Collection
Recommended Resources for Holocaust and Human Behavior
Find videos, lessons, and additional resources that build on the themes explored in Holocaust and Human Behavior.
At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- History
Grade
6–12- The Holocaust
Overview
About This Collection
This collection is designed to support your exploration of Holocaust and Human Behavior. It features over 100 classroom-ready resources, including video documentaries and eyewitness testimony. Use these resources to connect your study of the Holocaust to related histories and ideas.
Inside This Collection
The Complexity of Identity
Students explore the relationship between the individual and society by creating identity charts for a contemporary novelist, a children's book character, and themselves.
A Class Divided
Third-grade teacher, Jane Elliott meets with her former class to discuss the experiment on discrimination she conducted 15 years earlier and the effects it had on their lives. She also gives the lesson to employees of the Iowa prison system.
How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do
Claude Steele describes the idea and effects of stereotype threat in our daily lives.
Jonathan Lykes Performs "Perception"
Facing History student Jonathan Lykes presented his poem "Perception" at a Facing History benefit dinner. The poem, which won a regional poetry contest, is about how prejudice influences our decisions about helping others.
How Social Environments Shape Behavior
Kwame Anthony Appiah reflects on factors that affect our individual moral decision making.
Day of Learning 2013 - Binna Kandola: Diffusing Bias
Binna Kandola delivers a talk as part of the Day of Learning “Reimagining Self and Other.”
Little Things Are Big: Jesús Colón
Writer Jesús Colón reflects on an incident on a subway ride in New York City.
Understanding Universe of Obligation
Students are introduced to the concept of "universe of obligation" and prompted to illustrate circle of individuals who they feel a responsibility to care for and protect.
Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement
Use this resource on the Eugenics movement of the early 1900s to deepen students' understanding of the history of racism in the United States.
Creating "We and They": Kwame Anthony Appiah
Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses how and why humans create a “we and they” distinction.
Race: The Power of an Illusion (The Story We Tell)
The second episode in the three-part series Race: The Power of an Illusion questions the belief that race has always been with us.
Genetics, Eugenics, and Ethics
Scholar David Jones describes the history of the eugenics movement in the United States.
The Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism
Scholars trace anti-Jewish myths, hatred, and violence back to the time of the Roman Empire in this historical overview of anti-Judaism’s roots.
When Does "Us" Turn against "Them”?: Kwame Anthony Appiah
Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses why people categorize the world to make meaning of it.
Analyzing the Effects of World War I
Students use maps of the world before and after World War I to make inferences and predictions about the ways the war changed the world.
Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians
This resource examines the choices that individuals, groups, and nations made before, during, and after the Armenian Genocide.
Combat and the Colonies: the Role of Race in World War I
Journalist, lecturer, and author Adam Hochschild discusses the role African and Asian troops from European colonies played in World War I.
Propaganda during World War I: An Appeal to You!
Journalist, lecturer, and author Adam Hochschild discusses the use of propaganda during World War I.
Introducing the Armenian Genocide
Scholar Richard G. Hovannisian gives an overview of the Armenian Genocide.
The Weimar Republic: The Fragility of Democracy
Explore the efforts to build a democracy in Germany in the 1920s, and examine the misunderstandings, myths, and fears that often undercut those efforts.
Choices in Weimar Republic Elections
Students read fictional biographies of German citizens and make hypotheses about the citizens' voting choices in the Weimar elections.
Facing History Scholar Reflections: The Weimar Republic
Professor Paul Bookbinder describes the “noble experiment” of democracy in the Weimar Republic.
Examining Hitler's First Radio Address
Students investigate the messages in Adolf Hitler's speeches by performing a close read of the transcript of his first radio address as chancellor.
Facing History Scholar Reflections: The Nazi Rise to Power
In this video, Dr. Paul Bookbinder describes how the Nazis assumed power in 1930s Germany.
From Democracy to Dictatorship
Alfred Wolf, a Holocaust survivor from Eberbach, Germany, recalls the changes he noticed in Germany after the election of Adolf Hitler.
Hitler's Rise to Power: 1933-1934
Scholars Timothy Ryback, Wendy Lower, Jonathan Petropoulos, Michael Berenbaum, and Peter Hayes discuss Adolf Hitler’s final steps in securing total power in Germany.
Hitler's First Victims
Author Timothy Ryback explains how, in 1933, four Jewish political prisoners at Dachau concentration camp became some of the first victims of Hitler and the Nazis.
Friendship and Betrayal
Ellen Kerry Davis, a Jewish woman originally from Hoof, Germany, describes how her family’s friendships were impacted by Nazi rule.
The Confessing Church: Early German Protestant Responses to National Socialism - Victoria Barnett
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German Protestant churches during the rise of the Nazis.
Awakening Conscience: The Pastor Martin Niemoller Story - Victoria Barnett
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German pastor and Nazi opponent Martin Niemoeller.
Acting on Faith: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Protest Against National Socialism - Victoria Barnett
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who took a stand against the Nazis.
Analyzing Nazi Propaganda
Students define propaganda and practice an image-analysis activity on a piece of propaganda from Nazi Germany.
Art as Propaganda: The Nazi Degenerate Art Exhibit
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the importance of the German 1937 Degenerate Art exhibit.
Complicity and Cultural Figures in the Third Reich: Navigating the Grey Zone
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the choices four German artists made under Nazi rule.
Triumph of the Will (Triumph des Willens)
Triumph of the Will is a Nazi propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl.
Understanding Kristallnacht
Students analyze a variety of firsthand accounts of Kristallnacht in order to piece together a story of what happened on that night.
"Kristallnacht": The November 1938 Pogroms
Scholars discuss the events of Kristallnacht, a series of violent attacks against Jews in Germany, Austria, and part of Czechoslovakia in November, 1938.
Facing History Scholar Reflections: Kristallnacht
Dr. Paul Bookbinder describes Kristallnacht and explains what it meant for German Jews.
Preparing for the Kindertransport
Vera Gissing, a Holocaust survivor from Czechoslovakia, recalls how her family prepared her for the Kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish refugee children to Great Britain.
Witnessing Antisemitic Violence
Edith Reiss, from Bolton, England, describes witnessing antisemitic violence on the streets of Göttingen, Germany, when she was a visitor there in 1939.
Turned Away on the M.S. St. Louis
Holocaust survivor Sol Messinger describes his experiences attempting to emigrate from Germany to Cuba in 1939 aboard the ship the M.S. St. Louis.
Confronting the Suffering Caused by the Nazis
Students use journaling and group discussion to respond to emotionally-challenging diary entries of a Jewish teenager confined in a Nazi ghetto.
We Call Ourselves "Roma"
Scholar Margareta Matache explains significant moments in the history of the Roma people.
Tackling Discrimination against Roma in Schools
Scholar Margareta Matache discusses the discrimination Roma people face in schools and classrooms.
Bishop von Galen and the War against the Disabled
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses Bishop von Galen and his opposition to the Nazi T4 euthanasia program.
Hitler's Ideology: Race, Land, and Conquest
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses the ideologies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Introduction to the Jewish Partisans
Former Jewish partisans discuss the goals, challenges, and personal motives of the Jews who resisted the Germans.
Questions of Complicity: France and the Nazi Occupation
Scholar Aliza Luft discusses the changes that took place in France when the Nazis invaded in 1940.
The Nazis in Vilna
In his testimony for USC Shoah Foundation, Holocaust survivor Jack Arnel describes what he saw as a 12-year-old when the Nazis occupied Vilna, Lithuania in 1941.
Responding to the Stories of Holocaust Survivors
Students create a "found poem" drawing on words from the testimony of a survivor of the Holocaust.
Step By Step: Phases of the Holocaust
Scholar Doris Bergen describes the phases of events that led to the Holocaust.
Facing History Scholar Reflections: The Holocaust
In this video, Dr. Paul Bookbinder gives a short overview of the Holocaust.
Surviving a Massacre
In this graphic testimony, Holocaust survivor Zvi Michaeli describes realizing that he survived after the Jewish community of Eishyshok, Lithuania was murdered by the Nazis.
Designing Destruction: The Holocaust in the German-Occupied Former Soviet Territory
Joshua Rubenstein, associate at Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, describes the gradual evolution of Hitler's master plan for the "Jews of Europe" and how this unfolded within German-occupied Soviet territory.
Choosing Cruelty: The Psychology of Perpetrators
Social psychologist James Edward Waller describes the importance of studying perpetrator behavior.
The Psychology of Genocidal Behavior
Psychologist James Edward Waller brings a psychological lens to understanding why people commit genocidal acts.
Obedience: The Milgram Experiment
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This documentary describes the social science experiment known as The Milgram Experiment.
War of Annihilation: Targeting the Jews of Europe
Scholars Peter Hayes, Deborah Dwork, Wendy Lower, Joshua Rubenstein, Michael Berenbaum, and Jonathan Petropoulos describe the steps that Nazi Germany took in deciding to murder the Jews of Europe.
Dehumanizing the Enemy
Scholar James Edward Waller discusses how perpetrators of atrocities dehumanize their victims.
Finding Safety in Italy
Holocaust survivor Esther Bem describes the people in Northern Italy who protected her and her family during World War II.
Joining the Resistance
Holocaust survivor Vera Laska describes her teenage experience as part of the resistance against the Nazis in Czechoslovakia.
Introduction to the Jewish Partisans
Former Jewish partisans discuss the goals, challenges, and personal motives of the Jews who resisted the Germans.
Life or Death in the Netherlands
Marion Pritchard, a member of the Dutch resistance who hid a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Holland, describes what happened when a Dutch Nazi policeman investigated her house.
Weapons of the Spirit
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This film tells the story of the people of Le Chambon, who saved 5,000 Jews during WWII.
Warning the World
Jan Karski, a diplomat and member of the Polish resistance during World War II, describes his experience in the Warsaw Ghetto and his meeting with U.S. President Roosevelt.
Eyewitness to Buchenwald
Leon Bass, an African-American soldier, describes his experiences entering the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945.
Exploring Justice after the Holocaust
Students contemplate the challenges the Allies faced when seeking justice after the Holocaust through an interactive, discussion-based activity.
The Nanjing Atrocities: Crimes of War
This resource details the events that unfolded in China and Japan in the years leading up to World War II and the war crimes known today as the Nanjing Atrocities.
Nuremberg Remembered
This film explores the Nuremberg Trials using both archival footage and recent interviews.
Nuremberg and Tokyo: Foundations of International Law
Scholar Beth Van Schaack discusses the origins of the international justice system.
Monsters and Men: The Nazis at Nuremberg
Social psychologist James Edward Waller uses the stories of the Nazis at Nuremburg to discuss human capacity for evil.
A Plea for Humanity: The Einsatzgruppen on Trial
Benjamin Ferencz, International Law Scholar and Former Nuremberg Prosecutor, shares his experience as Chief Prosecutor at the trial of the Einsatzgruppen commanders.
Analyzing and Creating Memorials
Students learn about several Holocaust memorials around the world in preparation to design their own memorial.
Illuminations: The Art of Samuel Bak
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This guide provides those viewing paintings by Holocaust survivor Samuel Bak with a framework for analyzing the art's profound symbolism about memory, justice, and identity.
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.
Totally Unofficial: Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention
This resource challenges students to consider how individuals, groups, and nations can take up Raphael Lemkin’s challenge to eliminate genocide.
Reconciling Identities after the War
Romana Farrington, whose Jewish parents arranged for her to be raised by a Polish Catholic family during the Holocaust, describes how her wartime experience impacts her identity.
Friendship before, during, and after the War
Vera Gissing, who survived the Holocaust as part of the Kindertransport, describes the importance of her non-Jewish friends to her and her parents throughout World War II.
Caring for Survivors
Isaac Levy, a Rabbi who served as a chaplain in the British army during World War II, recalls the challenges he faced trying to assist survivors after the Holocaust.
Antisemitism after Liberation
Howard Cwick, an American soldier during World War II, recalls a confrontation with a US Army sergeant over antisemitic slurs directed toward a recently liberated concentration camp survivor.
Conventional Revolution: Raphael Lemkin and the Crime Without a Name
Scholar Donna-Lee Frieze chronicles the life and work of Raphael Lemkin.
Raphael Lemkin: Watcher of the Sky (Introduction)
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This film, from the feature length movie Watchers of the Sky, focuses on Raphael Lemkin and some of his personal story as well as what became the focus of his life’s work.
Raphael Lemkin: Watcher of the Sky (Genocide Convention)
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This film, created in partnership between Propeller Films and Facing History & Ourselves from the feature length film Watchers of the Sky, focuses on lawyer Raphael Lemkin’s efforts to develop an international law.
Luis Moreno Ocampo: Watcher of the Sky
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This film focuses on the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
Long Night's Journey into Day: South African's Search for Truth and Reconciliation
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This documentary tells four stories of Apartheid in South Africa, as seen through the eyes of the Truth and Reconciliation commission.
Taner Akçam: Why is the Armenian Genocide Important?
Taner Akçam discusses the importance of learning about the Armenian Genocide today.
Introducing the Armenian Genocide
Scholar Richard G. Hovannisian gives an overview of the Armenian Genocide.
Strategies for Making a Difference
Students use a "levers of power" framework to analyze examples of civic participation and identify ways they can bring about a positive change in their communities.
Not in Our Town
Learn about how the residents of Billings, Montana, responded to a wave of racist and antisemitic violence in their town.
Facing Ferguson: News Literacy in a Digital Age
Help students become informed and effective civic participants in today's digital landscape. This unit is designed to develop students' critical thinking, news literacy, civic engagement, and social-emotional skills and competencies.
Stitching Truth: Women's Protest Art in Pinochet's Chile
This resource helps students explore the courageous stories of the women in Chile who challenged the silence and terror imposed by Pinochet's dictatorship from 1973–1990.
Not In Our Town: Billings, Montana
This short excerpt from the film “Not In Our Town” shows how ordinary citizens in Billings, Montana joined together to stand up to hate when their neighbors were under attack by white supremacists.
The Arpilleras of Chile (with Marjorie Agosin)
Marjorie Agosin discusses women’s artistic response to Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile.
Tragedy Into Hope: Students Rally to Create a Memorial for Ell Persons
Memphis Students present on the lynching of Ell Persons and their goal to create a memorial garden in his honor so their community can reflect on the past
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Americans and the Holocaust: The Refugee Crisis
Explore the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism and the humanitarian refugee crisis it provoked during the 1930s and 1940s.
Teaching the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide: For California Educators
Designed for California 10th grade world history courses, this unit guides students through a study of the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide that focuses on choices and human behavior.
Introducing and Dissecting the Writing Prompt
Students begin to understand and stake out a preliminary position in response to the assessment writing prompt.
Introducing Evidence Logs
After learning about the Armenian Genocide, students reflect on the writing prompt a second time by adding a historical lense.
Telling Our Histories
Students connect themes from the film to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's concept of “single stories," and then consider what it would take to tell more equitable and accurate narratives.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 1 of 4
Students incorporate new evidence from the history of the Weimar era into the position they are developing.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 2 of 4
Students consider how what they've learned about the rise of the Nazi Party influences their thinking about the essay prompt and practice making inferences.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 3 of 4
Students review the documents and videos from previous lessons and consider what information supports, expands, or challenges their thinking about the essay.
Watching Who Will Write Our History
Students view the film, analyze a primary source from the Oyneg Shabes archive, and consider why it matters who tells the stories of the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Adding to Evidence Logs, 4 of 4
Students reflect on, gather evidence for, and discuss the unit writing prompt in its entirety.
Refining the Thesis and Finalizing Evidence Logs
Students reflect on the unit as a whole and begin to write a strong thesis statement for their essay.
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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
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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
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Listen to writer and educator Dr. Clint Smith as he shares his poetry and reflections on working for justice, equity, and civic agency in our schools.
Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency
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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.
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