Teaching Values Through History: The Lesson of Empathy in Apartheid-era South Africa

Lesson Plan Subject: History Grade: 10 Topic: World War II – The Holocaust Content/Concept Area: Global conflicts and resolutions – Impacts on Society and Human Right. Specific Aims and Objectives from the History CAPS Document: Know: Understand the events leading to WWII and the Holocaust as well as its aftermath. Skills: Analysis of primary and secondary sources, making inferences and drawing conclusions, critical thinking, and historical enquiry. Values: Respect for human dignity and life, human rights, empathy, and tolerance. Lesson Plan Details: 1) Introduction (15 minutes) Begin with a brief overview of WWII. Then introduce the concept of the Holocaust, explaining the reasons behind it, the parties involved, and the outcome. Highlight the inhumanity and the infringement of human rights that occurred during the Holocaust. 2) Main Body (45 minutes) - Use primary sources like photographs, videos, and eyewitness accounts to explain the severity of the Holocaust. Students will analyze these sources and make inferences about the effect of the Holocaust on society. - In groups, learners will discuss the human rights violations during the Holocaust. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights could be used here for reference. The groups will present their findings. - The class will then discuss what could have been done differently to avoid such a tragedy, how it could have been addressed more effectively, how the world reacted to the Holocaust, and the lessons learned. 3) Class Discussion (20 minutes) Develop a discourse around the following questions: What effects can global conflict have on society? What are the values that should govern our actions in conflict situations? The learners will write their responses, which can later be shared in a class discussion. 4) Conclusion (10 minutes) Wrap up the lesson by emphasizing the importance of respecting human rights and dignity. Stress the importance of history education in understanding our past and improving our future, focusing on the values of understanding, tolerance, and empathy. 5) Assessment: - Learners’ participation in class discussion - Group presentations on human rights violations during the Holocaust - Individual understanding and responses to the discourse questions Homework: Learners will write a one-page reflection on the Holocaust, focusing on what they learned about human values during conflict situations. Note: This lesson plan aims not just to impart historical knowledge but also to instill values such as empathy, respect for human life and dignity, understanding, and recognition of human rights. It helps students make connections to their own lives, learning to value their rights and the rights of others.