What grade (age) do you feel appropriate to study Hitler?

[luvmyfam444]

To read a story about a child in the concentration camps (no, not Ann Frank)

 

[happygirl]

I would say high school

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I read my first school-assigned Holocaust book in 7th grade.
However, I have always had a personal interest in the subject (in fact it is now my concentration for my European history degree) and read books on the topic starting in 4th or 5th grade.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Our 6th graders have read Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

 

[mjkacmom]

I brought my 2 oldest to the Holocost museum when they were 11 and 9. By then, they had read Anne Frank, and had seen a movie about it. Now that they're 13 and 11, I plan on having them see Schindler's List. I also had ds11 watch Saving Private Ryan last year, when he kept glorifying war. When I think of all of those children who were tortured and killed - I want my children to always know of what happened. BTW, Anne Frank was required reading in grade school here.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our 6th graders have read Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

This movie was shown last year in ds's 5th grade.

 

[happygirl]

I guess mine age range was way off. I just felt like younger kids couldn't understand the issues releated to it.

 

[My sister's princess]

Depends on the book. If it is a children's book then grade school. More detail and information 5grade or middle school.

 

[jsmith]

3rd or 4th grade-children are capable of understanding alot of complex things much younger than we give them credit for-and the only way to prevent history from repeating itself is to educate people and have them believe. By high school kids have already been exposed to sceptisism and denial and may accept that as the truth.

 

[monsterkitty]

I guess mine age range was way off. I just felt like younger kids couldn't understand the issues releated to it.

Kids do understand and they get it.

I had to pick my niece up from school one day when she was in 4th grade and the secretary sent me down to the room to get her. They were reading the Yellow Star and the converstation the kids were having was just amazing.

Kids understand and can do a lot more than we think they can.

 

[eliza61]

I guess mine age range was way off. I just felt like younger kids couldn't understand the issues releated to it.

Some times they cannot but with the younger kids you can water the message down a bit.

My kids were in the 6th grade when they read Anne Frank and it was a MLK day assignment. The assignment revolved around intolerance against fellow people. They didn't delve deeply into the horrors of the concentration camps so the kids were able to digest it.

I find kids can understand alot more than we give them credit for. Some of the reports my son and his peers wrote were really quite insightful.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'd say probably fourth grade.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

4th grade is a good age to include this part of history into the curriculum and then build from there.

The middle school in TX where my dd's were at had Holocast survivors come in to speak.

"Paperclips" is an excellent teaching movie for younger kids.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think I started reading about that stuff in 4th grade. By 7th grade we had completely covered the concentration camps.

 

[PaulaSB12]

For younger children books like When Hitler stole pink rabbit would be a good starting point.

 

[frndshpcptn]

I think I read Number the Stars when I was young. I'd say grade school for children's books and then more inforamtional reading as they get older

 

[lspst8]

I'd say 4th or 5th grade .... The book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is appropriate for that age and won a Newberry award.

I know I read Anne Frank and another book about the Holocaust, whose name escapes me, when I was in 6th grade.

 

[shortbun]

My 8th grader did a paper comparing Hitler and Stalin's totalitarian style governments to the 'government' in the book Animal Farm this year. His paper was excellent but he focused mainly on Stalin because he said, 'everyone knows all about Hitler and his crimes but not so many people know about Stalin.' So-definitely earlier than 8th grade. We have discussed Hitler in our home on a few occassions and yeah, they saw and read The Boy In Striped Pajamas in 6th grade. The teachers sent a note home prior to advise parents of the content.

 

[aristocatz]

I started learning and reading about the Holocaust and concentration camps in 3rd grade in Hebrew School. We heard a story read by our teacher and then listened to a talk and engaged in a discussion with an actual Holocaust survivor.

As long as it is presented in an age appropriate way, I think it can be taught at many grammar school ages.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I'd say 4th or 5th grade .... The book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is appropriate for that age and won a Newberry award.

I know I read Anne Frank and another book about the Holocaust, whose name escapes me, when I was in 6th grade.

I read Number the Stars in 3rd grade I believe. I think that by 3rd grade they are ready to begin learning about. My DD is in 2nd grade and she knows a little bit of it just from our family as her great grandfather is a WW2 ex pow. She's seen him speak a few times at engagements and understands that some bad people wanted to hurt others because they were different from them. I think it is important that we do not sanitize history for our children, but we can make it age appropriate to their comprehension level. By 9th grade, I think all children should see Schindler's List.