Personalizing History By Using Literature

Target Grade/Subject: Ninth grade World history. The holocaust is an emotional topic that is addressed little before high school. Reading and writing about the holocaust can help the student mature by dealing with the struggle of both personal survival and crimes against humanity. Also, by using novels and nonfiction that has adolescents as the main characters, students can make a personal connection with the historical content.

Objectives:

Students will analyze major historical events of the 20th century in terms of the Nazi Holocaust and other examples of genocide. (Virginia SOL-9.11)

Write an essay of no more than 500 words, which includes historically correct references.

Use spell and grammar check for the final draft of the essay.

Incorporate descriptions of real events of WWII within the lives of the fictional characters from the novels.

Exchange ideas with their classmates and develop a sense of cooperation in the classroom.

Materials:

Number The Stars, by Lois Lowry. A novel that tells of the courageous efforts of the Danish people hiding Jews from the invading Nazis.

Devil's Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen. A time travel piece that transports a modern Jewish girl into a Polish village of the 1940's.

Friedrich, by Hans Peter Richter. A story of a German Jewish boy's struggle during the Holocaust.

Daniel's Story, by Carol Matas. This novel uses the character Daniel as a vehicle to describe life in Germany from 1933-45 for a Jewish family.

Children in the Holocaust and WWII: Their Secret Diaries, by Laurel Holliday. Nonfiction accounts of children's experiences in the Holocaust.

All of these works of literature have a common bond. They all show the experience of an adolescent in life and death situations. They also convey that there is hope even within the darkest of times.

Description of Lesson:

Prior to the class session, students will have read either one of the novels or three excerpts from the nonfiction children diaries.

Using word processing, they will develop a 500 word essay. This essay will be written as if the student was one of the characters in the novel or the diary. Students can create a new ending to the novel or change the actions of the character in the situation of crisis presented in the novel. In addition, the factual information of WW II will have to be incorporated.

Once students have finished writing they will have one of their peers read it and critique it. Rather than handwriting the essay, each student will use word processing to make the necessary changes before handing in the finished assignment.

Evaluation Procedure:

Students will be graded on the accuracy of historical facts throughout the essay. (30 pts.)

Students will be responsible for the quality of their peer reviewing. They must give constructive criticism and work cooperatively with their classmates. (20 pts.)

The writing of the essay should use clear and concise language. There should be few or no spelling errors. (20 pts.)

Students should be able to convey their knowledge of the Holocaust by using examples from the novel and/or nonfiction material. (25 pts.)

The essay should be no more than 500 words. (5 pts.)