Before attending this workshop, we recommend that you watch the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The Path to Nazi Genocide if you have not already done so, as it will give you historical context for the time period of the Holocaust. It is a four part series on You Tube and is under forty minutes to watch for the entire documentary. Access the link below to begin watching the video:
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2024 Gizella Abramson Teaching the Holocaust Spring Conference
March 22, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
City of Medicine Academy
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.
Participants will not only hear from experts in the field of Holocaust education, walk away with hands-on, ready-to-go lessons for their classrooms, and explore resources for teaching the Holocaust and implementing the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act, but they will also hear from a Holocaust survivor or a second generation survivor. CEU credits will also be available for all teachers.
This workshop will be held at Elon University on March 22nd from 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM. The keynote speaker, who will be with us in person, will be Alexandra Zapruder, editor of Salvaged Pages: Young Writer’s Diaries of the Holocaust.
The Gizella Abramson Teaching the Holocaust Spring Conference
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
Casey Voss, Region 4 Director: casey.voss@stokes.k12.nc.us
Laurie Schaefer, Region 5 Director: lschaefer@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Amy Clark, Region 7 Director: uncgirl1989@gmail.com
Stacey Dotson, Region 8 Director: srcdotson@gmail.com
| AGENDA ITEMS | LINKS TO RESOURCES USED |
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8:00-8:15: Introductions/Housekeeping |
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8:15-9:15: Teaching the Holocaust with the Diaries of Young People: Alexandra Zapruder In this opening session of the conference, Alexandra Zapruder, editor of Salvaged Pages, will share how young people’s diaries during the Holocaust can serve as both primary sources of information and resistance during this dark time in history. |
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9:15-9:30: Break |
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9:30-10:45: Breakout Session #1 (Teachers Choose One): –Guidelines and Photo Narrative Lesson In this session, teachers will explore the USHMM’s Guidelines for Teaching the Holocaust and a lesson using historical photographs from the USHMM’s collection that teachers can use in their classrooms, no matter the age or subject. Teaching Holocaust history demands a high level of sensitivity and keen awareness of the complexity of the subject matter, and these resources and lessons will help teachers explore responsible pedagogy and help students answer how and why the Holocaust happened. Teachers who are new to teaching the Holocaust are especially encouraged to attend this session, but all teachers who are not familiar with the Guidelines or this introductory lesson to teaching the Holocaust are welcomed.
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–Challenges of Seeking Refuge Lesson 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 and Ourselves: Introduction to Genocide and Holocaust Education Presented by Aimee Ballans, Senior Director of New Communities at Facing History and Ourselves This session introduces participants to Facing History’s approach to teaching about genocide and the Holocaust by engaging in student-centered lessons and experiencing strategies that facilitate student learning about pivotal moments in history in order to connect to the past and make informed choices in the future. |
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10:45-11:00: Break |
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11:00-12:15: Breakout Session #2 (Teachers Choose One): –State of Deception: Nazi Propaganda How did words, images, and other techniques shape the general public’s thinking in Nazi Germany? What are some ways participants can engage their students in discussion related to antisemitism and hatred? Participants will discuss propaganda and take part in an activity that will help implement the study of Nazi propaganda in their classrooms. |
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–Facing History and Ourselves: 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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–Klaus Langer’s Diary: Alexandra Zapruder Alexandra Zapruder will do a detailed study of one diary in Salvaged Pages written by Klaus Langer, a Jewish teenager in Nazi Germany. Learn about the challenges that Klaus and his family faced in Nazi Germany and how they sought to escape. |
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12:15-1:15: Lunch on your own |
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1:15-2:15: Holocaust Survivor Speaker: Renee Fink At the age of four in the Netherlands, Renee’s life changed when she was sent to live with a Catholic family and her family was betrayed. Listen to her story as she tells us of the fate of her family and what it was like to survive apart from her family. |
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2:15-2:30: Break |
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2:30-3:00: Introduction to the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act Curriculum Resources As a whole group, we will explore the process for creating the curriculum resources for the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act, the intended use for the curriculum resources, and other information about the legislation. |
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3:00-3:45: Social Studies and ELA teachers breakout sessions ELA and Social Studies teachers will break into different groups and rooms to explore content-specific resources for teaching the Holocaust. Teachers will also explore the new North Carolina Council on the Holocaust website and the resources available on it. |
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3:45-4:00: Q & A, Evaluations |
