Russell, William Benedict III. “Teaching the Holocaust with Online Art: A Case Study of High School Students.” (2007)

This article examines student's perceptions of using primary sources (online Holocaust artwork) and non-traditional teaching methods in a high school social studies classroom to help students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the content. Nine high school students (5 female and 4 male) were studied. Students were interviewed after participating in a class activity. Notes were taken during the interviews and two main themes emerged. The first theme suggested that primary sources (Holocaust artwork) increased student interest, understanding, and appreciation toward the content. The second theme suggested that when teachers use different teaching techniques (discussion, cooperative learning, etc…) students interest in the content increased and students gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the content. The results are considered promising. Furthermore, this article provides educators with useful resources for incorporating online Holocaust artwork into the curriculum. The resources include a list of useful websites for Holocaust artwork, as well as a detailed classroom activity that was used in this study.