You know, I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Hitler was a very bad person and did some atrocious things. On the other hand, he is a very important historical figure and we should remember him and what he did, as well as how he came into power so we don't repeat the same mistake.
I mean hell..................in 1938, TIME magazine put him on the cover as man of the year because of the way he was rising to political fame. In 1938, he was considered to be a great man. It was only later when he became mad with power that he became the evil icon that he is today.
Well...................the teacher DID say to pick a historical figure, and no restrictions were placed on the project, so the children should be able to pick whatever one they wish.
However................they should also have their projects and presentations looked over very closely by the teachers and parents, as well as be told to describe not only why he was great, but also have a strong emphasis on why he is vilified by the world today.