Genocide: Issues, Approaches, Resources

Social Science Record: The Journal of the New York State Council for the Social Studies.
1987, Fall 1987, volume 24, issue 2, 100 pages.

"It is almost as if 'genociders' have counted on people in both their own countries as well as others to have poor memories and faulty consciences."

— Samuel Totten

Description:
A collection of 26 articles by leading educators to help the teacher devise classroom methods to teach the subject of genocide. Several articles also give historical background and context for various examples of genocide. The authors, from secondary school teachers to university researchers, describe their experiences in studying and teaching human rights issues and discuss why they find it imperative to introduce the subject in the classroom. The Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the persecution of Iranian Baha'is, the Cambodian Genocide, and other instances of mass murder are examined.

Sample Chapters:

• "Genocide: The Ultimate Human Rights Problems," by Israel Charny
• "Genocide: A Primer for Students in Grades 8-12," by Samuel Totten
• "The Armenian Genocide," by Richard Hovannisian
• "An Interview with Vahakn Dadrian, an expert on the Armenian Genocide," conducted by Harry James Cargas
• "Critical Thinking in Social Education: The Genocide Example," by Jack L. Nelson
• "The Personal Face of Genocide: Words of Witnesses in the Classroom," by Samuel Totten
• "Teaching Genocide as a Contemporary Problem," by Bill Frelick
• "How to Avoid (Legally) Conviction for Crimes of Genocide: A One Act Reading," by Israel Charny