#sschat Archive
#sschat is a network of educators, resources, and ideas that started on Twitter, but has expanded to Facebook, an annual NCSS unconference, and more. Join us to chat asynchronously on Twitter or Facebook, or chat with us live on Mondays from 7-8pm EST.
Monday May 2, 2016
Welcome to ! Excited to be leading tonight. Please share name, location, and connection to Holocaust and social studies education!
Hi , this is Bill Chapman, a retired secondary social studies teacher, checking in from Berkeley, CA.
Excited to be here. I'm Doug and I teach 12th grade US Government in the San Diego area as a student teacher
Chris from Bloomington, IN. Have taught world history for several years. Holocaust is always of high interest among Ss.
Hello
This is Debra Grysen from Ann Arbor teaching Critical Thinking to 10th graders.
Brandon from Plymouth, NH. I’m a SS Ed professor
The Holocaust has so many areas that connect accross the entire social studies
Hi to from CO. I coordinate a teacher network for a grant & we have an American Jewish Experience group there.
Hello Jacob, US History teacher from TN.
Joanne from Missouri. 7th grade world history, 11th grade modern global issues.
Brandon here. Just got my first job for next school year in Knoxville. Teaching U.S. History.
I'm Kiersten Jones, preservice T from PA, always interested in learning more about the Holocaust and its effects.
Thanks! Excited for a great with
Hi Brandon! Great to see you on here. Welcome to all others who are joining
Fantastic! Hopefully you get some useful teaching tools from and its awesome teachers, welcome!
In modern global issues we cover genocide. I also recently visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC (2nd time).
Hi Brittany from NJ 6th grade Ancient Civ, Holocaust Ed is a theme throughout my school's curric at all ages (Jewish private school)
Hi everyone! I am a 9th grade world history teacher from Dublin, OH
Such a powerful experience going to the USHMM. Took 10th graders there one year.
. congrats, we need to collaborate I have good resources for the TN state standards.
Ariel Korn w/Echoes and Reflections, Holocaust ed program from & , let's get started!
I’m Margaret Lincoln, USHMM Teacher Fellow & Regional Education Corps member
We have the Museum of Tolerance out here in LA area I really want to get to.
Agreed. Even the architectural details are part of the experience.
Good evening. I am Mike. I teach 7th grade SS at CMS in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic
I proudly introduce my friend & TPS Teachers Network colleague to all my buddies at ! https://t.co/hSkZxBEJFR
I’m Margaret Lincoln, USHMM Teacher Fellow & Regional Education Corps member
A1) I doubt that mine know much. Teach online and Ss are self-paced so not all on same lesson at same time.
Our Holocaust education partner is moderating tonight! https://t.co/xkp4ya6gmh
Welcome to ! Excited to be leading tonight. Please share name, location, and connection to Holocaust and social studies education!
Absolutely. Definitely conveys emotion.
Ken from Western Oregon Univ.
Hi Ken, great to see you again!
A1 to be honest, I don't think it is something that my Ss are very familiar with
My students typically know little about Yom Hashoah, but are always interested in the Holocaust
A1 I'm not teaching yet, but in my schooling, we didn't really touch on it during the Holocaust unit unfortunately.
A1 but that's one reason we're here right! To hear and discuss how we can teach them!
A1) to be quite honest not much at all. I teach the holocaust, but with new standards it is on a time constraint.
A1 Pretty sure my students know nothing about the date. Most do know about the Holocaust.
That would be great! Student teaching this semester we did not have time to really give the Holocaust justice.
My experience as well. Was something I mentioned to Ss when it occurred but we were usually past that unit by then.
A1 What they learn thru school programming, family stories. Our 8th grade writes&performs a play about a holocaust story each yr
A1 I could probably count on one hand the number of Ss I had who knew what it was before we discussed it
Oh gosh! I'm late! Larissa from IN. We just started Holocaust on Friday!!
absolutely! A perfect opportunity to share resources and learn from each other
A1: I think mine would not know anything about it.
great resource. Thank you for sharing!
A1 - not too much. I teach Middle Ages and don't cover it. However, I do a regular current events and it came up last year then
A1 While they are very familiar with the Holocaust, there are always a lot of questions about how WWII&other nations were involved
yes, I think it should talked about as something more than a passing phrase. We should teach the implications as well.
Yes, those questions sound very familiar to what I've experienced w/ Ss.
A1) My students are not familiar. I've taught a semester class on the Holocaust called Beyond Tolerance, but it was first semester.
So much that we as a society don't want to speak about.
A1: Info text in Lesson 6: Jewish Resistance provides context and information about the event for Ss https://t.co/0QIJZgK4Ha
Great! something I can definitely incorporate a mini lesson into class this week!
unfortunately, so true. I think many feel it is bashing rather than trying 2 div persp &facilitate critical thinking 4 Ss
which is why it's so important for US to talk about it. So it's being talked about by someone
I also think it also speaks to the comfort that many have with teaching such a complex topic https://t.co/aiWRFKPDh8
So much that we as a society don't want to speak about.
Q2: What is the value of survivor testimony & other primary sources when teaching about the Holocaust?
A1) Or if it connects to someone they know, then it becomes personal.
Hopefully Ss can take that w/ them so breaks misconceptions Ken pointed out.
That's a good point, esp when factoring in how little time some of us have to teach it (in world hist, for ex).
It has been too long since I've been able to make it to a live Ed, HS World History teacher from the state
A2 Survivor testimony is always engaging and powerful. A primary source I used to great affect was https://t.co/pXp6QkkMQ7
A2 Provides mult perspectives, but even more importantly it can humanize the Holocaust for Ss
A2 Personal narratives are always powerful.
A1: Day of remembrance coincides with anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, observed this year on May 5th
A2: Testimony humanizes the event and gives students a way to connect to an individual story. Primary sources give insight
A2 There are still people in the world who deny that the Holocaust happened, primary resources are the best evidence.
A2 this makes 6 million personal - easier to digest and relate
Same as many others. Ss encounter the holocaust at many times. Almost to the exclusion of other genocides I find. But little on 5/5
A2) Makes events much more personal. Ss familiar w/ statistics but hearing individual stories allows empathy & deeper learning.
yeah we want to be "positive" , upbeat. And then can't think.
A2 Had a survivor speak a few months ago - sooo powerful. Great to see Ss ask questions at end, both personal and historical
Welcome! Glad you could join
I did not know that. Thank you for sharing that. https://t.co/z5f1aTjUFf
A1: Day of remembrance coincides with anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, observed this year on May 5th
A2 invaluable - we all know how important primary sources are and survivor testimony just makes it all the more real
A2 The Frontline doc Memory of the Camps is 1 of the most powerful things I ever used. Preview first though. https://t.co/HKhUSmdlxG
A2 Holocaust Museum & Yad Vashem have great video resources of kids that my Ss find easier to relate to
A2 By hearing an account from someone who experienced it, it makes the Holocaust less of a story and more of a reality.
Well said, highlights the importance of testimony and primary sources
when teaching at Jewish day school students knew about it already. In public schools, not.
Time is always a barrier. and help students begin to form understanding https://t.co/ZQCRGM3KsK
That's a good point, esp when factoring in how little time some of us have to teach it (in world hist, for ex).
A2 Survivor testimony & primary sources personalize the history
A2: Ss say reading or watching from someone who was there makes it more believable and easier to understand.
My kids started learning about the Holocaust reading Number the Stars in 6th grade 20 yrs ago. What's changed?
A2) Also, real life survivor stories are dwindling as the population ages up. All the more valuable to share while we can.
fairly certain the only Ss who knew about it in my classes before we discussed it were Ss w/ Jewish backgrounds
Great point. 6 million is very abstract for students
A2 while not. Survivor testimony, I usually bring in the actual army photos of my grandfathers from the liberation of buchenwald
Classroom-ready resources, reliable sources, & to help guide educators helps overcome these barriers
Thanks! will definitely check these out. Great resources everyone! keep them coming
A2: I love doing primary source document activities. I think they are very valuable, especially for something like the Holocaust.
Hi ! Tracy from Natick, MA. 7th grade SS. Can someone repost the questions?
Photographs are a very effective primary source when teaching about the Holocaust!
I pair this with the story my grandfather about how he gave them to me around the time of the Iranian denial Conf.
Developing empathy is so important. Affective engagement is often neglected
absolutely because they are connected to the content. Many others it may have not had a direct impact on them
A2: Group activity, students read a survivor account and then tell each other about, summarizing them on poster paper would be good.
hadn't. But now will. Thanks as always for pointing us current teachers toward great resources
Primary sources translated into English. And the hashtag you're looking for is
A2 Pics/Videos also highlight how recently it took place vs. everything else we learn about in Ancient Civ class
Great point. Video espacially can really point out it wasn't that long ago in the grand scheme of things
A2) I used part of ABC's The Century episode "Civilians at War" hosted by Peter Jennings. Survivor stories included.
A2: Can't imagine teaching the Holocaust w/out eyewitness accounts. It's essential. Every story different & important.
Q3 Echoes and Reflections incorporates survivor testimony & primary sources in each lesson. Lets analyze testimony about liberation
Our school recently did a play Kindertransport about the foster children that resulted from the holocaust. very powerful
some of the most powerful lessons on the Holocaust I experienced were through video
Jennifer from College Station TX. Catholic High school history. Considering offering a semester Holocaust and Gen. Studies course
A2) The impact can be even more meaningful if it concerns someone their age impacted because of a family member.
Absolutely, pedagogy of Echoes and Reflections puts the individual at the center of the story
True. If US History began on Jan 1 at midnight, Holocaust would appear Oct 29 at 11:38am.
Absolutely. Think that's part of why Anne Frank resonates so strongly w/ Ss.
Fantastic idea! I think you will find plenty of reliable and useful resources to use on tonight's
A3: Cwick's testimony shares the shock that many students feel when they learn about the Holocaust.
A3) How powerful the experience was for him as liberator that he can still recall it w/ that level of detail so long afterward.
A great complement to watching liberator testimony is Episode 9 of Band of Brothers. So well done and impactful on students.
A3 cont) Imagine how much more searing memories were for those who were liberated & had experienced such horror for so long.
Yes, you can see, hear, and feel the shock of his experience at liberation
A3 I've not heard this testimony, but students always found Murrow's report from Buchenwald overwhelming. https://t.co/pXp6QkkMQ7
A3 often we focus on the liberated, but voice of liberator is also important in telling the story
A3 Listening to survivor's stories like this really helps listener to visualize & humanize the events
A3 The details make it even more powerful.
It's hard to grasp an atrocity of this magnitude.
I struggle with knowing what is appropriate though, given the graphic nature of the mass graves.
A3 The non-verbal element is always so powerful in visual testimony. Students connect through the emotion of the testimony
We will analyze a survivor's testimony next to get another perspective at liberation
Definitely a regret that I never recorded my grandfather telling his stories before he passed. Always think there will be more time
It is. I have studied the Holocaust for years. Thought I had an understanding until I walked through blocks at Auschwitz.
particularly in this clip...
I just watched this yesterday actually. Very powerful.
I rarely use graphic images. It is not necessary to gain understanding, testimony provides the emotion https://t.co/4un0N0N4sJ
I struggle with knowing what is appropriate though, given the graphic nature of the mass graves.
My grandfather was a liberator and rarely spoke of what he saw. Being a Jewish officer was very difficult for him.
Same here with my grandmother. When I was in 8th grade I interviewed here about WWI. Never will forget.
Sometimes schools set the parameters, other times Ss prior knowledge or how sensitive they are, can change yr to yr
Totally agree. Need to know your Ss, community & school expectations, etc.
Attended my first in person survivor testimony two weeks ago at Texas A&M. One of my most profound experiences.
I agree this can be a very fine line https://t.co/8LC3zaQhpB
I rarely use graphic images. It is not necessary to gain understanding, testimony provides the emotion https://t.co/4un0N0N4sJ
I struggle with knowing what is appropriate though, given the graphic nature of the mass graves.
Agreed! I teach 7th grade and avidly AVOID graphic images. Kids get a thorough understanding without them.
I think it is important that we show history is not pretty but that keeps it real
Good if you're aware of extra sensitive students and prepared to deal with their reactions.
I have to run & take daughter to ballet now. Thanks for the conversation & resources !
Being a liberator who was also Jewish was difficult for Cwick also, visible in his testimony
Among the complaints registered against Britain’s king in the Declaration of Independence are the following… https://t.co/RREwO5E5sT
What music would be an appropriate choice as background for teaching Holocaust?
Had the honor of being w/ 23 other educators w/ Past is Present program. Life changing.
I wouldnt jump use graphic images either, I think a big part is knowing your Ss the best way to help them understand
Going too graphic shuts people down. Show one pic - have Ss create ?s. Most powerful - who took pic and why https://t.co/ZzVZ7vXyr5
We avoid these images, stress imp. of bringing Ss safely in & safely out
I’m a fan of the soundtracks of Schindler’s List and The Pianist
I agree, there is something about verbal retellings that can evoke more emotion. https://t.co/DF4XTK739m
I rarely use graphic images. It is not necessary to gain understanding, testimony provides the emotion https://t.co/4un0N0N4sJ
I struggle with knowing what is appropriate though, given the graphic nature of the mass graves.
Safely in and safely out is key https://t.co/LsecqWRfdc
We avoid these images, stress imp. of bringing Ss safely in & safely out
Any classical music recommendations?
Leonard Bernstein's 3rd Symphony - Kaddish
These soundtracks include classical music
A4) He expresses euphoria at liberation yet also gets into the difficulties of adjusting to freedom.
A4 "Did not know what to do with freedom" Common thread among survivor narratives.
A4 extreme joy and hope. And confusion and uncertainty...
I fall on the other end of the spectrum. I believe images are some of my most useful tools in conveying atrocities.
That was very powerful, Tracy. I use PBS Frontline on Rwanda that uses USHMM dedication to point out failures.
He says, "But what will we do without our families?" Powerful
Loving the music resources!!
I learned about treatment of Jews in countries beyond Germany when I read Kershaw's To Hell and Back (2016). Recommended reading, .
A4 He seemed to have a mix of elated yet so unsure. It would be such a conflicting adjustment to some kind of normalcy.
Great article in Boston Globe yesterday. It is our role as educators to teach about the Holocaust. https://t.co/ZNXRX5wzWB
A4: almost a dichotomy of feelings.
I don't think people were talking about avoiding images all together but using graphic images judiciously.
Pete Preamble is prepped & ready for surgery tomorrow. Needs transplanted organs (new language) https://t.co/fUNC5Mtd3d
I also recommend Tim Snyder's "Bloodlands" though it is not explicitly about Holocaust. Newer book "Black Earth" is.
Very true. Joy of freedom, but now have to deal with grief of those close who did not make it
A4 "what do you do with freedom?" What a question?!?
Thnx everyone. It was nice to be back in a
I've got to check out early for kids bedtime, but appreciate everything that was shared
Holocaust books for all levels: Book Thief, Night, Exodus (an oldie), War & Remembrance (another), Sarah's Key, Number the Stars.
So true. Could lead to a very meaningful discussion w/ Ss. How can you use your freedom to improve people's lives?
Just finished the book The Inextinguishable Symphony. A Story of Love and Music in Nazi Germany. Excellent!
Absolutely. I wrote this down to incorporate into a quick write or AS.
Q5 These testimony clips taken from Lesson 8: Survivors and Liberators 1/2
Used "live" today to review for our state mandated EOY US History test. Wow! 100% authentically engaged classroom.
I'd recommend using the Question Formulation Technique with focus statements or primary sources about Holocaust.
Both Jones' work and A Class Divided help students explore the question, "Could it happen here?"
. Also the old film Judgment at Nuremberg, my intro to the Holocaust. MG bio of Justice Robert Jackson by Gail Jarrow.
Every moment of every day has been controlled by someone else. How do you adjust to that?
If preparing a Holocaust unit, this is an excellent video from USHMM to explain path to the Final Solution. https://t.co/T75jb1JYhL
It is dense reading, but excellent!
A5 Pairing testimonies and primary texts can be very effective in giving a multidimensional look of the Holocaust. Night is a fave!
Yes. Think Ss sometimes feel like that in school (obv VERY diff) so they have relationship to that feeling to some extent.
A5: Having students write poems as they study the Holocaust. Poetry always yields powerful results
A5: Infoquests from are excellent. Partial to Roman Kent and Paula Lebovics.
A5 like the idea of using vids to create VBQ. Use photos for Ss to create captions/questions
