Book burning

1. What are some of your favorite books? Are any of them on the banned list?
2. If you were participating in Banned Book Week activities, which banned books would you most like to read, and why?
3. Have you ever been offended by a book? Why? Do you think others would agree with you?
4. What are some reasons a school board might choose to remove certain books from schools?
5. Under what circumstances (if any) should a book be removed from a school? A library?
6. What is the difference between banning a book and restricting access to a book (e.g., requiring parental permission)?
7. Does book banning constitute censorship? If yes, in all cases, or only in some?
8. Does a member of the public have a right to decide whether others should be allowed access to a book? If so, under what circumstances would he or she have the right to decide?
9. Is book banning an “epidemic”? Has it increased or decreased in recent history? Is there a “right” amount of book banning? Should we have more or less book banning than we do currently?
10. What do you think about [the particular banned books you have chosen to discuss with the class]? Do you agree with the decisions to ban these books? Why or why not? How might historical context have influenced the decision to ban these books? (If applicable) Why are these books still respected as pieces of literature, despite being controversial? (If applicable) Did our school make the right decision to ban this book? (If applicable) Did our school make the right decision to include this controversial book in the curriculum/library?
11. What, if anything, can be learned from reading a book that has content which some people find offensive? Can the book be viewed as a history lesson in terms of the values of a given time period? An example of poor choices that lead to poor outcomes? A lesson in flawed human beings overcoming challenges and adversity in life?
12. How does the historical context of a book affect the public’s reaction to it? Would a book considered objectionable in the 1960s or another decade be viewed more favorably today?
13. Are books that have been banned in the past considered more acceptable today? Why?
14. How has book banning changed over the years? How does it look different now, compared to ancient times? Seventy years ago (the 1930s)? Forty years ago (the 1960s)? Ten years ago?

RESEARCH

- WWII - Nazi party - Adolph Hitler - Persecution of the Jewish people/ The Holocaust - Mein Kampf - Effects of WWII on the German people - Hitler Youth - United German Girls - Allied bombing of Munich

Guardian article

ΦΑΚΕΛΟΣ ΥΛΙΚΟΥ

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