Secondary LESSON PLAN: War Diaries
A. Grade Level: 8th
B. CDE Standards
8th Reading /Language Arts:
2.3 - Find similarities and differences between texts in the treatment, scope or organization of ideas.
3.3 - Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters
from different historical eras who confront similar situations or conflicts.
8th Listening and speaking:
2.2 - Deliver oral responses to literature. Support judgments through
references to the text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge.
C. Concepts Covered
Reading for detail.
Comparing and contrasting authors' reactions to wartime events.
Making inferences about war during different historical periods.
Understanding meaning in context (wartime situation).
Supporting observations with specific detail.
Understanding elements of journal writing, i.e. characterization, setting, conflict.D. Procedure
Time frame: 1-2 class periods, students work in groups of three or four1. Students read excerpts from diaries of three young girls. Each person in the group can read one of the excerpts aloud or the group members can take turns reading parts of each excerpt.
2. Students discuss each excerpt and reach a consensus about the answers to each question on the worksheet.
3. Students record their answers on the worksheet.
4. Each group reports its findings to the class.
5. Teacher monitors discussion. After each work has been discussed, teacher asks the students if there are any minority groups that are treated differently or singled out because of their race, religion, etc. today? (Students likely to be familiar with treatment of different immigrant groups, i.e. Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, or different consequences of illegal immigration, i.e. Cubans and Haitians, etc. Students likely have their own personal experiences.)E. Materials Needed
1. Excerpt from A Child in Prison Camp by Shizuye Takashima (age 11)
2. Excerpt from Anne Frank: TheDiary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, et al (age 13)
3. Excerpt from A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic (age 11)
4. Matrix worksheet on War DiariesF. Assessment
1. Teacher monitors group work.
2. Group presentation of matrix worksheet.
3. Written evaluation of matrix worksheet.