Studying the Holocaust from the early grades
through high school is more a conceptual process than a factual one.
It is the students’ understandings, informed by their classroom
and real-world experiences, which give meaning to the knowledge, attitudes,
values and beliefs with which they come into contact throughout their
K-12 pursuit. A meaningful study of the Holocaust promotes consistent
and cumulative learning from level to level, providing students with
networks that connect knowledge, skills and beliefs.
The study of the Holocaust should be interdisciplinary and integrated
across all of the disciplines when appropriate. Instruction should be
challenging and suitable with high expectations about the ability of
all students to grasp the implications of the Holocaust. It demands that
teachers adapt instruction to students in meaningful ways that promote
reflective thinking and decision making. Students should be culturally
sensitive and aware of opposing points of view. They should also be aware
of their responsibility to promote the common good and their committment
to social responsibility and action. Learning about the Holocaust is
the springboard for moving into learning about other genocides and human
rights violations. Yet, learning about the Holocaust needs to include
the understanding that the Holocaust was a unique event.
We recommend that teachers
become familiar with our matrix and classroom blueprints that will
offer an opportunity to look at classrooms and see the interaction
between processes and interdisciplinary instruction. To teach and
study the Holocaust requires more than reading a book; students need
to be engaged in their discoveries in new and different situations
that include active learning and creative, significant
achievements.
Embracing a study of the history of the Holocaust raises more questions
than answers and begins a lifelong study of human behavior at its
worst and at its best.
We strongly recommended that a study of the Holocaust does
not begin until fifth grade, and at that time in a historical tone
investigating
human behavior. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)
strongly recommends that students are not taught about the camps
until eighth grade at the earliest. Recommended rule: up to, not
into, the camps until eighth grade or later.
There is a wealth of material available on this subject matter,
the materials that we are using are designed to enhance the virtual
tour of our core exhibit at the Florida Holocaust Museum.
For additional teaching tips for teaching topics related to Room
1, Antisemitism, it is recommended that you use the following resources:
-
USHMM Holocaust Learning
Center educational
materials
-
Holocaust Education, Issues and
Approaches edited by Samuel Totten ISBN: 0-205-30929-1
-
Teaching Holocaust Literature edited by Samuel
Totten ISBN:0-205-27402-1
-
Teaching
and Studying the Holocaust edited by Samuel Totten and Stephen
Feinberg ISBN: 0-205-18495-2
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Evaluating_Holocaust_Websites.ppt