In All Quiet on the Western Front, the main characters are convinced to enlist by a. their parents b. the newspapers c. their teacher
The book was controversial for its a. nationalism b. patriotism c. pacifism
In 1931, a. the book was first published in a German magazine b. the book was made into a movie c. the book was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
Discussion/essay questions
Books are often banned if they contain controversial ideas. Have any books ever been banned in your country? What was the reason?
Transcript
All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of 20-year-old Paul Baumer, a soldier in the German army during World War I. In the novel, Paul and his friends are convinced to enlist by their teacher‘s nationalist speeches. However, when they enter the trenches, they realize that the reality of war is nothing like the propaganda. The characters in the novel are fictional, but the story borrows from Remarque’s real experiences as a soldier. The book sold well when it was first released, but it was controversial. Politicians in Germany and around the world disliked its pacifist themes. When the Nazis gained power, they attacked and burnedAll Quiet on the Western Front for being “anti-German.” The book was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. It is still viewed as one of the most important war novels in history.
Nuclear fission was discovered in a. 1938 b. 1942 c. 1945
The lead scientist on the Manhattan Project was a. Albert Einstein b. J. Robert Oppenheimer c. Leo Szilard
70 Manhattan Project scientists signed a petition to convince the US government a. that dropping the bombs on Japan was the only way to end the war b. to end all research on the bombs and never use them c. not to drop the bombs without warning Japan first
Discussion/essay questions
How do you think the world would be different if the US hadn’t started the Manhattan Project? Do you think another country would have built and used an atomic bomb? Why or why not?
Is scientific progress always a good thing? Why or why not? How can scientists be responsible when inventing new technology?
Transcript
The Manhattan Project was a secret American project during World War II. The goal was to build an atomic bomb. Refugee scientists from Nazi Germany, including Albert Einstein, convinced the US government to begin the project after the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938. Einstein and his peers feared that the Nazis would use this discovery to build their own atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project began in 1942. The lead scientist was J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is now known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The first successful atomic bomb test was in July of 1945. Soon after, 70 scientists who worked on the project signed a petition to convince the government not to use the bomb without warning. However, the petition never reached the president. The US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, killing close to 200,000 people. It is still one of the most controversial military acts in history.
The wall was built by the government of a. Russia b. East Germany c. West Germany
The purpose of the wall was to a. stop people from immigrating to the country b. protect the country from military advances c. stop people from defecting
The wall came down in a. 1961 b. 1968 c. 1989
Discussion/essay questions
The Berlin Wall was one structure that represented a major political divide across Europe. Why do you think it is so easy to divide people?
Transcript
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that separated West Berlin from the rest of East Germany during the Cold War. After World War II, the Allied Powers divided Germany into four regions. The Soviet Union controlled the eastern region, and the United States, Britain, and France controlled the western regions. The communist government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop people from defecting. The only people who could cross the border were diplomats, and they had to go through special checkpoints. In 1989, East Germany finally declared that people would be able to cross the border freely. Over 2 million people arrived at the border. Some brought tools to tear the wall down. The fall of the wall came to signify the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
Why is it important to be aware of harmful messages in fiction?
What do you think makes fairy tales so influential?
Transcript
Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories by German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It was published in 1812, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales. Many well-known children’s stories are based on these German folk tales, such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. However, the original stories are much darker than the interpretations we know today. Although they were written for children, many of the Grimms’ stories contain violent and disturbing scenes. Even at the time, some people thought the stories were inappropriate for children. They have also been criticized for their antisemitic messages. However, the Grimms’ collection is still relevant because of its influence on the stories of today.
Some people wanted to use Einstein’s discoveries to develop weapons, such as the atomic bomb. What is your opinion on the use of new scientific discoveries to build stronger weapons?
Transcript
Albert Einstein was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. He was born in Germany in 1879, and he began attending school in 1885. As Einstein got older, he became fascinated with the nature of light. He wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 16, and later went on to study physics at a university in Switzerland. In 1905, Einstein published four scientific papers. The papers introduced his theory of special relativity, which allowed scientists to better understand the connection between time and space. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his achievements. In the 1930s, however, Einstein became a target of the Nazi Party of Germany. He moved to the U.S. to protect himself, and continued to work as a physicist. Einstein died in 1955, but his brain is still kept in the Princeton University Medical Center. Scientists still study it today.