This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Friday, April 5, 2013
PERIOD 6 - THE SWING KIDS
For the past two days you have been watching "The Swing Kids." What did you learn from the film that you didn't know before and what did you think was the most important message of the film?
42 comments:
Johanna Smith
said...
What I learned from the film was that the Nazis banned swing as many artists were Black or Jewish. The most important message portrayed was just how quickly and completely people can change. Thomas was the main example of this scary change. He started to believe things that just weren't true!
I learned the power of the Nazis because they were able to to friends and family against each other. Also, things such as certain music and dance were outlawed because they were not German. I agree with Johanna that the main message was how a person can be completely altered with the use of propaganda and become a different person than they once were.
I learned how easily people were manipulated by the Nazis and how much of an effect they had on everyday life. They stopped people from enjoying themselves when they weren't doing anything wrong. People were forced into the Hitler Youth and it changed them. I think the most important message is how important one person is and the effect they could have over so many. Hitler was influencing innocent people like Thomas who was then going hurting people, including his friends. In the letter from the father, he says that if one person could have stood up, none of this would have happened, which was a very important point.
I learned that the Nazis banned swing music. I also learned how much power the Nazis had over people. The Nazis were using their power to influence people like Thomas to get them to carry out the Nazi agenda. Thomas went from being an innocent teenager to someone who went around beating people, even his friends. The most important message was how quickly people can change.
I learned that the Nazis were very strict about what music their people were listening to. They had enough power to turn family and friends against each other, which was scary to watch. The main message of the film was that some people will be pressured to change and others will follow their beliefs and deal with the consequences.
From "The Swing Kids" I was able to get a better idea of the life of teens in Germany under Nazi/Hitler rule. It was interesting and beneficial to get a relatable perspective of teenagers at the time. Showing the struggles and pressures that many teenagers were faced with provided a great lesson on how difficult it was to go against the Reich at the time and how easily the Nazi propoganda could manipulate people of all ages, but most specifically young boys/men. I think the main idea of the film was that it is extremely important to remain true to oneself and follow your own path, rather than stick with the majority, because the majority isn't necessarily right.
I agree with Rachel on the fact that some people like Thomas went from being an average, innocent person to a harmful monster. People like him cracked under pressure and harmed others simply because they were ordered to do so.
I liked how Johanna brought up how Thomas "started to believe things that just weren't true!". I found it particularly interesting how Thomas became so frustrated and enraged when the two boys were arguing about the Nazi party and involvement of it in their lives. When questioned and told how the Nazi's were wrong and evil, Thomas became loud and struggled to grasp a clear vision of what he thought. All he could do was repeat what he was told, "just go along, just make the best of things". This shows how brainwashed the Hitler youth were and effects that followed(Thomas nearly strangles Peter to death).
From "The Swing Kids" I learned how while many kids at first chose to not believe the Nazi ideals, after being in the schools many were eventually brainwashed enough into actually believing Hitler's ideals and would go as far as to report their own parents for suspicious behaivor. Overall I think the message of the film was how helpess single people were under the Nazi regime. Peter chooses to stand up for what he believes in and it just leads to him being taken to jail and eventually labor camps. I think the film highlights how hard it would have been to go against the Nazi's and it shows why the Nazi party developed into something so powerful.
I agree with Kylie and how she got a better idea of what a typical teenagers life was like under Hitler and the daily struggles and pressures that they faced.
I learned that the Nazi's were strict about swing music. The Nazi's had power over what goes on. When Thomas had reported about his father, the Nazi's went to go get his father afterwards. It shows that the Nazi's were able to gain control of their members and also change the way they think. I agree with Avalon's comment on how the Nazi's had enough power to turn people against each other. It causes to ruin friendships.
I learned that there are many victims of the Holocaust, even unexpected ones. Most people who became Nazi's didn't have a choice, even if they tried to rebel. I never knew that there was a rebellious movement such as the Swing Kids. The most important message is to be aware of what is truth and what is not, and to not conform to the values of society if they go against your own.
From watching this movie I learned how the Nazis tried to brainwash the Hilter Youth, and how successful they were in doing so. I also learned about the Nazis banned thing such as music which shows how much control they had over all aspects of German society. Thomas's change of mind also showed how influential the Nazi's were and how he even turned his own father in. I thought the movie did a nice job also or portraying the difficulties and the challenges people who stood up to the Nazis faced.
Like Sam I also learned about all the different victims of the Nazi's as well as the amount of people who were forced to be part of them simply to protec themselves and their families. This explains the great difficulty people faced in trying to overrule Hitler and the power of the Nazis.
From the Swing Kids film I was able to learn the power of the Nazi Party and how easily they were able to gain members. Joining the party came off as the thing to do as well as a safer option for a person. It Nazi members to turn on their own friends just so that they could keep safe and do what Hitler wanted them to do. In my opinion, the most important message of the film is to stay true to you're morals and beliefs and do not transform into something that you are not just because others are. Take the path less traveled by, because in the end it will make all the difference.
I agree with Sam's point where she mentioned that some people that joined the Nazi Party didn't necessarily have a choice or agree with what the party believed in. I never really though about this much and this goes to show the amount of power that Hitler had in order to manipulate people to join his party that didn't even support it.
I think the film made it clear how quickly one's mind could have been absorbed into the new ways and ideas of the Nazis. It was a sad movie, but eye opening and honest. It shows how bad power can turn when in the wrong hands.
I also agree with Julia about how being forced into Hitler Youth really changed people and took over a persons life. I didn't know much about H.J. until this movie!
What I learned from the film was how strict the Nazis were with what activities kids participated in and the fact that they would ban artists because of their race or religion. I think the most important message is how effective indoctrination can be and how easy it is for people to do unthinkable things just because of what they have been told.
I agree with johanna about how people can change their views so drasticly in such a short amount of time. The nazis turned fun loving teenage swing kids into savage and mercyless people that had no problem with smashing someone's head in if they uttered the word jewish
I learned the true extent of Nazi power. I was absolutley astonished at how able the Nazis were to ruin peoples customs and take away their enjoyments. I couldn't believe how quickly friends were turned against eachother once Nazi power grew. I think the message was saying how hard it is to do what you know is right and to be the person who you know you really are, when it's so much easier to do or be somebody else.
I thought that the film was very informative. I was curious what roles children and highschoolers played in the holocaust. I think the most important message from the film is that you should always follow what you truly believe despite what others might think.
I agree that one person definalty could have made a difference. If only one person stood up against the Nazis, it would have encouraged other people to stand up as well, and the Nazis never would've gotten so much power.
In the parts of the movie that I did see I now know how the Nazis coordinated their movements alot better now. For example, how they would take fathers away from their families and end up recieving his ashes. I think that the primary message to the film would to show how the Nazis took over the society of Germany so quickly which is amplified with Thomas as he quickly progresses into the Nazi mindset.
What I learned from the film was that the Nazis were against not only Jews but anything from outside Jermany that goes against their nationalism. It was really freaky of how quickly the government was able to change the minds of the population.
i didnt know about the whole swing kid movement in germany during ww2. i think its cool how there were kids who resisted and did what they wanted to do despite social pressures.
42 comments:
What I learned from the film was that the Nazis banned swing as many artists were Black or Jewish. The most important message portrayed was just how quickly and completely people can change. Thomas was the main example of this scary change. He started to believe things that just weren't true!
I learned the power of the Nazis because they were able to to friends and family against each other. Also, things such as certain music and dance were outlawed because they were not German. I agree with Johanna that the main message was how a person can be completely altered with the use of propaganda and become a different person than they once were.
I learned how easily people were manipulated by the Nazis and how much of an effect they had on everyday life. They stopped people from enjoying themselves when they weren't doing anything wrong. People were forced into the Hitler Youth and it changed them. I think the most important message is how important one person is and the effect they could have over so many. Hitler was influencing innocent people like Thomas who was then going hurting people, including his friends. In the letter from the father, he says that if one person could have stood up, none of this would have happened, which was a very important point.
I learned that the Nazis banned swing music. I also learned how much power the Nazis had over people. The Nazis were using their power to influence people like Thomas to get them to carry out the Nazi agenda. Thomas went from being an innocent teenager to someone who went around beating people, even his friends. The most important message was how quickly people can change.
I agree with Julia that the father's letter brings out an important point that if one person had stood up, none of that would have happened.
I was absent.
I was absent.
I learned that the Nazis were very strict about what music their people were listening to. They had enough power to turn family and friends against each other, which was scary to watch. The main message of the film was that some people will be pressured to change and others will follow their beliefs and deal with the consequences.
From "The Swing Kids" I was able to get a better idea of the life of teens in Germany under Nazi/Hitler rule. It was interesting and beneficial to get a relatable perspective of teenagers at the time. Showing the struggles and pressures that many teenagers were faced with provided a great lesson on how difficult it was to go against the Reich at the time and how easily the Nazi propoganda could manipulate people of all ages, but most specifically young boys/men. I think the main idea of the film was that it is extremely important to remain true to oneself and follow your own path, rather than stick with the majority, because the majority isn't necessarily right.
I agree with Rachel on the fact that some people like Thomas went from being an average, innocent person to a harmful monster. People like him cracked under pressure and harmed others simply because they were ordered to do so.
I liked how Johanna brought up how Thomas "started to believe things that just weren't true!". I found it particularly interesting how Thomas became so frustrated and enraged when the two boys were arguing about the Nazi party and involvement of it in their lives. When questioned and told how the Nazi's were wrong and evil, Thomas became loud and struggled to grasp a clear vision of what he thought. All he could do was repeat what he was told, "just go along, just make the best of things". This shows how brainwashed the Hitler youth were and effects that followed(Thomas nearly strangles Peter to death).
From "The Swing Kids" I learned how while many kids at first chose to not believe the Nazi ideals, after being in the schools many were eventually brainwashed enough into actually believing Hitler's ideals and would go as far as to report their own parents for suspicious behaivor. Overall I think the message of the film was how helpess single people were under the Nazi regime. Peter chooses to stand up for what he believes in and it just leads to him being taken to jail and eventually labor camps. I think the film highlights how hard it would have been to go against the Nazi's and it shows why the Nazi party developed into something so powerful.
I was absent for the first two days of the movie and only saw the last 20 minutes.
I was absent for the first two days of the movie and only saw the last 20 minutes.
I agree with Kylie and how she got a better idea of what a typical teenagers life was like under Hitler and the daily struggles and pressures that they faced.
I learned that the Nazi's were strict about swing music. The Nazi's had power over what goes on. When Thomas had reported about his father, the Nazi's went to go get his father afterwards. It shows that the Nazi's were able to gain control of their members and also change the way they think. I agree with Avalon's comment on how the Nazi's had enough power to turn people against each other. It causes to ruin friendships.
I learned that there are many victims of the Holocaust, even unexpected ones. Most people who became Nazi's didn't have a choice, even if they tried to rebel. I never knew that there was a rebellious movement such as the Swing Kids. The most important message is to be aware of what is truth and what is not, and to not conform to the values of society if they go against your own.
I agree with Sami, the Nazi party was able to manipulate peoples' thoughts and beliefs so much so that they lost sense of reality.
james yi
i agree with what Johanna said.
i think also that people can change quickly and people are different than each other.
james yi
i agree with what Johanna said.
i think also that people can change quickly and people are different than each other.
From watching this movie I learned how the Nazis tried to brainwash the Hilter Youth, and how successful they were in doing so. I also learned about the Nazis banned thing such as music which shows how much control they had over all aspects of German society. Thomas's change of mind also showed how influential the Nazi's were and how he even turned his own father in. I thought the movie did a nice job also or portraying the difficulties and the challenges people who stood up to the Nazis faced.
Like Sam I also learned about all the different victims of the Nazi's as well as the amount of people who were forced to be part of them simply to protec themselves and their families. This explains the great difficulty people faced in trying to overrule Hitler and the power of the Nazis.
From the Swing Kids film I was able to learn the power of the Nazi Party and how easily they were able to gain members. Joining the party came off as the thing to do as well as a safer option for a person. It Nazi members to turn on their own friends just so that they could keep safe and do what Hitler wanted them to do. In my opinion, the most important message of the film is to stay true to you're morals and beliefs and do not transform into something that you are not just because others are. Take the path less traveled by, because in the end it will make all the difference.
I agree with Sam's point where she mentioned that some people that joined the Nazi Party didn't necessarily have a choice or agree with what the party believed in. I never really though about this much and this goes to show the amount of power that Hitler had in order to manipulate people to join his party that didn't even support it.
I think the film made it clear how quickly one's mind could have been absorbed into the new ways and ideas of the Nazis. It was a sad movie, but eye opening and honest. It shows how bad power can turn when in the wrong hands.
I agree with Rachel that the most important idea of the movie was how people change, it really inspires you to stay true to yourself.
i was absent from class this day
In the movie Nazis and Jewish were killing each anther. Nazis people want the Jewish to leave the Janey.
I also agree with Julia about how being forced into Hitler Youth really changed people and took over a persons life. I didn't know much about H.J. until this movie!
What I learned from the film was how strict the Nazis were with what activities kids participated in and the fact that they would ban artists because of their race or religion. I think the most important message is how effective indoctrination can be and how easy it is for people to do unthinkable things just because of what they have been told.
I agree with Meghan that people should not just go with the crowd, but instead they should follow their own beliefs
I agree with johanna about how people can change their views so drasticly in such a short amount of time. The nazis turned fun loving teenage swing kids into savage and mercyless people that had no problem with smashing someone's head in if they uttered the word jewish
I learned the true extent of Nazi power. I was absolutley astonished at how able the Nazis were to ruin peoples customs and take away their enjoyments. I couldn't believe how quickly friends were turned against eachother once Nazi power grew. I think the message was saying how hard it is to do what you know is right and to be the person who you know you really are, when it's so much easier to do or be somebody else.
I thought that the film was very informative. I was curious what roles children and highschoolers played in the holocaust. I think the most important message from the film is that you should always follow what you truly believe despite what others might think.
I agree with cara. The idea that its easy to go with mainstream as opposed to what you really believe is true.
I agree that one person definalty could have made a difference. If only one person stood up against the Nazis, it would have encouraged other people to stand up as well, and the Nazis never would've gotten so much power.
In the parts of the movie that I did see I now know how the Nazis coordinated their movements alot better now. For example, how they would take fathers away from their families and end up recieving his ashes. I think that the primary message to the film would to show how the Nazis took over the society of Germany so quickly which is amplified with Thomas as he quickly progresses into the Nazi mindset.
I agree with what most people are saying on how quickly people can change from who they are to Nazis.
What I learned from the film was that the Nazis were against not only Jews but anything from outside Jermany that goes against their nationalism. It was really freaky of how quickly the government was able to change the minds of the population.
I agree with Johnanna Smith. It was incredible of how quickly the mind set can change within a population of people.
i didnt know about the whole swing kid movement in germany during ww2. i think its cool how there were kids who resisted and did what they wanted to do despite social pressures.
Kylie Bradley makes a good point. it was interesting seeing evrything from the point of view of a teenager.
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