Why do teachers assume kids are so ignorant that the only way to understand a topic or feel empathy is to reenact the moment? Realize this same lesson in understanding persecution could be extended to other religions and political ideas. Who would want their kid parading about with a rainbow-gay logo, hammer/sickle, swastika, crescent, devil/pentagram? Or which non-Christian, would want to forced to wear a crucifix or cross about his neck?
I find it disturbing, that under the guise of teaching, a student should be coerced into displaying others' religious symbols. What Freeper would find it acceptable to walk about as an ASS for the day in a Dimmocrat-Donkey shirt? Or even better, be forced to carry a Whitehouse return Hill/Bill 2008 placard?
To answer your summation question, I was "forced" to be an advocate for Bill Clinton in my high school civics class during the 1992 election. I didn't like it and I didn't support Clinton or anything he stood for- and the experience taught me how much I siadgreed with his policies.
If this is the ONLY exercise the students did while reading this book then I would agree with you that this assignment was unacceptable, however I'd be willing to bet they also had class discussions and essays assigned. I also agree with another poster that the students should have been allowed to wear the other symbols the Nazi's used to distinguish "undesirables".