If you have just begun to plan and do research, the teaching of the history of the Holocaust in middle school or high school, is a daunting and difficult task. Given the difficulty of this task, and the short amount of time available, how should one approach it? Where should one start?

The Museum’s mandate is not to tell you exactly how to teach this difficult history, but to support you in this endeavor, providing resources and guidance as well as help in finding additional resources in your area. We can get you started, and then you tailor your approach and learning to your particular school and classroom needs.

It is a good idea to start by considering why you are teaching about the Holocaust. Having a solid rationale will inform many of your choices of content, materials, and depth.

Additionally, we recommend that you view the on-line workshop and think about our suggested Guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust. These raise questions for you about content and methodological choice in the classroom.

Two excellent texts to start with are Bachrach and Berenbaum. The Holocaust Encyclopedia has numerous articles on our entire suggested Essential Topics to Teach.

Students often have questions about this important and complicated topic. Here is a list of common questions that frequently arise in class. Each either has a lesson or links to the Holocaust Encyclopedia for helpful information.