Lala - Teach with Testimony

Bring history to life with the USC Shoah Foundation’s six-minute-long virtual reality film about Holocaust survivor Roman Kent and his dog, Lala, in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Students will emerge from this audiovisual journey with a powerful takeaway: that love is stronger than hate. Through Kent’s testimony, they’ll connect with the human side of history in a way that makes the past feel personal and meaningful.

Blending live action and animation, this video includes ready-to-use lesson plans and interactive activities designed to help students reflect on the impact of prejudice. Younger students (grades K-2) explore what it means to be responsible citizens, while their older peers (grades 5-7) examine resilience in the face of oppression.

Older students also dive deeper into Kent’s life before, during, and after the Holocaust. They engage with multiple clips of testimony through close reading, identify key words, and use guiding questions to deepen understanding. A built-in digital tool allows them to create a downloadable customized word cloud to share with classmates.