Overview
About This Lesson
The purpose of this first lesson is to help the class develop an environment that is conducive to learning and sharing: a reflective classroom community.
Throughout this unit, students will be talking about sensitive topics, such as prejudice and discrimination, and how those concepts have impacted historical events and students’ own lives. When students feel empowered to contribute honestly and wrestle with multiple perspectives besides their own, such discussions can be positive and even life-changing.
Prior to exploring the historical case study of this unit, the collapse of democracy in Germany and the steps leading up to the Holocaust, it is important that students and teachers spend some time establishing and nurturing classroom rules and expectations of respect and open-mindedness. These ‘habits of behaviour’ will equip students with the skills to engage with each other in important and sometimes uncomfortable conversations.
In this lesson, you will review the classroom rules you may have already established, as well as create new norms and expectations generated by the students themselves. While we urge you to consider the language and expectations that are most appropriate for your classroom context, the lesson and PowerPoint provide examples of the kinds of classroom norms Facing History & Ourselves teachers have used to support a reflective classroom community.
Preparing to Teach
A Note to Teachers
Before you teach this lesson, please review the following guidance to tailor this lesson to your students’ contexts and needs.
Lesson Plan
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