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| Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior. A course of study using the history of 20th-century genocide to teach about the meaning of human dignity, morality, law, citizenship, and behavior for students in grades 8-11. |
Audience Approved by PEP for students in grades 8-11.
Description Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior programs engage adolescent students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism. Within an interdisciplinary framework drawing upon adolescent development theory, the program encourages students to make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives as citizens in a democracy. Facing History and Ourselves works in partnership with educators to create programs that address complex issues of citizenship and social justice.
The resource book, Facing History and Ourselves, helps students confront the complexities of history in ways that promote critical and creative thinking about the challenges they face and the opportunities they have for positive change. The book begins with short stories and autobiographical accounts that help students look at ourselves--who we are and how our identity is formed. The book then considers how three sets of ideas have shaped not only individual identity but also national identity, including that of the United States. Those ideas are democracy, race, and nationalism. The chapters that follow focus primarily on how those ideas influenced the decisions that led to the destruction of democracy in Weimar Germany and ultimately to the Holocaust. The book also relates those decisions to issues that affect students' lives today--particularly to issues of racism, antisemitism, violence, conformity, and power. That last chapters in the book take students from reflection to judgment, and then to action as they consider questions of right and wrong, guilt and responsibility. Those chapters also return to the themes of early chapters as students discover how the legacies of the past shape identity. Because Facing History is ultimately a study in human behavior, the book ends with a chapter entitled "Choosing to Participate." It features examples of pro-active and pro-social behavior. The resource book is cross-referenced to other publications, including Elements of Time and Choosing to Participate; the latter is a history of American volunteerism and community service.
The program uses the tools of the humanities and is interdisciplinary. It is specifically designed for adolescents in middle schools and junior and senior high schools. Its approach and methodology are broadly applicable to violence prevention, multicultural education, and critical thinking. The professional development activities offered employ an adult learning model that encourages the teacher to become a lifelong learner. Facing History and Ourselves views research through the teacher's lens and creates resources that can be used in conjunction with ongoing support to design effective courses for students in a variety of settings.
Evidence of Effectiveness Students who participated in Facing History and Ourselves units demonstrated: (1) greater knowledge of historical concepts than those not enrolled in the unit; and (2) increased complexity of interpersonal understanding compared with students enrolled in traditional Modern World History courses.
Requirements An individual teacher, team, school, or entire school district may choose to adopt a Facing History and Ourselves program (3-12 weeks), or adapt it to enhance existing courses. Teachers should attend a one- or two-day workshop or a six-day summer institute before piloting the classroom materials.
Services A team of national and regional program staff, as well as teacher trainers from public, private, and parochial schools are available for initial training, follow-up consultation, and continuing professional development activities. Brochures are available at no cost. Visitors are welcome at offices in Boston, New York, Memphis, and Chicago. The National Resource Center collects and distributes printed and audio-visual materials. Classroom visits to demonstration sites can be arranged. In communities where certified trainers are available, adult education courses and inservice programs are offered.
Costs Training costs consist of $500 per day plus travel and lodging for presenters' fees and $10 per participant (typically 20-40 people) for workshop materials. Costs can be negotiated depending upon available funds.
Developmental Funding: USOE ESEA Title IV-C.
JDRP No. 80-33 (12/5/80)
Recertified (3/11/93)
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