Collection
Spanish Translations from Holocaust and Human Behavior
Get Spanish-language versions of popular readings from Holocaust and Human Behavior.
At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- History
- Social Studies
Grade
6–12- The Holocaust
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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Jewish History and Memory: Why Study the Past?
Students prepare for their study of the Holocaust by reflecting on the ways in which memory is an integral part of Jewish identity.
The Holocaust - Bearing Witness (UK)
Students are introduced to the enormity of the crimes committed during the Holocaust and look closely at stories of a few individuals who were targeted by Nazi brutality.
The Holocaust - The Range of Responses (UK)
Students deepen their examination of human behaviour during the Holocaust by analysing and discussing the range of choices available to individuals, groups, and nations.
How Should We Remember? (UK)
Students both respond to and design Holocaust memorials as they consider the impact that memorials and monuments have on the way we think about history.
Justice and Judgement after the Holocaust (UK)
Students grapple with the meaning of justice and the purpose of trials as they learn how the Allies responded to the atrocities of Nazi Germany.
Jewish Identity and the Complexities of Dual or Multiple Belongings
Students continue to explore the question “Who am I?” by examining the concept of dual or multiple identities and reflecting on their own identities as Jews.
The Roots and Impact of Antisemitism (UK)
Students explore the long history of discrimination against Jews and come to understand how anti-Judaism was transformed into antisemitism in the nineteenth century.
Jewish Life before the Holocaust
Students learn about pre-war Jewish life and compare it with today’s diaspora in order to reflect on how modernity can impact tradition.
Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust
Students define the term resistance and then learn about the different ways that Jews resisted the Nazis during the Holocaust.
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.
Survivors and Witnesses: Video Testimony
This collection features powerful accounts of the Holocaust, told by survivors, rescuers, and witnesses, selected from USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive.
Unlimited Access to Learning. More Added Every Month.
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
On-Demand
Virtual
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
On-Demand
Virtual
Issues of equity and education have long existed in our country and continue to manifest today. How can writing and the power of one's voice help us respond to these disparities? Listen to writer and educator, Dr. Clint Smith, where we hear his poetry and reflections on working for justice, equity, and civic agency in our schools.
Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency
On-Demand
Virtual
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.
Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.
—
Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY
