTEDUse the inTIME article, “What

YOU Can Do: Taking Action to EndHunger,” as a starting point for helping students understand theproblem of hunger in America.

To prompt further analysis, introduce the student activity “Foodfor Thought” on page 8 of this guide.

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Use this sheet to make an honest assessment of student-to-student relations in your school. You can extend your answers to include your community, too.

Using the scale, circle the word that most closely fits each statement.

1. I see kids being verbally and/or physically harassed by others.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

2. Kids stand up and intercede to help a student being verbally or physically harassed.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

3. Kids ignore or encourage verbal or physical harassment by others.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

4. Kids feel comfortable being “different”—in ideas, clothes, interests.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

5. Kids from diverse cultures and backgrounds are welcomed and accepted.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

6. Kids are singled out for harassment because of their race, religion or sexual orientation.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

7. Prejudice is a problem in our school and/or community.

Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Constantly

Hot? Cool? In between?Is intolerance raging in your school? Or is everybody cool with each other?Use your answers to make an assessment:

How tolerant and accepting of others are kids in your school? _______________________________

What are the biggest problems in your school? ___________________________________________

What can you do to make your school a more tolerant place? _______________________________

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Identifying Problems/SolutionsWhat’s the Tolerance Temperaturein Your School?

Identifying Problems/SolutionsSTUDENT ACTIVITY

© 2003 Time Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for school use.

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STUDENT ACTIVITY

7© 2003 Time Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for school use.

Successful service is about both what you do and what you learn in the process. Use this sheet to guide your self-reflection on a recent service activity. As needed, continue your answers on aseparate sheet of paper.

l After learning about the activism of Gerda and Kurt Klein, how were you motivatedto get involved in community service? ____________________________________________________________________________

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● What was your service activity and how did you prepare for it? ______________________________

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● What did you learn about the problem or need from your service? __________________________

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● What did you learn about yourself from this experience? __________________________________________

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● How did this service experience make you feel? _________________________________________________________

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● Think about the issues of tolerance and respect. How did you promote those values through your service activity?

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● What would make this a better service activity—more successful or rewarding—next time?

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Reflections on ServiceReflections on Service

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STUDENT ACTIVITY

© 2003 Time Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for school use.8

On a separate sheet of paper, respond to these quotes as directed.

1. Analyze this quote from Gerda Klein by answering these questions: What is she saying?What do her words mean to you? What do they make you think? How do they make you feel?

“I was in a place, for six incredible years, where winningmeant a slice of bread and living another day.”

—Gerda Weissmann Klein, Holocaust survivor

2. Choose one of the quotes below. Analyze it using these questions: What do you think thespeaker is saying? What reaction do you have to this quote? How does it make you feel?How could you use it to take action against hunger?

“Hunger is a hidden tragedy for 13 million American children. . . . ”

—Jeff Bridges, actor and chair, Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Hunger Free America

“The first duty of government is to see that people have food, fuel and clothes.”

— John Ruskin, 19th-century English critic and reformer

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country cando for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

—John F. Kennedy, 35th U. S. President

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single momentbefore starting to improve the world.”

—Anne Frank, Holocaust victim

Food for ThoughtFood for ThoughtB

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