Holocaust Memorial Day

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• History
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• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)
• GCSE

Introductie

This lesson introduces your students to Holocaust Memorial Day. During this lesson, your students get a brief overview of the events, processes and outcomes of the Holocaust, and have a chance to explore why it is something we still have time to reflect on today. This lesson does contain materials that students may find distressing or emotional, so we recommend that you adapt the videos and tasks to suit your pupils needs and abilities. Encourage discussion and questions during the lesson, and help them draw any parallels they might see to modern events.

Instructies

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What do you already know about the Holocaust?

INTRODUCTION

Holocaust Memorial Day is observed to commemorate the millions of victims of the Holocaust and other genocides, and to educate the public about the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and discrimination.

It is held on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, to honour survivors and prevent future atrocities by fostering a commitment to a safer, better future, end educating people on the atrocities of the past.

LO: To understand the impact of the holocaust and explore why and how it is remembered.

HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST

• The Holocaust was the systematic persecution and murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945.

• The Holocaust did not happen overnight. It was a gradual process that escalated over many years.

• The Nazis created over 40,000 camps to imprison Jews and other targeted groups.

• While Jews were the primary target, the Nazis also systematically murdered or persecuted millions of others.

• These included disabled people. gypsies. homosexuals and political opponents.

Why would it be important to understand the holocaust?

STUDYING THE HOLOCAUST

Studying the Holocaust is critical for many reasons:

• Recognise warning signs: It demonstrates the dangers of prejudice, discrimination, and propaganda that can manipulate a society. The Holocaust did not begin with violence, but with hateful words and ideas.

• Understand human rights: The scale of the atrocities led the world to develop international human rights laws to protect people from mass violence.

• Empower action: Learning about the choices made by perpetrators, victims, and bystanders shows how individual actions—whether out of hatred, fear, or indifference—contributed to the genocide. It encourages people to speak up against injustice and defend human rights today.

THE PROCESS OF

THE HOLOCAUST

1933: Nazis seize power

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany and immediately began targeting Jewish people through propaganda and discriminatory laws. They falsely blamed Jews for Germany's problems after World War I.

1.

The Nuremberg Laws (1935)

These laws officially stripped Jewish people of their German citizenship and banned marriage and relationships between Jews and non-Jews. Jews were cut off from society and subjected to public humiliation

2.

Kristallnacht (1938)

On the "Night of Broken Glass," Nazis attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany, looting and destroying them. Thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

3.

Hitler addressing the crowds in Nuremberg, Germany.

There would have been a mix of soldiers, the Hitler youth and devout Nazi civilians in attendance. Watching his speeches was compared to watching a play, and many people found that he had answers to the problems they faced in their daily lives. He also explained how they were caused, not by the government or German history, but by select groups of people that he blamed.

Part 1

World War II and the Ghettos (1939)

After invading Poland, Germany forced Jewish people into overcrowded, unsanitary, and guarded areas of cities called ghettos. Many died from disease and starvation.

4.

The 'Final Solution' (1941)

This was the Nazi plan for the genocide of all European Jews. The Nazis began carrying out mass murders using mobile killing squads and later created extermination camps designed for mass murder

5.

One of the watchtowers at Auschwitz concentration camp. based just outside the camp, looking in. If anyone was brave enough to try and escape, the guards in the watch towers would have shot them down before they could even scale the fences. They were always manned and had torches and searchlights, so that noone could pass by unnoticed.

Part 2

THE PROCESS OF

THE HOLOCAUST

Put the events into the right order.

1

The Nuremberg Laws

2

World War II

3

The Nazi's seize power

4

The 'Final Solution'

5

Kristallnacht

VICTIMS BEYOND THE

JEWISH POPULATION.

These included Roma (also known as Gypsies), people with physical and mental disabilities, Polish and Soviet civilians, gay people, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Not all young people were victims. German youth were indoctrinated into Nazi ideology through groups like the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. They were taught to hate and persecute others.

It demonstrates the dangers of prejudice, discrimination, and propaganda that can manipulate a society. The Holocaust did not begin with violence, but with hateful words and ideas

01

OTHER GROUPS

NAZI YOUTH

GENERAL PUBLIC

02

03

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY PRACTICES

To observe Holocaust Memorial Day, you could;

• Participate in the "Light the Darkness" moment by placing a candle in your window at 8 p.m. on January 27th

• Learn about the Holocaust and other genocides through readings and documentaries

• Organise a local event like an assembly or a memorial service.

But spending your time reflecting on it this lesson is a great way to start.