Uncovering Hidden Histories: Bringing Roma and Sinti Voices into Holocaust and Genocide Education

Organization: JFCS Holocaust Center
Common Core Domain: English Language Arts/Literacy, History-Social Science, Reading: Literacy in History and Social Studies, Writing, Visual Arts: Responding
Grade Level: Grades 9-12. Adaptable for 8th grade.
Duration: 60-120 Minutes
1-3 class periods (60-120 minutes)
CA.HSS.10.9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9, W.11-12.9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2, RH.9-10.9, RH.11-12.2, RH.11-12.9 VA:Re9

This lesson introduces students to the history, culture, persecution, and legacy of Roma and Sinti communities, centering voices often marginalized in Holocaust education. Students examine the development of antigypsyism, the impact of Nazi racial policies, and the genocide known as the Porajmos through visual analysis, primary and secondary sources, a gallery walk, survivor testimony, and excerpts from Sofia Z-4515. The lesson concludes by exploring postwar recognition, memorialization, and the reasons Roma and Sinti experiences have frequently been overlooked in public memory and historical narratives.

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