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Irena Sendler - Courage in the face of hate vs. silence: Saving 2,500 Jewish Children in WWII

Updated: 6 days ago


Grade Level: 7-10
Duration of video 1: 27 minutes, 43 seconds
Duration of video 2: 1 minute, 53 seconds
Themes: Moral resistance / WWII / Conscience under dictatorship / Courage in the face of hate and silence / Upstanders




Irena Sendler (1910–2008), Polish social worker who helped rescue Jewish children during the Holocaust, c. 1942.

Photo: Irena Sendler (1910–2008), Polish social worker who helped rescue Jewish children during the Holocaust, c. 1942. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)


Description:


In Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII, Irena Sendler, a 29-year-old Catholic social worker, risked her life to smuggle 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. Working with a network of brave resistors and inspired by people like Dr. Janusz Korczak, she forged documents, coordinated secret escapes, and hid children with Polish families and in convents — preserving not just their lives, but their identities and future. Irena’s story is a powerful reminder that true justice often happens in secret, through quiet, personal courage and compassion. At the end of this lesson, students learn a modern upstander story and practice applying these skills to their lives.



Lesson Plan:


🎯 OBJECTIVES (SWBAT)

  • Watch a video about the story of Irena Sendler and her underground rescue efforts.

  • Discuss the risks and consequences of resisting injustice during the Holocaust.

  • Analyze the role of moral responsibility when systems fail.

  • Reflect on what quiet courage looks like today.

  • Review 10 Upstander Steps

  • Connect historical resistance to students’ ability to be upstanders in their own lives.


🧰 MATERIALS:


📋 LESSON FLOW


QUIET HEROES

  1. Hook Discussion (5–10 min)

    Write on the board: “What would you risk to save a life?”

    Ask:

    • What does it mean to have moral courage?

    • Can a person make a difference in the face of overwhelming evil?

    • Is it better to stay safe and silent, or to speak up - even if it’s dangerous?

  2. Introduction to Irena Sendler (Teacher-Led Mini Lesson – 5 min)

    Explain:

    • Irena Sendler was a Catholic woman who worked as a social worker in Nazi-occupied Poland.

    • She saved over 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

    • She worked with others inspired by justice - including Dr. Janusz Korczak, who famously refused to abandon the children in his care, even when facing deportation.

  3. Show Video (10–12 min)

    Hand out and review with students Student Worksheet 1: Moral Courage in Action – Irena Sendler.

    Instruct students: 

    “As you watch the video, take notes on your handout to answer these questions.” 

    Play video:  Irena Sendler: The Woman Who Saved 2,500 Jewish Children

  4. Small Group Reflection (10-15 min)

    In pairs or small groups, have students answer the questions on Student Worksheet 1: Moral Courage in Action – Irena Sendler.

  5. Whole Class Debrief (10–15 min)

    Go over students’ answers to Student Worksheet 1: Moral Courage in Action – Irena Sendler.

    Ask:

    1. What made Irena’s actions powerful?

    2. Would she be considered a hero today? Why or why not?

    3. How did she show that resistance doesn’t always have to be loud - it can be quiet, brave, and steady?

    4. How does this relate to the “red flags” we’ve seen in past lessons (e.g., control, fear, censorship)?

    5. What does this story teach us about humanity in the darkest times?

  6. Applying Irena’s bravery to our own lives:

    Upstander Steps

    Ask students:

    • What is the difference between a bystander and an upstander?

    • How was Irena an upstander?

    • How can you be an upstander when you see injustice?

    Hand out Student Worksheet #2: 10 Upstander Steps and review with students.

  7. Video 2: Granny and 3 Amazing Police Officers Help Young Boy who is Bullied.

    Before showing the film, teacher says: 

    “I am going to show you a video about modern American upstanders. As you watch the film, take notes on what behaviors the upstanders did.”

    Show Video 2: Granny and 3 Amazing Police Officers Help Young Boy who is Bullied.

  8. Class Discussion:

    1. Who were the upstanders in this video?

    2. What did they decide to do, and why did they do this?

    3. How did the boy feel when he received the sneakers?

    4. How did the police officers feel?

    5. How is this story similar to what Irena Sendler did in the Holocaust?

  9. Exit Ticket:

    1. Hand out index cards to the students. 

    2. Ask students to write their names on the index card and write down one upstander step they will take this week to unite the world with kindness (rather than divide the world with hate).

    3. In one week, hand back the index cards and have students discuss the upstander step they took and how they felt about it. 


Creative Extension (optional):


Divide students into groups of 2-3 and assign each group to make a poster of one of the 10 Upstander Steps on Student Worksheet 2: 10 Upstander Steps. 

Have each group present its poster to the class and hang up these posters in the classroom. 


🧭 Final Message to Students


“True courage is not the absence of fear — it’s doing what’s right despite it.” 

- Mark Twain


“Irena Sendler didn’t make speeches. She saved lives.”


“Justice sometimes begins with just one brave person doing the next right thing — over and over.”







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All materials on this website are available for educational use under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Educators may download and share the content with attribution, for non-commercial use and instructional purposes, and without modification. Embedding any materials within any website-whether educational, institutional, public, or private-is prohibited without prior written consent of Balanced Learning Resources. Unauthorized embedding or redistribution may violate copyright and licensing terms.


©  2025-2026
All materials on this website are available for educational use under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Educators may download and share the content with attribution, for non-commercial use and instructional purposes, and without modification. Embedding any materials within any website-whether educational, institutional, public, or private-is prohibited without prior written consent of Balanced Learning Resources. Unauthorized embedding or redistribution may violate copyright and licensing terms.

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