Introduction to the Holocaust | The Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning Portal

Topics

Antisemitism
The Holocaust

Summary

Introduce middle and high school students to the topic of the Holocaust using this two-day lesson plan by Echoes & Reflections.

Day one emphasizes the role of antisemitism in creating the conditions that led to the Holocaust. Students define antisemitism, the Holocaust, and related terms, and analyze history through survivor testimony.

The lesson continues on day two, focusing on students’ understanding of the Holocaust from 1938 through liberation. They examine primary and secondary sources to learn about ghettos, the “Final Solution,” and the phases that led to it. They also recognize the impact of the Holocaust on American liberating forces.

Materials for both lessons include handouts and video clips, essential questions, and detailed lesson procedures.

Recommended Resources

Guidance

Pedagogical Principles

Help students understand the Holocaust as a pivotal historical event using nine-principles emphasizing context, critical thinking, and the human story.

Grades:

6 - 12

A large display of vintage black-and-white and sepia family photographs arranged in rows, showing men, women, and children from different generations, many wearing early 20th-century European clothing, suggesting everyday Jewish life and family connections before the Holocaust.

Unit

Lesson

Unit I: Studying the Holocaust

The first unit of this 12-unit curriculum builds the foundation for Holocaust study by introducing key vocabulary, the purpose of studying the Holocaust, and the value of diverse source materials.

Grades:

6 - 12

A group of people participate in a protest march across a large suspension bridge. In the foreground, a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a dark coat has a “No Hate” button pinned to his jacket. Behind him, a young man holds a sign that reads, “Jews attacked in: synagogues, buses, streets, our own homes. Where can we exist?” Other participants wear winter clothing and hold additional signs. City buildings and bridge cables are visible in the background.

Unit

Lesson

Unit XI: Gringlas Unit on Antisemitism after the Holocaust

Examine the persistence of antisemitism after the Holocaust and investigate its modern expressions, which include distortions and denial.

Grades:

6 - 12

Guidance

Why Simulation Activities Should Not Be Used

Learn why Holocaust simulations can mislead or distress students and explore effective alternatives that foster empathy and support critical reflection.

Grades:

6 - 12