New Holocaust and Genocide Lesson Plan Resources

I used to always hate teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides in history. It's just so sad and tragic when I like to keep my classes fun and engaging. It's so important though and can also teach valuable lessons about bravery, standing up for what is right, and the consequence of inaction in the face of evil.

Over the past couple years I developed a set of holocaust lesson plans that get students thinking about these important topics. They are all included in this downloadable Holocaust and Genocide Unit Bundle.

This download includes a wonderful set of Common Core resources to teach not just about the Holocaust, but other genocides throughout history, including: Stalin's Great Purge, the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur and the Armenian genocide.

Included in this bundle is a PowerPoint on the Holocaust that covers from the rise of the Nazis in Germany through the Nuremberg Trials. Each slide includes gripping photos and the tragic history of the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht, the Final Solution and the camps themselves. The notes are also easy-to-follow and focused in on essential understandings.

Also included is a fantastic lesson plan on genocides in history that incorporates Common Core strategies, cooperative learning, and higher-level thinking. It includes 6 one page readings on genocides in history (the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, Stalin's Great Purge, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur) along with a chart students complete on each genocide's info. This can be completed as a station activity, in groups, or individually.

Additional projects, readings, worksheets and more are all included in this download! Now, I look forward to the amazing lessons I can impart to my students and our deep, meaningful class discussions. I hope that these can do the same for you and your classes!

Thanks for looking!

The History of Halloween Lesson Plan Worksheet

Every year around Halloween I love to teach my history classes about the History of Haloween as a holiday and its traditions.  This great handout tells the history of Halloween from its Celtic, Pagan, and early Christian beginnings up through its mainstream popularity in the United States today.

It includes the historic background to many popular Halloween traditions, including jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, costumes, and more. Following the 1 page reading, students answer a set of CCSS-aligned comprehension and opinion questions before creating their own traditional Halloween postcard based off several examples shown on the handout. An answer key is included.

Students always love this type of interesting reading as opposed to the usual things they tend to receive in their classes. You can download this to use in your classes by clicking here!

Thanks for looking and Happy Halloween!!

One Year Anniversary Sale!

Today marks the 1 year anniversary for the Students of History store on TpT! As a thank you to everyone who has supported Students of History, we're having a sale on every resource in the store! Be sure to look out for more deals and giveaways all week long!

New Products Just in Time for My 1 Year Anniversary!

One year ago next week marks the 1 year anniversary of my Students of History store on TpT! I had heard about Teachers Pay Teachers a few times from different people, but was wary of how much of a market there really was for teaching resources online. I had a newborn baby though and was looking for some way to bring in a little extra cash, so when my mom emailed me a link to a CNN story about how one seller made a million dollars, so I thought I'd finally give it a try!

It's been a lot of time and effort to polish up the many resources I've created over my 11 years teaching, but also very rewarding. Just knowing how many teachers out there are using products I've made and benefiting, is really fantastic.

To celebrate the anniversary, I'm planning on lots of promotions, sales, and giveaways next week! I've also added a few products recently to get up to 250 total teaching resources! Here's a sample of just a few of the most recent:

Comparing the 13 Colonies Chart
This fantastic graphic organizer worksheet includes 29 characteristics, people, and colonies that students must correctly match to the correct colonial region: either the New England colonies, Middle Colonies, or Southern Colonies.

Analyzing Bill of Rights Scenarios Worksheet
This worksheet includes abbreviated versions of America's Bill of Rights for students to read and a set of short scenarios that students must analyze. Each scenario describes a violation of one of the first ten Amendments in a way that students can identify with and understand. They then refer back to the Bill of Rights to match it to the correct one. Finally, students answer a question regarding their opinion on whether our rights are absolute or can change over time.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Analysis and "Students in the Hands of an Angry Principal" Project
This fantastic and fun assignment has students read a selection from the famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by the Colonial-era theologian Jonathan Edwards. Next are a few short analysis questions on the sermon before students must write their own speech titled, "Students in the Hands of an Angry Principal". The directions explain how students must identify the purpose of Edwards' sermon and then write a speech imagining what a new principal for your school might say with the same outlook.

Reasons for the Fall of Rome Sorting Activity
This is a great cooperative learning or individual activity in which students analyze 20 reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire and match them to the category that best describes it (Social, Political, Economic, or Military). After classifying each reason for Rome's decline, students analyze their results to determine what had the biggest and smallest impact on Rome's ultimate collapse. I like to have my students work together on this so that they can argue and defend their choices as each is open to interpretation. However, an answer key is also provided for your convenience.

Plus, LOTS more amazing resources in the store! Thank you so much for looking and happy teaching!

New PowerPoint Lesson on the Founding of Christianity in the Roman Empire

This wonderful, visually-engaging PowerPoint lesson follows early Christianity in the Roman Empire and its growth to becoming the dominant religion in the region.

It begins with a description of Roman religion then details Jesus, Paul, and the reasons why Christianity was able to grow despite early persecution in Rome.

Each slide includes fantastic visuals, graphics, and easy-to-follow notes on essential topics based on state standards!

   

You can download this amazing resource to use in your classroom today by clicking here!

Thanks for looking!

Fantastic Constitutional Convention PowerPoint for Constitution Day

This beautiful PowerPoint lesson covers everything students need to know about the creation of the American Constitution based on state and CCSS. It is awesome to use every September 17th for Constitution Day or during your unit on the founding of America!

The PowerPoint includes a warm up on the founders, then moves on to the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and how they were exposed by Shay's Rebellion in 1786. Further slides explore the major players at the Philadelphia (or Constitutional) Convention, the plans, major compromises, and structure of the Constitution.

It includes fantastic visuals and easy-to-follow notes, along with a warm-up and exit ticket for students to complete.

You can download this fantastic lesson for any range of students by clicking here!

September 11th Timeline Lesson Plan

I think one of the most important lessons I teach every year is my lesson on the events of September 11th. It so profoundly changed America and is so tragic and sad, but also filled with stories of incredible bravery and heroism. Some years I teach it on the anniversary regardless of my pacing, while others I have taught it toward the end of the year.

Either way, the best lesson I developed to teach about 9/11 was this cooperative learning timeline lesson plan. It truly makes for an amazing, thorough lesson on September 11th.

Your class is divided into 7 groups who each work together to put together a timeline for one aspect of the 9/11 tragedy. This  The 7 groups are:

• American Airlines Flight 11
• United Airlines Flight 175
• American Airlines Flight 77
• United Airlines Flight 93
• President Bush
• The World Trade Center Towers
• The Pentagon

After each group has analyzed their assigned minute-by-minute events, you lead a PowerPoint presentation of the whole day and each group shares their events, so that the class get get a true perspective of the chaos and confusion most Americans felt that morning.

Finally, an interview assignment is included for students to conduct after your lesson to get a better perspective of what happened.

This is a truly powerful lesson that can be download by clicking here. I promise, it will have a lasting impact on your students.

The download includes the 7 sets of timelines, a complete timeline of the whole day, a PowerPoint that matches the timelines, the interview assignment, and 4 videos of footage from 9/11.

Thank you for looking!