Victims of war and voices of RESISTANCE

A Multimodal and Inquiry Text Set

By: M. Sivret, L. Swaringen, E. Estep, M. Payne and C. McIndoe

Hello!

This is a resource full of text sets, lesson plans, vocabulary strategies, assessments, and social justice actions based around our theme of Voices of Resistance and Victims of War.

Often times, people believe that introducing historical events centered around war and violence is insensitive or difficult to discuss. We believe that in order for history to not repeat itself, we need to teach this through literature. More importantly, we need to provide students with examples and role models of real-life voices of resistance. There is nothing more powerful than for students to see real people stand up and disrupt hatred and violence in a time of war.

Within our website, we have curated a text set full of strong individuals who happened to be victims of war, but did not let that stop them from standing up and speaking out for what they believe in. Our theme is derived from our anchor text, White Bird by R.J. Palacio.

We used the story White Bird that takes place during the Holocaust to intertwine various genres of books and multimodal representations. We chose to do this to aid students in upper elementary school classrooms to begin critical discussions about the Holocaust. After careful consideration and accredidation, we believe all the books listed on this website will allow students to experience a diverse selection of stories told by various accounts of voices of resistance and victims of war.

Basic information for unit

Topic, Themes, Issues:

Victims of Wars, Voices of Resistance, and Taking Action Against Social Justice Issues

Suggested Grade Level

4th-5th grade

Palacio, R.J. (2019). White bird. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf

Anchor Text:

White Bird by R.J. Palacio

significance of theme

Even though the Holocaust takes place almost 75 years ago, we still want students to understand what it is like to be a victim of war. The anchor text and other books within the text set provides an opportunity for students to see resistance against war. If we don’t take the time to properly teach accurate information and disrupt stereotypes about this topic, then the likelihood of it repeating is higher. We need to provide students with detailed information, a text to support it, and teach them to become more aware of their actions and the affects of them after reading the supporting text.

Our goal as teachers is to provide students with opportunities to learn with and from one another. This impacts students' learning more than we realize. The topic of victims of war, voices of resistance, and taking a stand is imperative to teach as it is very relevant today.

We can relate this topic to the #NeverAgain movement here in the United States where Latino individuals are being arrested by ICE every day. This is something that U.S. citizens are aware is happening, but do not understand the magnitude and fear it generates. If we can make students realize that issues like this relate to historical events like the Holocaust, then we can help students realize that these things are preventable when people stand up and act. Lastly, the use of other books in our text set reflect a diverse amount of voices that are impacted by war, but who are able to overcome difficulties by taking action against these social justice issues.

In school, the Holocaust is a common event that is used to discuss a regretful time in history and relate to the discrimination of people. The history and facts are taught to students, however, they are never used to further help students understand how they can become voices of resistances in their own lives. Our text set, resources, and lessons allow students to empathize with victims of war and how they overcame hardships in life. Students can enter into the "sliding glass door", seeing into the lives of victims from decades ago and today who are impacted by war. Through our research, we want to develop possibilities and instill a drive in students to take action in their own lives, by starting these difficult discussions and critically analyzing sources.

Focus Questions

How do the characters take a stand and challenge/disrupt the religious intolerance of the Holocaust?
How important are interpersonal relationships in helping us overcome adversity?
How can learning about victims of war through voices of resistance help promote social action for students in today's society?
How can voices of resistance help students uncover unique perspectives and think critically regarding injustices around the world?

Related NC ELA Standards

4TH GRADE

RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning and tone.
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
W.4.2 Write informative /explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; adjust speech as appropriate to formal and informal discourse.
L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings.

5TH GRADE

RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or aesthetics of a text.
RL.5.9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
W.5.2 Write informative /explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
L.5.4 Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings.