Text Set: The Holocaust

I decided to focus on the Holocaust for my text set. Every year I teach The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank and I realized I really could do a lot more with this unit. Each year I do recommend different books to go along with the reading of Anne's diary, but I know I could do so much more.

This text set has really open my eyes to what is out there in terms of books/novels centered around this time period. Some of the texts I included are:


Boas, Jacob. (1995). We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust. New York: Square Fish.

A collection of five diaries written by teenagers during the Holocaust. All of these young adults passed away during this tragic time in history, living in different parts of Europe. Anne Frank is also included in this collection.


Lobel, Anita. (1998). No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
This is a memoir of Lobel’s story of surviving the Holocaust. She tells of being a young Jewish child and all of the horrible things she had to endure (hiding, marches, camps, etc.) The story is written in a first person, child’s viewpoint.


Schloss, Eva, and Barbara Powers. (2008). The Promise. New York: Penguin Group.
Eva grew up in Austria, but she and her family had to flee the country when Nazis took over. The story tells of hiding, concentration camps, and other tragic events that she and her family had to endure. Eva is the step-daughter of Otto Frank.


Zullo, Allan, and Mara Bovsun. (2004). Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc.
Nine children have given testimony to what happened to them in the Holocaust. All of them have different stories to tell and describe. However, they did survive despite everything they had been through and it will inspire those who read their stories.

Melinikoff, Pamela, and Jewish Publication Society of America. (2001). Prisoner in Time. Jewish Publication Society.

Jan is 12 and in hiding from the Nazis. He eventually finds an amulet that takes him back in time to the 16th century where helps a famous Rabbi solve problems involving other Jews in the 16th century.

Polak, Monique. (2008). What World is Left. New york: Orca Inc.
In Holland, Anneke’s life changes when the Nazis invade. She and her family are taken to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp. Here the conditions are harsh and the story tells of her struggles in this camp.

These are seriously just a few non-fiction and fiction books that I added to my text set. Some of my plans for implementing them next year are to assign each student a book of his or her choice and have them read it and add to the reading log.

I would also like to start literature circles. However, that might not be for a while due to a lot of budget cuts and an over all lack of money...but I plan to find a way to do it!

The possibilities are really endless when it comes to this set of texts. I am truly glad this was one of our projects! It is going to be so useful for my students and for myself!

Freedom Wrters Diary : Junior and Senior Year!

Oh my goodness...where do I even begin?! Again, there are so many insightful and heartfelt testimonies in this diary. It truly is amazing how Erin Gruwell helped these teenagers who no one thought would make anything of themselves due to their environment, families, life styles, and stereotypes.

One part of this section of the book that I have to touch on is from Diary 57, p. 119-120. This student describes a "pep talk" Erin gave him after he had given himself an "F" in her class. She is pretty upset with this student and decided to tell him what it actually stands for. We all know what she said it stood for. I was pretty shocked that she said these exact words to the student, but I have to remember that each student is different and I have never walked in her shoes and tried to teach students who are living in the situations presented in this diary. However, that is not even the part that is interesting to me; the part that was truly interesting to me was the student's reaction. He starts out his diary by saying:

"Today I finally grasped the true meaning of self-reliance." After he has described what Erin told him he says, "No one in my life has ever given me facts so boldly. I never had a "pep talk" quite like this...what she showed me today is that a truly self reliant person takes action, leaving nothing to chance and everything to themselves. She showed me that excuses will not bring me about success and that adversity is not something you walk with, but something you leap over. The only obstacles are the ones you allow...I want to be a self-reliant person now and forever."

I was completely amazed by his reaction and what he learned from Erin. Although I can't see myself ever saying such words quite like she did to this student, it does inspire me to really make connections with my students and be real with them. This is what Erin did and she did get through to him. She told him what he needed to hear!

Another part that I must comment on is from Diary 85, p. 169-170. This part describes what a student saw and heard at the Holocaust Museum. As all of you know I do a unit on the Holocaust in my room and I think I am going to have to use this quote that the student had seen and wrote in the diary:

"They came for the trade unions, but I was not a trade unionist, so I didn't respond. Then they came for the Socialist, but I was not a Socialist, so I didn't respond. Then they came for the Jews and since I was not a Jew, I didn't respond. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me."

I teach every year that maybe a lot of the Holocaust could have been stopped if only people would have spoke up and refused to be silent. This quote really ties in with that! In fact, I could even share what this student said after reading this quote on a wall.

She says, "On our way back to the hotel, I saw Swastikas that we had covered. Before, if I saw something bad happen, I probably wouldn't have done anything. I used to think, 'If it doesn't affect me, why bother?' With the covering of the swastikas, and everything that happened today, I now know that there is not a day that will go by, when if I believe something is wrong, I won't do anything about it. It is better to take a chance and make a change, than it is to pass and pity."

Oh how I wish I had a chance for my students to go the Holocaust Museum. But, maybe I should look into it...Erin Gruwell probably would. ;) But, how unbelievably inspired is this student due to what she has read, seen, and heard?!

There are so many testimonies that I could touch on, but I think that it is essential that we do realize that these students did make the decision on their own to graduate in the end and that Erin was truly the inspiring instrument that they needed as guidance along the way. This book was fabulous, inspiring, and very motivational for teachers. I think that it could be very inspirational to other students as well. However, I would be careful about recommending it to certain age groups due to language, sexual references, and violence. I really wouldn't hesitate recommending it to high school students, but I would caution with some 8th grade students.

Fabulous! Fabulous Book!

Visualizing

After reading Chapter 8 in our text book, I realize I really do not do a whole lot of visualizing activities in my classroom.

As I have mentioned before I am doing a unit on poetry for the rest of the school year: Does anyone have any suggestions for a poem that I could use in my classroom to help with visualizing?

As far as trying to get our young readers to use their imaginations and visualize, I think that using an excerpt from Harry Potter or a book of that type where you must use your imagination in a make believe world might get their attention! Any other ideas on this matter? Any other recommended books?

Science Fiction and Fantasy...Why are they so popular??

Okay...I am going to admit it...please don't judge me or hold this against me...but I did read the entire Twilight Series in a week and a half!! I know...you probably think I am crazy right about now... It was even in the middle of last school year. I honestly couldn't put it down! The way that Stephanie Meyers writes her stories is intriguing and you want to keep reading...it was very hard to put the books down. And, not only is it intriguing because of the forbidden love story, but it also involves vampires! And who isn't a little bit curious about vampires?? :)

I think our young adolescents love this genre because it is an escape from reality. At least, I know for me it is. In this genre everything is possible and there are no limits. In a world where there are so many rules and regulations and so forth, it is always nice to be able to venture out and just pretend sometimes without anybody telling you that something isn't possible and your imagination is allowed to run wild! When it comes down to it: It's just fun! :)

What do you all think??

P.S. Twilight - loved the books, hated the movies. I walked out of the theater in the middle of the first movie! The books were so much better; they usaully are better!

Freedom Writers Diary: Thoughts up to Junior Year!

I knew this book was going to be amazing.

There are so many parts I could talk about and discuss!. The whole time I am reading this with teacher eyes and my heart just cries for these students; they are all so young and have been through so many things that I have and probably never will go through in life.

A story that sticks out to me still is about the young 14/15 year old girl who was joining a sorority in high school. The things these girls would be put through so that they felt they would "fit in" with others, was unbelievable. It is so tragic that young people will do almost anything to fit in, even if they know it is not right. The collection of diaries are from the 90's, but it has not changed today. The need to fit in in every where and very real for preteens and teens today.

I absolutely loved the poem, "Moment" by Vincent Guilliano. It says so much about life and truly living. I really want to share this with my 8th grade class (we're in the middle of a poetry unit right now) and I think many of my students will really appreciate it.

Just like this poem that Erin Gruwell shared with her classes, she had so many fantastic ideas when it came to teaching in her classroom. It is really inspiring to me to bring apple cider into the classroom and make a toast for change or for inspiring goals at the end of each year! I also loved hearing how she would dress up. So many of us that teacher the middle/upper level forget that students still appreciate little things like that! Right now I am thinking, What could I dress up like this week? She also always found novels/books/literature that her class could relate with. This is so very important when teaching reluctant readers and teenage students; they always enjoy reading books that reminds them about things they know in each of their own lives.

I also definitely am interested in reading Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo. I have not read it, but I have a feeling students could really relate to this diary. I will have to read it and find out!

Sounds like Freedom Writers!

Amanda will not have access to My Own Two Feet until June in her library! So, unless, anyone else does not like the idea of Freedom Writers, I say let's read it!! :)

My Own Two Feet Vs. Freedom Writers...

Sounds to me like most of us are up for anything and one of us really wants to read My Own Two Feet.

So, is anyone opposed to reading My Own Two Feet?

If no one is opposed to reading it, then I would love to read My Own Two Feet!