For Teachers

This online workshop includes video segments from a workshop presented in February 2001 in Baltimore, Maryland. The guidelines and methodological suggestions in these video segments are at the core of every teacher workshop and conference presented by the Museum. They are offered here for teachers who are unable to attend a professional development program presented by the Museum. In addition to video of the actual workshop session, segments include historical and artifact photographs, text, and links to related sites within the Museum’s Web site.

Download the agenda in pdf format (18 pages)
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More lessons, resources, and opportunities for teachers


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Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
"My name is Warren Marcus. As a member of the Education Division, I have presented workshops at the Museum in Washington D.C. and around the United States."

Before you start teaching
1.  "You have difficult decisions to make. So you have to go back to a clear, well-formed rationale ..."

2.  "You have to talk about magnitude, but ... you have to talk about the individual nature of the event."


Guidelines for Teaching
1.  Define the term 'Holocaust.'

2.  Contextualize the history you are teaching.

3.  Translate statistics into people.

4.  Strive for precision of language.

5.  Avoid simple answers to complex history.

6.  Just because it happened does not mean it was inevitable.

7.  Try to avoid stereotypical descriptions.

8.  Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust.

9.  Make careful distinctions about sources of information.

10.  Do not romanticize history to engage students' interest.

11.  Be sensitive to appropriate written and audiovisual content.

12.  Select appropriate learning activities.

13.  Reinforce the objectives of your lesson plan.

14.  Avoid comparisons of pain.

Topics to Teach
The Museum has identified topic areas for you to consider while planning a course of study on the Holocaust.

Personal Testimony
Nesse Godin, a survivor of the Siauliai ghetto in Lithuania, the Stuffhof concentration camp, four labor camps, and a death march, shares her memories.

Guest Lecture
Dr. William Meinecke Jr. discusses the topic "Nazi Ideology and Victims of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution."

Sample Lessons
These lessons were chosen to address questions that frequently arise with students during the study of the Holocaust.

Conclusion
"... Learning how to teach about the Holocaust is an ongoing process ..."

Please return! More video discussion, materials supporting the guidelines, and additional lessons will be added to this workshop.


 
Historical images and animated maps seen in this workshop


The following links provide further information that may assist you in teaching about the Holocaust.
 
Holocaust Encyclopedia
 
Personal Histories
 
Student Learning Site
 
Online Exhibitions
 
Lessons, Activities, and Teacher Guides

Online Workshop
Teaching about the Holocaust