USHMM Educator Resources

If you are looking for ready-to-use Holocaust teaching material, one of the most useful online resources is the Educator Resources section of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). This section was created specifically for teachers and is especially helpful as a companion to FSWC workshops and classroom visits.

A great place to begin is Teaching Materials and Resources, where teachers can access lesson plans, classroom activities and teaching guidelines organized by theme and grade level. If you are preparing students before an FSWC presentation, the museum’s guide “Fundamentals of Teaching the Holocaust” is particularly useful for building historical context and introducing age-appropriate terminology.

Teachers looking for strong visual material should explore the museum’s Collections Search and Photo Archives. Searching terms such as ‘propaganda’, ‘ghetto,’ ‘Kristallnacht’ or ‘liberation’ provides photographs, posters, identification documents and artifacts that can easily be projected in class. These materials work especially well with FSWC lessons on propaganda and antisemitism. For example, after an FSWC session, students can analyze a Nazi propaganda poster and discuss how symbols, language and imagery were used to normalize hatred.

Another highly recommended tool is the museum’s Animated Maps section. These short visual explainers help students understand deportations, camp systems and territorial expansion —topics that can otherwise feel abstract or overwhelming.

Rather than using the site all at once, we recommend selecting one focused resource - such as a map, photo, or lesson plan - to reinforce a specific topic discussed during FSWC programming. Used this way, the USHMM becomes a practical extension of classroom learning, helping students move from discussion to deeper historical inquiry.

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