The Holocaust: From Discrimination to Genocide
This lesson introduces Year 9 students to the Holocaust (Shoah). It covers the ideological roots of Nazi anti-Semitism, the systematic nature of the persecution, and the transition from discrimination to genocide. The lesson emphasises that the Holocaust was a state-sponsored, bureaucratic process rather than a spontaneous event.
Learning objectives
- Define the Holocaust and identify the primary victim groups.
- Explain the process of escalation from discrimination to the 'Final Solution'.
- Analyse the role of the Nuremberg Laws in the social exclusion of Jewish people.
- Evaluate the importance of remembrance in the 21st century.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Introduction · 5 min
Do Now: Write down what you already know about the Holocaust. Quick-fire feedback to the board.
Direct Instruction · 10 min
Teacher Explainer: Delivery of the 6-step script and vocabulary overview.
Guided Practice · 10 min
Timeline Activity: Mapping the escalation from the 1933 Boycott to the 1945 Liberation.
Independent Practice · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheet Task: Students work through Support, Core, or Stretch tasks based on prior attainment.
Discussion · 10 min
Class Discussion: Why is the Holocaust referred to as 'industrialised' murder? Focus on the Final Solution.
Plenary · 5 min
8-Question Multiple Choice Quiz (Exit Ticket).
Key vocabulary
- Anti-Semitism
- Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed against Jews.
- Shoah
- The Hebrew word for the Holocaust, meaning 'catastrophe'.
- Propaganda
- Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause.
- Nuremberg Laws
- 1935 laws that stripped Jews of German citizenship and forbade marriage between Jews and non-Jews.
- Final Solution
- The Nazi code name for the plan to murder all the Jews of Europe.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- Define the term 'Holocaust' in your own words.
- Explain the main purpose of the Nuremberg Laws of 1935.
- How did the Nazis use propaganda to target Jewish people?
- Why was the creation of Ghettos a significant step in the Holocaust?
Quiz (sample)
1. What is the definition of the Holocaust?
- A. A battle during World War II.
- B. The systematic murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis.
- C. A type of political protest.
- D. The name of the German government.
2. What term describes prejudice or hatred against Jewish people?
- A. Communism
- B. Anti-Semitism.
- C. Liberalism
- D. Capitalism
3. In what year were the Nuremberg Laws passed?
- A. 1933
- B. 1935
- C. 1939
- D. 1945
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