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Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks

Massachusetts Guide to Choosing and Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and Human Rights Issues

June 1999

Dear Friends,

Last year, the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor enacted Chapter 276 of the Acts of 1998, a law directing the Department of Education to make recommendations on curricular materials and resources related to teaching about genocide and human rights. This Guide to Choosing and Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and Human Rights researched and prepared by Department staff after consultation with Massachusetts citizens and historians knowledgeable about genocide and human rights issues, as well as teachers and administrators.

It is important that students acquire knowledge about genocide and human rights issues to deepen their understanding of both past and current events. The Guide emphasizes relevant material from the Curriculum Frameworks for History and Social Science and English Language Arts, as well as key documents that are the foundation for the protection and preservation of human rights, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Please distribute this Guide to educators in your district. I hope you will find it a useful supplement to the History and Social Science and English Language Arts Curriculum Frameworks.

Sincerely,

David P. Driscoll
Commissioner of Education

Table of Contents

Introduction

Background: The Education Reform Act of 1993

Teaching about Genocide and Human Rights Issues: Guiding Principle

Scope, Sequence, and Developmental Considerations

Academic Content: The Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework

United States History: Selections from Core Knowledge

World History: Selections from Core Knowledge

Strands and Learning Standards

Reasoning, Reflection, Research, and Content in History and Social Science

Connections to English Language Arts

Choosing Instructional Materials and Programs on Genocide and Human Rights Issues

The Internet as a Tool for Researching Genocide and Human Rights Issues

Resources for Teaching about Genocide and Human Rights Issues

Appendix A: Human Rights in the Founding Documents of the United States

Appendix B: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Appendix C: The Convention on the Rights of the Child