Curated OER
Using Political Cartoons and Propaganda in Teaching the Holocaust
Students gain an understanding of the Holocaust through analysis of political cartoons. In this Holocaust instructional activity, students examine propaganda in political cartoons that were used in Nazi Germany.
DocsTeach
The SS Quanza and European War Refugees
World War II not only resulted in major loss of life, but it also displaced thousands of people. An eye-opening activity uses primary documents to explore the refugee crisis during World War II. Scholars compare the event to modern-day...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity
The Nazis used the power of propaganda to encourage confirmative views and the discrimination of Jews. A social studies resource illustrates these issues through discussion, image analysis, and a writing exercise.
Curated OER
In the Original Words
Students examine primary documents regarding the Holocaust. In this World War II lesson, students read and translate primary documents in their original language regarding the Holocaust. Students discuss the content of the documents.
Curated OER
Life During the Great Depression An Oral History Project
Although our connections to those who personally witnessed the Holocaust are dwindling, this lesson focuses on conducting an interview and getting some primary source material. There is a list of resources your high schoolers can...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making
Did you know that way before Hitler became a dictator, he actually spent nine months in a German jail? Provide the background for the escalating point before the Nazi party took over in World War II through the exercises in the resource....
Echoes & Reflections
The "Final Solution"
Nazi policies shifted from deportation and imprisonment to extermination of the Jewish people in death camps in the "Final Solution." Learners examine photos of artifacts, read poetry written by survivors, analyze testimony from...
American Battle Monuments Commission
World War II: A Visual History
Explore the enormity of World War II, including its causes, prominent battles, and historical figures, with an interactive map and timeline. Divided into each year from 1939 to 1945, as well as sections pre- and post-war, the resource...
Curated OER
Life and Death in the Camps
Students state the difference between death camps and concentration camps used during the Holocaust. Using primary source documents, they summarize what life in the camp was like. They describe the final solution used by the Nazis.
Curated OER
Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Week
Examining a difficult history through contextual foundations, personal stories, and Dr. Seuss.
Curated OER
Holocaust Research Project
Students research multiple aspects of WWII. In this Holocaust lesson, students will use several primary source documents to write a 3 page pater on subjects concerning WWII, such as Kristallnacht, Ethnic Cleansing and the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Bystanders in the Holocaust
Students recognize effects of apathy and indifference, examine behaviors associated with obedience, conformity, and silence, and explore legal responses to issues raised by the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Charts, Maps, and Graphs Lesson on the Holocaust
Students practice interpreting data. In this Holocaust lesson, students research selected Internet sources and examine charts, maps, and graphs regarding the Jewish populations in and out of Europe. Students respond to questions about...
Speak Truth to Power
Elie Wiesel: Speaking Truth to Genocide to Power
Invite your learners to discover the efforts of Night author Elie Wiesel to promote awareness of genocide in the world. After watching and reading an interview of Elie Wiesel, high schoolers work to create a living Holocaust museum by...
Curated OER
I Had To Tell This Story
High schoolers examine the experiences of American prisoners of war to begin their discussion on the Holocaust. They read and view primary source documents and discuss. They discover the importance of the Holocaust as well.
Facing History and Ourselves
The Nazi Party Platform
Not all party platforms stay democratic. A resource covers many political issues in Germany during the time of World War II, and teaches pupils about the Nazi party platform and what went wrong. Individuals participate in a warm-up...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Writing Assignment by a Teenage Refugee in New York During World War II
Young historians delve into the world of teenage refugees during WWII to understand their experiences. The activity focuses on a writing assignment from a teen staying at a US refugee camp to explore the struggles they faced, such as...
Curated OER
Individual Responsibility and Resistance During the Holocaust
Students examine the role of resistance during the Holocaut. Identifying misconceptions, they discuss them as a way to gather the truth about this time in history. They explore the roles of various groups of resistance and share this...
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson
Eleventh graders read and analyze primary source documents from World War II. They are to create a timeline of the important events by using the sources.
Curated OER
Prisoners in Another War
Pupils identify violations of the Geneva Convention in video clips. They discover the role of international bodies in dealing with war crimes. They read primary source documents as well.
PBS
Democracy in Action: Freedom Riders
This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...
Museum of Tolerance
The Price of Personal Responsibility
A reading of Patrick Henry's "Speech in the Virginia Convention," Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" launch a discussion about the price one is willing to pay to...
Curated OER
Investigating Past and Present: A Look at The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Young scholars compare the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the war crimes of WWII. In this lesson on Human Rights, students evaluate the causes of WWII, war crimes, and determine whether the outcome might have been different...