“I was a junior when I first heard about Facing History and Ourselves. I didn't think much of it except that it was just another history class…”
My Facing History Journey
Connecting Students to the History of the Holocaust
Holocaust and Human Behavior is a program for middle and high school that engages students and teachers in a study of the Holocaust through the lens of human behavior. Students make the essential connection between history and themselves.
Used in conjunction with the unique Facing History instructional model, students will
- Understand how the legacy of the Holocaust connects to their lives today;
- Think about their role and responsibility in a democracy;
- Explore the individual and collective choices that led to the Holocaust.
Media + Teaching Toolbox
Popular Resources
for History or Social Studies
- Visual Essay: The Impact of Propaganda
- Reading: Moral Luck and Dilemmas of Judgment
- Lesson: Choices in Weimar Elections
- Video: Monsters and Men
- Video: Kristallnacht: The 1938 Pogrom
for ELA
- Video: Step By Step: Phases of the Holocaust
- Lesson: Examining Hitler's First Radio Address
- Lesson: Universe of Obligation
- Reading: A Basic Feeling of Human Dignity
- Reading: What Difference Can a Word Make
Webinars
Our webinars are free and last from 60 - 90 minutes, providing a great way to try us out and get introduced to a theme, practice, or tool.
SEE UPCOMING WEBINARS
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Our Impact
Holocaust and Human Behavior in Action in Memphis, TN
Students in Memphis experience moments of reflection in a Facing History elective course.
“When you see what a student looks like after… it’s just amazing”
Facing History's Holocaust and Human Behavior helps students think critically about history and make informed choices.
“It was one of the first moments that I really loved school.”
Facing History alumnus Matt Damon recalls his experience in a Holocaust and Human Behavior class in middle school.
Professional Development
99% of teachers who attend Facing History professional development would recommend it to their colleagues.
Connect the legacy of the Holocaust to students’ lives today.
Facing History’s enriching in-person and online professional development prompts educators to wrestle with the challenging history of the Holocaust while learning ways to foster respectful discussions with students. The workshops and seminars model instructional strategies and peer collaboration. Teachers become inspired and energized to bring these new ideas into their classroom.
Who should attend:
6th-12th grade teachers of ELA, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History, or Humanities
With Holocaust and Human Behavior professional development, educators will:
- Learn current scholarship on the history of the Holocaust and new research focused on human behavior, bias, and civic participation.
- Receive one-on-one follow-up support from a Facing History expert to help integrate Holocaust and Human Behavior into the classroom.
- Experience moving testimony from a Holocaust survivor.
- Discover new teaching strategies that help students interrogate text, think critically, and discuss controversial issues respectfully.