A child’s education is a vital part of their development. While there are a variety of important topics for children to learn to create well-rounded young adults, one of the key subjects is history.

Teaching Children WWII History and the Holocaust

Of all U.S. And global historical events that can be essential to teaching youth, World War II is top of the list. This subject can be readily taught starting in middle school and throughout high school.

There are many reasons teaching the impacts and realities of the war, and the Holocaust is vital. Helping children to understand world events in history that help shape the world they live in is key to maturity and comprehension.

Teaching the Holocaust to Middle School Children

When teaching the Holocaust to middleschoolers, it is usually best to focus on people’s personal life experiences there and not overwhelm them with massive amounts of details about the atrocities of the war. This type of teaching is best saved for high school. Children aged 12-14 can find these details overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible for their young minds.

There are two effective ways of teaching the Holocaust to middleschoolers:

1. Inviting a speaker who has firsthand knowledge of the Holocaust through a lived experience. The founder of the Zachor Holocaust Curriculum, Ben Lesser offers students a firsthand account as a survivor of the Eastern European section of World War II. These talks can be done for a single class or the entire grade, and can be done in person or via video.

2.Online Resources. The Zachor Holocaust Curriculum was created with educators in mind. It offers are variety a resources, including first-hand accounts, videos, and photos, to give a better understand of the events that happened and fit into any learning style.

You can learn more about Ben Lesser and the Zachor Holocaust Foundation at www.zachorlearn.org.