Why Take Facing History and Ourselves and Contemporary Human Rights? - Powered By OnCourse Systems For Education

Focus of The Facing History and Ourselves: The Holocaust and Human Behavior and Contemporary Human Rights

v“History is made every day by ordinary human beings.”

“To really understand yourself, you have to face history. And it's not just 'his-story,' it's 'our-story.' And until you understand that, you can't move forward.”
Raise “big questions” about the past, present and the future. It is not just about what happened, but how and why it happened.
Challenge and complicate beliefs about what actions were and are possible for individuals when confronted with hatred and genocide; History is messy.
Reflect on our own actions and examine the choices that are made by individuals and groups.
Making a difference in our community, state, country and the world through positive action.
What are human rights and how do they impact you? Human rights are based on the principle of respect for the individual. Their fundamental assumption is that each person is a moral and rational being who deserves to be treated with dignity. They are called human rights because they are universal. Whereas nations or specialized groups enjoy specific rights that apply only to them, human rights are the rights to which everyone is entitled—no matter who they are or where they live—simply because they are alive.

Facing History and Ourselves Scope and Sequence Overview

The Facing History and Ourselves Scope and Sequence is a journey of discovery about oneself and others. It is a journey of investigation into some of the most terrible atrocities in human history and some of the most appalling examples of collective violence in our world today. It is also a journey into some of the most extraordinary examples of human courage, compassion, and perseverance. As we study human behavior and the Holocaust, each part of the scope and sequence will intertwine with each other.

Individual and Society (Identity) - Identity is the introductory unit of the FHAO Scope and Sequence. The journey officially begins with an exploration of the complex issues around individual identity, starting with questions such as: Who am I? How do I define myself? How do I define others? We will learn how identity is linked to decision making, and we discuss the impact that choices made by individuals have on society. The journey then broadens to an exploration of identity as it relates to groups and nations (We and They).
We and They (Membership) – This next unit of the FHAO Scope and Sequence focuses on the processes of the national and collective identity that help people connect but also contribute to misunderstanding, stereotyping and conflict. You will learn that the way a nation defines itself affects the choices it makes, including the choice to exclude those who do not fit a nation's concept of itself. You will see that membership can be a tool for constructive and destructive purposes. We will examine questions such as: How does a nation define itself? Who decides who belongs and who doesn’t?

History – This unit of the FHAO Scope and Sequence examines the primary historical case study of Holocaust and Human Behavior, as well as other instances of intolerance, mass violence and genocide, in each case exploring the small steps which led to these difficult periods in history. The primary historical case study focuses on the steps which led to the Holocaust and the eventual murder of Jewish people and other victims such as homosexuals, the physically and mentally disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Roma and Sinti and those deemed as “undesirables”. By focusing on these histories, you will grasp the complexities of the past, while also connecting it to your own lives today. While examining the historical case study of the Holocaust we will engage in a rigorous investigation of Germany’s transition from a democracy to a totalitarian regime. We will explore the Rise of the Nazis and how the Nazi party was able to dismantle democracy in Germany. Then, we will look at the Nazis in power by exploring how the use of bureaucracy, in addition to propaganda and education turned neighbor against neighbor. We will explore examples of obedience and conformity that set the stage for the Holocaust. Finally, we will discuss the factors that influence choices of perpetrators, rescuers, resisters, and bystanders in times of genocide or collective violence. Throughout this journey we will confront moral questions inherent in this history and discover that even the smallest choices can, indeed, make a difference.

Judgment, Memory & Legacy - As we confront the terrible human atrocities of the Holocaust, we will explore the meaning of concepts such as guilt, responsibility, and judgment-and what those concepts mean in our world today. We will discuss questions such as: Who is responsible? What are the consequences of refusing to confront the past? We also discover that one way of taking responsibility for the past is to preserve its memory. We will explore the importance of monuments and memorials as communal gestures of remembering, of acknowledging injustice, and of honoring individuals and groups who have suffered.

Choosing To Participate – See Contemporary Human Rights Unit

The Contemporary Human Rights course is the addition to the Facing History and Ourselves course. After completing the FHAO course and dissecting each part of the scope and sequence you will be introduced to the variety of human rights issues that have plagued the world since the Holocaust. Contemporary Human Rights will follow a similar scope and sequence that the FHAO course followed, but we will explore topics such as genocide, The Civil Rights Movement, human trafficking, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and many other crimes against humanity that have taken place since The Holocaust.

Review of The Individual and Society (Identity) and We and They (Membership)

History – In this unit we will examine and discuss human rights violations that have occurred after the Holocaust. In addition, we will learn about human rights issues that are currently in the news. We will explore other cases of genocide and human rights violations that occurred in areas such as the Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Darfur, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Guatemala and Argentina while we examine examples of obedience and conformity that set the stage for the human rights violations to occur. This will further lead us into the examination of human rights violations (LGBTQ, civil rights, women’s rights and many others) both in the United States and around the world. Again, we will discuss the factors that influence choices of perpetrators, rescuers, resisters, and bystanders in times of genocide or collective violence. Throughout this journey we will continue to confront moral questions inherent in this history and discover that even the smallest choices can, indeed, make a difference. Again we will examine the small steps which led to these difficult periods in history. By focusing on these histories, you will grasp the complexities of the past, while also connecting it to your own lives today. Together, we will engage in a rigorous investigation of the causes and effects of these events. We will explore examples of obedience and conformity that set the stage for these human rights violations to occur. Finally, we will discuss the factors that influence choices of perpetrators, rescuers, resisters, and bystanders in times of genocide or collective violence. Throughout this journey we will confront moral questions inherent in this history and discover that even the smallest choices can, indeed, make a difference.

Judgment, Memory & Legacy - As we confront the terrible human atrocities of the post Holocaust world, and other historical case studies from The Civil Rights Movement, the Rwandan genocide, women’s rights and a variety of other case studies we will explore the meaning of concepts such as guilt, responsibility, and judgment-and what those concepts mean in our world today. We will discuss questions such as: Who is responsible? What are the consequences of refusing to confront the past? We also discover that one way of taking responsibility for the past is to preserve its memory. We will explore the importance of monuments and memorials as communal gestures of remembering, of acknowledging injustice, and of honoring individuals and groups who have suffered.

Choosing To Participate - This last unit of the Contemporary Human Rights course focuses on how understanding the past can connect with the issues of today while examining and answering the following: How can I make a difference? Contemporary stories show how history is made every day by ordinary human beings. We will begin to understand that we also have the power to change the course of history through our own individual actions. We will explore what it means to be a citizen in a democracy, to exercise ones rights and responsibilities in the service of a more humane and compassionate world. Together we will try to make our community, state, country and world better by volunteering our time in the community and writing letters to our politicians in order to convince them to get involved in these crucial issues.