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Victoria Rule

Profs. Wertz-Orbaugh
UWRT 1103-011
29 Feb. 2016

Pitch
My inquiry topic focuses on treatment in concentration camps during the Holocaust. I
am specifically looking into the role of the prison guards in the treatment of the prisoners. I plan
on creating a journal that was written by a SS guard (actually written by myself) that will go into
detail about daily life of an SS guard in the camps and what they inflicted on the prisoners either
as punishment or for the fun of it. In order to gather information on my topic, I will look at
testimonies, articles and webpages that contain information on SS guards during the Holocaust.
The journal will be a plain composition notebook with handwritten entries. I am using a
composition notebook because they actually existed during the time of the Holocaust so that
adds to the validity of my project. In order to make the pages of the notebook appear to be
worn and aged, I will either pour coffee on the pages or use tea bags to get the desired effect. I
will also include real photographs that SS guards took while on breaks or in their free time
during the Holocaust. Some of the pictures are very surprising because of how happy and
carefree the guards appear to be. I think that this aspect will draw readers in and make them
want to read more about a day in the life of an SS guard at a concentration camp.
Making a journal is unique because everyone else will be creating PowerPoint
presentations, poster boards, etc. with their information. I think my idea adds authenticity and
entertainment to this multimodal project. Although it may take more time to create the visual
effect that I will be going for, I believe that this method of presenting my information will really
make an effect on the readers.

I plan on focusing my inquiry on testimonies from individuals who were guards and can
give firsthand knowledge of their experience and provide a defense for themselves. Focusing
solely on survivor testimonies would not give me the insight that I need in order to create a
journal that was written by an SS guard. I have already located some resources that contain
testimonies from former SS guards and am already very surprised by some of their claims about
how they ended up doing that job.
Finally, the characteristics that make my project multimodal will be the fact that I am
handwriting the entries, including photographs of SS guards, and creating a visual effect by
soaking the book in coffee or using tea bags to get an aged appearance. My sources will bring
an authenticity to the claims that I will make throughout the journal. When the journal has been
written, I have full faith that it will look like a real journal from the Holocaust and will have as
strong effect on anyone who reads it because it is written from the perspective of an SS guard
instead of a survivor.

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