History often repeats itself, and this can be seen in today's protests against one group of people on college campuses. Books, such as Night and Daniel's Story, which are highlighted at the Washington, D.C. Holocaust Museum, encouraged my seventh grade students to explore their inner selves and to think about history and its relationship to current events.
Teaching a unit on the Holocaust prompted critical thinking debates and discussions on compassion, empathy, history, and humanity.
Portion of glass wall of cities eliminated
Eternal Flame
Mock City and Camp Setups
Never Forget
Concentration Camp Railway Car
Looking for some hands on projects to teach a Holocaust or other historical unit? Try these active learning history activities:
ABC Holocaust Banner
Directions: Before beginning the Holocaust unit, bring in as many books and other resources as possible for students to browse through. Ask students to make a list of the alphabet. Find one word that begins with each letter of the alphabet that stands for or is related to the Holocaust. Decorate with symbols that portray the Holocaust.
Holocaust Poetry:
Directions: Have each student choose one chapter from the reading(s). Then, base the poetry topic on grade level concepts (subject, symbolism, theme, topic, etc...) from the text to write about. Be sure to introduce poetry structures beforehand.
Holocaust Wall
(Our version of the Holocaust Wall from the Washington, D.C. museum)
Directions: Using blank white ceramic tiles (free from local hardware stores) or white paper squares (similar to below), have each student decorate the tile/paper with a symbol and caption that represents their interpretations of the Holocaust. This was a final project to end the unit. It was large and powerful when put together and placed in the school's hallway.
Looking to teach ELA and history in a unique way? Use Educator Helper's historical coloring comic books with fun, interactive writing activities:
Go to AUL or TpT to access ALL historical comic books!
Write your own historical comic!
Holocaust Museum extensions are located in many cities across the U.S. Some, like the one in Houston, offer many free educational resources, such as traveling trunks that contain class sets of historical items to teach students about the Holocaust. Reach out to your local Holocaust Museum for additional free resources.
Finally, plan a visit to one of the nation's most moving and powerful museums that highlights a slice of history--Washington, D.C.'s Holocaust Museum. Free tickets can be obtained by contacting your state senator's office.
Enjoy teaching and learning about history in unique ways!
Beth, Educator Helper
