11 Holocaust Remembrance Day Activities for Students

International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place each year on January 27. It’s a time to reflect on the events that happened during World War II and remember those affected by it.

You can bring these discussions into your classroom with a collection of Holocaust Remembrance Day activities for students, including social studies and ELA lessons for grades 3-12.

Jump to:

• How can students learn about the Holocaust and World War II in social studies?
• How can ELA lessons help students understand the Holocaust through media and historical texts?

[How can students learn about the Holocaust and World War II in social studies?](id-ss)

Key takeaways:

• Students can explore historical events, figures, and policies that led to the Holocaust.
• Lessons encourage critical thinking about historical decisions and ethical reflection.
• Newsela Social Studies activities provide structured, interactive resources.

Why should students learn about Holocaust Remembrance Day?

Students benefit from understanding why holidays like Holocaust Remembrance Day honor the past and help us learn from it. To teach about this event, teachers can use Newsela Social Studies resources to explore:

• Examples of how younger generations share survivors’ stories today, including through social media.
• How the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation used interactive survivor testimonies to help students hear real, respectful, authentic stories.
• Modern-day events related to the Holocaust, like the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack.

What was life like in Europe during World War II?

To understand how this period unfolded, students need to see what everyday life looked like before and during the war. You can build background knowledge with:

• An explainer article about the Nuremberg Laws, designed by the Nazi Party to take away the rights of German Jews.
• An explainer article about what the 1933 Reichstag Fire was and how it enabled Hitler to consolidate power.
• A dataset that shows population decreases across Europe during the Holocaust.

What were key events of the Holocaust?

Students often hear the word “Holocaust” without understanding the timeline. Give them a clear picture by walking through major events from the war, like:

• How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany.
• How the German invasions in Europe during World War II further spread Hitler’s message.
• How the American government responded to the events of the Holocaust.

How did the United States participate in World War II?

Students can explore how the timing of the U.S. entering WWII shaped its ability to respond. Once they have this historical context, they’ll be able to understand:

• Why Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in New York was the U.S.’s only Jewish refugee camp during World War II.
• Why Allied forces didn’t bomb the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.
• How Syrian refugees in the United States share similar experiences to Anne Frank’s family during World War II.

How can students examine bystander responsibility during key moments in history?

Students often wonder what people could or should have done during the Holocaust to help others. They can consider the role of everyday citizens with this inquiry lesson that includes units like:

• Standing up to bullies
• Actions of perpetrators
• Actions of rescuers
• Responsibilities of bystanders
• Taking informed action: A summative performance task

How can students make past-to-present connections with the Holocaust?

Students may be surprised to learn how strongly this period still shapes our world today. Help them make concrete past-to-present connections by exploring articles on topics like:

• Poland’s laws regarding false historical accusations of national crimes during World War II.
• The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “History Unfolded” project, which asked volunteers to research old local newspapers for articles about the Holocaust.
• How the discovery of a jacket worn by a prisoner at the Nazi Dachau concentration camp led to uncovering a survivor’s story.

[How can ELA lessons help students understand the Holocaust through media and historical texts](id-ela)

Key takeaways:

• Students can explore Holocaust survivor accounts, literary texts, and media messages.
• Activities help build critical thinking skills while deepening historical understanding.
• Using Newsela’s leveled texts can help make these sensitive topics accessible to all learners.

How can students hear from Holocaust victims and survivors?

First-person stories help students understand history in ways traditional textbooks can’t. You can introduce them to:

• Survivor accounts from courageous people like Lily Ebert or Sam Solasz.
• Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Prize lecture about the importance of remembering this event.
•  Videos that explore how survivors rebuilt their lives after World War II and how the Holocaust is still significant today.

What caused the Holocaust?

Give students a clear, age-appropriate look at how these events unfolded by exploring resources on topics like:

• Hitler’s rise to power.
• What daily life looked like for German Jewish families before World War II.
• How Jewish people migrated to and settled in Poland before the war.

How did propaganda influence World War II?

Students can explore how media persuasion affected the course and outcomes of World War II with resources like:

• Explainers on propaganda techniques and formats.
• Articles about how Germany’s frugality may have affected the country’s culture and politics.
• An exploration into what “Yellow Journalism” is and how the media can shape public opinion.

What were early responses to the Holocaust?

Help students see how different countries and groups reacted to the Holocaust and the early years of WWII. Teach this concept using resources like:

• Articles on the history and origins of anti-Semitism.
• Background information about the roots, ideology, and effects of the National Socialism movement in Germany.
• Resources explaining the history and meaning of new words coined during World War II.

How can paired fiction and nonfiction texts help explain the Holocaust?

Pairing fiction stories with nonfiction texts helps students compare perspectives and better understand the emotional and historical sides of the Holocaust. Use this lesson to help them think critically:

• Assign the fictional story “Two Violins” by Darienne Oaks.
• Have students read a nonfiction article about how the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust uses art to teach history.
• Have students complete a paired text analysis worksheet to answer the focus question, “How are the ideas from the articles similar or different?”

Newsela Knack: Looking for something longer to read as a whole class novel or suggest for independent reading? Explore Newsela’s Holocaust and World War II novel and book studies.

Keep the conversation going with more Newsela content and activities

Teaching about World War II and Holocaust Remembrance Day isn’t limited to January. With Newsela Social Studies and Newsela ELA, you can revisit these topics year-round with leveled texts, activities, and novel and book studies that fit any grade level.

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