Lesson Plans & Best Practices
Holocaust education is history, civics, social studies, literature, psychology, art, and so much more. Studying the Holocaust provides a scaffold for understanding how normalizing racism and exclusion in public discourse can result in normalizing racism and exclusion in public policy. By studying the Holocaust, students will learn the importance of actively seeking to build an equitable and inclusive society in which all people's rights and dignity are respected.
Explore the topics below to find classroom-ready lesson plans that align with Washington State's best practices for teaching about the Holocaust. If you are looking for step-by-step assistance, see our recommended unit outlines for ELA and Social Studies.
For questions, email Paul Regelbrugge, Director of Education, at
- 3. Rise of National Socialism and the Nazis (1933-1939)
- Path to Nazi Genocide Film (38 minutes)
- The Nazi Rise to Power Film (5 minute video from Facing History)
- Laws and the National Community (Reading and questions)
- Non-Jewish Victims of Nazi Persecution
- Black Americans and the Nazi Olympics
- Growing up Black in Nazi Germany
- Holocaust Timeline Activity
- Vienna Participatory Learning Lesson
- 4. Persecution to Murder: War and the Ghettos (1939-1941)
- Phases of the Holocaust 7 minute film (Handout)
- The War Against Poland: Speed and Brutality and The War on Jews in Poland (reading and questions)
- Establishment of the Ghettos and the Jewish Response
- The Jewish Ghettos: Separated from the World
- U.S. Immigration Policy and the Experiences of Jewish Refugees During the Holocaust
- Challenges of Escape, 1938-1941
- “Why Didn’t They Just Leave?”
- Lesson Plans for U.S. History
- Path to Nazi Genocide Film (38 minutes)
- Immigration and Refugees, A Case Study on the Wagner - Rogers Bill
- Americans and the Holocaust: The Refugee Crisis
- Black Americans and the Nazi Olympics
- U.S. Immigration Policy and the Experiences of Jewish Refugees During the Holocaust
- Inquiry by Design Model: Did Public Opinion influence the U.S. response to the Holocaust
- Holocaust Literature & Additional Resources
- Recommended Holocaust Literature and Guides/Lessons
- Learning from Poetry of the Holocaust Lesson Plan
- More Than Any Child Should Know: A Kindertransport Story of the Holocaust
- HCH Created Overview Lessons
- Guidelines for Teaching the Holocaust
- Guidelines for Teaching About Genocide
- Introduction to the Holocaust (1 Day Lesson)
- Bearing Witness: Intro to the Holocaust (2 Day Lesson)
- The Pyramid of Hate and the Holocaust
- USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Americans and the Holocaust Online Exhibit
- USC Shoah Iwitness