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Social Studies Unit Plan
C&I 448
I. UNIT TOPIC and STATEGY BACKGROUND
A. 5th Grade—Unit 2: Justice, Freedom, and Equality in Wartime
 Relationship between WWI and WWII
 Geography of WWI and WWII
 The U.S. Role in WWI and WWII
 Champaign-Urbana and Illinois during WWI and WWII
 Relationship between War, Justice, Equality, and Freedom
 The Holocaust and Human Reaction to Genocide
 Memorial Day and Veterans Day
B. Background information on unit topic and perspective from school, students,
community, teachers, other non-academic sources.
 Perspective of a 5th grade teacher
“We spend a quarter studying the Holocaust. The students read a variety
of different sources, a few of which are primary sources, so that they can
gain a deeper understanding of the causes of the Holocaust and the
atrocities that occurred. We try to present students with the stories of the
victims and the rescuers so that students can begin to understand the
horrors of the Holocaust. We have students read books such as, Surviving
Hitler, And I Never Saw Another Butterfly, and In My Hands: Memories
of a Holocaust Rescuer. Reading these books helps children see the
Holocaust from a variety of perspectives, which is essential for them to
have a more complete understanding of any historical event.”
 Perspective of a 5th grade student at a rural school.
“Well, I know that we will be doing a big unit on WWII starting in
January. We mostly use our social studies book to learn about things, so I
suppose that is how we will learn about this, too. We might even watch
videos because my teacher likes to show movies. I do know a little bit
about the war since my Great-Uncle fought in it, but he doesn’t really talk
about it too much.”
 Perspective of a 4th grade teacher.
“By fifth grade, the two world wars become the focus of numerous social
studies lessons. Especially important is the US role in the two conflicts
and the standards specially call for teachers to teach about Wilson and
Roosevelt. Fifth graders also look at how World War One led to
resentment that brought about the rise of Hitler and caused World War
Two.
C. Background information on unit topic and perspectives from academic readings.
Many teachers when providing their students with instruction about the Holocaust,
tend to focus on the Jewish people who were murdered because they represented Hitler’s
primary target. However, Jewish people represented approximately six million of the
eleven million victims. The remaining five million individuals who represented nearly half
of the victims targeted by Hitler and the Nazis are typically overlooked in instruction.
When teachers are planning lessons for their students about the Holocaust, they need to
make sure that they also provide the students with materials which also present the stories
of the millions of non-Jewish victims who were persecuted by the Nazis. Non-Jewish
victims of the Holocaust included gypsies, homosexuals, feminists, the disabled, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Czechs, Slovaks, Russians (most people of Eastern European descent), and
Catholics.
Another racial group, which has been typically overlooked when one is studying the
Holocaust, is Africans. Similarly to those individuals who were of Jewish descent, Hitler
viewed Africans as polluting the “Master race”. Hitler’s views of Africans stemmed from
WWI when the French utilized African soldiers in order to combat German forces.
Following World War I, many of the African soldiers who fought against the German
forces married German women and produced children who had a mixed racial and ethnic
heritage. “Some of these black soldiers married white German women that bore children
referred to as ‘Rhineland Bastards’ or the ‘Black Disgrace’. In Mein Kampf, Hitler said he
would eliminate all the children born of African-German descent because he considered
them an ‘insult’ to the German nation” (http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/fivmil.htm).
Hitler despised Africans so much that he promoted a program of sterilization for any
children who were of a mixed racial heritage or background. Approximately 400 children
who were of a mixed racial background (those who resembled Africans) were sterilized by
the Nazis as part of their program to purify the Aryan race.
Throughout our unit on the Holocaust, we tried to provide children with the
perspective of as many of the victims of the Holocaust as possible because if children are not
exposed to a variety of different perspectives, they do not gain a complete understanding of a
topic. As a teacher, it is also important to provide students with the perspective of
individuals who were part of Hitler’s efforts, particularly those children who were persuaded
to join Hitler’s Youth Group. Allowing children to also see the events of the Holocaust from
this group’s perspective will help them to understand the power and influence of groupthink.
It will also allow them to gain a better understanding of how seemingly ordinary individuals,
who were children, could be persuaded to adopt a particular ideology. Much recent research
has been devoted to the importance of providing students with multiple perspectives so that
they can gain a better understanding of historical events. By providing students with this
often overlooked perspective, we are helping to ensure that students gain a more thorough
understanding of the Holocaust.
1. Berenbaum, Michael. A Mosaic of Victims: Non-Jews Murdered and Persecuted
By the Nazis. New York: New York University Press, 1990.
Book which provides the often forgotten perspective of non-Jews
who perished in the Holocaust.
2. Lusane, Clarence. Hitler’s Black Victims: The Historical Experiences of Afro-Germans,
European Blacks, Africans, and African-Americans in the Nazi Era. New York:
Routledge, 2003.
Interesting book which offers the perspective of another group of people
who were also victims of Nazi hatred in World War II who are often overlooked.
This was a perspective we had never even thought of as we were constructing our
unit on World War I and World War II.
3. Time-Life Books. The Time-Life History of WWII. New York: Time-Life Books. 1989.
This book talks about the causes of World War II and makes connections between
the end of the first World War and the beginning of the second.
D. Background information on instructional strategies.
Top Ten Instructional Strategies
1. Focused Imaging
Focused Imaging, the process of internally visualizing an object, event, or
situation, has the potential to nurture and enhance a student's creativity (Bagley &
Hess, 1987). Imaging enables students to relax and allow their imaginations to
take them on journeys, to "experience" situations first hand, and to respond with
their senses to the mental images formed. In the classroom, imaging exercises
nurture and develop students' creative potentials. Teachers can encourage
divergent thinking by asking students to transform a teacher guided image into
several others of their own creation, to imagine various solutions for spatial or
design problems, or to visualize a particular scene or event and then imagine what
might happen next. Imaging provides a focus and an opportunity for openminded exploration of new concepts in all areas of study. It can help broaden
students' conceptual understanding of subject area material, especially complex
concepts and processes. Imaging allows students to connect their prior
experiences to new ideas under investigation.
Source:
Instructional Strategies Online
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/focusedimaging/
2. Structured Brainstorm
Structured Brainstorm is a means of gathering information about students’
prior knowledge on a topic in an organized manner. The teacher may begin by
posing a question or a problem, or by introducing a topic. Students then express
and record possible answers, relevant words and ideas, and then circle key words
and questions. Lists can then be classified and headings given to each group. The
teacher can then display the brainstorm lists around the room. One important
element of Structured Brainstorm is that all contributions are accepted without
criticism or judgment. Initially, some students may be reluctant to speak out in a
group setting but brainstorming is an open sharing activity, which encourages all
children to participate. By expressing ideas and listening to what others say,
students adjust their previous knowledge or understanding, accommodate new
information and increase their levels of awareness. By pooling ideas and sharing
these with others in an organized manner, students help to set the direction for an
investigation on the topic or questions posed.
Source: Integrating Socially, chapter 6 “Useful Strategies for Social Education”
3. Concept Diagram
A concept diagram is a plan, sketch, drawing, or outline designed to
demonstrate or explain how something works or to clarify the relationship
between the parts of a whole. This graphic organizer assists students in clarifying
central concepts in a reading selection and in relating similar or associated
information to this key idea. Social Skills Instruction teaches specific skills in
order to promote positive interpersonal relationships.
Source:
“Concept Diagram.” Just Read Now! Beacon Learning Center. 20 Oct. 2005.
http://www.justreadnow.com/strategies/diagram.htm.
4. Readers’ Theatre
Readers’ theatre is a joint dramatic reading from a text, usually with no
memorization, no movement and a minimum of props. It involves children in oral
reading through reading parts in scripts. Unlike traditional theatre, the emphasis is
on oral expression of the part - rather than on acting and costumes. Reader’s
Theatre enables students to bring a text to life and together create a powerful
interpretation. It also offers less confident readers support from peers and
provides a genuine social purpose for attentive reading.
Source:
Instructional Strategies Online
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/readerstheatre/index.html
5. PNI: Positive–Negative-Interesting to See
The purpose of PNI is to assist students to analyze a particular situation,
encourage creative thinking, and develop the understanding that there are many
ways of looking at one issue. The teacher selects an issue that is related to the
topic being studied. Students then brainstorm issues arising from this possibility
under the three headings; positive, focusing on perceived positive outcomes,
negative: focusing on perceived negative outcomes, and interesting to see:
questions that arise from the main idea.
Source: Integrating Socially, chapter 6 “Useful Strategies for Social Education”
6. Research Contracts
The purpose of a Research Contract is to encourage students to work
efficiently and independently, allow a particular path of interest, and gather a
range of data to bring back to the class as a whole. With a partner or individually,
students will write a question that they wish to further explore, brainstorm ways to
gather information, and then consider how this information will be presented to
others. The group will develop a timeline that provides completion dates for the
various parts of the project, noting who will complete each part. The students and
teacher will sign the contract, one agreed.
Source: Integrating Socially, chapter 6 “Useful Strategies for Social Education”
7. Think-Pair-Share
Think-Pair-Share is a strategy designed to provide students with "food for
thought" on a given topics enabling them to formulate individual ideas and share
these ideas with another student. First, announce a discussion topic or problem to
solve. Give students at least 10 seconds of think time to THINK of their own
answer. Ask students to PAIR with their partner to discuss the topic or solution.
Finally, randomly call on a few students to SHARE their ideas with the class.
Source:
Instructional Strategies Online
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/think/index.html
8. Learning Maps
Learning Maps help students to develop an understanding of the purposes
behind the activities in which they are engaged in and encourage students to
develop skills of reflection. The Learning Map also allows students to trace their
own journey through the process of inquiry. In pairs or individually, students
draw the journey of the unit as they might a story map, in a sequential order.
Students will include brief recounts of the activities and annotate their maps with
reflective comments about how they felt about the unit and activities.
Source: Integrating Socially, chapter 6 “Useful Strategies for Social Education”
9. Peer Teaching
Peer Teaching helps students develop an understanding of the topics at hand by
having a peer explain and represent and idea to another student. Students may be
paired or grouped for this activity, either heterogeneously or homogenously.
10. Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning aims to have students work in a collaborative team
with a heterogeneous group of students. In cooperative learning, individuals work
together towards a common goal.
Source:
Candler, L. (2005).The Cooperative Learning Network. Retrieved
October 20, 2005
http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/
Instructional Strategy: Cooperative Learning
What is Cooperative Learning?
Cooperative Learning aims to have students work in a collaborative team with a
heterogeneous group of students. In cooperative learning, individuals work together towards a
common goal. The main focus is on the interdependence of learning among all students in the
classroom. Cooperative learning therefore makes students accountable for not only their own
learning but also for their peers. Other basic elements of cooperative learning include face-toface interaction, individual accountability, group skills, and group processing (Putnam).
How does Cooperative Learning Work?
Cooperative learning works by having students work in groups on activities that allow
them to discuss, problem solve, and work towards goals. Although the students work toward the
same goal, the achievement of the group is dependent on all group members’ contributions.
Students are also held “individually responsible” (Putnam, 19) for the material and contributing
to the group’s success. There are many different types of cooperative learning activities,
including Jigsaw, Think-Pair-Share, Expert Groups, and Advanced Graphic Organizers (ex.
KWL chart), to just name a few (Rivera). After the activity, students should take an individual
assessment of the material and also fill out a self-evaluation form to reflect on how they worked
in the group.
For whom is Cooperative Learning appropriate for?
There are many situations in the real-world that require students to work collaboratively
in a group setting to achieve a common goal. It is therefore essential and beneficial to provide
all students with the opportunity to develop both interpersonal and group skills. Promoting high
levels of peer interaction through cooperative learning leads to the development of “mutual
respect, commitment, and friendship” (Putnam, 83) among students. Ultimately, cooperative
learning fosters the application and practice of collaborative skills within a natural setting (group
work) and promotes achievement of students both with and without learning disabilities.
How practical is Cooperative Learning?
Cooperative learning strategies help a diverse group of learners reach academic
achievement because of group rewards, individual accountability, and equal opportunity.
Students must work together towards the group’s final product, yet individual accountability
ensures that all students are doing a fair share of the work. Also, equal opportunity allows for all
students, “regardless of their ability levels, the opportunity to improve on their past
performance” (Putnam, 25). Cooperative learning holds great promise for students with learning
disabilities because it enables students to practice concepts, problem solve with peers, make
connections, and develop collaborative skills (Rivera).
Where to find additional information:
Candler, L. (2005).The Cooperative Learning Network. Retrieved October 20, 2005
http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/
Putnam, J. (1998). Cooperative Learning and Strategies for Inclusion. Baltimore, MD:
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Rivera, D. (1996). Using Cooperative Learning to Teach Mathematics to Students with Learning
Disabilities. LDOnline. Retrieved October 20th, 2005 .
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/math_skills/coopmath.html
Literacy Learning Strategy: Concept Diagrams
What Are Concept Diagrams?
A concept diagram is a plan, sketch, drawing, or outline designed to demonstrate or
explain how something works or to clarify the relationship between the parts of a whole. This
graphic organizer assists students in clarifying central concepts in a reading selection and in
relating similar or associated information to this key idea. There are seven steps on which the
concept diagram is built. These include: convey the central idea, offer the overall concept, note
any key words, classify characteristics, explore examples and non-examples, practice with new
examples, and tie down the definition. This sequence of steps gives students a clear approach for
organizing and interpreting the content of a reading selection.
How do Concept Diagrams work?
The steps to create a concept diagram are:
1.) Select a reading text for class discussion.
2.) Have students identify the main idea of the context and the major sub ideas or concepts.
3.) Ask students to write down all of the key words they have found and group them in logical
categories. (This can be done in groups or individually.)
4.) Encourage students to write examples and non-examples of key words and concepts.
5.) Have students produce a set definition for key words and concepts by combining what they
learned when grouping the words and providing examples.
For whom are Concept Diagrams appropriate?
Concept diagrams are very beneficial for visual learners. However, these diagrams are
also helpful for students who have difficulty with organization, and students who struggle to put
their ideas into writing. Furthermore, concept diagrams aid students who have trouble
remembering content material they have read. In addition, there are many technology programs,
like Inspiration and Kispiration, that include headings, questions, and pictures to aid students
with attention disorders or students who are English language learners. These programs would
also benefit students who do not have the fine motor skills that enable them to write or draw.
How practical are Concept Diagrams?
This strategy is very practical for students of all grade levels and learning abilities.
Organization skills need to be established as early as possible, and concept diagrams are great for
providing a format that students can use in all subject areas throughout their education. Also,
concept diagrams can easily be used as outlines to organize students’ ideas for writing and can
serve as a guideline for notes that students take as they read a piece of literature.
Where to find additional information:
“Concept Diagram.” Just Read Now! Beacon Learning Center. 20 Oct. 2005.
http://www.justreadnow.com/strategies/diagram.htm.
Jenks, Christopher J. Teaching Reading Strategies to English Language Learners. Virginia; Dec.
2002. University of Illinois On-line Journal. Search: ERIC. Keyword: Concept Diagrams.
Salen, Spencer J. Creating Inclusive Classrooms Effective and Reflective. Fifth Edition.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Merill Prentice Hall, 2005.
II.
RESOURCE REVIEW
A. General Resource Review
World War I References
Children’s Literature
DK Eyewitness Books. World War I. New York: DK Children, 2004. (Non-Fiction)
Explains why World War I began, who was involved, and why the U.S. became
involved.
McGowan, Tom. World War I. New York: Franklin Watts, 1993. (Non-Fiction)
Good introductory book to familiarize students with the reasons behind why the
War started, the changes that occurred on the home front during the war, etc.
Web Sites
BBC: Schools Online. World War I. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/.
2 November 2005.
Wonderful website that presents students and teachers with primary source
documents such as poems, journals, diaries, letters, etc. written by soldiers,
citizens on the home front, etc.
Plotke, Joan. The World War I Document Archive. 1 July 2005.
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/. 2 November 2005.
Very comprehensive website that offers student and teachers with a variety of
different perspectives on World War I.
PBS. The Great War.1996. http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/. 2 November 2005.
Website that provides teachers and students with an interactive timeline, maps,
Educational resources, etc.
Teacher References
Heyman, Neil M. World War I. New York: Greenwood Press, 1997. (Non-Fiction)
Good book for teachers to use to gain relevant background information on the
War. Provides teachers with many primary source documents and relevant
historical information.
World War II References
Children’s Literature
Hart, Allison. A Spy on the Home Front. New York: American Girl, 2005. (Fiction)
Story of a young German-American girl who is placed in an internment camp due
to her German ancestry.
Houston, Jeanne. Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese-American Internment
During and After World War II. New York: Laurel Leaf, 1983. (Non-Fiction)
Excellent book to use with children to show the perspective of JapaneseAmericans during World War II.
Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. New York: Lee and Low, 1993. (Non-Fiction)
Picture book which presents a young child’s perspective as he was interned
during World War II. Good book to use with students to show them the effects
of war on Japanese people during the U.S.’s involvement in WWII.
Stanley, Jerry. I am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internment. New York: Crown
Books, 1994. (Non-Fiction)
Excellent book to use with intermediate level students. Presents the story of a
young Japanese boy and his family during WWII in America. The book presents
students with the causes and results of Japanese internment during the war.
Sullivan, George. The Day Pearl Harbor was Bombed: A Photo History of World War II. New
York: Scholastic, 1991. (Non-Fiction)
Presents students with an overview of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the U.S.’s
resulting involvement. Good way to involve students in the event which
precipitated the U.S. involvement in WWII.
Websites
Barry, Dick. The World War II U.S. Veterans Website. 2002. http://ww2.vet.org/. 2 November
2005.
Excellent web page for students to contact veterans and obtain first hand
accounts of what the war was like.
Holocaust References
Children’s Literature:
Adler, David. The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm. New York: Urj Press, 1987. (Fiction).
A seemingly simplistic book which powerfully introduces children to the horrors
of the Holocaust.
Ayer, Eleanor. Parallel Journeys. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
Parallel Journeys is the true story of two children during World War II. The story
recounts the experiences of Alfons, a member of Hitler’s youth and Helen, a
young girl who survived the Holocaust. The two unite forty years after the war
to inform people of their experiences. Excellent book to show students different
perspectives during war time.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler’s Shadow. New York:
Scholastic, 2005.
This would be an excellent book to use with intermediate grade students so that
they are presented with another perspective which is essential to understanding
the Holocaust. This book would allow students to better understand the power
and influence of groupthink, particularly during times of conflict.
Feder, Paula Kurzband. The Feather Bed Journey. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and
Company, 1995. (Fiction)
Picture book which tells the story of a young girl who discovers her
grandmother’s struggles during the Holocaust in Poland. An excellent
book to help introduce children to the horrors of the Holocaust.
Fox, Anne. Ten Thousand Children: True Stories Told by Children Who Escaped the Holocaust
on the Kindertransport. New York: Behrman Publishing, 1998. (Non-Fiction)
An excellent book which presents the stories of children who were able to
escape the Nazi concentration camps through aid provided by the British.
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam Books, 1993.
(Non-Fiction)
A first-hand account of a young girl’s experiences as she and her family
tried to avoid capture by the Nazis. Excellent book to engage young
students in the experiences of children during the Holocaust.
Friedman, Ira. The Other Victims: First Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis.
New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
Good book to use with intermediate grade students because it presents the stories
from the perspectives of the often overlooked victims of the Holocaust—nonJews.
Levine, Ellen. Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews.
New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
A good book to accompany Number the Stars. Tells the stories of various Danish
people who risked their lives to defy the Nazis. Good book to use with students
who are in the intermediate grades.
Lobel, Anita. No Pretty Picture: A Child of War. New York: Greenwillow Press, 1998. (NonFiction)
A memoir of young Anita Lobel’s struggles to survive throughout the Holocaust.
A good book to use with intermediate level students because it allows them to see
the Holocaust from a young adult’s perspective.
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. New York: Laurel Leaf Books, 1989. (Fiction)
Recounts the story of Jews in Denmark as Nazis occupied the country, seen
through the eyes of Anne Marie Johansen. An excellent, engaging book
to use with young adults to introduce them to an often overlooked group in the
Holocaust.
Opdyke, Irene Gut. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. New York: Anchor
Books, 2001. (Non-Fiction)
A wonderful book which presents students with the heroic efforts of one woman
who, by herself, rescued 12 Jews.
Rubin, Susan Goldman. Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the
Children of Terezin. New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
An incredibly powerful book which tells the story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis who
taught art to the children who were imprisoned in the Terezin concentration
camp. Includes art works created by the children. It would be a wonderful
book to accompany And I Never Saw Another Butterfly.
Smith, F.D. My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto. New York: Gulliver Books, 2000.
(Non-Fiction)
Compilation of images a young boy captured as he was imprisoned in a ghetto.
Excellent book that allows students to visualize what life was like for captives
during the Holocaust.
Volavkova, Hana. I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Drawings and Poems-Terezin.
New York: Shocken Publishers, 1998. (Non-Fiction)
Compilation of poems and draws by children imprisoned in the Terezin
Concentration camp in the Czech Republic. Excellent book to use with
Young adults because it shows the Holocaust from a child’s perspective.
Warren, Andrea. Surviving Hitler. New York: Harper Trophy, 2002. (Non-Fiction)
Recounts the experiences of Jack Mandelbaum, who struggled to survive in
Concentration camps from 1939-1945. An incredibly powerful book that would
very engaging for intermediate grade students.
Websites
Holocaust Education Foundation. Holocaust Education Resources for Teachers. May 1997. 1
November 2005. http://www.holocaust-trc.org/
Excellent webpage which contains lesson plan ideas, book reviews for books
related to the Holocaust, and scholarly articles which teachers can reference
before teaching students about the Holocaust.
University of South Florida. A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust Literature. 2005.
1 November 2005. http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/arts/lit.htm.
A comprehensive webpage which teachers can refer to in order to gain a
list of books which present a variety of different perspectives from the
Holocaust.
Silverstrim, Karen. Overlooked Millions: Non-Jewish Victims of the Holocaust. 1 November
2005. http://www.uca.edu/divisions/academic/history/cahr/holocaust.htm.
A website which presents the story of the millions of people who were non-Jewish
victims of the Holocaust. Details the numbers of non-Jews who perished during
the Holocaust.
Teacher Resources
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Teaching about the Holocaust: A Resource
Book For Educators. Washington D.C.: Diane Publishing Company, 2001. Can also be
accessed online at:
http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/teachabo/teaching_holcaust.pdf.
A website which provides educators with a timeline for WWII, lesson plan ideas,
and resources teachers can use.
Levy, Edith Rechter. The Holocaust in Perspective: Teacher Manual. Morgantown, West
Virginia: Holocaust Education Center, 2004.
Book which presents teachers with techniques to teach students about the
Holocaust and also includes lesson plan ideas.
Veterans Day and Memorial Day References
Brill, Marlene. Veterans Day. New York: Lerner Publishing, 2005. (Non-Fiction)
Excellent book to use because it describes how the observance of Veterans
Day began after WWI and also explains to children why the holiday is observed.
Bunting, Eve. The Wall. New York: Clarion Books, 1990. (Non-Fiction)
Tells the story of a young girl who visits the Vietnam Veterans’ War Memorial
in order to search for her deceased grandfather’s name. While this book might
not see to fit in a unit on WWI and WWII, the young girl in the story discovers
the importance of celebrating and remembering veterans.
Cotton, Jacqueline S. Memorial Day. New York: Scholastic Library, 2002. (Non-Fiction)
Good introductory book to use with children to familiarize them with the history
behind Memorial Day and why it is observed.
Cotton, Jacqueline S. Veterans Day. New York: Scholastic Library, 2001. (Non-Fiction)
Excellent book to use with children because it explains the history of Veterans
Day and why it is observed.
B. Unit Resource Review
1. Adler, David. The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm. New York: Urj Press, 1987.
(Fiction).
We would include this book in the unit because it presents the students with
an account which would help them better understand how Jews were treated
in concentration camps during the Holocaust.
2. Ayer, Eleanor. Parallel Journeys. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
We would include Parallel Journeys in our unit because it provides students
with two very distinct perspectives on the same historical event. Children
studying this book would see the Holocaust from the perspective of a child who
was a member of Hitler’s Youth and from the perspective of a Jewish girl who
was imprisoned in a concentration camp.
3. Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler’s Shadow. New York:
Scholastic, 2005. (Non-Fiction)
We would use this book in our unit so that students are presented with another
perspective which is essential to understanding the Holocaust. This book would
allow students to better understand the power and influence of groupthink,
particularly during times of conflict.
4. Fox, Anne. Ten Thousand Children: True Stories Told by Children Who Escaped the
Holocaust on the Kindertransport. New York: Behrman Publishing, 1998. (Non-Fiction)
We would include this book in the unit because it presents students with an
Optimistic look at the 10,000 children who were able to escape the horrors
of the Holocaust.
5. Friedman, Ira. The Other Victims: First Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis.
New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
We would include this book in the unit because it is important to make sure that students
do not adopt the erroneous belief that only individuals of Jewish descent were persecuted
during the Holocaust.
6. Levine, Ellen. Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews.
New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
This book would be used in our unit because it would illustrate to students how one
country in Europe actively fought against the Nazis in order to save their Jewish
population.
7. Opdyke, Irene Gut. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. New York: Anchor
Books, 2001. (Non-Fiction)
We would include this book in the unit because it presents students with the inspiring
story of one woman who risked everything in order to save the lives of Jewish
people.
8. Rubin, Susan Goldman. Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the
Children of Terezin. New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
We would include Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeise
And the Children of Terezin because it presents students with an inspiring story
of an artist who provided children in the concentration camps with hope and
optimism through art.
9. Smith, F.D. My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto. New York: Gulliver Books,
2000. (Non-Fiction)
We would include My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto because it is a
very unique book which would offer students with a different perspective of the
Holocaust. Students examining this book would be able to see what the
Ghettos in which many Jews were imprisoned in looked like from the perspective
of a child who was held captive there by the Nazis.
10. Volavkova, Hana. I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Drawings and PoemsTerezin. New York: Shocken Publishers, 1998. (Non-Fiction)
We would include this collection of poetry, drawings, etc. in our unit because it
would present students with the perspective of actual victims of the holocaust.
This would be an excellent collection of primary sources which would help
students gain a deeper understanding of the feelings many children experienced
as they endured unimaginable suffering in a concentration camp.
11. Warren, Andrea. Surviving Hitler. New York: Harper Trophy, 2002. (Non-Fiction)
Surviving Hitler would be a wonderful book to use in our unit because it offers
students with a good introduction to the holocaust. Told from the perspective of
young adult, who survived for over five years in a concentration camp through a
combination of perseverance, courage, and compassions, students would gain a
clearer understanding of the horrors concentration camp prisoners had to endure
in order to survive.
III.
UNIT OVERVIEW and OUTLINE
A. Overview/Rationale—Introduction to Teachers:
Deciding how and when to provide students with instruction about the Holocaust is an
onerous and seemingly impossible task for any teacher to undertake. However, it is a subject
that must be taught to every child. Choosing to teach children about the Holocaust once they
are in the fifth grade is an appropriate time because children have begun to develop the
emotional and cognitive maturity, which is necessary to study one of the darkest, most
gruesome events in world history. Teaching children about the Holocaust once they are in
the intermediate grades (fourth and fifth grade) is appropriate because if children were
presented with the majority of the historical information about the Holocaust at a younger
age, they would lack the maturity which would be necessary for any degree of understanding.
In reference to the age at which children should be introduced to the Holocaust, Claire Rudin,
librarian of the Holocaust Resource Center writes:
It is strongly recommended that the term Holocaust is not introduced prior to fifth
grade. Learning about the Holocaust is a powerful experience for young
people…the Holocaust hastens the end of innocence. When children read a
survivor’s story that includes experiences in concentration camps, they enter a
world in which humanity is of a different nature than they had encountered until
then…the full horror of the Holocaust is postponed until greater maturity makes
possible acceptance of that reality, and then, perhaps, understanding.
(www.holocaust-trc.org/)
This unit, which was created in order to help students gain a greater understanding of the
Holocaust, contributes to the field of social studies because it emphasizes the importance of
carefully studying history so that people can help to ensure that genocide will never happen
again. In addition to helping students gain a better understanding of genocide, the lessons
contained in this unit should help students understand the power and influence of groupthink,
which has contributed to some of the darkest moments in world history. Since social studies
emphasizes the study of human behavior and humans’ interactions with their environment,
the lessons in this unit were created so that students can understand how fear is used to
manipulate people in times of conflict so that any critical thought can be repressed in order
for the government to achieve its purpose of unity. Essentially, this unit was created to
reflect the words of influential leader, Bishop Desmond Tutu, who passionately advocates for
the education of children about instances of genocide such as the Holocaust. Bishop Tutu
once said, in reference to the Holocaust, “The compelling reason why we should learn about
the Holocaust, and the genocides committed against other peoples as well, is so that we
might be filled with a revulsion at what took place and thus be inspired, indeed galvanized, to
commit ourselves to ensure that such atrocities should never happen again”
(http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu). Teaching students about events such as the Holocaust as part of
the Social Studies curriculum is essential because “…the ugly realities of the Holocaust and
its far-reaching consequences, helps students develop commitments, based on knowledge and
reason, to the worth and dignity of all persons” (Holt 20).
This unit is shaped by current debate about best practices in social studies education. A
primary emphasis in the current debate on best practices in education is connecting the
curriculum to students’ lives. During the first lesson of our unit, we decided that it would be
very important to attempt to connect the Holocaust to the lives of the students in the class.
Connecting the material the students are going to be learning about to their own lives is
especially important during the “tuning in” stage of inquiry- based learning. If instructional
materials do not in some way relate to the lives of the children then students will not
understand its importance. In order to help connect the Holocaust to the lives of the children,
we decided that it would be important to begin the first lesson by having the students write a
journal entry in which they discussed their own lives. Once the students complete their
journal entries, they will listen to a short scenario that depicts what life was like for a child in
a concentration camp during the Holocaust. The students then compare and contrast their
lives with the lives of children in the Holocaust. This activity was designed not only to
capture the children’s attention, but to also provide them with an opportunity to connect the
material about the Holocaust to their own lives.
This unit on the Holocaust is also shaped by current debate about inquiry-based teaching.
In inquiry-based teaching, teachers do not lecture to the students nor do they tell the students
specifically what they are going to learn. In this inquiry-based unit, the students are provided
with choices and are allowed to explore topics within the content area (Holocaust), which
they would like to investigate further. The teacher, instead of directing the students, serves
as a guide or facilitator. Instead of specifically telling the students what questions they
should investigate or how they should investigate those questions, the teacher merely
provides the students with suggested resources that they could use.
Teaching for social justice is also reflected in this unit on the Holocaust. Part of teaching
students for social justice means that teachers make it a priority to inform students of current
or past events so that children can become more cognizant of periods in history, which have
represented violations of humans’ rights. By teaching the students in our class about an
event which represented one of the worst instances of genocide in world history and having
them create a presentation in which they inform their parents about the stories of survivors,
the events which caused the Holocaust, etc., the students are helping to ensure that people
never forget what happened. If people never forget about the events that led to the Holocaust
and what occurred during the Holocaust, they are far more likely to work to guarantee that
genocide will never occur again.
UNIT PLAN
Unit Topic: Unit 2: Justice, Freedom, and Equality in Wartime- Holocaust Grade Level: 5th
Group Members: Sara Dina, Ben Loduha, Meghan Stewart
Essential/Driving Question(s):
 How can interactions between different societies lead to conflict?
 How can social, political, and economic reforms lead to conflict?
 How do the decisions of major powers and their leaders impact the welfare of
their people?
 How do societies unify people?
 How can large-scale conflicts cause social and economic impacts on a smaller
level?
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How have children been affected by war throughout history?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what
reasons?
Enduring Understandings:
 World Wars I and II were truly global conflicts that affected, directly or indirectly
almost every nation on earth.
 Nationalism, militarism, and imperialism all were influential factors impacting
WWI and WWII.
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Complex issues that combine economic, political, and moral arguments often lead
countries to periods of crisis and conflict.
Dissatisfaction following the end of WWI led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the
beginning of WWII.
Illinois and the United States homefronts experienced social and economic
impacts during WWI and WWII.
When faced with a struggle or conflict, citizens band together to support their
nation.
Group-think mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and
reprehensible acts such as genocide.
Children, similarly to adults, were murdered, abused, and subjected to other forms
of inhumane treatment due to racial and ethnic prejudice throughout the
Holocaust.
Fear is frequently used to manipulate people in times of conflict to repress any
critical thought, so that the government can achieve its purpose of unity.
Children, similarly to adults, were murdered, abused, and subjected to other forms
of inhumane treatment due to racial and ethnic prejudice throughout the
Holocaust.
The geography of World War I and World War II shows how many nations were
involved and impacted by the world, these nations
List of Unit Lessons:
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Lesson # 1: Introduction to the Holocaust
Lesson #2: What We Know About the Holocaust and What We Would Like to Learn
Lesson #3: Learning More about the Holocaust through Media and Theatre
Lesson #4: Student Reflection Time: What We’ve Learned So Far About the Holocaust
Lesson # 5: How can I learn more about the Holocaust?
Lesson #6: Why Do We Care?
Lesson #7: A Night of Remembrance
Illinois Learning Standards addressed/assessed:
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3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping,
outlining, drafting).
3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety of forms
including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g., reports, essays) and
persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements).
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small
and large group settings.
4.B.2a Present oral reports to an audience using correct language and nonverbal
expressions for the intended purpose and message within a suggested organizational
format.
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4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.
4.B.2c Identify methods to manage or overcome communication anxiety and apprehension (e.g., topic outlines, repetitive practice).
5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan
5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books,
interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
5.B.2b Cite sources used.
5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate acquired information for specific audiences and purposes.
5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
14.D.2: Explain ways that individuals and groups influence and shape public policy.
16.A.2a: Read historical stories and determine events which influenced their writing.
16.A.2b: Compare different stories about a historical figure or event and analyze
differences in the portrayals and perspectives they present.
16.A.2c: Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
16.B.2d: Identify major political events and leaders within the United States historical
eras since the adoption of the Constitution, including the westward expansion, Louisiana
Purchase, Civil War, and 20th century wars as well as the roles of Thomas Jefferson,
Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
Description of Culminating Unit Summative Assessment:
 Students will create a visual presentation that presents the answer to a question that they
have answered during the course of this unit.
 Students will create an oral presentation to accompany their visual presentation to present
during an evening of remembrance hosted for the parents.
 Students will take part in creating a classroom video, summarizing the events of the
Holocaust and documenting the preparation that went into creating the presentations.
 The presentations will summarize the inquiry process that took place. There doesn’t need
to be a test about the Holocaust. Students who have paid attention and created thoughtful
presentations will come away with the information that we wanted them to acquire. In
turn, the students will begin to develop answers to the unit’s essential questions and will
leave with the enduring understandings.
 The final presentations will be graded on completeness, thoughtfulness, neatness and
accuracy.
 Since the presentations will be presented to the teacher, peers, and parents, it is assumed
that most students will create quality projects that are well done.
 Ultimately, the unit has been designed so that all students, of all abilities, have a fair
chance to learn and to succeed.
C. Lesson Plans
Lesson Name/#: Lesson # 1: Introduction to the Holocaust
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings:
Essential Question(s):
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How have children been affected by war throughout history?
Enduring Understanding(s):
 Children, similarly to adults, were murdered, abused, and subjected to other forms of
inhumane treatment due to racial and ethnic prejudice throughout the Holocaust.
Suggested Time Frame: 1-1 ½ hours
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Tuning In
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: Focused Imaging; Learning Logs (Literacy Instructional
Strategy: students write what they learned in today’s class, what they found interesting, what
was the point of the lesson, etc.)
Targeted Skills (Learning Objectives):
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The students will be able to compare and contrast their lives to the lives of children who
were victims of the Holocaust by participating in a whole class focused imaging activity
and by completing a journal entry.
Illinois Learning Standards Addressed:
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3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety of forms
including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g., reports, essays) and
persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements).
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small
and large group settings.
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
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Book: Warren, Andrea. Surviving Hitler. New York: Harper Trophy, 2001.
Poem: “Holocaust” by Barbara Sonek
Writing Journals
Pen/Pencil
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
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To begin the lesson, the teacher should ask the students to get out their writing journals.
Once the students have gotten out their writing journals, the teacher should present the
students with the following prompt: I would like you to think about your own life. You
should write a short journal entry in which you discuss the following questions: what
does your home look like (describe it)? Who comprises your family and how do you feel
about each member? What do you do on a daily basis? What are your daily activities?
Once the teacher has given the students enough time (approximately 15 minutes), the
teacher should present the students with a focuses imaging scenario. The students should
put away all of the materials. The teacher should instruct all of the students to close their
eyes and to clear their mind of everything. The teacher should read the students the
following scenario:
Imagine the following scene:
Imagine you’re in your house sitting at your kitchen table, when you hear a loud bang at your
front door. You open your front door and two soldiers are standing there, armed with
weapons. They scream, “Everybody out! Five minutes! Out!” (Warren 41). You and your
family leave your home immediately, escorted by soldiers. You walk out on to the street
where everyone in your neighborhood is assembled. Soldiers with guns surround you
everywhere you look. All of a sudden, the soldiers start pushing you forward. You suddenly
realize you’ve been separated from your family. You try desperately to get back to them, but
the soldiers won’t let you. They push you in to a train so full of people you can only stand
straight up. It’s hot and the horrid stench of human waste fills the air. You’re forced to stand
in that train for so long you’ve lost all track of time. Seconds, minutes, hours, days pass.
Finally, the train comes to a stop. Soldiers open the doors and began screaming at you to,
“get out now!” They line you up, force you to undress, and shave your head. You’re given a
uniform and taken to a small room, “…with an aisle through the middle and tiers of wooden
bunks…you sleep on bunks filled with loose straw. Each with a thin blanket and no pillow”
(Warren 56). This will be your bedroom now. Flies are everywhere in the air and the stench
in the room is so overwhelming, you can barely breathe. The only food you’re given is a thin
soup which looks like water. If you’re lucky it might contain a single rotten vegetable such
as a potato. Some days, if you’re lucky enough, you’re given a piece of bread which is so
stale you can barely eat it. This is the only food you will ever have to eat. Your life as you
knew it has forever changed. You will be hungry, tired, hot, cold, sick, and starved, and will
probably never again see your family. Your life as you thought you knew it has ended.
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Following the imagining activity, the teacher should ask the students to get out their
writing journals again. The teacher should ask the students to write their reactions to
the scenario. Some possible questions would include: How did the poem make you
feel? How did your life change from the journal entry you wrote before the scenario?
What did it make you think about? What historical event do you think the scenario
was describing? This scenario should lead in to the beginning of the discussion about
the Holocaust
After the students have been given some time to write in their journals, the teacher
should read the following poem to the students so that they can gain a better
understanding of what their unit is going to be about. The following poem was
written by a holocaust survivor named Judy Cohen who speaks to 4th through 12th
grade students around the country about her experiences as a child in the Holocaust:
“Fifty Years Later: Reflections on Teaching the Holocaust to Young People”
I stand in front of you
And see your innocent stares,
Looking at me, anticipating a personal account of my
pains and nightmares.
How do I begin?
How can I make you understand and feel
the deep scars that I carry
fragile and still easy to bleed?
How do I tell you about human created hunger
Hopeless, no-end-in-sight,
When, perhaps, you just had a good meal
and feel full and warm inside?
How do I tell you about constant fear
in the pit of the stomach, the nauseating kind
when, hopefully, you experienced only
goodwill and peace in your short life?
How do I tell you about losing family and friends
in a matter of minutes
by moving thumbs in white gloves
belong to a Nazi
a so-called human being?
How do I tell you about the odor of burning flesh,
tortures and killings of innocent people
that were planned cold bloodedly, years before!
Drinking and singing around the table?
How do I tell you about Auschwitz-Birkenau
the efficient killing machine
where mothers, babies, children and the old
marched to the “showers” and out as smoke?
How do I tell you about being torn from
all my loved ones in my teens
when you only know and should know
the warm embrace of family and peers?
How do I tell you about
the genocide of six million and more
during which my family lost eighty one,
when you can happily look at yours and declare
missing: NONE.
I do however, know to praise
Those wonderful few, defiant and brave,
at great risk to themselves,
reached out and helped many lives to save
I stand in front of you
and see your innocent stares,
but having heard it all
your gaze is no longer there!
You have lowered your eyes
So sorry! I saddened you,
having heard a witness
now, you become a witness too.
To inform and teach my story is told.
I urge you to be fair-minded and bold.
For it is up to you, THE YOUNG
How the future will unfold.
Let us create a society
free of hatred and hunger
where respect for each other
glows like a beautiful ember.
(www.remember.org/educate/judypoem.html)
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After the teacher has read the poem to the students, he or she should ask the students
questions such as the following: How did the poem make you feel? What do you think
the poem was about? What were you thinking about as you were listening to the poem?
How does the woman’s life who wrote the poem we read aloud differ from your own
life?
Once the students have written their reaction in their journals, the students should write
in their journals what they learned today. They should also write the following: what
did I find interested? What do I have questions about? What would I like to know more
about? (Learning Log)
Accommodations/Modifications for Individual and Group Differences:
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Students who may have fine motor difficulties, which would affect their handwriting
capabilities, may use the computer to type their journal entries.
Assessment Plan:
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The students beginning understandings of the Holocaust and how their lives can be
compared and contrasted with the lives of children who were victims of the Holocaust
will be assessed by the quality of the journal entries, which they will submit to the
teacher. This would be an example of a formative assessment.
Lesson Name/#: Lesson #2: What We Know About the Holocaust and What We Would Like to
Learn
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade level: Fifth Grade
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (learning objectives):
Essential Questions:
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings:
 Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
 Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
Lesson Overview: This lesson looks to establish what students know about the Holocaust,
discover what they want to learn, and then to establish the questions that they will further
explore.
Suggested Time Frame: This lesson will last 1 to 1.5 hours and will take place over two days.
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Preparing to find out
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: Structured Brainstorm
Targeted Skills:
 The students will be able to share and record their ideas about the Holocaust based on
prior knowledge
 Students will establish questions about the Holocaust that require further investigation.
Illinois Learning Standards addressed:
 3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping,
outlining, drafting).
 5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.
 16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
 One large sheet of paper for each group
 Markers
 Sheet of paper to compile ideas
 Highlighter
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
 This activity will take place over two class periods. During the first class period, the
teacher will set out large sheets of paper and the students will be divided into groups of
four. Each group will place the names of their group’s members on the paper.
 The students will then construct a K-W chart about the Holocaust. This chart will show
what they know about the Holocaust and will allow them to come up with questions
about the Holocaust that they would like answered. This is type of structured
brainstorming that allows all students to write down what they know and what they
would like to learn in an organized manner.
 At the end of the class period, the teacher will collect all of the charts and the markers.
 The following day, the teacher and students will sit in a circle and discuss what they
know about the Holocaust and what they want to learn. The teacher will facilitate the
discussion and will record the questions that students are most interested in. The class
will then decide what questions should be highlighted and researched in depth. The
teacher will make sure that every student shares at least one question or fact from the
group poster.
 Following the discussion, the teacher will post the sheet with the questions in the room in
order to help focus the students research.
Modifications: This lesson was carefully designed in order to allow for the participation of all
students. Students are placed in groups so that they can share their ideas in the safe confines of
the small group. Students with difficulty writing can dictate their ideas to one of their other
group members.
Assessment: For this lesson, student learning will be evaluated on the basis of participation.
While students are creating their K-W charts, the teacher will walk around and watch the groups
to make sure that everyone has input. During the class discussion, the teacher will ask each group
member to share one item from their chart, either a question or a fact that they recorded. A more
summative assessment will come later but at this early stage in the unit, a formative, informal
assessment is most appropriate.
Lesson Name: Lesson #3: Learning More about the Holocaust through Media and Theatre
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade Level: 5th ____
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (learning objectives):
Essential Questions:
 How can social, political, and economic reforms lead to conflict?
 How do the decisions of major powers and their leaders impact the welfare of their
people?
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings:
 Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
 Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
 Children, similarly to adults, were murdered, abused, and subjected to other forms of
inhumane treatment due to racial and ethnic prejudice throughout the Holocaust.
Lesson Overview:
 DAY ONE:
o The students will watch a documentary on the Holocaust. To supplement the
video, students will complete a concept diagram activity sheet with the major
questions from the previous lesson included as guide. Students will then discuss
the movie.
 DAY TWO:
o Students will each receive a copy of the book, And I Never Saw Another Butterfly.
As a class, the students will discuss the pictures in the book. Then, with a partner
or individually, students will select a poem and perform it to the class in the
format of Readers’ Theatre.
Suggested Time Frame: This lesson will last 1.5 to 2 hours and will take place over two days.
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Finding Out
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: Concept Diagram,, Readers’ Theatre
Targeted Skills:
 The students will explore the desperate conditions of Germany leading to the rise of
power of Adolf Hitler and discover what actions Hitler took once he was in the position
of power.
 The students will learn about the Holocaust through the eyes of a child by reading and
acting out poetry from children’s literature on the Holocaust.
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The students will observe the cause and effects of prejudice behavior and be exposed to
the different perspectives surrounding this discriminatory behavior.
Illinois Learning Standards addressed:
 14.D.2: Explain ways that individuals and groups influence and shape public policy.
 16.A.2a: Read historical stories and determine events which influenced their writing.
 16.A.2b: Compare different stories about a historical figure or event and analyze
differences in the portrayals and perspectives they present.
 16.A.2c: Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
 16.B.2d: Identify major political events and leaders within the United States historical
eras since the adoption of the Constitution, including the westward expansion, Louisiana
Purchase, Civil War, and 20th century wars as well as the roles of Thomas Jefferson,
Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
 VHS/ DVD of “Maine Survivors Remember the Holocaust”,
This video offers a clear compelling introduction to the Holocaust for general audiences.
Interviews with eight Maine survivors and an American liberator, interwoven with
dramatic archival films, photographs, maps and music, propel the viewer through this
tragic history. The personal stories of eyewitnesses demonstrate convincingly how the
Holocaust affected individual Jews. This video is designed to fit into a single classroom
period, and is appropriate for middle school and high school students.
 Video concept diagram activity sheet
 Pen/pencil
 Classroom set of the book, And I Never Saw Another Butterfly
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
 DAY ONE:
 The students will watch the documentary titled “Maine Survivors Remember the
Holocaust,” (43 minutes).
 While viewing the video, students will be adding ideas, questions, and movie quotes to
the concept diagram on the activity sheet. The concept diagram will contain the major
questions generated from previous questions. Students will use the video as a resource to
answer these questions. The concept diagram, in turn, provides students with a means of
focusing the information from the movie into meaningful answers to the questions they
previously posed.
 When the video is complete, the teacher will guide a discussion on what the students just
viewed.
 DAY TWO
 The teacher will review what the class discussed about the video from the day before.
 The teacher will then distribute copies of the book, And I Never Saw Another Butterfly, to
each of the students.
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The teacher will select three pictures from the book to discuss. Students will discuss
what they see in the picture, predict what the artist was thinking or feeling, and then
reflect on how they feel about the pictures.
Next, the teacher will explain that the students will be participating in a Readers’ Theatre
exercise for this particular story. The teacher will explain that Readers’ Theatre Readers’
is a joint dramatic reading from a text, usually with no memorization, no movement and a
minimum of props. It involves the students in oral reading through reading parts in
scripts. Unlike traditional theatre, the emphasis is on oral expression of the part - rather
than on acting and costumes. Reader’s Theatre enables students to bring a text to life and
together create a powerful interpretation. It also offers less confident readers support
from peers and provides a genuine social purpose for attentive reading.
After the teacher has explain the concept of Readers’ Theatre, the teacher will further
explain that the students will be selecting a poem from the book, And I Never Saw
Another Butterfly, and share the poem with the class in Readers’ Theatre style.
The students may work individually or with a partner to select and orally read the poem.
The teacher will give students twenty minutes to find and practice a poem, and then the
students will all present their reading selection to the class.
Modifications/Adaptations for Individual and Group Differences
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Students who may be slow readers or experience some degree of difficulty have the
option of working with a partner to help them work through this activity.
Assessment
 The students will be informally assessed throughout each of the two days. On the
first day, the students will be assessed on the organization and content of their ideas,
questions, and movie quotes on their concept diagram. On the second day, students
will be informally assessed on their clarity, volume, and expression during their
Readers’ Theatre performance. Both days include formative assessments because
students are assessed based on their participation and thought-process as the they
progressively learn more information and perspectives about the Holocaust.
Lesson Name/#: Lesson #4, Student Reflection Time: What We’ve Learned So Far About the
Holocaust
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade level: 5th
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (learning objectives):
Essential Questions
 How can social, political, and economic reforms lead to conflict?
 How do the decisions of major powers and their leaders impact the welfare of their
people?
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings
 Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
 Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
Lesson Overview:
 Using the PNI: Positive–Negative-Interesting to See, students will write a reflection
about what they have learned so far about the Holocaust. The purpose of PNI is to assist
students to analyze a the Holocaust, encourage creative thinking, and develop the
understanding that there are many ways of looking at one issue. Students will brainstorm
issues arising from this possibility under the three headings; positive, focusing on
perceived positive outcomes from learning about the Holocaust, negative: focusing on
perceived negative outcomes about the unit, and interesting to see: questions that arise
from Holocaust.
Suggested Time Frame: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Sorting Out
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: PNI (Positive–Negative-Interesting to See)
Targeted Skills:
 Students will engage in critical thinking by reflecting on what they have learned thus far
about the Holocaust.
 Students will express their opinions and perspective through writing a journal reflection.
Illinois Learning Standards addressed:
 5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.


16.A.2b Compare different stories about a historical figure or event and analyze
differences in the portrayals and perspectives they present.
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
 Paper
 Pencil
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
 The teacher will begin the lesson by introduce the idea of a PNI chart. The teacher will
explain that the purpose of the chart is to assist students in their analysis of the Holocaust.
 The teacher will explain that the chart will help students think creatively and develop the
understanding that there are many ways of looking at one issue.
 Students will brainstorm issues arising from this possibility under the three headings;
positive, focusing on perceived positive outcomes from learning about the Holocaust,
negative: focusing on perceived negative outcomes about the unit, and interesting to see:
questions that arise from Holocaust. The
 The teacher will explain that students will do further research on the questions that they
pose in the Interesting-to-See section.
 After students brainstorm ideas on a PNI chart, they will write a reflection paper, using
the P-N-I as the three main paragraphs of the reflection.
Modifications/Adaptations for Individual and Group Differences
 Students who have difficulty with fine motor skills may use a computer to word
process their reflection papers.
Assessment
 The students will be informally assessed throughout the class period by teacher
observations during the time that the students spend brainstorming. The formative
assessment will be the reflection paper that the students write to share what they have
learned thus far in the Holocaust unit.
Lesson Name/#: Lesson # 5: How can I learn more about the Holocaust?
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade Level: 5th
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings:
Essential Questions:


What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings:


Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
Suggested Time Frame: 1-1 ½ hours over the course of three days
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Going Further
Instructional Strategy(ies) Used: Research Contracts
Targeted Skills (Learning Objectives):

The students will be able to explain who was affected by the Holocaust, how they were
affected, etc. by completing a final project that will be displayed during the class’
Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibition on the last day of the unit.
Illinois Learning Standards Addressed:





5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.
5.B.2b Cite sources used.
16.A.2a Read historical stories and determine events which influenced their writing.
16.A.2b Compare different stories about a historical figure or event and analyze
differences in the portrayals and perspectives they present.
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:




Paper
Pencil/Pen
Several computers with Internet access
List of book and web site resources to suggest to help students guide their research
(see attachment)
Detailed Lesson Procedures (please note adaptations for individual and group differences):





For this lesson which will take several class periods to complete, the students will be
going to several centers which will be set up around the classroom. Each of these centers
will help the students answer the question or questions they posed during the previous
day’s activity. In order to answer the question or questions the students developed about
what they would like to know more about the Holocaust, the students will be allowed to
work individually or with a partner (no more than two people per group) in order to
complete the necessary research.
There will be three centers set up in the classroom. These centers will include the
following: 1)Computer Center, 2) Children’s Literature Center, 3) Holocaust Survivors
and Rescuers Center. The students will be given 1 to 1 ½ hours over three days to travel
to each of the centers. The teacher should divide the students up and designate which
center the students should be using each day in order to avoid any conflicts among the
students. The students will be allowed to check out one book from the Children’s
Literature Center or the Holocaust Survivors and Rescuers Center on the day in which
they are examining those centers. All students will be required to read at least one book
about the Holocaust during this unit (the students will get to choose that book) so that
they can gain a more in-depth understanding of their topic.
For the list of resources to distribute to students in order to provide them with some
suggestions for their research, please see attachment. It’s important that teachers provide
students with some help with the research process because at this level, students have still
not developed their research skills. This is particularly important when students are using
the Internet to discover information because they may encounter websites which contain
material which is developmentally inappropriate for them.
Before the students begin their research, they will be together construct and individually
sign a research contract. In the contract, the students will tell the teacher which question
they will be investigating and how they will be research it. The students should inform
the teacher how they plan on presenting the information which they will be presenting to
the entire class and the parents during the Holocaust Memorial Museum Exhibition. The
teacher and students should also agree on a time frame for the completion of the project.
The teacher will record this information so that both the students and the teacher may
sign the contract.
While the students are at each of the centers, they will be gathering information which
will help them create a culminating final project for their exhibition at the class’
Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibition. As the students are gathering their resources
and finding information which will help them answer their question(s) about the
Holocaust, the teacher should be sure to remind the students to cite their sources.

While the students will either individually or in pairs complete a project for the
exhibition, here are a few ideas that the students may develop in order to display the
information they acquired:
o PowerPoint presentation of pictures of survivors with annotations
o Poetry book/diary from the Jewish perspective during this time
o Pamphlet
o Map depicting the locations of the various concentration camps with a description
of how the victims were freed/discovered
o Poster which displays the information they learned about their question

Once the students have been given ample time to complete the research portion of the
project (1-1 ½ hours over the course of three days), they will begin to organize the
information they found to complete the rest of the research project, which will occur
over the course of the next two lessons.
Modifications/Adaptations for Individual and Group Differences

Students who may be slow readers or experience some degree of difficulty with
reading large quantities of information may use the E-reader program in order to help
them read.
Assessment
 The students will be informally assessed throughout the three-day period by teacher
observations during the time which is devoted to conducting research. The
summative assessment will be the exhibit the students create for their final
presentation.
Sample Resources to Guide Students’ Research
Websites
Survivor Testimony:
Holocaust Cybrary: http://www.remember.org/witness/
Shoah Foundation: http://www.vhf.org/testimonyviewer/TV-Main.htm
Survivor Stories/Accounts:
Holocaust Survivors: http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/survivors.shtml
Erika Van Hester:
http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~rescuers/book/Strobos/ErikaVanHesteren/ErikaStory1.html
“A Good Man by the Name of Jeff” film clip:
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/movies/JEFF/INDEX.htm
Simon Wiesenthal: http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=242614
Virtual Tours of the Concentration Camps:
Auschwitz:
http://www.remember.org/auschwitz/info5.php?topic=info&start=yes&size=l&fmt=qtvr&ex=au
s
Dachau: http://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/MemorialSite/Tour/Tour02.html
Concentration Camps (Contains photos from various concentration camps throughout
Europe):
http://vrm.vrway.com/issue10/A_VIRTUAL_TEACHERS_GUIDE_TO_THE_HOLOCAUST.h
tml
General Information about the Holocaust:
National Holocaust Memorial Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/nrule.htm
Non-Jewish Victims of the Holocaust:
http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/non-jewishvictims.htm
Holocaust Cybrary: Remembering the Victims of the Holocaust:
http://remember.org/index.html
Children’s Literature Center Resources
1. Adler, David. The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm. New York: Urj Press, 1987.
(Fiction).
2. Ayer, Eleanor. Parallel Journeys. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
3. Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler’s Shadow. New York:
Scholastic, 2005. (Non-Fiction)
4. Feder, Paula Kurzband. The Feather Bed Journey. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert
Whitman and Company, 1995. (Fiction).
5. Levine, Ellen. Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the
Jews. New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
6. Rubin, Susan Goldman. Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and
the Children of Terezin. New York: Holiday House, 2000. (Non-Fiction)
Holocaust Survivor and Rescuers Stories
1. Fox, Anne. Ten Thousand Children: True Stories Told by Children Who Escaped the
Holocaust on the Kindertransport. New York: Behrman Publishing, 1998. (NonFiction)
2. Friedman, Ira. The Other Victims: First Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by
the Nazis. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. (Non-Fiction)
3. Lobel, Anita. No Pretty Picture: A Child of War. New York: Greenwillow Press,
1998. (Non-Fiction)
4. Opdyke, Irene Gut. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. New York:
Anchor Books, 2001. (Non-Fiction)
5. Warren, Andrea. Surviving Hitler. New York: Harper Trophy, 2002. (Non-Fiction)
*This list is, by no means, comprehensive. The resources listed above are just examples of
books which would be included in each of the centers.
Lesson Name/#: Lesson #6: Why Do We Care?
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade level: Fifth Grade
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (learning objectives):
Essential Questions:
 How do the decisions of major powers and their leaders impact the welfare of their
people?
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings:
 Complex issues that combine economic, political, and moral arguments often lead
countries to periods of crisis and conflict.
 Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
 Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
Lesson Overview: This lesson is designed to engage students in critical, reflective thinking and
discussion. Students will talk about why the Holocaust matters and what similar events are
taking place today. Students will also create a chart that documents how their thinking has
changed over the course of the unit.
Suggested Time Frame: This lesson will last approximately one hour.
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Making Connections
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: Think-Pair-Share and Learning Maps
Targeted Skills:
 Students will engage in critical thinking about how their thinking has changed over the
course of the Holocaust unit and why the topic is important.
 Students will discuss with a partner why the Holocaust is important to learn about.
 Students will connect history to current events by comparing the Holocaust to the
genocide in Sudan.
Illinois Learning Standards addressed:



4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small
and large group settings.
4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
 Paper and pencils
 Chalkboard and chalk
 Overhead projector that displays computer screen or multiple computers
 Internet sites that discuss the genocide in Sudan
1. http://www.sudangenocide.org/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8364-2004Sep9.html
3. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/01/27/sudan.us/
4. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/08/60minutes/main648277.shtml
 Student Journals
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
 The teacher will first write three questions on the chalkboard for students to think about:
1. Why do we care about the Holocaust?
2. What importance does it have?
3. Can anything like this happen again?
 Students will then think about these questions on their own for about 10 minutes. They
can write down ideas in their journals if they wish so that they remember their ideas.
 Students will pair up with a student sitting near them. They will discuss, for 10 minutes,
their answers to the questions, not afraid to disagree or to present differing viewpoints.
Once again, it would be beneficial for students to record their thoughts.
 The class will come together and take 10 minutes to talk about the first two questions. It
is hoped that there will be debate and that students will present a variety of viewpoints.
The teacher needs to make sure that the classroom climate is such that all students feel
comfortable participating and sharing their ideas.
 Then the class will begin to discuss the third question. At an appropriate point in the
discussion, the teacher will introduce the news articles that talk about what is taking place
in Sudan. For the next 10 or 15 minutes, students will have a chance to read the articles
on the overhead or on the Internet, depending on how many computers are in the class.
 It is hoped that at this point, the students will clearly see that what took place during the
Holocaust can still happen, and is still happening, today. Students should have pretty
strong feelings about this and can discuss what should be done about the situation in
Sudan and how this is similar to and different from what took place during the Holocaust.
 Finally, the students will be asked to return to their desks and create a learning map. A
learning map uses boxes to summarize the reflections of the students each day of the unit.
This will be something that students have experience creating and so it will not need to be
taught explicitly. A learning map is an excellent way to visually and textually summarize
learning that has taken place during a unit. The purpose of this is to see how student’s
feelings about and beliefs about the Holocaust have changed. We hope that at this point
in the unit, students will have progressed from looking at the Holocaust impersonally to
having a real, deep and heartfelt connection to what took place during World War Two.
Modifications: A Think-Pair-Share is a great activity that students of all abilities can participate
in. This activity merely shows student growth and looks to discover student opinions about
critical questions. The learning map however may need to be modified for some students.
Students who have difficulty writing may need to work with a classmate to record their ideas.
Assessment Plan: The assessment for this activity is two-fold. Both however are relatively
formative and informal. First, the teacher will evaluate student participation during the ThinkPair-Share. Then the teacher will collect all of the student’s learning maps. The learning maps
should be well done and should show that the student reflected on what he or she learned during
the course of the unit. The learning maps, if poorly done, will be returned to students to be fixed
because they will be on display during the culminating, summative presentation.
Lesson Name/#: Lesson #7: A Night of Remembrance
Unit Topic: Holocaust
Grade level: Fifth Grade
Lesson Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (learning objectives):
Essential Questions:
 How do the decisions of major powers and their leaders impact the welfare of their
people?
 What causes people to rebel against, participate in, or ignore cases of genocide?
 How are freedom and equality restricted during times of war and for what reasons?
Enduring Understandings:
 Complex issues that combine economic, political, and moral arguments often lead
countries to periods of crisis and conflict.
 Groupthink mentality is dangerous and can lead to many immoral and reprehensible acts
such as genocide.
 Fear is frequently used to manipulate people so that the government can achieve its
purpose of unity.
Lesson Overview: This is the culminating activity of the unit. Students will invite their parents
to the classroom for a night of remembrance. Students will share projects while acting as tour
guides and will show the class video.
Suggested Time Frame: This entire activity will last throughout the course of a week,
approximately one hour per day, with the Night of Remembrance taking place on Thursday
night.
Targeted Integrating Socially Stage of Inquiry: Taking Action
Instructional Strategy(ies) used: Peer Teaching
Targeted Skills:
 Students will create a visual presentation that presents the answer to a question that they
have answered during the course of this unit.
 Students will create an oral presentation to accompany their visual presentation to present
during an evening of remembrance hosted for the parents.
 Students will take part in creating a classroom video, summarizing the events of the
Holocaust and documenting the preparation that went into creating the presentations.
Illinois Learning Standards addressed:
 4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small
and large group settings
 4.B.2a Present oral reports to an audience using correct language and nonverbal
expressions for the intended purpose and message within a suggested organizational
format.
 4.B.2c Identify methods to manage or overcome communication anxiety and apprehension (e.g., topic outlines, repetitive practice).
 5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books,
interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
 5.B.2b Cite sources used.
 5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate acquired information for specific audiences and purposes.
 5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
 16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
Resources/Materials utilized/needed:
 Students will need to obtain materials for their presentations; this may be poster board,
presentation board, etc.
 Video camera and tape to record video
 TV and VCR for video
 Tape to hang posters, student work, etc.
 Student learning maps
 Student journals
Detailed Lesson Procedures: (Please note adaptations for individual and group differences.)
 This is a long lesson that will wrap up the unit. Within this final week, students are
expected to put their research together to form a presentation that answers their research
question that was established during the second day. They will create these presentations
individually or with a partner.
 The previous lesson established the purpose for the Night of Remembrance. Students will
have realized just how important the Holocaust is and will understand why it is still
important today. They also will have an understanding of the ongoing genocide in Sudan
and will strive to create awareness about this as well. The first step in stopping genocide
is to acknowledge when it is taking place.
 Monday through Wednesday will be used for students to work on their presentations.
These presentations will reflect the results of a full inquiry project where students create
the questions, research the answers, and then present their findings in a way that is
visually appealing and demonstrates accurate research.
 On Thursday, students will set up for the Night of Remembrance. Each group or
individual will set up for their presentation in a different spot in the room. The learning
maps will also be posted (with or without names visible) so that parents will have a
chance to see how the students’ thinking changed over the course of the unit.



The teacher will video tape student discussions throughout the unit and will document the
construction of the presentations during the final week. The teacher will then edit this
tape so that it can be presented during the Night of Remembrance. The tape will be
shown on a TV in a neighboring classroom to half of the parents at a time. This way, if
students work in pairs, one student from every group can act as a tour guide, taking his or
her parents around the classroom while their other group member stands at their
presentation ready to answer questions. The tape will also contain information about the
situation in Sudan that the students have been discussing.
The theme for the night should focus on why parents should remember the Holocaust,
what it means today, and what can be done to prevent similar events from continuing to
happen.
The final day of the unit will involve students reflecting in their journals about the Night
of Remembrance, talking about what they learned, what went well, and what could be
improved. Students will also discuss what they learned from this unit and how it affected
the way that they feel about the Holocaust.
Modifications: It is important to make sure that students don’t feel upset if their parents cannot
come. A teacher needs to be sensitive to the feelings of his or her students and so even if a
student’s parents or guardians can’t make it, that student can still help be a tour guide and
shouldn’t be made to feel left out. Once again, the inquiry of this lesson creates natural
modifications. Students are able to present their findings in a way that is most comfortable for
them. Unlike a test where there are only right and wrong answers, any project here that is
thoughtfully done and shows research and learning will meet the objectives.
Assessment Plan: This is the summative assessment for the unit. The presentations will
summarize the inquiry process that took place. There doesn’t need to be a test about the
Holocaust. Students who have paid attention and created thoughtful presentations will come
away with the information that we wanted them to acquire. They will begin to develop answers
to the unit’s essential questions and will leave with the enduring understandings. The final
presentations will be graded on completeness, thoughtfulness, neatness and accuracy. All of
them will have been presented to parents however so it is assumed that most will be well done.
This unit has been designed so that all students, of all abilities, have a fair chance to learn and to
succeed.