Bearing Witness : Teaching About the Holocaust

The literature of the Holocaust casts light into one of the darkest shadows in history; it is a literature worth studying not only because of the lessons it teaches, but because of its reach into the depths of human experience.

The teacher's job in teaching about the Holocaust is to explore and expose - to help students find their way through the material, to help them form their own judgments and thoughts.

This deeply personal book reveals how one teacher takes her students through the process of learning about this most important subject.

Bearing Witness shares both the materials that Beth Greenbaum brings to the teaching of Holocaust literature and the methods she uses: how she sparks students to read and respond, how she engenders class discussion, how she encourages - and generally gets - good writing from her students.

Each chapter introduces a specific theme or period through readings, videos, discussions, and journal responses.

Six major works of literature are explored: The Diary of Anne Frank, Night, Survival in Auschwitz, Incident at Vichy, Maus I, and The Sunflower.

Additional readings and videos are cited throughout the text. While the primary audience for Bearing Witness is teachers who are interested in using Holocaust-related materials in their classroom, it will appeal to anyone who wants to teach about the dire consequences of intolerance and hate.