Contents

Part I: Introduction
What Is Facing History and Ourselves? ...........................................................................5
Core Elements of a Facing History and Ourselves Journey ......................................6
Why Teach About the Holocaust and Human Behavior?.................................................9
Journals in a Facing History Classroom .........................................................................11
Questions to Consider When Using Journals in the Classroom ..............................12
Suggestions for Using Journals in the Classroom.....................................................13
Developing Vocabulary in a Facing History Classroom .................................................15
Glossary of Key Terms Related to a Study of Facing History and Ourselves:
Holocaust and Human Behavior ..............................................................................16
How to Use This Curriculum ........................................................................................19

Part II: Lesson Plans

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Unit ............................................................................24
Lesson 2: A Scene from a Middle School Classroom .................................................34
Lesson 3: Identity and Place ......................................................................................43
Lesson 4: Those Who Don’t Know: Identity, Membership, and Stereotypes..............51
Lesson 5: Us and Them: Confronting Labels and Lies...............................................59
Lesson 6: The Nazi Party Platform ............................................................................76
Lesson 7: The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision-Making ..............89
Lesson 8: The Fragility of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power..................................114
Lesson 9: Obedience................................................................................................127
Lesson 10: The Nazis in Power: Discrimination, Obedience, and Opportunism .......142
Lesson 11: The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity ...................................158
Lesson 12: Life for German Youth in the 1930s:
Education, Propaganda, Conformity, and Obedience............................................172
Lesson 13: Kristallnacht: Decision-Making in Times of Injustice ...............................196
Lesson 14: The Holocaust .........................................................................................220
Lesson 15: The Holocaust: Bystanders and Upstanders .............................................255
Lesson 16: Justice After the Holocaust.......................................................................283
Lesson 17: Remembrance, Participation, and Reflection............................................301