Claire Baum
- 11+
- 2 class periods
Claire Baum was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1936. She and her sister survived the Holocaust by hiding with non-Jews. Her parents also survived, and they all moved to Canada in 1951. Claire lives in Toronto.
The educational materials below can be used to create a lesson around Claire Baum’s survival story.
Learning Objectives
- engage with survivor testimony
- develop media skills by researching a survivor’s story on the digital resource Re:Collection
- use historical-thinking and critical-thinking skills to complete a timeline
How to use these materials in class
Step 1: The Background Reading is a short introduction to a survivor’s story that provides historical and biographical context. Distribute the Background Reading to your students to prepare them to delve deeper into Claire Baum’s survival story.
Step 2: The Re:Collection Instructions show students how to navigate the digital resource Re:Collection. Distribute the instructions before your students use the digital resource.
Step 3: The Author Biography Activity asks students to answer ten chronological questions about a survivor’s life before, during and after the Holocaust. Assign this activity to your students to guide them through an exploration of Claire Baum’s page on Re:Collection.
Step 4: The Timeline Activity asks students to create a timeline of significant events from a survivor’s life alongside significant events in the history of the Holocaust. Assign this activity to your students to apply what they learned about Claire Baum’s experiences during the Holocaust to the broader historical context.
