ABSTRACT
When teaching history it is difficult to avoid topics that could be perceived as emotionally difficult, where injustice or brutality are part of what happened, or to avoid topics to which some pupils, due to their social backgrounds or personal experience, are deeply attached. Such topics raise a number of issues for teachers – what slant on the past should they adopt (if any), what is the most appropriate pedagogical approach to adopt, should emotional and moralistic issues be side-stepped, how might pupils react and how should this be taken into account, and so forth. Although there is a range of topics that could be considered ‘difficult’, the emphasis within this chapter is on teaching the Holocaust, not only because it is commonly taught, but also because the issues associated with teaching it are those that apply to a range of historical topics.
