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Gizella Abramson Teaching the Holocaust Fall 2024 Conference
All English and Social Studies Teachers in Middle and High School in NC are eligible to attend the NC Council on the Holocaust Gizella Abramson Teaching the Holocaust Spring Conference. Space is limited, so signing up early is important. Substitutes will be paid for all NC public school teachers.
Below, you will see the agenda for this conference, which will also have all of the presentations and files embedded for your use by the day of the workshop.
Contact Information for the Conference Facilitators:
Lauren Piner, Region 1 Director: pinerl@pitt.k12.nc.us
Lee Holder, Region 2 Director: historyhawk308@gmail.com
Juanita Ray, Region 3 Director: holocaustncwest@gmail.com
Karen Klaich, Region 4 Director: holocaustnceast@gmail.com
Casey Voss, Region 4 Director: casey.voss@stokes.k12.nc.us
Laurie Schaefer, Region 5 Director: schaefer.laurie2006@gmail.com
Kinsi King, Region 6 Director: kinsi_king@iss.k12.nc.us
Kris Head, Region 6 Director: kristopher.head@ucps.k12.nc.us
Amy Clark, Region 7 Director: uncgirl1989@gmail.com
| AGENDA ITEMS | LINKS TO RESOURCES USED |
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8:00-8:20: Introductions/Housekeeping |
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8:20-9:05: 3G Survivor Courtney Doi |
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9:05-9:15: Break |
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9:15-10:45: Breakout Session #1 (Teachers choose one when you register in the morning):
NC Council on the Holocaust Presentation: Photo Narrative and Timeline of the Holocaust This session will feature two hands-on lessons to use when helping students define the Holocaust, analyze primary sources, and build a historical timeline of the Holocaust. Both lessons are from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the NC Council on the Holocaust has some unique additions to the Timeline activity for teachers in NC, including two new layers. We highly recommend this session for all teachers, but especially those who are new to teaching about the Holocaust, as these lessons can provide a solid foundation for learning how and why the Holocaust happened. |
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Echoes and Reflections: Analyzing Propaganda and Media Literacy In this session with Echoes and Reflections facilitator Laurie Schaefer, participants will learn how to analyze Nazi propaganda through the lens of media literacy. Using examples from Terezin and The Poisonous Mushroom, teachers will be able to take back hands-on lessons that will engage students in critical thinking about not only Nazi propaganda, but also about propaganda after the Holocaust, such as what was used in modern day genocides such as Rwanda in 1994. Teachers will also learn about the many resources for teaching about the Holocaust available to them through Echoes and Reflections. |
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Rabbi Fred Guttman: Resistance in the Holocaust The many forms of resistance that took place in the Holocaust will be featured in this presentation led by Rabbi Fred Guttman. Students often ask the question “Why didn’t they resist?” not realizing the many forms of resistance that did take place during the Holocaust, so participants will learn how to answer that question and others that students often ask about resistance. |
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10:45-11:00: Break |
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11:00-12:30: Breakout Session #2 (Teachers choose one when you register in the morning):
–NC Council Presentation: Oath and Opposition: Teachers in the Third Reich Education in Nazi Germany is the focus of this session, where participants will learn about the role of teachers in aiding or opposing the Nazis in German schools. Through four case studies of teachers and the choices that they made and survivor testimony, teachers will learn how to implement this lesson from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in their classrooms to help students understand the impact that teachers had on students during this time in history. |
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-Facing History: Exploring Antisemitism and Its Impacts Presented by Aimee Ballans, Senior Director of New Communities at Facing History and Ourselves Participants will have the opportunity to explore Facing History’s approach and resources for helping students understand what antisemitism is, how it shows up in contemporary settings, why it persists, and how it impacts individuals and communities. |
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-NC Council on the Holocaust Presentation: Teaching a Holocaust Elective This session is for teachers who either are currently teaching an elective on the Holocaust or who would like to teach an elective in the future. Participants will explore the new framework for teaching an elective from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and also interact with two outlines for an elective that apply the new objectives and course materials from NCDPI as options for teachers to use when planning for their own course. Presenters in this session have all taught a Holocaust elective and will offer support and advice for how to get started. |
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12:30-1:30: Lunch on your own |
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1:30-2:50: Breakout Session #3 (Teachers choose one when you register in the morning):
–NC Council Presentation: Challenges of Escape Why didn’t the Jews just leave? Students often ask this question when they begin their study of the Holocaust, so this lesson incorporates primary sources, survivor testimony, and historical facts to help answer this complex question. By the end of the lesson, students may change their question to “How could so many of the Jews have managed to leave Germany?” Teachers of any experience in teaching the Holocaust will find this lesson to be an important one to use with their students. |
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–Facing History: Exploring Antisemitism and Its Impacts Presented by Aimee Ballans, Senior Director of New Communities at Facing History and Ourselves Participants will have the opportunity to explore Facing History’s approach and resources for helping students understand what antisemitism is, how it shows up in contemporary settings, why it persists, and how it impacts individuals and communities. |
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–Echoes and Reflections: Teaching about Genocide Presented by Echoes and Reflections facilitator Laurie Schaefer, this session is shaped by four fundamental questions: What is genocide? Who were the people before they became victims? How did genocide occur? How do we remember a genocide? In asking these questions about four genocides of the 20th century, the purpose of this session is to encourage critical thinking in students to explore the concept of genocide and analyze some of the common themes seen across multiple genocides. Educators will gain exposure through experiential activities with classroom-ready resources. |
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2:50-3:00: Break |
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3:00-3:55: Holocaust Survivor Speakers In this closing session, Holocaust survivor Shelly Weiner will speak about her experiences of surviving the Holocaust by hiding for years with her mother, aunt, and cousin. Her daughter, Julie, will also join us and share her perspective as a second generation survivor and what it was like growing up and hearing her mother’s story.
Note: While you are welcome to take a quick photograph of the survivors on the screen when they are Zooming with us, please put phones and computers away during this final session to be respectful of the time we have with them, and please do not fill out your evaluation during this session. |
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3:55-4:00: Evaluations and Certificates |
