Lessons from the Holocaust

Eighth grade ELA students are learning about the Holocaust. As they delve into this unit of study, they are discovering how one person can make a difference and how people possess the power to make their own choices and control their own behaviors. They are exploring that when prejudice is allowed to thrive, lives are at stake, and bystanders can be just as guilty as perpetrators. As they analyze this topic, the students confront present concerns involving loyalty, peer pressure, conformity, belonging, and scapegoating. When faced with these concerns, they can remember the fate of the Holocaust victims, and rather than ignore the others’ wrongdoings, help to create better situations for those who are victimized. Their teacher, Mrs. Sheldon, says, “We study and remember the mistakes made in the past so that we never repeat them. To honor Holocaust victims, we will celebrate the freedom to choose to act in the face of prejudice so that fateful events such as the Holocaust will never happen again.”