This curriculum guide was developed by a group of master teachers who have studied and taught the Holocaust in the context of history and the language arts. The New York State Core Curriculum and Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Social Studies have guided our selection of activities, historical documents and assessment tools. All materials and activities have been field-tested; they are challenging, age-appropriate and well suited to the needs of a diverse student population.

The HHREC gratefully acknowledges the funders who supported our curriculum project: Office of State Senator Vincent Leibell/New York State Department of Education and Fuji Photo Film USA.

Introductory Packet for Teachers
(85 page pdf)
The Introductory Packet for Teachers was created to provide easy access to background information, pertinent vocabulary, and a chronological context to help teach the Holocaust.

Lesson 1: Introduction
(15 page pdf)
The Introduction asks students to look at their own values and to examine the four key roles that defined human behavior during the Holocaust.

Lesson 2: Before 1933
Stereotyping and Prejudice (23 page pdf)
The activities in the Before 1933 Stereotyping and Prejudice lesson help students to understand that anti-Semitism did not begin with Hitler but rather has a long history. Students will also understand the political, economic, and social conditions in Germany after World War I that contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.

Lesson 3: 1933–1939
Indoctrination and Discrimination (32 page pdf)
In the 1933–1939 Indoctrination and Discrimination lesson, students are introduced to the policies of state-sponsored indoctrination and discrimination in order to understand how these developed as steps toward genocide. They observe how the countries of the world reacted to these policies and how life for Jews in Germany became increasingly difficult.

Lesson 4: 1939–1942
Persecution and Segregation (39 page pdf)
In the lesson 1939–1942 Persecution and Segregation, students learn how Nazi racial policies led to discrimination against other groups in addition to the Jews. They also understand how the expansion of Germany led to new policies aimed at the Jews.

Lesson 5: 1942–1945
Genocide (29 page pdf)
In the lesson 1942–1945 Genocide, students trace the steps taken by the Nazis to carry out the “Final Solution.”

Lesson 6: Response to the Holocaust
Resistance and Rescue (50 page pdf)
In the lesson on Responses to the Holocaust—Resistance and Rescue, students learn what forms resistance took and where it was put into practice. They also learn that although many individuals and nations remained bystanders, there were those who became rescuers.

Lesson 7: Aftermath
(30 page pdf)
The activities in the Aftermath show what happened to the perpetrators after the war and how the survivors made a new life for themselves.