More are the result of choices made by countless individuals and groups. Even the smallest of those decisions may have profound consequences that will affect generations to come. It is the program's intent that students ultimately see connections between history and the moral choices they make. For the past three years, Fiveash, the Memphis middle school teacher, has used Facing History and Ourselves in her eighth grade American history class, building lessons around the Holocaust. She spends three to four weeks on the unit.
Students describe who they think they are.
Students discuss what happens when a whole country allows group exclusion. The rise of Hitler. By studying history and creating a timeline, students see how small steps toward the exclusion of Jews began almost immediately after Hitler's election, and how those small exclusions led to catastrophic exclusions. Varying points of view. Students watch videos and read articles written by survivors as well as documentaries from former Nazi commanders and members of the Hitler youth party.