Possible Application of a Unit on the Holocaust to the Alaska Content Standards

A Color Key:
Blue:  A link to the USHMM teacher’s guide web page.
Black: Directly quoting a state’s social studies standard.
Red:  The correlation of studying the Holocaust to the standards.
Brown:  Other information. 		If a secondary teacher would decide to teach a unit on the Holocaust, it would be highly recommended to first read "Guidelines for Teaching about the Holocaust" created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which can be found at <http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/>

 

A unit on the Holocaust would comfortably apply to all aspects of the Alaska Content Standards in the social studies: History, Geography, Government and Citizenship. Detailed examples are given through the History Standards with general comments for the other areas of study.

History

A

A student should understand that history is a record of Human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.
How better to achieve this general standard than an extended unit on the Holocaust. Reaching back to the origins of anti-Semitism, to the tragic events of the Holocaust, to the genocide's that have occurred since, to where human experience could and should go into the future concerning justice for all peoples.
A student who meets the content standard should:
understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences.
This understanding is an absolute must in the study of the Holocaust. Misunderstanding can occur if the events of 1933 through 1945 are not fully comprehended as to the action of the Nazis from a mere ideology to implementation of murder.


know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered.
and
recognize different theories of history, detect the weakness of broad generalization, and evaluate the debates of historians.
and
understand that history relies on the interpretation of evidence.

A historiography of the Holocaust can be covered showing various interpretations of the how and whys of the Holocaust and how these interpretations evolved.
understand that history is a narrative told in many voices and expresses various perspectives of historical experience.
A historiography of the Holocaust and the use of primary testimonies of survivors can fulfill.
know that cultural elements, including language, literature, , the arts, customs, and belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural elements influence human interaction.
A study of the Jewish culture of Eastern Europe in the early twentieth century, a study of the Nazi influence over German society in the 1930s, etc. could fulfill.
understand that history is dynamic and composed of key turning points.
Identification of the key turning points leading to the Holocaust would be sought.
know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an individual's relationship to society.
A study of the various cultures that verged in the years of the Holocaust. Namely, western Europe, eastern Europe including Soviet, eastern European Jewish, American. How would individuals in these cultures react to events moving about them. How should individuals today react to the events that occurred.
understand that history is a fundamental connection that unifies all fields of human understanding and endeavor.
In studying the Holocaust it is a must to make use of all fields of endeavor: some examples-- art, literature, poetry, science, music, geography, government, history, sociology, economics, etc.
B
A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.
Holocaust studies fits the need to know time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.
A student who meets the content standard should:
1. Comprehend the forces of change and continuity that shape human history through the following persistent organizing themes:
    •The development of culture, the emergence of civilizations, and the accomplishments and mistakes of social organizations;
    •human communities and their relationships with climate subsistence base, resources, geography, and technology;
    •the origin and impact of ideologies, religions, and institutions upon human societies;
    •the consequences of peace and violent conflict ot societies and their cultures;
    •Major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;
2. Understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social and environmental events that have shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;
3. Recognize that historical understanding is relevant and valuable in the student's life and for participation in local, state, national, and global communities;
4. Recognize the importance of time, ideas, institutions, people, places, cultures, and events in understanding large historical patterns.
An example to fulfill # 1- # 4 within Holocaust education, among several, would be the study of the development of the eastern European Jewish culture and the demise of that culture.
5. Evaluate the influence of context upon historical understanding.
Examine what the Western Democracies knew and when. Debate the context under which those leaders were working.

C

A student should develop the skills and processes of historical inquiry.
Meeting all criteria listed in points # 1-4 would be up to the teacher. The resources available to the teacher are enormous. Voluminous primary documentation in the form of records, diaries, testimonies all exist within easy access in libraries, on the internet, in book stores, with educational suppliers. Methods and assessments used by the teacher can range widely. Guides do exist for good pedagogical approaches to the Holocaust.

D

A student should be able to integrate historical knowledge with historical skill to effectively participate as a citizen and as a lifelong learner.
A life long goal for the student that the student can demonstrate while in school. Applying knowledge of events, of issues, of problems from the Holocaust to today's world is part of the process of Holocaust education.

Geography

A

A student should be able to make and use maps, globes, and graphs to gather , analyze and report spatial (geographic) information.

B

A student should be able to utilize, analyze, and explain information about the human and physical cultures of places and regions.

C

A student should understand the dynamic and interactive natural forces that shape the earth's environments.

D

A student should understand and be able to interpret spatial (geographic) characteristics of human systems, including migration, movement, interactions of cultures,economic activities, settlement patterns, and political events in the state, nation, and world.

E

A student should understand and be able to evaluate how humans and physical environments interact.

F

A student should be able to use geography to understand the world be interpreting the past, knowing the present and preparing for the future.
 
Knowledge of geography and use of geographic skills are imperative in the study of the Holocaust. Maps of the changes in international boarders becomes integral in understanding events. Maps of front lines is integral of understanding what happens when. Maps of camps is needed to understand how the various camps operated. Understanding the physical features and climatic conditions of the European locations is needed to understand how and why people suffered; why certain types of camps were created where they were. i.e. What resources were involved in camp locations. The economics of the Holocaust becomes part of total understanding.

Government and Citizenship

A

A student should know and understand how societies define authority, rights, and responsibilities through a governmental process.

B

A student should understand the constitutional foundations of the American political system and the democratic ideals of this nation.

C

A student should understand the character of government of the state.

D

A student should understand the role of the United States in international affairs.

E

A student should have the knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively as an informed and responsible citizen.

F

A student should understand the economies of the United States and the state and their relationships to the global economy.

G

A student should understand the impact of economic choices and participate effectively in the local, state, national, and global economies.
All the above can and do apply to the study of the Holocaust. One only has to use the comparison of what can happen to a society that does not pay attention to its freedoms, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship. Among those responsibilities is the watchfulness of the citizen. This broke down under the Nazis and millions became the victims of such failure. Therefore, it becomes imperative for students to be well educated in government and citizenship.