Exploring the Holocaust

Exploring the Holocaust is a free, comprehensive and flexible cross-curricular scheme of work produced by the Holocaust Educational Trust for use at Key Stage 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and at S2 in Scotland, although it can be adapted for teaching of older age groups. Exploring the Holocaust is built around 15 core lessons in History, Religious Education (or Philosophy where appropriate), and Citizenship or PSHE. It is also recommended that English be incorporated: a guide to teaching the Holocaust in English can be found below, where teachers will also find further resources which can be added to the scheme of work and guidance on incorporating Drama and Art.

Download the Exploring the Holocaust teachers' guide

Core lessons

These lessons are grouped by subject and by theme within the following cross-curricular framework although schools are welcome to modify this framework to their needs – each lesson is intended to be sufficiently flexible to be adaptable to each of the core subjects, allowing for teaching of the entire scheme of work in a single subject if necessary. Teaching notes and classroom materials, including Welsh-language versions, can be accessed by clicking the Download link for each lesson.

Topic

Key Questions

History

RE/Philosophy

Citizenship/PSHE

The context of the Holocaust

What was the Holocaust and who were its victims?

How and why were the Jews of Germany persecuted before 1939? How did Britain respond?

Defining the Holocaust

Defining the Holocaust

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Pre war image

Pre-war Jewish Life

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Nazi Persecution of Jews in Germany

Nazi Persecution of Jews in Germany

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Antisemitism

Antisemitism

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Britain, Refugees and the Kindertransport

Britain, Refugees and the Kindertransport

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Wartime persecution and murder

How and why did the Nazis persecute different groups of people? How did this increase during the war?

When and how was the Holocaust perpetrated? How did people respond?

Ghettos

Ghettos

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The Mosaic of Victims

The Mosaic of Victims

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The 'Final Solution'

The 'Final Solution'

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Dilemmas, Choices and Responses to the Holocaust

Dilemmas, Choices and Responses to the Holocaust

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British Responses to Nazism and the Holocaust

British Responses to Nazism and the Holocaust

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Reactions to the Holocaust

How did some Jews and non-Jews resist the Holocaust?

What happened after the Holocaust?

Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust

Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust

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Rescue during the Holocaust

Rescue during the Holocaust

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Liberation

Liberation

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Rebuilding Lives

Rebuilding Lives

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Justice after the Holocaust

Justice after the Holocaust

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Topic

The context of the Holocaust

Key Questons

What was the Holocaust and who were its victims?

History

Defining the Holocaust

Defining the Holocaust

Read more

RE/Philosophy

Pre-war Jewish Life

Pre-war Jewish Life

Read more

History

How and why were the Jews of Germany persecuted before 1939? How did Britain respond?

Nazi Persecution of Jews in Germany

Nazi Persecution of Jews in Germany

Read more

RE/Philosophy

Antisemitism

Antisemitism

Read more

Citizenship/PSHE

Britain, Refugees and the Kindertransport

Britain, Refugees and the Kindertransport

Read more

Topic

Wartime persecution and murder

Key Questons

How and why did the Nazis persecute different groups of people? How did this increase during the war?

History

Ghettos

Ghettos

Read more

RE/Philosophy

The Mosaic of Victims

The Mosaic of Victims

Read more

When and how was the Holocaust perpetrated? How did people respond?

History

The 'Final Solution'

The 'Final Solution'

Read more

RE/Philosophy

Dilemmas, Choices and Responses to the Holocaust

Dilemmas, Choices and Responses to the Holocaust

Read more

Citizenship/PSHE

Dilemmas, Choices and Responses to the Holocaust

British Responses to Nazism and the Holocaust

Read more

Topic

Reactions to the Holocaust

Key Questions

How did some Jews and non-Jews resist the Holocaust?

History

Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust

Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust

Read more

RE/Philosophy

Rescue during the Holocaust

Rescue during the Holocaust

Read more

What happened after the Holocaust?

History

Liberation

Liberation

Read more

RE/Philosophy

Rebuilding Lives

Rebuilding Lives

Read more

Citizenship/PSHE

Justice after the Holocaust

Justice after the Holocaust

Read more

English

It is intended that English should play a crucial role in the delivery of the scheme of work. Recommendations for texts, together with advice on core principles for effective teaching of Holocaust-related literature, can be found in the guide below.

Teaching the Holocaust in English

Drama

The following guide is intended to help teachers incorporate Drama into the scheme of work by offering advice on core principles and resources for effective teaching of Holocaust-related theatre along with essential historical background information.

Teaching the Holocaust in Drama

Art

Art can bring an extra dimension to learning about the Holocaust, across a range of subjects. The following richly-illustrated guide provides teachers of Art and other subjects with sample lesson plans, reproductions of artworks for classroom use, profiles of artists, and essential historical background.

Art and the Holocaust: A Teachers’ Guide

Additional resources

Schools which wish to further their study of the Holocaust beyond the topics covered in the scheme of work can make use of the following resources, which are suitable for any of the core subjects of History, Religious Education and Citizenship/PSHE.

British Heroes of the Holocaust
How Should We Remember the Holocaust?