It’s a sad fact that anti-semitism didn’t disappear with the Holocaust. This is why it’s critically important to teach about the Holocaust, honoring those who lost their lives while also learning to recognize the warning signs of injustice and intolerance within society. If you’re an educator, here are just a few ways to approach the subject of the Holocaust.
Use Age-Appropriate Materials
When teaching younger children, find materials that talk about the Holocaust in an age-appropriate way. There are many Jewish educational organizations with resources that you can use for this. You don’t have to sanitize history; you just have to present the facts in a way that’s sensitive and comprehensible to your littlest learners.
Keep It Factual
Speaking of facts, history lessons are always improved by accurate, up-to-date information on the topics discussed. This is especially true if you anticipate pushback from parents about your curriculum. Keeping it as factual as possible can help you defend it. Again, Jewish centers can help you construct lesson plans if you need resources.
Utilize Multimedia
Every student is different, and every learning style needs to be represented in your classroom. Maybe the visual learners would enjoy reading a memoir about the Holocaust. Maybe auditory learners would appreciate movies or audiobooks. There are ample ways to get a discussion started about this point in history, so don’t be afraid to utilize various multimedia methods.
Anti-semitism is an issue still affecting the world today. To learn more about fighting back against prejudiced ideas, reach out to the Zachor Holocaust Curriculum at ZachorLearn.org.
