Holocaust and Genocide Education in the German Language Classroom
Open Access
- Author:
- Mc Quiggan, Sydney
- Area of Honors:
- World Languages Education
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Bettina Brandt, Thesis Supervisor
Becky Moore, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- German
education
German education
world languages
world languages education
Holocaust
genocide
Holocaust education
genocide education - Abstract:
- German language education programs in the K-12 setting are currently diminishing across the United States. The Holocaust, an event commonly associated with German culture, is also one that is not being taught to a great extent in schools, often due to time constraints in school curricula. When considering the importance of both language learning and studying genocides, such as the Holocaust, to avoid their recurrence, there may be opportunities for overlap in the teaching of the two in the German language classroom. The ways in which German language teachers in Pennsylvania are currently teaching the Holocaust and other genocides in their German language classrooms were examined through a survey with a variety of open-ended questions that are featured later in this thesis. Questions not only collected information on which materials teachers find most beneficial in teaching about the Holocaust/genocide, but also what types of resources were lacking, whether in the curriculum or even in their own education. While one set curriculum to teach the Holocaust and other genocides in the German language classroom may not fit every classroom community, it is undeniably still important to consider all available resources to continue teaching about genocide, as only a heightened awareness and understanding of previous genocides can help future instances of antisemitism, hate, and discrimination subside.