FYI: I received the info below after I sent out my January newsletter, but this opportunity opens on January 9th (Tuesday), so I’m sending it out separately.

 

Naomi Watkins, Ph.D.

Secondary English Language Arts Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

(801) 538-7616

 

In partnership with First Book, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum seeks to increase educators' access to foundational books about the Holocaust to enable Title 1 and Title 1 eligible educators to teach about the Holocaust. Please see below for an offer for free classroom book sets that will go live on January 9 (links are not active yet; they will activate on 1/9). There is a limited supply, so interested educators are encouraged to act quickly and to register for the First Book network in advance if they wish to request a classroom set. 

 

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As part of our partnership with First Book, members are invited to receive FREE classroom sets of either Livia Bitton-Jackson's I Have Lived a Thousand Years OR Leon Leyson's The Boy on the Wooden Box.  These classroom sets support learning about the Holocaust by exploring personal stories.  

 

I Have Lived a Thousand Years is recommended for high school students (grades 9-12).  Classroom sets include 64 books.  The Boy on the Wooden Box is recommended for middle school students (grades 6-9). Classroom sets include 60 books.  See below for book descriptions. 

 

Requests for the book sets begin on JANUARY 9, 2024 through the First Book website. Books will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Quantities are limited. Once educators are registered for the network, they can use the ORDER NOW links below and the codes provided.  

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must teach at a Title I or Title I eligible school and be a First Book member to redeem this offer.  If you are already a First Book member, you must log into your account when you order the book sets.  If you are not yet a First Book member,  you will be prompted to complete a member registration form before placing your order.  For questions about First Book membership, please reference these FAQs.  

 

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About the Title:

 

In her memoir, Livia Bitton-Jackson describes her experiences as a young teenager during the Holocaust. When she was just 13, Hungarian authorities, collaborating with the Nazis, forced Jews in her community to move into a transit ghetto, stripping them of their property and their freedom. She recounts in powerful language her subsequent deportation to Auschwitz and the dehumanization she and her mother experienced as prisoners in Nazi camps. Livia’s unflinching account introduces readers to the stark realities and devastating effects of violence and deprivation during the Holocaust.

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About the Title:

 

In his memoir, Leon Leyson describes how he survived the Holocaust as a boy with the help of German businessman Oskar Schindler. Shortly before Leon's 10th birthday, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Young Leon experienced German authorities discriminating against and terrorizing Jews in Kraków, eventually forcing his family to move into a ghetto. Leon and his family struggled to survive and ultimately began to work for Oskar Schindler, who employed Jews in his factory and saved their lives.

 

Leon’s account provides students with an accurate description of the complex range of behaviors during the Holocaust and the horrors he experienced without being too graphic for younger readers.

 

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Teacher Guides

The Museum designed a free Teacher Guide to accompany both book sets. These guides include foundational lesson plans on the Holocaust, materials to provide historical context for the Holocaust, antisemitism, discussion questions, and survivor testimony clips. You will receive the guides via email when your book order is confirmed.

 

First Book is dedicated to breaking down barriers to quality, equitable education by working with Title I eligible schools to provide free or low-cost books and resources to educators nationwide. We encourage you to read more about the benefits of creating a free First Book membership by visiting this page. First Book members will be the first to know when the books and professional development opportunities through this project are available.

In the meantime, you are welcome to explore the First Book Marketplace to learn more about the affordable, relevant books and free resources available to First Book members.

For questions about joining the First Book community of educators, please feel free to contact Member Services at help@firstbook.org or 1-866-READ-NOW.

 

 

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Kristin Levere State Outreach Coordination Contractor

William Levine Family Institute for Holocaust Education

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

 

NEVER AGAIN: WHAT YOU DO MATTERS

The Campaign for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum