Arizona Holocaust and Genocide Education Resources

In 2024, HB 2779 amended ARS 15-701.02 to read: the state board of education shall include a requirement that students be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides for at least three school days, or the equivalent, on at least two separate occasions during any of grades seven through twelve. Although this instruction is required as part of the 2018 History and Social Science Standards, this legislation further stresses the importance of these topics and events.

This webpage provides resources, training, and support for educators in meeting this requirement. It also houses the work of the Task Force on The Holocaust and Other Genocides - a Toolkit for teachers and students.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Guidelines for Teaching the Holocaust and Genocides for Arizona Teachers Webinar

Arizona History and Social Science Standards (PDF Document)

Getting Started Guide from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum | Guidelines to follow video - 18 minutes
- This guide contains a few great lessons. It also contains guidance on how to address the difficult history of the Holocaust in the classroom.
Only have a few days to teach the Holocaust? Look at these specially designed lessons from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum:
- One-Day Lesson Plan - also in Spanish
- Two-Day Lesson Plan
- Four-Day Lesson Plan - also in Spanish
- Video with lesson examples - 9 minutes.
Then also check out their Timeline Activity lesson. It is a great introductory lesson. Timeline Activity video example - 19 minutes
Learn about Genocides
- These lessons from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum give background on what is genocide, definitions of mass atrocities, and country case studies. These lessons are appropriate for grades 7-12.

The Taskforce on "The Holocaust and Other Genocides" is a collaborative effort among Arizona's three public universities, several community colleges, high-school educators, and representatives of civic organizations who are committed to teaching about these atrocities in order to prevent future suffering. The Arizona State Board of Education in October 2020 adopted revisions to the Minimum Course of Study and Competency Goals for Arizona schools. These changes require teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides at least twice between the seventh and twelfth grades. The Taskforce has prepared a special toolkit to enable educators in middle schools and high schools to teach the causes, progression, and significance of these historical events. By teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides, Arizona's public schools will ensure that its youth will become responsible, informed, and empathetic adult citizens who can use their knowledge to prevent injustices and human suffering. This toolkit will be periodically updated and enhanced.

All materials in Toolkit 1.0 are exemplary and not comprehensive. Materials cover the Holocaust as well as several other genocides. The Taskforce decided to limit other genocide examples to four case studies where genocidal violence and ethnic cleansing occurred: Armenia (the first modern genocidal atrocity), former Yugoslavia (Europe: a recent ethnocide with genocidal moments), Rwanda (Africa: the fastest-moving genocidal killing in the 20th century), and Native Americans (long legacy of displacements, massacres, and genocidal killings in the Americas).

Rationale of the Taskforce
Considerations for Teaching About Genocide
Rubric for Evaluating Resources to Use in the Classroom
Teacher Training
Book Resources for Teachers
Book Resources for Students Grades K-6
Book Resources for Students Grades 7-12
Video Resources
Feature Films
Phoenix Holocaust Association Speakers Bureau and Resources
The Hope Chest - Traveling chest of resources and a teacher's guide that teachers can "check out," use in their classroom, and return to Scottsdale Center for the Arts
Glossary Terms
Taskforce Members
The Taskforce welcomes comments from teachers and educators. We want to know what works and what could be better. Send your comments to: K12Standards@azed.gov

History Unfolded - U.S. Newspapers (from multiple perspectives, Black newspapers, youth newspapers) and the Holocaust from the USHMM. These lessons are also in Spanish. Pair these lessons with the U.S. Library of Congress Chronicling America newspapers from Arizona or other regions.
Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit Video with lesson plans referenced - 9 minutes
Teaching Materials on Propaganda - USHMM - Check out the Critically Analyzing Propaganda lesson
Lessons on teaching racism - USHMM - Video lesson example - 15 minutes
Refugee Crisis lessons - 3 lessons - good to integrate with immigration, 8th grade
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Online Lessons - These lessons are ready to use and integrate with a variety of learning management systems.
Facing History and Ourselves Holocaust Lessons
Tour of Tucson Holocaust History Center
Tucson Holocaust History Center Educator Lessons for Middle and High School | Lesson ID Cards
How Saba Kept Singing: Remembering Auschwitz
Local Arizona Resources - Hidden Children Arizona's Holocaust Survivors

ABC-CLIO Modern Genocide Database (curriculum available for purchase.)
Book list of other genocides
5 Tools for Teaching Genocides
Classroom Resources for Teaching Genocides - includes Armenia, Nanjing, Ukranian Refugee Crisis and Holodomor
6 Books on Genocide
Videos and Lessons on Genocide - includes Rwanda, Auschwitz, Armenia, Roma and Sinti
Video on the Bosnia Genocide
Virtual Teaching Trunks - K-12, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenian
Holodomor Resources - includes primary sources, literature, memoirs, background, and more resources
Assyrian Genocide Studies - includes curriculum, oral histories, and other resources