Collection
Spanish Translations from Holocaust and Human Behavior
Get Spanish-language versions of popular readings from Holocaust and Human Behavior.
Inside this Collection
Letter to Students
Read aloud this letter with your class before you embark on the unit Teaching Holocaust and Human Behavior.
Finding Confidence
A young woman describes her journey overcoming an inner bully and fear of being different.
Finding One's Voice
Julius Lester describes finding his identity in an unexpected place as an African American teenager living in the segregated South.
![Artist Glenn Ligon created Untitled: Four Etchings [B] using a quotation from writer Zora Neale Hurston’s essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.”](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_622x400_2x/public/2022-07/D15968_Medium_res.webp?h=c15025bd&itok=oMMTHJR5)
Gender and Identity
Read the personal reflections of a mother whose young son has challenged her assumptions and expectations about gender identity.
Words Matter
Reflect on the power of the words that we attach to people through an Anishinaabe woman’s memory of being called an “Indian” while growing up in Canada (Spanish available).
The Danger of a Single Story
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie challenges us to consider the power of stories to influence identity, shape stereotypes, and build paths to empathy.
Universe of Obligation
Reflect on how individuals, communities, and nations decide who has rights that are worthy of respect and protection with this introduction to the concept of the "universe of obligation."
“We Don’t Control America” and Other Myths, Part 1
A young Jewish woman shares a time when she encountered someone with a false stereotype about Jews.
“We Don’t Control America” and Other Myths, Part 2
A young Jewish person reflects on the impact of antisemitic myths on attitudes today.
“We Don’t Control America” and Other Myths, Part 3
Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug reflects on why she gets asked the question “You’re Jewish?” (Spanish available).
Negotiating Peace
Learn about the concessions that the Treaty of Versailles required from Germany after its defeat in World War I.
Hitler in Power
Consider the motivations and expectations of Paul von Hindenburg when he appointed Hitler to chancellor of Germany.
National Socialist German Workers’ Party Platform
Explore the provisions Hitler proposed at the National Socialist German Workers' Party’s first large party gathering 1920.
"Restoring" Germany's Civil Service
Read a letter exchange between Adolf Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg regarding a law that suspended Jews from positions of civil service in Nazi Germany.
Isolating Homosexuals
Find out how Hitler strengthened enforcement of Paragraph 175, a law that made homosexuality a crime in Germany.
Shaping Public Opinion
Read about the far-reaching efforts of Joseph Goebbels and the Ministry of Propaganda to generate enthusiasm for the Nazi party.
Targeting Jews
Learn about the Nazis' boycott of Jewish-owned businesses, including a firsthand account from a German Jew.
Where They Burn Books...
Consider the significance of the public burning of books in Nazi Germany in 1933.
Do You Take the Oath?
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Reflect on the choices and actions of two Germans who had to decide whether or not to pledge an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
Pledging Allegiance
Compare the text of Germany's original military oath with Hitler’s new oath, and consider the implications of the oath's promise of allegiance to a single leader.
Refusing to Pledge Allegiance
Read about two men's refusals to pledge their allegiance to the Nazis and the consequences they faced.
Discovering Jewish Blood
Find out how one family's lives changed when Hitler passed the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany.
A Family Responds to Kristallnacht
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Learn about a family who assisted their Jewish neighbors after Kristallnacht, and the consequences they faced for this decision to help.
A Visitor’s Perspective on Kristallnacht
Consider a Swiss merchant’s account of how his German colleagues responded to the events of Kristallnacht.
Opportunism during Kristallnacht
Examine firsthand reports of the theft committed against Jews during the chaos and violence of Kristallnacht.
The Night of the Pogrom
Learn what incited Kristallnacht and get insight into the experiences of Jews in Germany on the night of horrendous violence in November 1938.
Thoroughly Reprehensible Behavior
Read a report from the disciplinary hearing of a German college student who chose to help his Jewish neighbors after Kristallnacht.
World Responses to Kristallnacht
Consider how leaders like FDR, clergy members, and ordinary people around the world responded to the news of Kristallnacht.
Colonizing Poland
Learn about the Nazis’ plan to rearrange the population of Poland, which resulted in the displacement of more than a million ethnic Poles and Jews.
“Cultural Missionaries”
Consider what German citizens thought of Hitler's plan to colonize Poland through these reflections from a member of the League of German Girls and two German soldiers.
A Basic Feeling of Human Dignity
Diary entries from a Jewish woman imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen shed light on how prisoners in camps and ghettos were deprived of dignity.
Take This Giant Leap
Begin your study of the Holocaust with a poem by Holocaust survivor Sonia Weitz.
A Commandant’s View
Get insight into how a commander at a Nazi death camp viewed his victims and coped with his actions.
Bystanders at Hartheim Castle
Consider why the residents of Hartheim kept silent about the evidence of mass murder they witnessed in their town throughout World War II.
Deciding to Act
Marion Prichard reflects on rescue, heroism, and the choices she and others in German-occupied Amsterdam made during the Holocaust.
Denmark: A Nation Takes Action
Learn about the people of Denmark’s collective effort to hide and rescue Jews from deportation during the Holocaust.
Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in Southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution (Spanish available).
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Watching Who Will Write Our History
Students view the film, analyze a primary source from the Oyneg Shabes archive, and consider why it matters who tells the stories of the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto.
For Educators in Jewish Settings: Teaching Holocaust and Human Behavior
Developed specifically for educators in Jewish settings, these lessons lead middle and high school students through an examination of the Holocaust from a historical perspective and consider what this particular history has to do with what it means to be Jewish.
Introducing Evidence Logs
In step 2 of the unit assessment, students start to gather evidence from historical sources that supports or challenges their initial thinking about the writing prompt.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 1 of 3
In step 3 of the unit assessment, students address the writing prompt in a journal reflection and start to evaluate the quality and relevance of the evidence they are gathering.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 2 of 3
In step 4 of the unit assessment, students review the documents and videos from Lessons 14-18 and consider which information supports, expands, or challenges their thinking about the writing prompt.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 3 of 3
In step 5 of the unit assessment, students reflect on the writing prompt in its entirety, add evidence from Lessons 19-21 to evidence logs, and engage in mini-debates about the writing topic.
Refining the Thesis and Finalizing Evidence Logs
In the final step of the unit assessment, students will think about unit as a whole as they answer the writing prompt and start to prepare to write a strong thesis statement for their essay.
Teaching Holocaust and Human Behaviour (UK)
Lead your students through a detailed and challenging study of the Holocaust that asks what this history can teach us about the power and impact of choices.
Jewish Theological Dilemmas After the Holocaust
Students enter the conversation about the concept of “theodicy" through activities that allow them to explore the themes of faith and doubt after the Holocaust.
The Weimar Republic
Students reflect on the idea of democracy as they analyze the politics, economics, and culture of Germany during the period of the Weimar Republic.
Youth and the National Community
Students learn about the experiences of people in Nazi Germany through a variety of firsthand accounts and identify the range of choices that they faced.
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Facing History & Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, so we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.
Exploring ELA Text Selection with Julia Torres
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Listen to #DisruptTexts founder Julia Torres about taking a critical lens to text selection in ELA classrooms.
Working for Justice, Equity and Civic Agency in Our Schools: A Conversation with Clint Smith
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Listen to writer and educator Dr. Clint Smith as he shares his poetry and reflections on working for justice, equity, and civic agency in our schools.
Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency
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Explore approaches to centering student voice, building authentic relationships and cultivating community with Molly Josephs, the creator of This Teenage Life, a youth-driven, story-sharing podcast that started as a school club.
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