Jewish History, the Holocaust & Israel for Social Studies

To meet the requirements of Executive Order 13, resources are being made available to schools to support Iowa’s content standards on Jewish history, the Holocaust and Israel, as well as professional learning materials to support best practices for instruction on these topics.

Jewish History

• The Institute for Curriculum Services includes teaching resources on several topics related to Jewish History:
  • Teaching the History of European Antisemitism
  • Jewish Americans
  • Jewish Immigration
  • Teaching about Judaism
  • Jewish American mini-lessons
• Museum of Jewish Heritage includes educator resources for teaching about antisemitism.
• The PBS documentary entitled The Jewish Journey: America traces Jewish immigration to the United States.
• Combat Antisemitism Movement includes an extensive curriculum to enhance understanding of Jewish Americans and their contributions to the United States and a collection of shorter lessons.
• The Jewish American Heritage Month website includes several resources for teaching Jewish history.
• The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History has lessons on topics such as American Jews and the Civil War, American Jews and World War I and American Responses to the Holocaust.
• The Anti-Defamation League’s Antisemitism Uncovered includes extensive resources for teaching about the history of antisemitism.
• The Sephardi and Mizrahi Education Toolkit provides classroom resources about Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. 
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The Holocaust

Learning about the Holocaust is critical in order to understand the dangers of antisemitism and dehumanization. Several organizations offer high-quality materials supporting effective teaching about the Holocaust and antisemitism.

Guidelines for Teaching about the Holocaust

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum offers ten guidelines for effective teaching about the Holocaust:

1. Define the term “Holocaust”
2. The Holocaust was not inevitable
3. Avoid simple answers to complex questions
4. Strive for precision of language
5. Strive to balance the perspectives that inform your study of the Holocaust
6. Avoid comparisons of pain
7. Avoid romanticizing history
8. Contextualize the history
9. Translate statistics into people
10. Make responsible methodological choices

View more information about each of the guidelines on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's website. 

General Resources for Teaching about the Holocaust

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) offers extensive resources for teaching about the Holocaust. Resources range from the Holocaust encyclopedia, lesson plans, videos and guidance about best practices for teaching about the Holocaust.
• Echoes and Reflections offers extensive resources on teaching the Holocaust and antisemitism. This includes a comprehensive curriculum based on survivor testimony as well as resources such as a timeline of the Holocaust, a student podcast and more. They also offer extensive teacher professional development that is free of charge.
• Institute for Curriculum Services offers free materials and extensive professional development opportunities for teachers about the history of antisemitism, Judaism and Jewish Americans.
• USC Shoah Foundation and iWitness works to record, preserve and share the testimonies of Holocaust survivors. Their website includes thousands of survivor testimonies and educational materials to educate students about the Holocaust and antisemitism.
• Yad Vashem is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Their educational materials include lesson plans, educational videos, online courses, etc. including information on antisemitism related to Jews in North Africa and the Middle East.
• Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center offers several resources related to Holocaust education and has worked with Iowa organizations to tell the story of Iowa Holocaust survivors.
• The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum has a timeline of Holocaust history.
• PBS Learning Media has The U.S. and the Holocaust documentary as well as relevant education resources.
• A Book by Me pairs student authors and illustrators with Holocaust survivors. Funding for classroom book sets is often available.
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum offers extensive teacher resources including lesson plans, virtual tours, podcasts and videos. 

Israel

• The Institute for Curriculum Services includes teaching resources on several topics related to teaching about Israel:
  • Teaching Ancient Israel
  • Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict
  • Religion and Government in the Middle East
  • Israel-Hamas War Resources
  • Maps of the History of the Eastern Mediterranean region
  • Video collection
• Other resources include:
  • Boundless Israel Educational Hub

Iowa Specific Resources 

• Celebrating the Jewish Experience in Iowa provides an overview of Jewish people in Iowa.
• Danville Station Museum offers insight into the Anne Frank connection with Iowa.
• The Iowa Jewish Historical Society offers museum exhibits, testimonies and other materials about the history of Jewish people in Iowa and information on Iowa Holocaust survivors.
• The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center offers several traveling trunks that share the story of midwestern and Iowa Holocaust survivors.
• The Student to Student Program is offered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines as a way to put a “human face” to Judaism. Jewish students go to area schools to answer questions about Judaism and share their diverse perspectives.
• Sioux City Tolerance Week has been providing Holocaust education to Siouxland students and families.  Hearing first hand from Holocaust Survivors, students are charged with telling their own families and carrying the stories when there are no more Holocaust Survivors to tell their stories.
• Iowa PBS includes information on Jewish Settlers in Iowa. 

Professional Development Opportunities

• The United States Memorial Museum offers several free professional development opportunities throughout the year, including the Belfer Conference, virtual events and on-demand videos.
• Echoes and Reflections includes recorded webinars, live professional development programs, online courses and in-person workshops.
• Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) includes several professional development opportunities including live virtual workshops, online courses and summer institutes.
• iWitness from the USC Shoah Foundation includes an extensive online library of recorded webinars.
• Yad Vashem includes recorded videos, podcast and information about extensive workshop offerings.
• The Illinois Holocaust Museum offers in-person workshops such as summer institutes and other teacher professional development opportunities.