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Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission

Elementary School Lesson Plans

SB 1828 calls for age-appropriate instruction, as determined by each school district. Please note that the THGAAC does not recommend explicit Holocaust instruction before 6th grade. Elementary schools are advised to choose their own materials that cover broader themes. These include:

  • Community
  • Tolerance (fighting prejudice)
  • Responsible citizenship (being an upstander)
  • Anti-bullying
  • Who the Jews are. (This way, when Holocaust instruction occurs in the upper grades, it is not the students' first introduction to Jews or Judaism. This is key to making sure that students do not perceive Jewish identity solely through the lens of victimization.)

Approved Lesson Plans and Other Resources for the Classroom

Approved Lesson Plans

Young Upstanders Toolkit (from Holocaust Museum Houston)

  • Six lessons for K-2 grade students
  • Six lessons for 3-5 grade students
  • All handouts needed for the lessons
  • Free access to a curated collection of E-books
  • Coloring pages

K-5 Curriculum Guide (from Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio)

  • Six lessons with age recommendations for K-5
  • Themes include tolerance, diversity, responsible citizenship, and the Holocaust

Upstander Education Database (from Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum)

  • Free registration for educators
  • Resources include the "I Am Human" Lesson (lower elementary), "I Am Anne Frank" Lesson (upper elementary), "Hidden Children-Secret Sanctuaries" Lesson (upper elementary), and elementary morning announcements.

Lala - Reflections on Prejudice (from USC Shoah Foundation)

Thanks to Good People: The Story of Holocaust Survivor Yona Amit (from Yad Vashem)

I Wanted to Fly Like a Butterfly: A Child’s Recollections of the Holocaust (from Yad Vashem)

Other Helpful Resources

Guidelines for Holocaust Instruction - Grades 3-6 (from Echoes and Reflections)
Professional Learning for Educators (from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
Virtual Field Trips and School Programs (from Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum)
Educator In Motion Program (from Holocaust Museum Houston)