Online Teacher Resources
Title 1 or Title 1 Eligible Schools can get free books!
The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust continues working with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise, to increase educators' access to foundational books about the Holocaust. Our goal is to enable more Title 1 and Title 1 eligible educators to teach about the Holocaust in accurate and relevant ways. As part of this effort, First Book members are invited to receive FREE classroom sets of either Livia Bitton-Jackson's I Have Lived a Thousand Years OR Leon Leyson's The Boy on the Wooden Box.
Requests for the book sets began on January 9, 2024 through the First Book website. Books are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Quantities are limited so request your books now using the codes provided below. First Book website
I Have Lived a Thousand Years
Livia Bitton-Jackson
Recommended for high school students (grades 9–12). Classroom sets include 64 books.
In her memoir, Livia Bitton-Jackson describes her experiences as a young teenager during the Holocaust. When she was just 13, Hungarian authorities, collaborating with the Nazis, forced Jews in her community to move into a transit ghetto, stripping them of their property and their freedom. She recounts in powerful language her subsequent deportation to Auschwitz and the dehumanization she and her mother experienced as prisoners in Nazi camps. Livia's unflinching account introduces readers to the stark realities and devastating effects of violence and deprivation during the Holocaust.
Receive up to 64 copies of this title for free with code THOUSANDYEARS*
Order now →The Boy on the Wooden Box
Leon Leyson
Recommended for middle school students (grades 6–9). Classroom sets include 60 books.
In his memoir, Leon Leyson describes how he survived the Holocaust as a boy with the help of German businessman Oskar Schindler. Shortly before Leon's 10th birthday, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Young Leon experienced German authorities discriminating against and terrorizing Jews in Kraków, eventually forcing his family to move into a ghetto. Leon and his family struggled to survive and ultimately began to work for Oskar Schindler, who employed Jews in his factory and saved their lives.
Receive up to 60 copies of this title for free with code WOODENBOX*
Order now →IMPORTANT NOTE:
You must teach at a Title I or Title I eligible school and be a First Book member to redeem this offer. If you are already a First Book member, you must log into your account when you order the book sets. If you are not yet a First Book member, you will be prompted to complete a member registration form before placing your order.
If you have any questions about additional resources to support teaching about the Holocaust, please contact the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust through their website at http://ncholocaustcouncilworkshops.org. You can also access additional free resources on the Holocaust Museum's website at www.ushmm.org/teach. For questions about joining the First Book community of educators, please contact Member Services at [email protected] or 1-866-READ-NOW.
As many teachers and parents depend on online resources, our Center highlights these resources for teaching the Holocaust:
From the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum:
- Learn about the Holocaust
- Commemoration Themes (6 themes with videos, PowerPoints, and more)
- Online Exhibitions (17)
- First Person: Conversations with a Survivor (live monthly program)
- Teaching Guide for First Person: Conversations with a Survivor (pdf)
- Teacher training opportunities: USHMM Teacher Fellowship Program
Lesson Plans
Lesson plans and activities have been created to assist educators in helping students explore the lessons of the Holocaust and their role in today's world. The Carolina K–12 (a component of the University of North Carolina Program in the Humanities and Human Values) has aligned approved educational teaching materials with films of local NC survivors' personal testimonies (appropriate plans for each survivor's film). All of these materials are accessible via links on our our documentaries page. These videos can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.
The 2020 U.S. Millennial Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Survey
Disturbing findings reveal a significant number of Millennials and Gen Z can't name a single concentration camp or ghetto, believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed, and a concerning percentage believe that Jews caused the Holocaust.
More Online Resources
One of the foundational missions of the Stan Greenspon Center is to educate and inform all people about the complex history of the Holocaust and how that history continues to affect our world today. They work diligently to provide teacher education, school programs, and community events to engage all ages in this topic.
2 days, 30 cameras and thousands of questions and answers. With the help of StoryFile's interactive storytelling app, Ben's historical legacy has been preserved via life-like conversation. Viewers can directly engage with his interactive testimony, allowing the power of his words and lessons to have a lasting impact on future generations.
Explore Liberation75's Virtual Holocaust Library, featuring recordings of past online programs and specially-curated content by world-leading Holocaust organizations, educators, and Survivors. FREE.
Next Generations is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by children of Holocaust Survivors, educators and others who care about social injustice, with the vision of empowering future generations to be the messenger for all Survivors and keep their authentic voices alive. All programs are offered remotely/virtual at no cost. Registration is required individually for each program. Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible.
Courses by Echoes and Reflections (sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, Yad Vashem, and the USC Shoah Foundation) are free of charge. Echoes & Reflections empowers middle and high school educators with dynamic classroom materials and professional development, including a schedule of free year-round webinars, online courses, and in-person programs.