lesson plan for day #1api.ning.com/files/llskamm3xixbeiymooe375meecq2... · web view8. p. 134,...

LESSON PLAN FOR DAY #1

TITLE: Introduction to the Holocaust

OVERVIEW: In this first lesson the students will discuss in small groups what they know about the Holocaust, which will lead to an overall discussion of what the students already know about this event.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will gather what they know about the Holocaust Students will start to learn to work together and share their knowledge with others Students will think about how they think about the Holocaust, and how they

received their knowledge of it Students will start to see the human element of the Holocaust

Materials/Resources Needed

Students will need a notebook for this class because everyday they will turn in some sort of writing. In groups they will need to write their answers/thoughts to the questions and turn them in at the end of class today and nearly every single day.

Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.

ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES:

-Introduce the topic of the Holocaust-Ask students to think about the phrase in the beginning of Maus, “Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human.” by Hitler.-Have students talk about it with a neighbor-Discuss what it means as a class discussion

10 minutes

15 minutes

-Next I will hand out notebooks that each student will use as a journal, where all of their in-class writing assignments and in-class assignments will be written in and turned into at the end of the unit-The next assignment involves numbering off the students and put them into even sized groups of five-They will comprise a list of everything that they know about the Holocaust-Every student has to participate in their groups and say at least one thing, even if it is abstract

ACCOMODATION:

Having a class where the students can move around and talk to each other about the same subjects is good for both a student with ADD, and ADHD. This allows them to move around and not be bogged down to one spot. Having a discussion led class like this one also lets them talk with other people and let their thoughts flow free since this is a class where I am trying to let them brainstorm what they know already. ESL students are accommodated for because they get to talk to other English speakers and work together to find the same sort of answers and to figure out how the English speakers think about the questions.

ASSESSMENT:

When they are in groups I will monitor to see who is participating. In the group discussion I will monitor by having the group leader talk for the group and call on a wide range of students who raise their hands. Tomorrow the students have to have written one or more questions about the structure of the book. I will have them keep it as part of their journal to turn in at the end of the unit.

-Next we will discuss this as a class-Every group will select a team leader and they will say everything that they wrote down-After everything is written down ask students to characterize related responses-Hopefully they will have things that can be characterized as stereotypes, war, violence, injustice, etc. but will role with what they have and their conceptions-After we have these characteristics I will ask what made them come up with these characteristics, and what made them think the way they did towards the Holocaust. Even if they are guesses

20 minutes

-Hand out books -Look through the book and some of the pictures-Write one or more questions about the structure of the book

5 minutes


TITLE: A Background on the Holocaust

OVERVIEW:

In this lesson students will learn what a graphic novel is and comment on the features of it. Students will also learn about background information of Judaism and the Holocaust.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES:

Students will show their observations on the differences between a graphic novel and a regular novel

Students will have some background information of the beliefs of Judaism and how similar the religion is to other religions

Students will have some background information of some of the things that happened in the Holocaust and its impact on Jews

Students will have background information on Hitler

Materials Needed:

Student Journals


Information from websites: http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/timeline.htm

http://www.bbchs.k12.il.us/Teacher_Pages/Wadley/docs/Holocaust/Wadley%20holocaust%20site.htm


-Answer questions posed from previous class-In a class discussion ask students if they have ever read a graphic novel and to tell me what they think the pros and cons of graphic novels-Ask class to name obstacles they feel they will encounter when reading-will write all these on the board

15 minutes

-Will hand out and discuss the 13 fundamental beliefs of Judaism and discuss with class any similarity or difference it has from Christianity or other religion. Will write them on the board

15 minutes



http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/timeline.htm

-Show figures on how Jews were affected by Holocaust-Define genocide-Describe main characteristics of Holocaust and Hitler-Tell class to read the first chapter of Maus

20 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:

In the beginning of class this class will adhere to students with ADD and ADHD by allowing them to shed light on what they think rather than trying to find an answer. Instead of me simply telling them what a graphic novel is, I will have them think of the pros and cons of reading these. Having a graphic novel in general will help these students so that way they can analyze the pictures as well as the text. It gives them two different things to look at. It also helps ESL students so that way they can picture the setting and other aspects of the book and analyze it without much struggle with English.

ASSESSMENT:

I will call on students in class to see what their feelings are on graphic novels explained in the first activity. They are going to be assessed as part of participation by calling on some students and try to get everyone involved. I will also assess any participation for the religion and characteristic parts of the Holocaust but will not mark them down if they do not know differences between religions.


TITLE: Animals and the Beginnings of Maus

OVERVIEW: In lit circles the students will analyze the different animals Spiegelman uses as well as analyze the beginning of Chapter One.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES Students will engage with other students about what they have read Students will analyze the different animal faces and why they are being used Students will analyze the beginning stages of Maus with their classmates Students will learn to respond more in a discussion like atmosphere Students will learn work with a variety of different people in the classroom

MATERIALS/RESOURCES:

Journal


Worksheet of C.1 questions


-Cover any sort of overlap from day before-In a different five student groups gather and talk about these questions: -What are the different animals being portrayed? -What people are associated with what animal? -Why do you think the characters are associated with these characters? -What do you think other characters of the book could/should be?

15 minutes

-Back to the board the class will give me characteristics of mice, cats, pigs. -Then ask what is the relationship between these sorts of animals

10 minutes

-Hand out questions about Chapter One-Students get into groups and go over each one and have students go over these questions

25 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:

Moving around the students and having discussions about the text and the specific parts involved will help any sort of student because it gets away from a teacher centered classroom. By facilitating questions and having the students work with different people, it will give the students more movement and more interaction with the each other. This should help students with ADHD and ESL students.

ASSESSMENT:

In the lit circles I will come around and monitor and talk with the groups about the subjects and any other questions they have. The students will also write down the different things we discuss that are written on the board or for the chapter questions. The notes and answers to the chapter questions will be part of the journal.


TITLE: A not so happy honeymoon

OVERVIEW:

In this class the students will further analyze the use of animals in the novel, and explore chapter two and the significance of the events that occur.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: The students will learn to write on their own and share their writing for the class The students will learn analyze the relationship between the animals depicted in

the story The students will be able to analyze the significant events of the chapter and talk

about how they relate to the story and why people do what they do Students through the discussion of the animals will learn more about metaphor

and what it symbolizes

MATERIALS/RESOURCES

Journals

Worksheet of C.2 questions



-Students will start off with a writing prompt to answer this question: How has reading a graphic novel been different from a regular novel? What have you liked or disliked about it? Write for five minutes and we will discuss it with volunteers for five minutes

10 minutes

-As a new turn in class discussion I will ask these questions to the class and call on students for participation -What other animals are being shown in this story? -What is the significance? -How are these animals related to mice? -Why do you think he is separating the people into these animals?

10 minutes

-Students will break into different five student groups (groups will be different for every class) and answer the Chapter 2 worksheet (see assignment sheet)

20 minutes

-There will then be a discussion of these questions as a class, with each group having at least one person participate and talk about what they have

10 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:

The students will write their pre-write in their journal as well as any point made in the discussion and the chapter questions. This will be part of their participation grade. I will also monitor the lit circles and see if everybody participates and no one is just copying off of people. It will also show me who has read the novel so far.


TITLE: Fear the Kitty

OVERVIEW: The students will reflect upon their experiences of any sort of fear and see how Vladek deals with the constant fear of the Nazis.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will learn to relate their own story to the novel Students will be able to work with anybody in the classroom to talk about the

novel Students will be able to analyze the story’s significant sections with others and the

entire class Students will learn to write a blog


Journal


Class website for blog

Chapter two discussion questions worksheet


-Students will get their journals and write about this prompt for five minutes and we’ll discuss for five minutes: What has been the scariest moment of your life and how did you deal with it?

10 minutes

-Now in groups they will answer the second half of the chapter two questions (see assignment)

15 minutes

-These questions will be discussed in class. Every group will have to participate with these questions

10 minutes

-I will introduce how to post a blog on the website. This topic will be to describe a group of people; whether it’s family, friends, sports teams, etc. and relate them all to animals. Why did they select them as these animals and how do they relate to

15 minutes

each other?

ACCOMODATION:

Moving around the students and having discussions about the text and the specific parts involved will help any sort of student because it gets away from a teacher centered classroom. By facilitating questions and having the students work with different people, it will give the students more movement and more interaction with the each other. This should help students with ADHD and ESL students. The online blog also helps students who are shy in class, and it also gives them an entire weekend to do this assignment.

ASSESSMENT:

Students will keep their pre-write, any points of discussion, and the lit circle answers will be in the journal. I will also monitor the groups and see if everyone is participating and actively talking to each other. The blog will also serve as an assessment tool. It will be graded by completing the entire assignment in the allotted time (Sunday at midnight).


TITLE: Eat all the Food on Your Plate!

OVERVIEW:

In this lesson plan students will reflect upon their blogs, and learn about the hardships of the Holocaust and some of the tactics Vladek used for survival.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will reflect on how to use blogs Students will learn the injustices the Jews faced in camps Students will learn the desperate ends people had to face when in this conflict Students will be able to cite specific examples to discussion questions Students will learn to be able to cite examples when making an argument

MATERIALS/RESOURCES

Journals



-Students will get their journals and talk write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: Explain a couple reasons why on page 43, Vladek insists on Art finishing his meal

10 minutes

-As a class I will ask the class to reflect and talk about the blogs they posted. Did they like doing a blog? Were you able to fully discuss your answer effectively in blog form?

10 minutes

-In new groups the students will discuss new discussion questions (see assignment) 15 minutes

-We will discuss each question in class led by myself writing what people had on the board, and adding in details when necessary

15 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:

Students will keep their pre-write, any points of discussion, and the lit circle answers will be in the journal. I will also monitor the groups and see if everyone is participating and actively talking to each other. They will also need to finish chapter three if they have not done so already.


TITLE: The Survival of the Fittest and the Luckiest

OVERVIEW:

The students will realize the amount of travel and trickery that was involved during the Holocaust. They will see how nothing is as it seems and how little hope there was for truth.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will write about an experience relatable to the story Students will look at specific pages/pictures and draw their conclusions to the

discussion questions Students will learn how certain people survived camps from the Holocaust Students will learn how hard it is for people to form relationships after the horrific

events of the Holocaust

MATERIALS:

Journal



-Students will get their journals and talk write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: Describe an appropriate time when someone tried to trick you into doing something. How did you react or avoid being tricked?

10 minutes

-As a class discuss the picture on page 54-Ask class what it is and why it is posted-What is Vladek’s plan in regards to this sign?-Does the plan work?

10 minutes

-In different groups discuss the handout of discussion questions (see assignment) 20 minutes

-talk about one or two questions. If groups are not done with the questions they must complete them individually for homework. Also read chapter four

10 minutes

ACCOMODATION:

By facilitating questions and having the students work with different people, it will give the students more movement and more interaction with the each other. This should help students with ADHD and ESL students.

ASSESSMENT:

Students will keep their pre-write, any points of discussion, and the lit circle answers will be in the journal. I will also monitor the groups and see if everyone is participating and actively talking to each other.


TITLE: The Function of Language Spoken by Vladek

OVERVIEW:

In this lesson plan the students will decipher the language used by Vladek and make sense of them. The students will also learn about how other people tell their stories.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: The students will think about how they interpret stories The students will learn how to decipher English spoken in a different dialect from

a different era of history Students will learn how language enriches a story even if it is not grammatically

correct Students will work together and come up with techniques to make meaning from

the words

MATERIALS:

Journal


Worksheet with 11 phrases used by Vladek in the first four chapters


- Students will get their journals and talk write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for ten minutes: Is there anybody you know who has trouble speaking but gives great stories? Or talk about a great story teller you know and what kind of stories do they tell

15 mintues

-Finish discussion from chapter three 10 minutes-Hand out worksheet with examples of Vladek’s language. They have to rewrite the sentences in standard English and explain what they mean in the context of the page or plot. This will be turned in at the end of class and discuss a couple of them if the class has them done.

25 minutes

ACCOMODATION:

This lesson takes a different turn from what the class had been doing in the past couple days and lets them dwell into something new and fun. This is a good change which helps with ADD and ADHD by not really having them settle into a routine. ESL learners also get a skill of deciphering language with other classmates who are not exactly used to Vladek’s kind of language either.

ASSESSMENT:

The beginning prompt will be in their journals that they will turn in at the end of the unit, and participation is key for the rest of the discussion from chapter three. The language worksheet will be monitored while the students are in groups of their choosing and turned in at the end of class.


TITLE: Money doesn’t grow on trees and neither does community

OVERVIEW:

In this lesson the students will explore the increasing loss of hope and money for the Jews in the story. They will also explore the constant dwindling of the Jewish community.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will learn the means the Jews had to survive via lack of business and

food Students will get an understanding of the importance of not having enough money

and learning to survive without it Students will see the great lengths people go through to save others Students can see how important it is to persevere

MATERIALS:

Journal


Chapter four discussion questions worksheet


-Students will get their journals and talk write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for ten minutes: What does the term “money don’t grown on trees” mean to you? Describe a time when you needed to save money for something

15 minutes

-After discussion on the pre-write ask them to provide a couple examples of Vladek’s philosophy of money in chapter four

5 minutes

-Have a class discussion about the following questions: -What has happened to the food supply when Vladek returns to Sosnowiec? -What happens to the Jewish businesses? What are the means they use to make money? -What are some ways the Jews throughout the story made money/survived from the war?

15 minutes

-In randomly selected groups to discuss C.4 discussion questions 15 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:



TITLE: Am I Next?

OVERVIEW:

By discussing what happened in chapter four the students will further get the idea of loss of hope and money for the Jews in the story.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will think about the validity of Vladek’s memory Students will learn that surviving is not an exact science and that luck has much to

do with it Students will learn about how people react after a traumatic event like the

Holocaust Students will start to think about their paper for this unit by thinking about the

over-arching themes of the novel


Journal


Rubric with paper ideas

Chapter four discussion questions

ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES:- Students will get their journals and write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: What do you think of Vladek’s memory? Do you think it is entirely accurate? Explain. What are your shocked about?

10 minutes

-Have groups talk about any questions from C.4 they may not have gotten to and discuss with each other.

10 minutes

-Discuss the questions in class by having every group give at least one answer to a question, and feeding off of discussion from there. (see assignment)

20 minutes

-Read off the rubric and explain the paper (see assignment) and answer any questions 10 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:



TITLE: Prisoner on Hell Planet

OVERVIEW:

In trying to figure out the strained relationship between Art and Vladek, we will also discuss the major underpinnings of chapter five and how Art is affected by his parents in this story.

GOALS/PROCEDURES: Students will analyze the relationship between Art and Vladek and how it is so

strained Students will learn about how Anja’s suicide affects Art Students will form an opinion on why they feel certain parts are put into a novel,

and if they fit

MATERIALS: Journal


Chapter five discussion questions worksheet


- Students will get their journals and write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: Describe how you feel when you argue with somebody. Do you try to stick by your guns, give in, or do you just avoid arguments all together?

10 minutes

-As a class discuss the following questions: -How does Art respond to Vladek when he asks for help with the drainpipe? -How would you describe their relationship now? -Why do you think there relationship is this way? -What are Art’s true motives for seeing his father?

15 minutes

-Students will go into newly formed groups and answer the C.5 questions for this lesson (see assignments)

15 minutes

-Students will get out their journals and write about a new topic: Write about why you think “Prisoner on Hell Planet” is in the novel. Five minutes will be used writing, five will be to discuss

10 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:



TITLE: Staying Alive

OVERVIEW: In this lesson plan students will learn about the different ways Vladek was able to survive the Holocaust. They will also learn together in groups and in discussion and see how different conventions are used to show that the Nazis controlled everything

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will relate a near death experience in their own writing and see how it

compares to the near death experiences of Vladek Students will analyze the picture with the swastika on the ground and see the

double meanings of this picture Students will see how images in general can create double meanings and

metaphors Students will see how the littlest items can have an affect on the will to survival

MATERIALS:

Journal


Worksheet with discussion questions for chapter five

ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES

- Students will get their journals and write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: Have you ever had a near death experience? Explain how you went through it or describe someone else’s experience

10 minutes

-In different randomly selected groups these groups will discuss the chapter five questions (see assignments)

25 minutes

-As a class we will have each group present a question from the list. Some groups may have to talk about two questions on the sheet. Will discuss these questions in detail

15 mintues

-Read chapter six for homework 0 minutes

ACCOMODATIONS:


ASSESSMENT:



TITLE:

OVERVIEW: Students will analyze the issue of trust between the Jewish families and other families in this story.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will learn the desperate situations the Jews went through and the lack of

trust they had Students will learn the main differences between Art and Vladek by the end of the

novel Students will learn how the Jews tried to escape the gas chambers, and how the

chambers immediately affected those involved Students will learn the powerhistory can have on one’s life

MATERIALS: Journal

Chapter six discussion questions



-Students will get their journals and write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for ten minutes: Does anybody really trust each other? Give examples from chapters five and six of the people that Vladek trusts or who he does not trust

15 mintues

-Go over as a class any questions that were not covered in the chapter five worksheet 5-10 minutes

-In groups of the student’s choosing will analyze and answer the chapter six questions (see assignment)

20-25 minutes

ACCOMODATION:


ASSESSMENT:



TITLE:

OVERVIEW:

In finishing the novel students will see the relationship between Art and Vladek and how Vladek was able to ultimately survive the Holocaust

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Students will come up with reasons why this book is effective or not and back it

up Students will comprehend the overall destruction of the Holocaust Students will decipher different kinds of English and translate it to standard

English

MATERIALS: Journal

Chapter six discussion questions


Vladek language worksheet


-Students will get their journals and write about this topic in a pre-write for five minutes and discuss for five minutes: Did you like this book? Is it effective in depicting the Holocaust? What does the book mean to you?

10 minutes

-Discuss the rest of the chapter six questions as a class 25 mintues

-Students will work on and complete the Vladek language worksheet 15 mintues

ACCOMODATION:


ASSESSMENT:

Students will turn in their journals and their papers the next day for grading. The paper will follow the rubric and the journals will be graded by having every question and writing prompt completed and answering every part of the question. The journals are a participation grade of sorts, and by having every part of the question answered they will receive credit. The specifics of the answer will be graded to see if it followed the

discussions and to make sure that the answers are not completely off base. I will also monitor the groups and see if everyone is participating and actively talking to each other.

ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter one worksheet for Lesson Plan #3

Write your answers in your journal, and be prepared to answer the questions in class

1. On page 6, what do you think Art’s father means by saying “you see what it is friends”?

2. What do you think of the relationship between these two in the opening scene?3. What had happened to Art’s mother?4. On page 11, Spiegelman tells us that his father’s second wife Mala was a survivor

too, like most of his parents’ friends. Why does Spiegelman call Mala a survivor? What does he mean?

5. What kind of relationship do Art and Vladek seem to have in Chapter One? Give specific examples

6. Why does Vladek choose Anja over Lucia? What do you think of the choice?7. Why did Art include this section of the novel about how Vladek met his mother

Anja? Why does he defy his father’s wishes to leave it out?

Chapter Two worksheet for Lesson Plan #4


1. Why does Ms. Stefanska go to jail? What role did Anja play in Ms. Stefanska’s going to jail?

2. How does Anja react to Vladek going off to Bielsko?3. What are some specific examples of anti-Semitism?

Chapter Two worksheet for Lesson Plan #5


1. When do Vladek and Anja realize that the war is coming? How do they know? Use specific pictures and text to support your answer.

2. What happens after Vladek and Anja return from Czechoslovakia? What are they afraid of?

3. Why does Vladek consider taking Anja and Richieu to the town of Sosnowiec? Do they eventually go to Sosnowiec? Where does Vladek go?

4. Why doesn’t Vladek tell the doctor in the hospital about his glass eye? What does this say about Vladek’s character?

Chapter Three worksheet for Lesson Plan #6


1. How does Vladek’s father try to keep him out of the army? Was he successful? Do you think Vladek’s father made a smart decision? Explain.

2. What does Vladek mean on page 50, when he says, “Well at least I did something.” Do you believe that he is justified in feeling this way? Explain.

3. How are the Jewish prisoners of war treated? Do they live under the same conditions as the other prisoners? Explain.

Chapter Three worksheet for Lesson Plan #7


1. How does Vladek survive the work camp? What motivated him?

2. Why doesn’t Vladek get off the train in Sosnowiec? How does he end up in the city of Lublin? How does he eventually get to Sosnowiec?

3. What happens to Vladek’s father while Vladek was away? How does Vladek’s father feel?

4. Why does Vladek throw away Art’s coat? What would you have done if you were Art?

Vladek language worksheet for Lesson Plan #8

Decipher what these phrases mean in standard English and figure out what it means in relation to the page, chapter, or overall plot

1. p. 35, “And she was so laughing and so happy, so happy, that she approached each time and kissed me, so happy she was.”

2. p. 45, “… and there they took youfor 25 years… to Siberia!”

3. p. 58, “I didn’t want they should see me much.”

4. p. 59, “Always they did everything very systematic.”

5. p. 63, “These I saved from a Red Cross package. Always I saved just in case!”

6. p. 67, “But I haven’t with whom else to talk!”

7. p. 80, “He survived me my life that time.”

8. p. 84, “What was Anja doing at around this time?” “Houseworks… and knitting… reading… and she was writing always her diary.”

9. p. 84, “It was easier to hide than clothings. I kept things hidden in the child’s stroller, and I made a few zlotys.

10. p. 86, “We didn’t yet know of Auschwitz – of the ovens – but we were anyway afraid.”

11. p. 91, “One from three they kept at the stadium… maybe 10,000 people – and with them, my father.”

Chapter Four worksheet for Lesson Plan #9 &10


1. How does Vladek’s friend, Ilzecki save his son during the war? How does Vladek try to save his son Richieu? What happened?

2. Why do the Germans hang Nahum Cohn and his son? What effect does this hanging have on other people?

3. How does Vladek feel about the hangings? Why does he feel this way?4. Who are the Jewish police? Why is Art surprised to hear about the Jewish police?5. Do Anja’s grandparents go to Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia? What happens?

How does Vladek find out?6. What happens to Vladek’s sister Fela? Why does Vladek’s father join her?

Explain his thinking.7. On page 93, Mala says that Vladek is more attached to things than people. Why

might Mala say this? Do you believe this is true?

Chapter Five worksheet for Lesson Plan #11


1. What is “Prisoner of Hell Planet?”

2. Who is it directed to?

3. Why is this piece included?

4. What does this say about Art and how his family affects him?

5. How does he react to his mother’s suicide in this piece?

6. Would you feel the same way?

Chapter Five worksheet for Lesson Plan #12


1. What happens to Richieu in the Ghetto in Zawiercie? Why?

2. Why does Vladek build a bunker? Does this bunker help the family survive? Explain.

3. Vladek lets his cousin know that he can pay him for his help. Why? Does it matter?

4. On page 116, Vladek refers to Haskel as a “kombinator.” What is a “kombinator”? Why does Vladek call Haskel a “kombinator”? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

5. Why does Anja’s nephew Luke refuse to go to the hidden bunker? Does he make a smart decision? Why or why not?

6. Why does Art Spiegelman portray the paths in the image to the right as a swastika? How does this image express Vladek and Anja’s situation?

7. Why does Vladek keep the 14 karat gold cigarette case and lady’s powder case from Srodula, Poland?

8. Vladek questions why he ever remarried after Anja’s death. Why do you think he married Mala? Do you think Vladek and Mala have a good marriage? Explain.

Chapter Five worksheet for Lesson Plan #13 & 14


1. Why does Art worry about the way he’s portraying his father, Vladek in the book? Should Art worry about this? Explain.

2. Is Vladek happy about Art’s book? Explain. Why would Vladek compare Art to Walt Disney?

3. How does Janina, the governess react when Vladek and Anja come to her for help? Why?

4. Why does Vladek ride in the official streetcar with the Germans, rather than in the second car with the Poles?

5. Do you think Mrs. Motonowa is justified in throwing out Vladek and Anja? Explain.

6. Why does Vladek consider going to Hungary with Anja?

7. How does Vladek escape from the children who were playing on the street and screaming, “A Jew!!!”

8. Why do the Jews speak in Yiddish in front of the Polish smugglers? Was this a good idea? Explain.

9. What do you think happened to Abraham? Why do you think he sent a letter from Hungary in Yiddish telling Vladek and Mandelbaum that everything was okay and that they should come to Hungary?

10. What happens to Anja’s diaries? Why does this upset Art? Why does Art call his father a “murderer”? Explain his response.

Vladek Language Worksheet for Lesson Plan #14

Decipher what these phrases mean in standard English and figure out what it means in relation to the page, chapter, or overall plot

1. p. 110, “The Germans started to grab out anybody if he had papers or no.”

2. p. 111, “We survived there a few actions. But others, what didn’t have such a good place like what I made, they kept being taken away.”

3. p. 112, “All the time we were hungry. We just didn’t have what to eat.”

4. p. 113, “What had we to do? We took on him pity.”

5. p. 122, “It was also around this time that we heard first the bad news from Zawiercie – about Tosha and Richieu.”

6. p. 122, “To die, it’s easy.”

7. p. 122, “This always I told to her.”

8. p. 134, “If I say only one word to her, she makes right away an argument.”

9. p. 135, “It’s chilly… Take also here a blanket.”

Maus Essay Questions/Topics

1. Discuss how effective the frequent movement from the story of the young Vladek and the Holocaust to the story of the elderly Vladek and his relationship with Artie (and back). Would the story of the young Vladek have more emotional weight if Spiegelman had decided to tell it in one uninterrupted piece? Discuss your answer with evidence from the text.

2. Discuss how useful the “cat and mouse” metaphor in Maus, considering the following:

-How apt is the metaphor? Does it extend beyond the one-dimensional suggestion of a cat-and-mouse chase or of cats toying with their prey?-Do you think the metaphor explains that humans are “nothing but animals”? Do you agree with this interpretation? Why/Why not?

3. Meta-fiction is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion. Explain the effectiveness of meta-fiction within the story. What does its use enable Spigelman to accomplish and communicate that he would not have been able to otherwise?

4. Do you think Vladek and Anja’s inner-most character traits were present in them before the Nazi’s came to power? Is it fair to say the experiences they had in the camps made them into more of what they are? Use specific examples from Maus to defend or challenge this assumption.

5. Discuss the relationship between Art and Vladek. Do you think their relationship has been hurt or has it become stronger through this experience together? Use specific examples from the text to explain your answer

Each paper must have a thesis statement in the introduction, examples to back up your argument in the middle, and a conclusion. Your arguments must be based off specific examples from the text. The length of the paper should be 3-5 pages.

Conceptional Unit Rationale

Whenever I think of teaching I can only imagine the school that I went to in Holt,

Michigan. It is a school that has a pretty diverse school, yet still has a lot of money. The

high school is absolutely huge and I feel that I literally saw somebody new everyday.

There is definitely a noticeable influence from the School of Choice program and Holt

gets a lot of students from the inner-city Lansing areas. However, eighty percent of the

students in the school are white. So when I imagine what high school was like in when I

attended that is what I see. However my hometown still had some diversity. Holt has

farms, outskirts of cities, rich subdivisions, and poor neighborhoods all within ten

minutes in any direction. Each class had students of all different walks of life and it is not

a small enough town to know everything about everybody. So for this unit plan I plan on

being in a relatively big high school in a suburb somewhere. I know this is basically a

dream for some teachers but I think this unit plan can still be used for a variety of

different students because the Holocaust is a horrific thing that happened and people want

to know about it. Using a graphic novel like Maus can be read easily by different students

of different socio-economic status and different races, yet still bring up thought

provoking questions. This will be an early high school class, probably tenth grade. Any

student should be able to handle this material and still think critically about it when given

the right questions and leadership, so it will not be an honors class. The students will

come from different backgrounds even in the same town, like Holt.

In my experience as a student I really loved student oriented classrooms where

students worked on their assignments in class and then had a discussion. I normally hated

classes where it was pure lecture and teacher-oriented. There is no room for classroom

community when teachers do that. I also did not like the classes that implied that one

needed to be in class and receive no credit for it except for big papers and exams. So in

this unit plan there is a lot of in-class assignments and discussions. Using the reader-

responses tactic in class the students will analyze the text in class and through group

work and discussion be assessed. The in-class assignments are all basically topic

questions that lead to the discussions. All the discussion questions will be worked on in

different groups picked at random almost every time. This is so everyone works with

everybody and get different views of the novel. Teaching a classroom like this makes it

so everyone has to participate with somebody else and that way they can get fresh ideas

about the book and help out with understanding the book. It also gives an indication of

who is skipping out on reading and who is actually reading. Journals will be used for

each student to write down the answers and thoughts to the discussion questions that will

be turned in at the end of the unit. So the classroom will be viewed as a community

where the students are facilitated by questions by me that the students discuss together.

Then as a class we will discuss the themes of the chapters or selections so everyone can

think of the novel in different ways.

The Holocaust is probably the most horrific genocide in the last couple hundred

years. It is hard to think of a topic that affected so many people around the world. It is a

topic that questions and challenges human morals in the entire history of the human race.

What happened to the Jews and the other people involved is a disgusting moment in

human history that cannot be ignored. It should also be taught because it gives an

understanding to roots of racism, stereotypes, and prejudice for any society. It also shows

a modern example of abuse of power and the horrors that can happen. Most students have

heard of the Holocaust and how horrible it is but it should be emphasized that the Jews

and other people lost so much human life in this event, and that they had no idea which

day will be their last. Maus, even with the characters being animals, puts a human story

to the madness that occurred. Also in showing that these characters as animals questions

if what happened in the Holocaust was human. Using a graphic novel like Maus gives

pictures as well as great literature to show the events that happened on a personal level

through reflection of the main character Vladek. I also figure that growing up most

students in class only read regular novels. I figure a graphic novel like Maus gives

students a break from that and give them a new kind of literature that is every bit as good

as a normal novel. I know some students get tired and bored of books so a graphic novel

could get them interested in reading again. It still has the richness of a normal novel yet

gives a different creative perspective of a story.

The major assessment tool for this class and unit will be participating in

discussions and using individual journals to answer the questions. Participation and

completing every part of the questions based on the events of the chapters will serve as a

grade and as a study tool. There will also be a paper at the end of the unit because I

believe it makes the students think more than a test or an exam will. The paper will ask to

analyze certain themes of the novel and the topics and rubric is included in this plan.

There will also be a weekend where they must complete a blog on the website I provide.

This is to get the students involved in something technology based as well as having an

anonymous (if wanted) post to a question where they have a lot of time to think. So in

short, participating and writing notes down in journals, a blog, and a paper are the main

assessments.

Skeleton for blogging on lesson plan #5

Students for this class will blog on my own blog at www.blogger.com . The students will set up their user name for their blog, and if need-be set up a google email account, and as a class will follow the instructions to set up a blog. They will all have names of their choice and give me their user names by sending it to me via email. Once they have that they should search for “Mr. Maynard’s English Class” and find my blog discussion about the topic discussed in the lesson plan. They need to comment on it to show their work for the activity. The URL for this topic right now is http://mrmaynardsenglishclass.blogspot.com/ and my user name is “I am the teacher”. The students can choose whatever user name they want so they can remain anonymous if they choose to.

http://mrmaynardsenglishclass.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogger.com/

lesson plan for day #1api.ning.com/files/llskamm3xixbeiymooe375meecq2... · web view8. p. 134,...

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