Consider the Source New York

Teaching with Historical Records

Teaching the Holocaust and other Genocides

Created in collaboration with the Holocaust & Human Rights Center, the NYS Education Department, and the NYS Archives Partnership Trust.

Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides

Welcome to Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides, created in collaboration with the Holocaust & Human Rights Center, the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

In the resource guide, you will find learning activities, readings, and case studies. Learning activities give suggestions on how to use some of these materials in the classroom. Readings provide an indepth look at specific content and include discussion questions. Cases Studies take a deeper dive into an individual or group experience during a specific historical period or event.

Why teach the Holocaust and Other Genocides?

This resource supports §801 of NYS Education Law that requires school districts to teach about the Holocaust. The law supports instruction in this area as noted below:
"In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and obligation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intellectual qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obligations of citizenship …, the regents of The University of the State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, to be maintained and followed in all the schools of the state. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, over the age of eight years, shall attend upon such instruction."

Getting Started

About this
Resource Guide Connections to the
NYS Social Studies Framework
& Learning Standards

Guidelines for Teaching about the Holocaust from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Alignment with the CR-S Education Framework

A Brief Overview of the Holocaust for Educators Teaching Considerations to Support Students

Click the modules below to view resources by topic.

Activities and Readings on Human Rights

Overview of
Human Behavior

Activities and Readings on Literature and Art

Holocaust
Literature and Art

Activities and Readings on the Holocaust

Holocaust Resources
by Time Period

Activities and Readings on the United States and the Holocaust

United States
and the Holocaust

Activities and Readings on Responses to the Holocaust

Responses to the Holocaust:
Rescue and Resistance

Case Studies on Other Genocides

Other
Genocides

Acknowlegements