Week 1

Introduction to the History of the Holocaust: What was the Holocaust?

• Overview of Jewish life before the war;
• The roots of antisemitism;
• The story of the late Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman;
• The beginning and un-folding of the Holocaust 1933-onwards;
• Emigration options for Jewish people and the reception of refugees around the world;
• The beginning of the Second World War and the Holocaust from 1939 onwards;
• The ghettos;
• The development of the ‘Final Solution’;
• Resistance and rescue;
• Concentration and extermination camps;
• Liberation;
• Return to life.

Week 2

• Can young people grasp the enormity of this history?
• What are the challenges that teachers face?
• What do students know and understand about the Holocaust?
• What are the issues in textbooks?
• Using atrocity images? An ethical question;
• What are the implications of misconceptions?
• How do we teach about the Holocaust in a world without survivors?

Week 3

• What are key pedagogical principles to keep in mind?
• How can we apply key pedagogical principles in our teaching practice?
• How can we address misconceptions?
• How can using artefacts deepen student understanding of the Holocaust?
• Theory into practice: Developing your own classroom material.