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Teaching the Holocaust and other Genocides

Three-Period Pacing Guide

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Day 1: The Rise of Nazi Germany and Early Persecution

Guiding Questions:

  • What conditions in post-WWI Germany led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party?
  • How did the Nazis consolidate power and use indoctrination to control German society?
  • How did the Nazis begin to target Jews and other groups?

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the social and economic instability in Germany after WWI
  • Identify early antisemitic policies and propaganda methods
  • Evaluate how totalitarian governments control society

     

Activities:

Day 2: The Implementation of the Holocaust –
Ghettos, Camps, and the “Final Solution”

Guiding Questions:

  • How was the Holocaust implemented across Europe?
  • What did Jews and other victims experience under Nazi rule?


     

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the “Holocaust by Bullets”
  • Describe the role of ghettos and concentration camps in Nazi plans
  • Explain the purpose of the “Final Solution”
  • Interpret survivor accounts to understand lived experiences

Activities:
  • Introductory Map Activity
    • Students locate ghettos and major concentration/extermination camps using interactive maps
    • Mini-Lecture: Holocaust in different occupied countries: Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark
  • Primary Source Analysis
    • Survivor testimonies (written or video excerpts)
    • Nazi official documents from the Wannsee Conference (simplified excerpts)
  • Gallery Walk or Stations
  • Discussion Prompt
    • What challenges did people face in resisting, and why did so many not have the chance to?
  • Student Reflection
    • Students write a short response from the perspective of a victim or witness
  • Exit Ticket
    • What means of dehumanization did the Nazis use?

Day 3: Reactions, Resistance, and the End of the Holocaust

Guiding Questions:

  • How did people resist the Nazis during the Holocaust?
  • What did the international community know, and how did they respond?
  • What were the immediate consequences of the Holocaust?

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify examples of Jewish and non-Jewish resistance
  • Examine the response of world powers and neutral nations
  • Understand the aftermath of liberation and the Nuremberg Trials

Activities:
  • Primary Source Analysis
  • Mini-Lecture/Reading
  • Student Reflection
    • What does resistance look like under extreme oppression?
  • Timeline Activity
    • Create a timeline showing moments of persecution, resistance, and liberation
  • Assessment Option
    • Short essay or presentation: How did ordinary people shape the events of the Holocaust — as perpetrators, bystanders, victims, or resistors?
  • Exit Ticket
    • Do you believe individuals have a moral responsibility to speak up against genocide? Explain your reasoning.