Alabama Social Studies SS24.HOS.22b
The Standard
- SS24.HOS.22
- Differentiate between the concepts of genocide and mass atrocity.*
Explain how the concepts of personal and civic responsibility have evolved following the Holocaust.*
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies · Post-War
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how the Holocaust changed expectations for individuals, citizens, and governments. They use postwar trials and agreements to separate personal accountability from government duties. They describe how citizens can press officials to act.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student explains that following orders did not erase legal responsibility at Nuremberg when a moral choice was possible. They connect the Genocide Convention to governments' duty to prevent and punish genocide. They name a civic action, such as asking elected officials to address antisemitic threats.
Common Misconceptions
- Some students think only leaders were held responsible, or that following orders always excused a person's actions. Others assume the Genocide Convention ended genocide, or confuse citizens' ethical choices with governments' legal duties.
How to Assess It
- Write two facts on the board: Nuremberg Principle IV rejected following orders as a complete defense when a moral choice was possible; the Genocide Convention required governments to prevent and punish genocide. Ask students to explain one change in personal responsibility and one in government responsibility, using both facts.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs printed excerpts from Nuremberg Principle IV and Genocide Convention Article I; have them mark who is responsible and for what.
Ask students to write four sentences answering: How did the Nuremberg trials change who could be held accountable?
Have groups sort scenario cards, including refusing an unlawful order and contacting a representative, then defend cards that fit two categories.
Use your school's harassment reporting policy; students draft a two-sentence message reporting antisemitic harassment and requesting a response.
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Related Standards
- SS24.HOS.7c
Assess the main purposes of the Nazi antisemitic laws and policies and explain how they evolved over time.*
- SS24.HOS.21d
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- SS24.US2.6b
Critique the evolving United States policy and public attitudes toward Nazi Germany and the growing refugee crisis as the Holocaust began.
- SS24.HOS.16
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