Genocide
Resources for Everyone
“Learn About Genocide and Mass Atrocities” by USHMM
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provides information on what genocide is, the term’s origin, other types of mass atrocities, country case studies, prevention, and more.
“The Path to Nazi Genocide” Film by USHMM
“This 38-minute film examines the Nazis’ rise and consolidation of power in Germany. Using rare footage, the film explores their ideology, propaganda, and persecution of Jews and other victims. It also outlines the path by which the Nazis and their collaborators led a state to war and to the murder of millions of people. By providing a concise overview of the Holocaust and those involved, this resource is intended to provoke reflection and discussion about the role of ordinary people, institutions, and nations between 1918 and 1945.”
For Educators:
Lesson Plan: the Path to Nazi Genocide (PDF)
Lesson Plan: Connecting the Timeline Activity to The Path to Nazi Genocide (PDF):
Holocaust and Genocide Education by the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota provides resource, lesson plans, and activities covering a range of topics and locations.
Genocide of the Roma and Sinti People
“Series: Roma” in the USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
“Roma were among the groups of people singled out for persecution by the Nazi regime and its Axis partners. Nazi authorities subjected Romani people to arbitrary internment, forced labor, and mass murder. They used Nazi racial ideology to justify the persecution of Roma, pejoratively referred to in German as Zigeuner (“Gypsy”). Browse this series of articles to better understand Romani history; the history of discrimination against Roma in Europe; and how and why the Nazi regime committed genocide against European Roma during World War II.”
“Forgotten Victims: The Nazi Genocide of the Roma and the Sinti” Virtual Exhibit
“This exhibition examines the Nazi genocide against the Roma and Sinti by uncovering the stories of some of those affected by the genocide. It explores the struggle that Roma have had in gaining recognition and compensation for the oppression they experienced as a result of this little-known aspect of Nazi persecution.
The exhibition is organized by the Wiener Holocaust Library with support from The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme.”
Books on the Genocide of the Roma during World War II
Genocide in Rwanda
USHMM’s Country Case Studies: Rwanda
“In 1994, between 500,000 and one million Rwandans were massacred in a genocide when the Hutu extremist-led government launched a plan to wipe out the country’s entire Tutsi minority and any others who opposed their policies. Learn more about what happened and what the international community could have done to prevent it.”
Kigali Genocide Memorial: A place of remembrance & learning
“The Kigali Genocide Memorial is the result of collaboration between Rwandan authorities and the Aegis Trust for Genocide Prevention, born from the National Holocaust Centre in the UK.
Opened in 2004, the Memorial became the starting-point for peace and values education now built into Rwanda’s national schools curriculum. Strengthening community resilience against division, it is ripe for adaptation and use internationally.
If peace can be built after the Genocide against the Tutsi, it can be built anywhere.”
Books on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi
Miracle in Rwanda Opening Night Talkback
In this post-show talkback, Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, interviewed starring actress Malaika Uwamahoro and Immaculée Ilibagiza, the woman whose real-life experience inspired the play Miracle in Rwanda. They will discuss Immaculée’s experience as a survivor, Malaika’s process of taking on the difficult subject, and the lessons that audiences can take away from Miracle in Rwanda.
Miracle in Rwanda: An International Conversation
This public forum on our production of Miracle in Rwanda, in honor of Genocide Awareness Month, included clips from Miracle in Rwanda; commentary from producers of the play; and discussion by our partners in South Africa on the parallel experiences in Rwanda and South Africa in the early 90s.
Armenian Genocide
USHMM’s Country Case Studies: Armenia
“Between spring 1915 and autumn 1916, the Ottoman Empire arrested, deported, conducted mass killings, and created conditions intended to cause widespread death among the country’s Armenian Christian citizens, most of whom were living in the territory of modern-day Turkey. Between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenian men, women, and children died in the genocide.”
Books on the Armenian Genocide
Resources for Educators
“UNIT XII: Teaching About Genocide” by Echoes & Reflections
“This unit is shaped by four fundamental questions that have shaped each lesson: What is genocide? Who were the people before they became victims? How did genocide occur? How do we remember a genocide? In asking these questions about four genocides of the 20th century, the purpose of this unit is to encourage critical thinking in students to explore the concept of genocide and analyze some of the common themes seen across multiple genocides. This unit challenges students to find value and meaningful lessons in the study of genocide and how memory and the understanding of genocides of the past can empower them to act against hatred today.”
Genocide in Rwanda
“The Bystander Effect – Rwanda” Activity by iWitness
Grades 7 – 10
“In this activity, students will develop an understanding of what it means to be a bystander and its potential impact in the context of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Students will watch a number of testimonies from witnesses to and survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda who describe the consequences of the bystander effect in their own lives. Students will construct a social media message for the #BeginsWithMe campaign that describes their own plan to counter bystander behavior.”
“Consequences of Genocide in Rwanda” Activity by iWitness
Grades 9 – 12
“This activity introduces students to the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and helps them explore the consequences of the genocide from both a national (macro) level and a personal (micro) level. By actively listening to individual stories, students will reflect on how the consequences impact the ability to realize reconciliation in Rwanda. Students will also engage with testimony using a built-in tool that enables each to construct a word cloud, a fitting title, and a personal response to reflect on their learning.
***This activity is designed primarily for use in classrooms in Rwanda (Senior 3 to Senior 6).”
Armenian Genocide
“Information Quest: The Armenian Genocide” by iWitness
Grades 9 – 10
“The Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million men, women and children between 1915 – 1923. Through this Information Quest activity, students will learn about the history of the Armenian Genocide, learn to identify the differences between sources of information on the same topic, and recognize the value of multiple perspectives in the learning process.
Students will engage with testimony using a built-in tool that enables each to construct a word cloud, a fitting title, a meaningful quotation, and a personal response to reflect individual feelings and perceptions about the story.”
“I am Somebody: Identity and the Armenian Genocide” by iWitness
Grades 8 – 10
“The Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million men, women and children between 1915 – 1923. Through this Information Quest activity, students will learn about the impact of the genocide on the identity of individuals, how identities can either be assigned or chosen and consider how one’s own identity influences daily life.
Students will engage with testimony using a built-in tool that enables each to construct a word cloud, a fitting title, a meaningful quotation, and a personal response to reflect individual feelings and perceptions about the story.”
“The Promise: Survival and Legacy” by iWitness
Grades 11 – 12
“In this activity, students reflect on the concept of survival and the significance of being a survivor of genocide. They will draw connections between survivor experiences of genocide in The Promise and primary source testimony of Armenian Genocide survivors. By the end of this activity, students will construct a Word Cloud and a short poem dedicated to the legacy of an Armenian survivor.
This activity includes testimony from Armenian survivors; Rose Apelian, Arshag Dickranian, S.Yeznig Boyadjian, Nvart Assaturian, Hagop Asadourian, Haig Baronian, Sam Kadorian and Siranoush Danielian.”
Genocide of the Roma and Sinti People
“The Nazi Genocide against the Roma and Sinti People” Activity by iWitness
Grades 9 – 12
“During the Holocaust, in addition to the genocide perpetrated against the Jews, the Nazis also perpetrated genocide against other groups of people, including the Roma and Sinti (sometimes referred to using the problematic term “gypsy”) people of Europe. This Mini Quest activity explores the experience of the Roma and Sinti people during the genocide, which occurred at a number of camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau.”