Alabama State Standards

As of 2025, Alabama does not have a legislative mandate requiring Holocaust education in public schools. However, the Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies includes the Holocaust as a recommended historical topic, especially within World History and U.S. History courses at the middle and high school levels.

Alabama Holocaust Education Summary

Legal Status

• No state law mandates Holocaust education in Alabama.

• Holocaust topics are covered under broader instructional standards related to World War II and human rights.

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Standard Context:

• Typically addressed in 6th or 7th grade World History.

• Instruction focuses on:

  • Totalitarian regimes (including Nazi Germany)

  • Events leading up to World War II

  • Atrocities committed during the Holocaust

This encourages teachers to cover antisemitism, genocide, and moral implications, though depth of instruction may vary by district.

High School (Grades 10–11)

Standard Context:

• Addressed in U.S. History II and World History: 1500 to Present.

• Emphasis is placed on:

  • The Final Solution and Nazi ideology

  • Human rights abuses

  • The Nuremberg Trials and post-war justice

  • Global response and memory of the Holocaust

Supplemental Teaching Tools Encouraged

Though not mandated, Alabama teachers often use:

• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum materials

• Echoes & Reflections curriculum

• TheLastOnes.education, which offers:

  • Customizable lesson plans

  • Survivor testimony videos

  • Age-appropriate discussion guides

Teaching Notes for Alabama Educators

Conclusion

While Alabama does not legally require Holocaust education, it is embedded in the state’s curriculum standards as a key event in 20th-century history. Teachers are encouraged to use verified, age-appropriate resources to ensure students understand the historical facts, human cost, and moral lessons of the Holocaust.