Stuart Foster

Understanding the Holocaust at KS3: How and why did it happen?

In 2016 the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education published a landmark study, What do students know and understand about the Holocaust? Almost 10,000 students aged 11 to 18 participated in the research. It was the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. The study indicated that the vast majority of young people found the subject interesting and relevant. However, it also revealed that many students did not have clear knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust. Written in direct response to the findings of the 2016 national study, this textbook significantly improves understanding of the Holocaust by: > Providing you with an appropriate historical overview of key aspects of the Holocaust > Helping you to understand the long-standing hatred of Jews (i.e., the roots of antisemitism) > Deepening your knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust > Encouraging you to challenge common myths and misconceptions (e.g., that Hitler was solely responsible for the Holocaust) > Developing your understanding of key historical concepts (e.g., evidence, interpretation, causation, significance) > Enabling you to answer the big historical question: How and why did the Holocaust happen? > Helping you to appreciate the impact of the Holocaust on ordinary people across Europe > Inviting you to consider the importance of the Holocaust and its significance today This textbook is supported by additional materials and teacher guidance notes on the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education website (holocausteducation.org.uk). The original design, development and distribution of this textbook was funded by the Toni Schiff Memorial Fund and the Pears Foundation. The Centre is enormously grateful for their support. The Wiener Holocaust Library also provided considerable assistance in developing the textbook.