X-Men Magneto Testament and Maus by Art Speigelman are two graphic novels that shows the Holocaust in images and storytelling. These two stories feel very personal and intimate as they cover one of the most horrific events in history. 

Maus is based on a true survivor’s story and Testament is a work of fiction with accurate historical facts. 

Some of the questions we will discuss in class are:

What is democracy?

What happens when democracy is pushed to the side?

What happened during the Holocaust? 

What are human rights? 

What can we do to protect human rights? 

The first class will cover the historical background of the Holocaust and the concept of democracy (voting rights, equal treatment of the law, discrimination) 

Class two will be a discussion book one of two in the Maus series. There will be questions in the Outschool classroom for the students to help them analyze the book. 

Class three will cover the concept of human rights by using laws and rules from UN. 

Class four will be a discussion of the second book in the Maus series. Questions will be provided for this book too. 

Class five will be a discussion of X-Men Testament and a comparison of the stories. 

The three graphic novels are found in many libraries or can be purchased for 30-50 dollar for all three.

This class might not be suitable for all students since it will speak frankly about the Holocaust and the graphic novels don't shy away from the brutality.