HMDT Approach to Education
Approach to Education
On Holocaust Memorial Day 2011 our focus will be on Untold Stories. On HMD 2011, we are asking everyone to tell the individual stories of the past to enable us to learn from real stories in our history to create a safer, better future. Last year, on HMD 2010, we challenged you to create a Legacy of Hope. Thousands of educators and their students responded and made a promise to play a part in our shared future. On HMD 2011 we’re asking you to build on these pledges and carry the legacy into the future. Sharing and passing on Untold Stories makes this possible.
HMD 2011 provides an opportunity to encourage young people to listen to Untold Stories and through them hear the voices from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides. By responding to stories and sharing them with others, students can consider how to create a safer and more inclusive future. We hope that through HMD your students will be inspired to make a difference in their own communities as well as remembering the past.
HMDT aims to make it as easy as possible to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in your educational establishment. Make sure you order our free Campaign Pack – this contains free posters, a film and more information on Holocaust Memorial Day. You can also sign up to our newsletter so that you are the first to hear when we have new resources or workshops available.
Our education website provides you with a wide selection of educational material for all ages, across all subjects and in all stages of education. Whether you choose to spend an hour, an afternoon or a whole day commemorating HMD, our education resources make it easy to find the right material for your students. We are sharing Untold Stories through our case studies, assemblies and age specific activities. We encourage you to share these with your students. Nazi policies of discrimination, hatred and persecution affected millions of people. This means that there are millions of Untold Stories. We can’t tell them all; so as well as sharing the stories you find here we challenge you uncover others. We have provided some starting points for your own research projects.
Although we know it is not always possible, we encourage you to take young people off timetable on 27 January and allow them to approach HMD through a wide variety of activities.
After hearing Untold Stories some students may appreciate periods of quiet reflection; some may want to debate the issues contained in the narratives and others may wish to discuss how they can share Untold Stories with others. HMD is also an ideal opportunity for students to join in events in their local community so they can share Untold Stories with different generations.
It is up to you, there is no right or wrong way to mark HMD.
Genocide may not be a comfortable subject to tackle but it is essential to recognise that it has taken place. We are not asking you to imagine what life was like under the Nazi regime or during the genocide in Rwanda. We are asking you to look at what happened, to listen to the Untold Stories from that period, share them with others and apply their lessons to our lives today. Genocide is a poignant reminder of what can happen when discrimination and hatred is left unchecked.
HMD 2011 is a chance to focus on positive action by reflecting on how we can make sure that Untold Stories survive and find a new audience to bear witness to the past and it serves as a reminder to look to our own behaviour towards others.
We urge you to encourage your students to reflect upon the testimony uncovered as they hear the stories and to keep in mind the words of Ibi Ginsburg, a Holocaust survivor ‘We carry on telling our stories because we were eye-witnesses. The most important thing is to tell people so this can never happen again’.
We believe that HMD is appropriate for all age groups and across all subject areas. On this site you will find lesson plans for Citizenship/PSE Humanities , English, ICT, R.E, Creative Arts Maths & Science, Design and Technology as well as assemblies.
We know how precious your time is – so we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to navigate our site. You can search by case studies, by age range or by subject area. Why not tell your colleagues about our resources and with them, you can hold a cross-curricular day to mark HMD and share Untold Stories with everyone?
For primary teachers, resources have been produced to engage younger students with the key messages of HMD in an appropriate way. Please do contact us if you would like further advice on how to use the website.
Tips for commemorating HMD in schools
Keep it appropriate. Be aware of the ages of the students participating. Using HMD resources will assist this.
Stay on message. HMD is not an opportunity to learn everything about the Holocaust and other genocides – it’s a way in which we can reflect on the past and learn lessons which we can apply to our communities today. If you do wish to cover more general Holocaust issues, we recommend that you contact The Holocaust Centre, The Imperial War Museum or the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Never use images for shock value. Whilst the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and genocide are shocking and there is a wealth of photographic and video evidence of the atrocities committed, it is important to remember that you must never dehumanise the victims. Images of corpses and open graves in particular should be avoided. If you feel that a particular image, while shocking, adds to the impact of your event issue a brief warning before using it.
Preparation. Plan ahead and ensure you check our resources are appropriate.
Forward Looking. HMD isn’t just learning about history. It’s learning from history. We need to ensure that we all have thought about positive action that we can take forward to our shared future after HMD.
Tell us what you plan to do for HMD 2011, even if your events are closed to the general public. Add your event to our website
We want to hear from you. You can contact the HMD office on 0845 838 1883 or via email enquiries@hmd.org.uk Members of the HMDT Team are also always happy to assist you with any queries you may have about HMD.
We understand how precious your time is, and we thank you for making the time to commemorate HMD in your school.