Slippery Slope Teacher Guide Slippery Slope
Teacher Facilitation Guide
World History
Lesson Objective
Students will define the Pyramid of Hate and analyze how societal biases can escalate from biased attitudes to genocide, using historical examples of early 20th-century fascism.
At a Glance
50 Minutes
High School (9-12)
1 Video Required
2 Student Handouts
Pacing & Activities
0-5m
Warm-up: Think-Pair-Share
"It does not start with concentration camps... It begins with a boycott."
Ask students to discuss: What does this quote suggest about the responsibility of average citizens? Is "silence" a form of participation?
5-15m
Video Viewing: The Process
Watch the first 2 minutes of the video "Types of Authoritarianism: Fascism" . Ask students to list the specific steps of escalation mentioned by the narrator (0:31-0:49).
15-40m
Activity: Building the Pyramid
Students work in small groups to fill in the Pyramid of Hate Worksheet . They must use the steps mentioned in the video (propaganda, laws, identification, displacement) and categorize them into the levels of the pyramid.
40-45m
Discussion & Review
Bring the class together to compare pyramids. Focus on the "Systemic Discrimination" layer—how do laws change the social dynamic?
45-50m
Exit Ticket
Distribute the Citizen Intervention Exit Ticket . Collect as they leave for assessment of the learning objective.
Key Vocabulary
Fascism: Far-right authoritarian ultranationalism.Genocide: Deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group.Systemic: Embedded within the laws and culture of a society.
The 5 Layers
Biased Attitudes (Bottom)
Acts of Bias
Systemic Discrimination
Bias-Motivated Violence
Genocide (Top)
Facilitation Tips
Common Misconception: Students often think the Holocaust was a sudden "explosion" of hate. Emphasize that it took years of "slight changes to the laws" (0:31 in video) to make the final result possible.
The "Other": Discuss how propaganda ( evening news, posters) creates "The Other." Use the video's mention of the "Ideal Citizen" (Aryan/Roman) vs. "The savage/barbarian" (8:45).
Escalation to Evil Slides Escalation
to Evil
Analyzing the Process of Dehumanization and the Pyramid of Hate
The Beginning
"It does not start with concentration camps and gas chambers. It begins with a boycott..."
— Video Narrator
"Types of Authoritarianism: Fascism"
Think-Pair-Share: Is "silence" a form of participation?
Witnessing the Process
Focus Points (0:00 - 2:00)
What specific "steps" are mentioned?
How is "The Other" created?
What happens to the "humanity" of bystanders?
Embedded media
Watch 0:00 to 2:00 closely.
The Pyramid of Hate
GENOCIDE
BIAS-MOTIVATED VIOLENCE
SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION
Acts of Bias
BIASED ATTITUDES
STAGE 5 STAGE 4 STAGE 3 STAGE 2 STAGE 1
"It is a slippery slope. Every level makes the next one more likely."
Class Challenge
Using your Worksheet and the Video Transcript , categorize the historical "steps" of fascist escalation into the correct levels of the Pyramid of Hate.
Examples to Place:
• Boycotts of businesses
• Discriminatory Laws
• Unique Identification
• Neighborhood Evacuations
Think About:
• When does a "biased attitude" become a "law"?
• How does propaganda fuel the fire?
Exit Ticket
"At what stage in the pyramid is it easiest for a citizen to intervene, and why?"
Submit before you leave.
Pyramid of Hate Worksheet Pyramid of Hate
World History: Escalation to Evil Activity
Student Name
Date
Part 1: Warm-up
"It does not start with concentration camps and gas chambers. It begins with a boycott, then slight changes to the laws, neighbors missing, businesses changing ownership, unique forms of identification, propaganda on the evening news..."
Based on this quote, what is the main message about how genocide happens?
Part 2: Mapping Escalation
Watch the video (0:00–2:00) and use your textbook/knowledge to place historical examples from the rise of 20th-century fascism into the pyramid levels below. Each level makes the one above it possible.
Genocide
Bias-Motivated Violence
Systemic Discrimination
Acts of Bias
Biased Attitudes
Historical Examples to Place:
• Boycotts of businesses (0:31)
• Laws requiring ID yellow stars (0:31)
• Neighbors "missing" / Displacement (0:40)
• Propaganda on evening news (0:31)
• Nuremberg Laws (stripping citizenship)
• Stereotyping and "The Other" (8:45)
Analysis Question:
How does propaganda help a society move from 'Biased Attitudes' up to 'Acts of Bias'?
Citizen Intervention Exit Ticket Exit Ticket
Lesson: Escalation to Evil
Student Name
Class Period
At what stage in the Pyramid of Hate is it easiest for an average citizen to intervene, and why?
Learning Check:
I understand the process
I need more clarification
— Cut Here —
Exit Ticket (Duplicate) 
