The Historical Approach
The historical approach is the approach that is used by schools. In fact, many districts mandate a specific, historical, approach to dealing with the Holocaust. Below is a link to an inforgaphic that you can use to review the holocaust, or can be used in the classroom as a teaching tool.
Tips for Instructors
Visualizing information
When dealing with the Holocaust, it is very difficult for an individual to comprehend the scale of the genocide. Because of this, an instructor must assist the students in visualizing the scale and scope of the massacre. Maps help students visualize the geographic scope of the holocaust as well as help teach important concepts such as ghettos, transport systems and locations of camps. The inclusion of these sources can also help students visualize the bureaucratic element of the Holocaust, how many different people needed to come together to initiate slaughter on a mass scale.
Another way students need to visualize the information is to visualize the horror of the holocaust. Graphic images such as the ones included above, should be employed to demonstrate the horrors of the holocaust. It is difficult to imagine the brutality, and pictures brings the holocaust to life, It also demonstrates the human element of the holocaust, how people were able to murder other people.
Timelines like the one included above, can help students visualize the cause and effect that led to the holocaust.
Another way students need to visualize the information is to visualize the horror of the holocaust. Graphic images such as the ones included above, should be employed to demonstrate the horrors of the holocaust. It is difficult to imagine the brutality, and pictures brings the holocaust to life, It also demonstrates the human element of the holocaust, how people were able to murder other people.
Timelines like the one included above, can help students visualize the cause and effect that led to the holocaust.
Contextualizing
Contextualizing the holocaust is extremely important. The holocaust was not an isolated event. Antisemitism had a long history. The holocaust should be framed within the antisemitism that came before, with particular emphasis being placed on 18th century antisemitism and how it contrasted from earlier antisemitism. A teacher should show how this outlook impacted Hitler's worldview and how Hitler's worldview influenced the Holocaust.
Similarly, a teacher should demonstrate how the Holocaust has impacted the world after WWII ended. Teachers should discuss the Nuremberg Trials, and the creation of a justice system to persecute such crimes. A teacher should also mention how the Holocaust created the term "genocide". A teacher should also briefly discuss other genocides such as the genocides in Serbia, Cambodia and Rwanda.
Similarly, a teacher should demonstrate how the Holocaust has impacted the world after WWII ended. Teachers should discuss the Nuremberg Trials, and the creation of a justice system to persecute such crimes. A teacher should also mention how the Holocaust created the term "genocide". A teacher should also briefly discuss other genocides such as the genocides in Serbia, Cambodia and Rwanda.
Victims versus Perpetrators
One of the most difficult issues that a teacher who covers the holocaust faces is how to balance the perspective of the perpetrators and the victims. On one hand, by analyzing the perpetrators, a student can better understand the thought process of the perpetrators. They can hopefully see when people are acting in ways similar to the Nazis, and recognize that persecution is not limited to the Holocaust. They should be taught to be observant. However, by completely focusing on the perpetrators, one whitewashes history by ignoring the suffering of the victims. The holocaust loses much of its poignancy by not including the victims perspective. A student must also learn to be empathetic to those who are suffering. A teacher must strike a delicate balance between the perspectives of the victims and perpetrators.
Another extremely important aspect is that the line between Victims and perpetrators is not as clear cut as a teacher would like. Many times, Polish and French citizens cooperated with and even participated in massacres. For further reading, I would recommend the book Neighbors by Jan T. Gross. During this period of time, it was possible for one to be both a victim and victimized.
Another extremely important aspect is that the line between Victims and perpetrators is not as clear cut as a teacher would like. Many times, Polish and French citizens cooperated with and even participated in massacres. For further reading, I would recommend the book Neighbors by Jan T. Gross. During this period of time, it was possible for one to be both a victim and victimized.