1. Guidelines for Teaching the Holocaust

2. Head….. Heart….. Hands…..

3. Why? 1.Your students (background knowledge, geographic settings, culture, etc.) 2.The Holocaust/Genocide 3.In this unit/course 4.Now (at this age, at this time in history, etc.) 5.With this resource (book, film, handout, website, etc.) Rationale

4. Guidelines for teaching the Holocaust (http://www.ushmm.org) 1.Define the Holocaust. 2.Do not teach or imply that the Holocaust was inevitable. 3.Avoid simple answers to complex questions. 4.Strive for precision of language. 5.Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust. 6. Avoid comparisons of pain. 7. Do not romanticize history. 8. Contextualize the history. 9. Translate statistics into people. 10. Make responsible methodological choices

5. Guideline for teaching genocide (ushmm.org) 1.Define genocide. 2.Investigate the context and dynamics that have led to genocide. 3.Be wary of simplistic parallels to other genocides. 4.Analyze American and world response. 5.Illustrate positive actions taken by individuals and nations in the face of genocide.

6. 1. Define the HolocaustDefine the Holocaust

7. 3. Avoid Simple Answers to Complex Questions

8. Why didn’t the Jews just leave?

12. 5. Strive for balance in whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust.

13. Why was this text written? Who wrote it? Who is the intended audience? Are there any biases present? How has the information been used to interpret various events? Questions to consider about a text:

14. 7. Do not romanticize history.

16. 10. Make responsible methodological choices.

17. Case Study: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

18. The Move to the Country What do your students learn from this scene? Is it accurate?

19. With a partner, choose a book or film that you use when teaching about the Holocaust and discuss your rationale for using that piece keeping in mind these guidelines.

20. New thoughts or ideas? Questions?

21. TIMOTHY HURSLEY