Negotiating the Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide
Lemkin proved himself a relentless activist. He worked tirelessly as a lobbyist, a strategist, and an agitator, in order to establish the Genocide Convention with the help of the United Nations on December 9, 1948.
Nationalism and the Aftermath of World War I
Students consider the ways in which World War I intensified people’s loyalty to their country and resentment toward others perceived as a threat.
Letter to California Students
Share this letter with students as a way to introduce them to the Teaching the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide unit.
The Legacy of a Witness (en español)
Learn about Armin Wegner's efforts to raise consciousness about the Armenian massacres. This resource is in Spanish.
Introducing the Unit
Students develop a contract establishing a reflective classroom community as they prepare to explore the historical case study of this unit.
Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention
Learn about lawyer and activist Raphael Lemkin's efforts to make the world recognize mass murder as an international crime.
Humanity on Trial
This reading provides background on the the Ottoman massacres and the struggle of politicians in the United States to find an appropriate response.
A Range of Choices: In Action
In this classroom video, students read primary sources and discuss the roles that individuals have played in those historical cases.
The Artist and His Mother by Arshile Gorky
This image, which is on the cover of Facing History's publication Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians was painted by the artist Arshile Gorky. It is based on a photograph of Gorky and his mother, Sushan der Marderosian, taken in 1912. Although Gorky is generally identified as an American artist, he was born Vosdanig Adoian near the city of Van in what was then the Ottoman Empire. A few years after the photograph was taken, Gorky and his mother were victims of the Armenian Genocide. While he survived, Gorky remembers his mother dying in his arms. As an artist Gorky returned to the subject of the 1912 photograph many times throughout his career.
The Artist and His Mother by Arshile Gorky (en español)
This image, which is on the cover of Facing History's publication Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians was painted by the artist Arshile Gorky. It is based on a photograph of Gorky and his mother, Sushan der Marderosian, taken in 1912. Although Gorky is generally identified as an American artist, he was born Vosdanig Adoian near the city of Van in what was then the Ottoman Empire. A few years after the photograph was taken, Gorky and his mother were victims of the Armenian Genocide. While he survived, Gorky remembers his mother dying in his arms. As an artist Gorky returned to the subject of the 1912 photograph many times throughout his career. This resource is in Spanish.