International Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies
A Division of the Zoryan Institute
Additional Resources for Teaching About Human Rights and Genocide in High Schools
Lesson Plan
This brief lesson plan includes an outline of important points to cover when teaching about human rights and genocide, as well as ideas for interactive classroom activities and discussion questions.
In-Class Quote Activity
When teaching about cases of extreme violence, we historicize the events that occurred in order to understand the big overarching picture and the roots and futures of events that occurred, but utilizing first hand accounts from target groups in teaching about genocide and mass violations of human rights are important to show what these processes look like to targets, and to allow students to better understand the impacts of mass atrocities. Analyzing first hand accounts comparatively teaches students about processes and themes of genocide so they understand both the universal and the particular, and what the motives and processes of genocide have in common to produce such violence. This is important to teaching students about how they can be involved in genocide prevention.
Film Viewing Guide Worksheet
This worksheet provides a guide for students to reflect upon and draw connections between film and lessons they have learned in the classroom.
Assignment: Human Rights and Genocide in the News
This assignment allows students to connect learnings about human rights and genocide to current events.
Assignment: Personal Reflection
This assignment allows students to critically reflect on how human rights and genocide relate to their own lives and what they can do to protect human rights and prevent future atrocities.
Supporting Materials: Key Definitions
A list of key terms and definitions to support learning about human rights and genocide.
Supporting Materials: Background Information on Select Cases of Genocide
Brief background information on the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and the cultural genocide of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Supporting Materials: List of Genocides Recognized by the Government of Canada
List includes approximate dates that genocides took place and a map highlighting their approximate location.
List of Sources and Resources
Includes links to the webpages of NGOs and other institutions, UN Conventions, reports, and other free online resources that may be useful to teachers in their classrooms, as well as links to articles that may be of interest to inform teaching about issues pertaining to genocide and human rights.