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This powerful and thought-provoking lesson resource challenges students to engage in a structured classroom debate around the question:
“Were the Nazis solely to blame for the Holocaust?”

Designed for KS3 learners, but can be adapted for higher year groups, this one-hour lesson (with the option to extend into a second session) builds toward a formal debate using a detailed booklet, source analysis, and a fully guided Power Point presentation. Students explore the roles of bystanders, victims, perpetrators, and collaborators, using historical evidence, survivor testimony, and primary sources to inform their arguments.

The lesson begins with retrieval activities and guided activities to help students understand the complexity of responsibility during the Holocaust. They then examine a range of perspectives and evidence before preparing their arguments. The Power Point presentation outlines the rules and structure of the debate, ensuring a respectful, academic environment for discussion.

This resource is ideal for:

Deepening understanding of Holocaust history
Developing critical thinking and public speaking skills
Encouraging empathy and ethical reflection
Supporting cross-curricular links with Citizenship, RE, and English