Lighting the Moral Imagination

The authors describe the case study approach to teaching history developed by the group Facing History and Ourselves. In the Facing History approach, teachers encourage students to make connections between the Holocaust and other periods in history characterized by violent repression and the choices students will confront in their own lives. Facing History's materials and lessons follow a sequence of study that guides learners through five stages: forming identity; exploring membership; studying history; exploring judgment, memory and legacy; and choosing participation. Schen and Gilmore describe how teachers in three classes apply Facing History's methods in their social studies classes, following these five stages. They show how connecting the study of the Holocaust and other instances of genocide to deeper questions like, "What role do propaganda, government, and citizen awareness play in exacerbating tensions between ethnic groups?" fosters students' critical thinking and students' reflection on how they can personally contribute to a more democratic society. [authors]