Alan Marcus

Professor

Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)


Biography:

Alan Marcus is Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Connecticut and is a UConn Teaching Fellow. His scholarship and teaching focus on museum education, teaching with film, and global education, with an emphasis on the Holocaust and teaching difficult history. Alan collaborates with museum educators across the United States and internationally, is a Faculty Fellow for the Holocaust Institute for Teacher Education at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and runs an education abroad program for pre-service teachers in Nottingham, England. Alan is the past president of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and was the lead editor, and a writer, for the new State of Connecticut Social Studies Standards. His current research includes evaluating the potential and limitations of virtual interactive Holocaust survivor testimony, participating as a part of the “Technology Meets Testimony” scholar network at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, and studying the use of Virtual Reality with Holocaust survivors at museums. Alan is a former high school social studies teacher and regularly collaborates with K-12 teachers on curriculum development and innovative pedagogy.

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D. Curriculum & Teacher Education, Stanford University
M.A.T Social Studies Education, Boston University
B.S. Political Science, Tufts University

Areas of Expertise:

History Education

Holocaust Education

Teaching with Film

Museum Education

Teacher Education

Social Studies Education

Selected Publications:

Is the United States Exceptional? Inviting Students to Consider American Democracy, Liberty, Opportunity, and Optimism During Troubled Times. (2024). The Social Studies.

‘Oppenheimer’s Little Toy’: Why teaching history with film still matters. (2024). Teaching History.

Marcus, A.S., Griffith, K.A*, Powers, F.G. The power(s) of Bridge of Spies to learn about the Cold War. (2024). Social Studies Research and Practice.

Combating antisemitism today: Holocaust education in the era of Twitter and Tik Tok (2023) The Conversation.

Holocaust education in transition from live to virtual survivor testimony: Pedagogical and ethical dilemmas. (2021). Holocaust Studies.

Mapping the pandemic: teaching critical map literacy with interactive COVID-19 maps. (2021). Social Studies Research & Practice. 16 (2).

Monuments expire, but offensive monuments can be powerful history lessons. (2020, September 4) The Conversation

The grey zone of Holocaust education: Teaching the Holocaust with film. (2020). In A. Patt & L. Hilton (Eds.), Understanding the teaching of the Holocaust. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

Teaching about genocide with film. (2020). In S. Totten (Ed.), Teaching About Genocide: Advice and Suggestions from Secondary Level Teachers and Professors. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Promoting Intercultural Competence in Professional Spaces: Education Abroad Experiences in England for Social Studies Pre-Service Teachers. (2019). Global Education Review, 6 (4). 31-49.

Why we need to rethink how we teach the Holocaust. (2018, May). The Conversation.

Teaching History with Film: Strategies for Secondary Social Studies. (2018). 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge.

Teaching The Holocaust Through Film. (2017). Social Education. 81 (3) 172-176.

Teaching history with Museums: Strategies for K-12 social studies. (2017). 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge.

Teaching Difficult History with Film. (2017). New York: Routledge.

Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences. (2015). The Journal of International Social Studies. 5 (2) 22-37.

How secondary history teachers use and think about museums: Current practices and untapped promise for promoting historical understanding. (2012). Theory and Research in Social Education.

The inconvenient truth about teaching history with documentary film: Strategies for presenting multiple perspectives and teaching controversial issues. (2009). The Social Studies. 100 (6), 279-285.

“The reality of it all:” History students read the movies. (2006, Fall). Theory and Research in Social Education.

In the News:

How Officials say social media plays a role in the rise of antisemitism in Connecticut.

Virtual reality is educating new generations about the Holocaust. Radio interview on Morning Edition with Lori Mack. WNPR Radio

Anti-Semitism Rising: Bearing Witness Then and Now – Interview on Cutline TV Show (CPTV/NPR)  with Diane Orson

A monumental task: Turning an act of ‘disrespect’ into a learning moment. CBC

Holocaust Education Evolves as Numbers of Survivors Decline

Monuments and cancel culture. History podcast by Italian historians.

Teaching Map Literacy is Important Part of Having an Informed Public

New Website Developed by Neag School will Assist High School History Teachers

Seeing the Cracks in Controversial Statues – NPR interview

The Future of Holocaust Education: Virtual Survivor Testimony in 3D

In 2020, What are we grateful for? – NPR 

West VA BOE proposal draws mixed reviews over trimming social studies credits 

Lessons from history are our legacy for the future

Rethinking How to Teach the Holocaust, Radio Interview – “Top of the Mind” with Julie Rose

Museum Examines Onlookers’ Role in Holocaust

Innovative Exhibits Provide Insights Into Museum Curating, Weather’s Impact on WWII

Neag and History Professors Collaborate on “Teaching History with Museums” Book

Teaching the Meaning of 9/11

9/11 Tradegy Provides Teachable Moments

Teaching History with Museums

It’s All in the Historical Record – But Whose?

Film an important classroom tool says education professor

Honors/Awards:

University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow.

AAUP-University of Connecticut Excellence Award for Innovation in Teaching. 2011

Stanford Teacher Education Program Award: Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student. June 2001

Stanford University School of Education Fellowship. 1999-2000

 

Contact Information
Emailalan.marcus@uconn.edu
Phone860 486 0281
Mailing AddressUnit 3033
Office LocationGentry 424
Linkhttp://www.teamsocialstudies.uconn.edu