Overview

These Holocaust Education Resources are designed to help you teach Holocaust Education authentically, inspire empathy, and honor the lessons of history. Teaching Holocaust Education with film can transform history lessons into a moving experience that drives home the enormity of the genocide that took place during World War II.

The materials are appropriate for middle school and high school; they can also work well for higher education, adult education, public screenings and community group settings. The Middle School Holocaust Education Lessons can help educators to fill new Holocaust Education teaching mandates with classroom-ready teaching resources.

Literary Connection

Many educators pair these films with Night by Elie Wiesel, especially Big Sonia and The Fast Runner.

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Type: Documentary Feature Film, Narrative Feature Film, Short Film
Lesson Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
Ages: 8–12, 13–17, 18–24, 25+

Lessons

Stories That Connect: Using Film and Primary Sources to Build Belonging

Stories That Connect: Using Film and Primary Sources to Build Belonging is a professional development webinar series from Journeys in Film that focuses on Project-Based Learning (PBL) using primary sources, including documentary films, cultural products and Library of Congress materials. Participants will explore ways to foster belonging through compelling and engaging PBL experiences. Registration is currently open for this live webinar series.

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Learn more about Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) through Project-Based Learning (PBL) to boost student engagement and equip students with media literacy skills across the curriculum. Learn more about this professional development webinar series.

Registration is currently open. All webinars are free.

Webinar Schedule

2026 (date TBA): The Art of Inquiry, 7-9 pm ET / 4–6 pm PT | Register
2026 (date TBA): Cultural Products as Historical Narrative, 7-9 pm ET / 4–6 pm PT | Register
2026 (date TBA): Uncovering and Amplifying Untold Stories, 7-9 pm ET / 4–6 pm PT | Register

You can attend just one or two sessions but to take full advantage of this learning and tool-building opportunity, we recommend participating in all three free webinar sessions of the series.

▶ REGISTER NOW

If you have any questions or would like assistance with registration, please email Hershawna Frison: hershawna@journeysinfilm.org.

A Promise to My Father

A Promise to My Father traces Israel “Izzy” Arbeiter’s path through loss, survival, and remembrance culminating in his return to Treblinka’s death camp and Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he was imprisoned and endured unspeakable horrors. Along the way, he reflects on the impact of dehumanization, the cost of silence, and the ethical choices that define humanity.

9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
NR

A Promise to My Father is a powerful Holocaust Education film that is also useful for teaching Anti-Bias Education, Genocide Education, History, Social Studies, World History and World War II History. It also explores themes of Courage and the Power of Small Acts, Mental Health and Wellness, Healing Through Recollection, Preserving Culture as Resistance, and Recognizing Injustice.

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A Story of Hope: UnBroken — Coming Soon!

The daughter of a Holocaust survivor embarks on an international quest to uncover answers about the plight of her mother and her six siblings who, as mere children, escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their own youthful bravado and the kindness of German strangers. Materials for this film are coming soon!

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
PG-13

UnBroken is a powerful Holocaust Education film that is also useful for teaching Anti-Bias Education, Genocide Education, History, Social Studies, World History and World War II History.

New UnBroken educational materials are coming soon! To be notified when this and other new educational resources are available, sign up for our newsletter.

Big Sonia

Teenage Sonia Warshawski was living in Poland when the German army invaded. Her father and brother were shot, her sister disappeared; she and her mother became slave laborers and were finally deported to a death camp. Now in her nineties, Sonia is a vibrant woman who speaks to students and prison inmates about her story of unimaginable suffering, but also of hope, of resilience, and of a refusal to hate.

9, 10, 11, 12
PG-13

Help your students understand the impact of the Holocaust. Explore Antisemitism, the Holocaust, Film Literacy, Mental Health and Wellness, and more with Big Sonia‘s engaging first-person story of survival, resilience and hope.

These lesson plans include An Introduction to the Holocaust in Poland, An Oral History Assignment, and Maladaptive Stress Response and Intergenerational Trauma.

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Defiant Requiem

Defiant Requiem explores a unique chapter in Holocaust history when prisoners used music and the arts to sustain their spirits and resist Nazi oppression. Soaring concert footage, survivor recollections, cinematic dramatizations, and animation bring this story to life.

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
PG

Defiant Requiem is a powerful film for teaching about the Holocaust and World War II history.

Lessons include an introduction to Terezin / Theresienstadt concentration camp, Art and Resilience, and a Media Literacy lesson on Propaganda.

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Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who sought his fortune in the aftermath of the German invasion of Poland. He joined the Nazi party and took over a confiscated enamelware plant in occupied Krakow, making a quick fortune on the labor of his unpaid Jewish prisoners. Yet, as the Holocaust descended over Europe, Schindler risked everything to protect and rescue more than 1,100 Jews sheltered in his factory.

10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
R

Schindler’s List is a powerful tool for social studies classes teaching Holocaust Education and World War Two history. This Oscar-winning film is also great for teaching Film Literacy, Film Studies and English Language Arts.

Lessons include Nazism in Germany and the Building of the “Racial State”, Resistance During the Holocaust, the role of Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust, and Antisemitism Today.

The Antisemitism Today lesson, revised in 2023, explores the rise of antisemitism within the context of white supremacy. It is available as part of the Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide and also as a separate, standalone download.

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The Fast Runner

In The Fast Runner, a young Polish girl comes of age during the rise of the Nazi party and subsequently the Holocaust. She is challenged by the selfless compassion shown by a Rabbi in her community. She maintains her dignity and inner strength despite the unspeakable tragedy surrounding her.

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
NR

Our materials for this film include a Timeline of the Holocaust, cross-media activities, and opportunities to explore propaganda, media literacy, human rights, upstanders, primary sources, and more.

The Timeline of the Holocaust starts at 1918 and includes details regarding the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany as well as details about the Holocaust. The timeline ends in 1945. It is available as part of The Fast Runner Learning Guide and also as a separate, standalone download.

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Group Discussion Facilitation Guidelines

These tips can help you create safe space for classroom engagement on the themes and subjects of these films.

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Sustainable Development Goals

Journeys in Film supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more about teaching with UN SDGs. This curriculum guide connects to the following SDGs.

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Holocaust Education Lessons