Resources for primary and early Key Stage 3

The following scheme of work has been created to support the growing number of primary and middle schools which teach issues related to the Holocaust. It introduces students to age-appropriate aspects of this challenging history, focussing principally on the fate and experiences of Jewish child refugees from Nazism. The content is also suitable for the earliest years of secondary school.

Each lesson in the scheme of work comes with a full lesson plan and supporting materials, which can be accessed by clicking on the links below. The accompanying guide for teachers provides more information about the scheme of work as well as broader guidance on teaching Holocaust-related issues in primary schools, including in English.

A scheme of work for primary schools

Primary guide

A Guide for Primary School Teachers

This guide outlines the rationale behind the scheme of work and its curricular links, and also includes pedagogical considerations, advice on using Holocaust-related texts in English, and reference materials which provide essential historical context.
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Pre war primary

Pre-war Jewish Life

This lesson introduces the scheme of work by encouraging students to reflect on the richness and diversity of Jewish life in Europe prior to 1939 and reminds them of the common humanity of those who would later be victims of persecution and murder.
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Impossible Choices

Impossible Choices: Life under Nazi Persecution

This lesson provides an accessible means of comprehending the chronology and human impact of the Nazi persecution of German Jews in the 1930s, prompting students to reflect on the difficult choices it forced families to make and the factors which drove some to become refugees.
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Vera

Vera's Journey

This lesson studies the largest organised response to the refugee crisis – the Kindertransport programme – through the experiences of one Czech Jewish girl, offering insight into the challenges faced by child refugees.
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Hero

What Makes a Hero?

This final lesson looks at the actions and motives of individuals and organisations who rescued Czech Jewish children such as Vera, highlighting the importance of moral choices and the necessity of collective action in response to humanitarian crises.
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