Teaching the Unspeakable: Creating a Curriculum based on Holocaust Literature using Young Adult Texts and Meeting Common Core Standards

Abstract

The Holocaust is an atrocity that remains a vital area of study regardless of how many decades pass. It presents educators with opportunities to discuss not only the historical facts of the event but also the numerous reasons it is considered a watershed event of the twentieth century. Holocaust education also has the potential to support students’ moral development and to help instill in them a sense of global awareness. Although educators may view the Holocaust as a daunting topic to teach, literary works serve as an effective approach to historical education. When educators incorporate literature into the study of the Holocaust, the brutalities endured by victims are personalized, helping to turn facts and statistics into the experiences of real people. Biographical novels, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, are the most common Holocaust literature taught in schools, but educators should not overlook young adult literature. Authors of young adult literature present stories that relay historical information while encouraging students’ engagement throughout an academic unit. These literary texts also promote before-, during-, and after-reading activities that increase students’ historical knowledge and reading comprehension and improve students’ quality of writing while meeting various Common Core State Standards, which are becoming more prevalent in schools across the United States.