And Then They Came for Me: The Effectiveness of a Theatrical Performance and Study Guide on Middle-School Students' Holocaust Knowledge and Empathic Concern

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of the theatrical performance, And Then They Came for Me, and a corresponding study guide (a) on students' knowledge of the Holocaust and (b) on their empathic concern for victims in general. Middle-school students (n = 106) participated in the study. A survey measured Holocaust knowledge and empathic concern. We assigned students to either: (a) a guide-play group; (b) a guide-only group; or (c) a control group. The results suggest that students exposed to the play and the study guide demonstrated a better understanding of the social lessons of the Holocaust, and greater empathic concern for suffering individuals in general.

Notes

¹Please see http://www.dwtheatre.com/performances/school-shows and click “Study Guide” below the description of And Then They Came for Me, for a complete copy of the study guide. Please note classroom use only by permission.

²All material in this section is from the study guide, unless otherwise noted.