Teacher Notes

Notes For Teachers

It is crucial that students receive information about The Holocaust that is fact-based and age-appropriate. 

All our resources have been carefully sourced and thoroughly researched. While there is a vast amount of reliable information available on this subject from organisations that are dedicated to accurately depicting these events, there are also many misleading sources available. This is usually through lack of rigour, but it may be intentional. While we encourage teachers to broaden their subject knowledge, we urge caution when sourcing information (see the list of suggested reliable sources below). Equally, care must be taken when using fictional depictions of The Holocaust. Some authors meticulously research their work and take great pains to ensure the world they describe is presented as authentically as possible, while others are less concerned about the accuracy of their depictions. When using historical fiction you should always remind your pupils that that is precisely what they are reading.

Teachers have a duty of care towards their pupils. Our resources are specifically designed to be suitable for the 11 – 15 age group. The quality of a child's first encounter with this subject will define their relationship with it from then on and consequently we strive to avoid shocking or traumatising children. This is perhaps the biggest challenge in teaching this subject area, as arguably it is impossible not to refer to disturbing and unsettling truths. But it is vital that teachers are sensitive when evaluating the use of any additional teaching materials – detailed references to the methods of mass-murder employed by death squads or in concentration camps are not appropriate for this age group, neither are graphic pictures of piles of dead bodies. Not only is it unnecessarily traumatic, it callously dehumanises the victims of murder. 

To accurately convey the impact of these events children need to be aware of the richness and diversity of pre-war Jewish life in Europe. A central part of Nazi racist ideology was the belief that Jews were sub-human and teaching about the vibrancy of pre-war Jewish life will help your children not to see Jews as merely faceless victims.

It is important to be sensitive to any personal connections your children may have to the subject. Jewish children in your class may well have direct family links to these events and the themes of discrimination and displacement will have echoes in the life-experiences of refugee children. 

Depictions of The Holocaust are prevalent in wider society and your children are likely, for example, to have heard of Adolf Hitler or seen a swastika. Teachers should be cognisant of any prior knowledge their children are bringing to the lessons.

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