Mini Course: Teaching Holocaust and Human Behaviour (UK)

The urgency of sustaining democratic societies that are pluralistic, open, and resilient to violence is more pressing than ever.  Studying the Holocaust allows students to wrestle with profound moral questions raised by this history while fostering their skills in ethical and moral reasoning, critical analysis, empathy, and civic engagement - all of which are critical to sustaining democracy and upholding democratic values.

In this facilitated online mini course featuring Teaching Holocaust and Human Behaviour, you will: 

1. Learn current scholarship on the history of the Holocaust and new research focused on human behaviour, group dynamics, and bias. 
2. Increase your ability to facilitate respectful classroom discussions on difficult issues such as racism, antisemitism, and other forms of exclusion in a way that invites personal reflection and critical analysis. 
3. Learn teaching strategies, resources and lesson ideas to foster understanding for the complexity and diversity of identities, empathy and equity. 
4. Learn a new way of structuring curriculum to help students connect history to their own lives and the choices they make. 
5. Engage with classroom-ready multimedia resources that enable you to bring scholarship on the history of antisemitism, the Holocaust and human behaviour to Key Stage 3 and 4 students 
6. Discover new teaching strategies that help students interrogate texts, write and think critically, as well as discussing controversial issues respectfully. 
7. Engage with survivor testimony and use sensitive and thought-provoking teaching strategies to bring this history into the classroom. 

Independent evaluation has shown that implementing Facing History’s approach improves students’ critical thinking skills, increases students’ ability and confidence to participate in community action, and increases students’ tolerance for others who hold contrary views from their own.

Who should take this mini-course? 

• This course is open to secondary school History, RS, English, PSHE and Citizenship teachers looking to increase their personal understanding of the Holocaust and for new ways to engage students in important conversations about this history and its relevance today. 
• This course is intended for teachers who are interested in learning a transformative approach to teaching about the history of the Holocaust and other challenging periods of history.  

Duration

The mini-course will run for 3 weeks and contains 3 modules. A new module will be introduced each week. Each one includes online self-guided work (approximately 60 minutes), optional resources to deepen your learning, and weekly live online learning classes in Zoom (60 minutes).

Time Commitment

Approximately 2 hours each week for 3 weeks. 

Cost

The mini-course is being provided free of charge thanks to a grant from The Association of Jewish Refugees. 

Format

Each week’s module will follow a similar structure: 

1. Approximately minutes of online self-guided work to complete in preparation for each week’s synchronous discussions. 
2. A 60 minute facilitated live online learning class with activities.
3. Optional extension activities to be completed anytime during the week. 

The 60 minute live learning sessions will not be recorded and will take place on Zoom on the following dates:  

Live Online Learning Sessions

Call #1: 7 March 2023,  4 - 5pm GMT

Call #2: 14 March 2023, 4 - 5pm GMT

Call #3: 21 March 2023,  4 - 5pm GMT

Post-Course Evaluation

Starks Consulting Ltd will evaluate feedback on the training and resources provided by means of a short survey and follow up phone call.