Nov. 4, 2022 – Lessons on the Holocaust will be shared in classrooms throughout Duval County Public Schools as part of Holocaust Education Week in Florida, Nov. 7 – Nov. 11.
“It is an important time in our community for teachers to explore with students in an age-appropriate way the historical impacts of the Holocaust,” said Erin Conklin, director of K-12 social studies. “Understanding the history of the Holocaust will help students become more empathetic, understanding, and engaged citizens as they grow into adults.”
The lessons will be informative and age appropriate, said Conklin. Approaches to teaching about the Holocaust are different at each grade level.
Elementary lessons focus on encouraging respect for others and focusing beyond differences. Middle School lessons provide deeper historical information with topics including personal choice, Nazi propaganda, the loss of rights, and how people resisted. High School lessons focus on the Holocaust from multiple perspectives and explore antisemitism and its historical impact.
Webinars, videos, and virtual museum tours are among the resources provided by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to help teachers teach the complex topic of the Holocaust. These lessons follow state statute which requires all school districts to incorporate lessons on the Holocaust as part of instruction. To find out more information, please visit the FDOE’s Holocaust Education Week webpage.
Observance of Holocaust Education week coincides with the anniversary of Kristallnacht, which took place Nov. 9 -10, 1938. This was a precipitating event that marked the beginning of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
