The teacher gave three classes of 10th-grade students a persuasive writing assignment as part of a class project to demonstrate how Nazis thought and showed their loyalty to the Third Reich before World War Two.

“You need to pretend that I am a member of the government in Nazi Germany, and you are being challenged to consider that you are loyal to the Nazis by writing an essay convincing me that Jews are evil and the source of our problems,” the assignment instructions said.

One-third of the students refused to complete the task, which was assigned following a class review of Nazi propaganda, said Ron Lesko, a spokesman for the district.