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Studying the Holocaust

Lesson Plan
Jews Forcibly Pulled Out of Dugouts, 1943
Echoes & Reflections is a leading provider of free Holocaust education resources and professional development for the middle and high school classroom. We help educators to teach about the Holocaust accurately and with confidence. Our goal is to enhance students' historical knowledge, critical thinking, and personal understanding of this history. GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening This unit introduces students…
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What's a Bill?

Lesson Plan
Illustration of a legislative bill being carried up the steps to Congress
Civics Lesson GRADE LEVEL: High School What is the Difference Between a Bill and a Law? What Bills Have Had Significant Impact on People in the United States? Why Do Some Bills Pass into Law and Others Do Not?   In 1976, Schoolhouse Rock! released “I’m Just a Bill,” an animated video with a catchy tune that educated students around the U.S. about bills. Since then, music has changed, graphics in videos have changed but the actual process of becoming…
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Gaining Momentum: Lobbying for Change

Lesson Plan
Young woman shakes hands at interview
Civics Lesson GRADE LEVEL: High School How Do Lobbyists Impact the Democratic Process? What are Effective Ways of Lobbying? How Might I Lobby for My Bill?   “Lobbying” is an effort by individuals and groups to influence government decisions and actions, and specifically the writing of laws. Lobbying can take different forms including writing letters, making phone calls to legislators and meeting with people in the administration. As student activism in…
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Historical Antisemitism

Lesson Plan
Nazi Propaganda and Ideology Taught to Students
Echoes & Reflections GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening In this unit, students learn about the origins of antisemitism and how this hatred was exploited by the Nazis during the 1920s and 1930s as part of their racist ideology. Students define the terms antisemitism and stereotype, review text and video sources, and create a timeline reflecting examples of antisemitism throughout history. Students will…
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Antisemitism After the Holocaust

Lesson Plan
A poster that reads "Well done Israel, Hitler would be proud
Echoes & Reflections: Teaching the HolocaustGRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language The lessons in this unit increase students’ understanding of Jewish people and awareness that antisemitism did not end after the Holocaust, and provide them with opportunities to learn about the persistence of antisemitism in its contemporary forms. Students investigate the ways in which old ideas about Jews and Judaism have…
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Complicity and Responsibility

Lesson Plan
Painting by Felix Nussbaum - The Refugee
Echoes & Reflections is a leading provider of free Holocaust education resources and professional development for the middle and high school classroom. We help educators to teach about the Holocaust accurately and with confidence. Our goal is to enhance students' historical knowledge, critical thinking, and personal understanding of this history. GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening This unit provides an opportunity for…
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Transformational Texts: Using Children's Literature to Open Doors on Historical and Current Events

Webinar
Books of the Month Collage
Speakers: Jinnie Spiegler, Director of Curriculum and Training, and Libby Otto, Associate Director of Curriculum and Training, ADL Books for young children about historical topics like enslavement, the Holocaust, Japanese-American internment, voting rights, segregation and genocide present these subjects with both sensitivity and insight. When it comes to current event topics there are many excellent books about immigration and the refugee crisis, racial justice, transgender rights,…
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Rescuers and Righteous Among the Nations

Lesson Plan
Boat with Jews Sailing from Falster Denmark to Ystad in Sweden, 1943
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening This unit provides students with an opportunity to learn about the types of rescue that occurred in Nazi-occupied Europe and to consider the moral and ethical choices that non-Jews made in order to help Jews survive. The unit also outlines the obstacles and dangers that hidden children faced during the Holocaust. Throughout the unit, students have an opportunity to consider the…
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On-Screen Diversity: Why Visibility in Media Matters

Lesson Plan
Media Concept Smart TV
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language Does Entertainment Represent Our Increasingly Diverse Society?In recent years, we have seen some progress made in terms of the diversity and representation of characters and actors we see in movies and on television. For example, over the last sixteen years, the percentage of Asian characters with speaking roles increased from 3.4% to 15.9%. However, there is still much…
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Important Books to Explore Bullying and Ally Behavior

Tools and Strategies
Books on Bullying and Ally Behavior
While bullying is still a problem in schools, the intersection of bias and bullying can be particularly harmful. Identity-based bullying is when a person is targeted based on an essential part of their identity (e.g., race, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, or gender identity). It is common in schools and not only impacts the targeted person but everyone else around them that shares their identity. Identity-based bullying can leave all students feeling unsafe and fearful that…
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Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust

Lesson Plan
Vilna Ghetto Partisans
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening This unit provides an opportunity for students to explore Jewish resistance efforts during the Holocaust—focusing on the period from the establishment of the ghettos through the implementation of the “Final Solution.” An opportunity is provided for students to learn about the risks of resisting Nazi domination and the means, scope, and intensity of resistance…
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Amplify Constitution Day, Amplify Student Voice

Article
education friendship gesture
by: Libby Otto By mid-September, you’re busy with school, work and fall activities. Constitution Day, on September 17, may slip past you without a thought. So why should this year be any different?  Constitution Day is the anniversary of the day that the Founding Fathers signed the United States Constitution. As you reflect this year on how the current political climate and public policies impact millions of people, continue asking yourself: are you making a positive change to…
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Calendar of Observances

Tools and Strategies
Calendar-Multicultural
Increase your awareness of religious obligations and ethnic and cultural festivities that may affect students, colleagues and neighbors in your community.
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Pyramid of Hate

Tools and Strategies
The Pyramid of Hate illustrates the prevalence of bias, hate and oppression in our society. It is organized in escalating levels of attitudes and behavior that grow in complexity from bottom to top. Like a pyramid, the upper levels are supported by the lower levels; unlike a pyramid, the levels are not built consecutively or to demonstrate a ranking of each level. Bias at each level reflects a system of oppression that negatively impacts individuals, institutions and society…
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Native American Heritage Month

Tools and Strategies
Native American Heritage Month Hero
November is Native American Heritage Month, which was first declared by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The month provides an opportunity to commemorate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories and acknowledge the important contributions of Native American/Indigenous people. It is also an important time to educate the general public, as well as young people in schools, about the bias, discrimination and unique challenges faced by Native American/Indigenous people…
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Diverse Books Matter

Lesson Plan
Preschoolers - Mayor's Book Club
Teach students about the importance of diverse literature and engage them in a study on the diversity of books in their classroom or school library.
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5 Things to Know about the Jewish High Holidays

Tools and Strategies
Apples and Honey on a table
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, are celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. The High Holidays fall on different days each year. For the specific dates each year, check our Calendar of Observances. These and other Jewish holidays fall on different days in our calendar because they follow the Jewish calendar, which has a different number of days than our calendar. The Jewish calendar is a Soli-lunar calendar.&nbsp…
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What Bullying Is and Is Not (In English and en Español)

Tools and Strategies
Combating Bullying and Cyber Bullying
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current EventsBullying is a phrase we hear regularly and often: in the media, on TV shows and movies, in schools and in conversations among both adults and children. Parents, students and schools are rightfully worried about bullying. It is a problem and cause for concern but may not be as widespread as many think because the term “bullying” is often used as an umbrella to describe all kinds of mean behavior—from a rude comment to a…
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Swastikas and Other Hate Symbols

Lesson Plan
Swastika Brooklyn
GRADE LEVEL: High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Language We see symbols every day in all aspects of our lives. Symbols are used to convey ideas, qualities, emotions, material objects/products, opinions and beliefs. Unfortunately, symbols are also used to convey hate and bias. Lately, we have seen a lot of hate symbol graffiti in public spaces and specifically the swastika, which in most circumstances is understood as an expression of antisemitism. There has reportedly…
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