Genocide Awareness Month is commemorated in April. This month was chosen because April contains many significant dates in the history of genocide. These include the beginnings of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the Armenian Genocide, and the Anfal campaign against Iraqi Kurds. The goal of Genocide Awareness Month is to share knowledge about what genocide is, about genocides that have happened in the past, and about the continuing scourge of genocide today. Holocaust Museum Houston has created micro lessons, school announcements, and extension activities to support instruction of these topics.
The resources below are recommended for high school students.
MICRO LESSONS
These micro lessons are designed to be presented in ten minutes or less and are an ideal way to start your class during Genocide Awareness Month or to introduce the concept of genocide. Handouts can be found at the end of the packet.
SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
These announcement scripts are a good way to commemorate Genocide Awareness Month in your classroom and throughout your school.
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
This is an extension activity is designed to provide more information about various aspects of genocide, combining social studies content with literacy strategies. Included with this activity are multiple news articles about various genocides. We recommend using this activity after completing Holocaust Museum Houston’s Genocide Awareness Month micro lessons.
