Wisconsin Academic Standards
This lesson meets the following Academic Standards required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction:
Social Studies
Social Studies Inquiry Practices and Processes
SS.Inq1.a.m Formulate open-ended questions for further research within one or more social studies disciplines.
Rationale: The debrief questions across all three phases ask students to move beyond observation into genuine inquiry –why do people seek similarity, what does difference feel like, what does inclusion actually require? Students are generating and sitting with open questions rather than arriving at fixed answers.
Behavioral Sciences
SS.BH1.a.m Identify patterns such as culture, prior knowledge, family, peers, school, communities, and personal interests that influence a person’s identity and development.
Rationale: This is the lesson’s central standard. The paper-folding activity surfaces how prior knowledge and interpretation shape outcomes. The signature sheet explores how culture, background, and community differ across individuals. The Post-it Output asks students to name their own most salient identity marker. The entire lesson is a structured investigation of what shapes who we are.
SS.BH2.a.m Investigate interactions between individuals and groups, including the impact of those interactions on individuals and groups.
Rationale: The signature sheet activity directly enacts the dynamics of in-group and out-group behavior —students circulate, seek out peers who share knowledge, and experience the social texture of similarity and difference in real time. The debrief asks them to reflect on how those interactions felt and what they reveal about inclusion.
SS.BH3.a.m Examine the role of culture, cultural diffusion, and cultural change on the development of societies and individuals.
Rationale: The signature sheet worksheet surfaces cultural knowledge: Traditions, foods, languages, and practices that students carry but may not have previously named or shared. Students discover both the diversity within their classroom and the cultural knowledge gaps that lead to miscommunication or exclusion.
English Language Arts
SL.6.1 / SL.7.1 / SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own clearly.
Rationale: The lesson is built around reflection, guided discussion, and responding to ideas about identity and peoplehood.
L.6.6 / L.7.6 / L.8.6 Acquire and use grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.
Rationale: Students are working with discipline-specific vocabulary, including identity, diversity, culture, traditions, community, and peoplehood.
W.6.2 / W.7.2 / W.8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Rationale: The iceberg worksheet and exit slip ask students to explain aspects of identity and reflect on understanding, though this is a lighter fit than speaking/listening. We suggest you attach this standard to this lesson only if you require students to write complete sentences, not single-word labels.
Summer Professional Development
July 7 & 8, 2026 – IN PERSON
This workshop is a must-have for all new and current educators responsible for teaching about the Holocaust in their classrooms since Act 30 took effect. Hosted by the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Registration is open!
Classroom Experiences & Field Trips
Field Trips
Holocaust Survivor Testimony
Students bear witness to antisemitism through the accounts of Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Our Speakers Bureau members share personal histories, and when available, artifacts and photos to help students connect with history.
Student to Student
What is it like to be a Jewish teenager in 2026? In this student-led program (funded by the Irving L. Chortek Charitable Fund in Memory of Robert and Jennie Chortek) local Jewish teens visit your classroom to share personal stories and traditions. Students learn directly from peers, ask honest questions, and leave with a clearer understanding of Jewish identity and how to respond to bias.
Expert-Led Workshops
Our education team offers classroom-ready workshops for students and professional development sessions for teachers. Sessions are interactive, age-appropriate, and tailored to your goals, whether you want a strong introduction to Jewish identity, a deeper context for the Holocaust, or support in unpacking antisemitism.
Sign up for our newsletter
Stay connected with J·Hub. Get free, classroom-ready lesson plans, upcoming professional learning opportunities, and practical tools for supporting Jewish students, and strengthening inclusive school communities across Wisconsin.