Lesson Overview

In recent decades, the Holocaust has become embedded within the shared memories of global humanity. In the United States, remembering the Holocaust has taken many shapes, from the publication of fiction and nonfiction, Broadway plays, film and television portrayals, the proliferation of museums, and educational mandates to teach this history across the country. Remembering the Holocaust and provoking powerful emotional connections through the stories told about the mass persecution and murder of Europe’s Jews has become a fixture in the arts, education, and media. Memorials are highly visible forms of memory that punctuate physical landscapes and serve as concrete forms of storytelling. Learning to “read” a memorial is a way to access the power of Holocaust memory.

In this lesson, students will learn about the way the Holocaust has been remembered, with a particular emphasis on the role played by memorials in telling different stories and evoking a range of emotional responses. Students will begin by reflecting on personal stories before engaging in comparative thinking about Holocaust memorials, using a framework to structure and assist their critical thinking and discussions. As an extension, students engage in project based learning to create a memorial they believe deserves to exist.