Intersectionality – Women in the Holocaust
In this unit, students will learn about the specific experience of women during the Holocaust. By looking at how women were affected by the Holocaust, students will build empathy and experience analyzing the perspectives of marginalized groups, including Jewish women, Romani women, queer women, politically dissident women, and so on. This complements the social studies curriculum by developing students abilities to infer and explain different perspectives from history, making reasoned ethical judgments about all human rights .
Through Emmie’s story “But I Live,” students have been introduced to historical testimony as expressed by graphic art. By studying graphic narratives that represent history, students encounter real-life accounts of the Holocaust, and more specifically, the lived experiences of women during the Holocaust. The stories of women have been historically underrepresented in narratives of the Holocaust. Moreover, gender as a lens provides a new way of looking at the Holocaust.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- infer and explain different perspectives on people, places, events, phenomena, ideas, or developments (perspective).
- use ethical judgment to identify fair and unfair aspects of events, decisions, or actions, and consider appropriate ways to respond (ethical judgment).
Guiding Questions
- How were women treated during the Holocaust?
- What influences shaped their experiences?
