Passage to Freedomby Ken Mochizuki,

with Afterword by Hiroki Sugihara

The family of a Japanese diplomat living in Lithuania in 1940 is confronted by Jewish refugees asking for Japanese visas to escape the German Nazis. Without his country’s permission, the diplomat issues thousands of the visas. Even today, years after his death, Japanese and Jewish families alike honor Mr. Sugihara for his bravery.

Skill Lessons

Genre– Biography

Comprehension– Author’s Purpose (PB 63, 67, 68)

– Sequence (PB 66) Words to Know

– Vocabulary (PB 64)

– Dictionary/Glossary (PB 65) Research and Study Skills

– Parts of a Book (PB 69-70)

Genre

A biography is the true story of a person's life, written by someone else.

Comprehension

Author’s Purpose– The author’s purpose is the reason or

reasons the author has for writing.– An author may write to persuade, to

inform, to entertain, or to express himself

or herself.

Comprehension

Sequence – Sequence is the order in which events

happen in a selection. When you read,

think about what comes first, next, and

last.– Several events can occur at the same time.

Words such as meanwhile and during give

clues that two events are happening at the

same time.

Vocabulary Words

AgreementCableDiplomatIssue

RefugeesRepresentativesSuperiorsVisa

Agreement

Harmony in feeling or opinion

Cable

A message sent through wires, also

called a telegram

Diplomat

Person who manages relations between two nations

Issue

To distribute officially to a person or persons

Refugees

People who flee to another country for safety

Representatives

People appointed or elected to act or speak for others

Superiors

People who are higher in rank or position

Visa

An official signature or endorsement upon a passport or document, showing it has been examined and approved

Dictionary/Glossary

Dictionaries and glossaries provide alphabetical lists of words and their meanings.

A dictionary is a book of words and their meanings, and a glossary is a short dictionary at the back of some books.

An entry shows the spelling of a word and comes before the definition.

Parts of a Book

The parts of a book include its cover, title page, copyright page, table of contents, chapter titles, captions, section heads, glossary, and index.

Examining the parts of a book can give you clues about a book and assist you in learning as much as you can from it.

Daily Fix-It

The childrens eyes were sad? Them fled from the nazis. The many travelers belongings

were left behine. Thay could not save theirself.

Daily Fix-It

Two mens' clothing stores had its windows broken.

Brave citizens hided refugees in several house.

The boy had no belt for he pantz.

Daily Fix-It

If she had a pare of scisors,Mama would fix them.

Poland was attacked, by the german army.

Ain't it a shame people cant' get along?

Resources/Websites

http://leeandlow.com/pdfs/passage.pdf– Classroom guide to story

http://ncta.osu.edu/japan/volkmann-jap.pdf– Two lesson plans for story

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/gr6/gr6_th1_sel2.html http://www.heartwoodethics.org/docs/Curr_Passage.pdf http://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/snpapp/login/login.jsp