In March 2002, the Education Center website was established to assist Virginia World History II educators when teaching SOL WH II, 12b. It was during the 2001 revision of the History Standards of Learning that the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 became part of the SOL relating to “examining the Holocaust and other examples of genocide of the twentieth century”.
At that time, the Armenian Education Center was awarded a generous grant from The Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program (VBEP) to develop a lesson plan and teaching packet to go to every Virginia public high school. These packets included lesson plans, a film on the Armenian Genocide and two supplemental booklets. This packet was sent to the attention of the librarians and the History and Social Sciences chairperson at each high school in Virginia. The Armenian Genocide is included in the Virginia Department of Education’s revised Curriculum Framework (page 43) as the first major example of genocide in the 20th century and a precursor to the Jewish Holocaust.
Because the original packet contained a film in the now outdated VHS format, the Armenian Education Center has the present lesson plan on its website with a link (for streaming) to the five minute documentary film, The Century, the Forgotten Genocide by the late Peter Jennings, ABC news anchor. This film thoroughly addresses Virginia’s SOL World History II, 12b. With the questions and vocabulary components included in this lesson, teachers will be able to show the film, discuss the questions and answers and feel confident that their students will have the needed knowledge to master this SOL and this period of history. Please check with the librarian in your school to see if they still have the original packet. Even though the VHS tape format is outdated, the two booklets which were part of that boxed lesson plan kit are still excellent resources.
In addition to the lesson plans provided on this site, we also maintain a substantial library of resources which includes material on the subject of human rights, specifically the Armenian Genocide of 1915. We have many resources on Armenian history, literature and culture. The Education Center will give full consideration to all serious requests.