The Willesden Project: 6–8 | The Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning Portal

Topic

The Holocaust

Summary

The Willesden Project, a global initiative transforming classrooms, is inspired by the power of music and story to reshape Holocaust education and transform young lives by contributing to their development as empathetic, knowledgeable, and resilient individuals.

Produced by IWitness, a free educational website developed by the USC Shoah Foundation, The Willesden Project expands the reach of Lisa Jura’s story of survival, resilience, and triumph as she struggles to come of age separated from her family during World War II. The stories were originally shared by her daughter, author and concert pianist Mona Golabek, in The Children of Willesden Lane books and musical performances.

Pedagogical and historical resources to support middle school educators are provided with classroom materials and educator resources centered around themes of music and resilience, migrations and refugees, and generational legacy. Instructional and historical resources are also provided to support teaching, including teacher guides, instructional support, and contextualizing videos and resources. In addition, video testimonies from Mona Golabek and Edith Maniker are included.

Discovery Education resources are also provided, including family and classroom activities for middle school education authored in partnership with The Willesden Project and Discovery Education.

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

Black-and-white photograph of Jewish men, women, and children wearing coats and carrying bags, standing in a line beside a train at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, many with Star of David badges visible on their clothing.

Lesson

Introduction to the Holocaust

Introduce older students to the Holocaust with a two-day lesson on antisemitism, key historical events, and survivor testimony.

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

Map of Europe highlighting Germany and Poland in red with an arrow pointing from Germany to Poland.

Video

Educator Guide

World War II and the Holocaust

Learn about World War II and the Holocaust – what factors led up to it, the horrific events that took place, and what we can do to make sure something like this never happens again.

Grades:

6 - 12