Let’s Begin What is the Human Response to War? A Separate Peace and WWII Cyberlesson Presented by: Gina Gallivan Recommended Grade Level: Grade 10 RDG Creative Language Arts
Operation Discovery: On the Front Lines of Understanding War Your mission: What is the human response to war? How are human beings impacted by war? Our platoon will investigate answers to these questions in our world and in Chapter 10 of A Separate Peace. What comes to mind when someone mentions war? How much do we really know about war? Are our ideas about war reflective of the reality of war? This cyberlesson will guide you through an interactive journey as you consider these thought-provoking questions. As we learn about the way the characters in A Separate Peace respond to World War II, we will also take a look at how citizens have responded to World War II in history.
Materials Reader’s Journal—You will use your reader’s journal to respond to the questions and activities in this cyberlesson. Graphic Organizer—Click on the links provided before and during reading to access graphic oragnizers to organize your thinking. Pencil –Record your thinking in writing. A Separate Peace by John Knowles (book and audiobook) Computer– Link to related websites through an Internet connection.
Before Reading Link to the attached Before Reading graphic organizer to respond to the following questions: Link to graphic organizer I. What conditions characterize war? What words come to mind when you think about war? List at least five descriptive words or phrases. What images come to mind when you think of war? Draw a picture of an image of war.
II. What was World War II really like? Click on the links below to learn more about World War II. On your graphic organizer (See link on prior slide), record at least five new facts you learned about World War II. Look for the roles people played on the home front as well as on the front lines. Links to video clips and text about WWII Type in “Faces of Freedom,” then click on Veteran’s Day – Military.com for WWII slideshows Information about WWII and the home frontwww.teacheroz.com/WWIIHomefront.htm Information about WWII, including timeline of events Link to eyewitness accounts of WWII events from veterans and citizens III.Were your expectations about World War II similar to or different from the reality of World War II? Write your reflection in Part III of your Before Reading graphic organizer. Before Reading
During Reading (Chapter 10) In Chapter 10, Gene meets Leper, who has left the war. As you read Chapter 10 along with the audiobook recording provided by your teacher, use the Inspiration graphic organizer provided below to record your observations about how being in the war has impacted Leper. Click on the graphic organizer to keep track of Leper’s words and actions, as well as his character qualities that give clues about how war has impacted him. Also include Gene’s reactions to Leper’s words and behavior in Chapter 10. Link to graphic organizer
After Reading After reading Chapter 10, write a one page response journal entry in your reader’s journal. Use evidence from the text to reflect on how Leper’s expectations about war (Think about Chapters 7 and 9) differ from the reality he experiences in war. Discuss how Leper has changed after enlisting. Based on your reading of the novel and your Before Reading Internet research, what conditions of war do you think contributed to the change in Leper? II. Imagine you were Gene in Chapter 10. If you met up with Leper, what would your reaction be to his changed behavior and speech? What would you say to Leper? Draw a picture of yourself meeting up with Leper, and create a speech bubble with what you would say to Leper in response to his upset state. Include this drawing in your response journal.
Beyond Reading Leper’s reaction to war is reflective of a condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What questions do you still have about the impact of war on a person’s mental health, as well as how soldiers are supported emotionally when they return from war? Record your questions in your response journal. Click on the websites below to read about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder What new information did you learn? Record your findings in your response journal. Write a two-voice poem to express a dialogue between “pre-war Leper” and “post-war Leper” based on your findings.
Evaluation Rubric 432 Before Reading Graphic Organizer I wrote five or more words and drew an image about war that shows superior effort. I learned five or more new facts about World War II. I reflected thoughtfully on the differences between my ideas and the reality of war. I wrote 3-4 words and drew an image of war that shows fair effort. I learned 3-4 new facts about World War II. I reflected about basic differences between my ideas and the reality of war. I wrote fewer than 3 words and drew an image of war that shows poor effort. I learned fewer than 3 new facts about World War II. I did not reflect in meaningful ways about my new learning. During Reading Character Web My graphic organizer is complete and contains thoughtful descriptors. My graphic organizer contains specific, relevant textual evidence. My graphic organizer is complete and contains descriptors. My graphic organizer contains some general examples from the text. My graphic organizer is incomplete and contains some descriptors that may be inaccurate. My graphic organizer does not contain sufficient textual evidence. After ReadingMy response journal entry contains thoughtful conclusions about all three parts of the question and is supported with relevant textual evidence. My speech bubble expresses an insightful question for Leper that shows superior understanding of Leper’s change and his emotional state. My response journal entry contains ideas about some of the questions posted, and it includes some evidence from the text. My speech bubble expresses a plausible question for Leper that expresses an accurate understanding of Leper’s change and emotional state. My response journal entry contains ideas about only one question posted, and it lacks textual evidence. My speech bubble does not contain a meaningful question for Leper, and the question does not reflect an accurate understanding of Leper’s change. Beyond ReadingI listed 3-5 questions and 3-5 new findings about PTSD. I created a creative two-voice poem reflective of the change in Leper. My title is creative and fitting. I listed 2-3 questions and 2-3 new findings about PTSD. I created a two-voice poem reflective of the change in Leper. My title is fitting. I listed only 1-2 questions and 1- 2 findings about PTSD. I created a two-voice poem that does not accurately reflect the change in Leper. The title is not fitting.
Credits A Separate Peace by John Knowles (audiobook with reader Scott Snively) Websites: Eyewitness to History History.com The Homefront During WWII ww.teacheroz.com/WWIIHomefront.htm KSL Radio Military.com National Institute of Mental Health: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder United States Department of Veterans Affairs World War II Timeline
Tips for Teachers This entire cyberlesson is most successfully implemented over the course of three days. Here is my suggested timeline: Day 1: Before Reading activity with graphic organizer completion, Web investigation, and Inspiration character web completion in the computer lab. Day 2: Whole class reading of Chapter 10 of A Separate Peace along with audiobook recording. The audiobook recording of Chapter 10 is particularly effective because students can hear the emotional distress in Leper’s voice as well as the shock of Gene’s voice as Gene realizes how the war has changed Leper. Hearing the narrator interpret the characters’ voices will help students evaluate the cyberlesson’s focus on character change and the contrast between the expectations and reality of war. Students can complete the After Reading Response Journal Entry and Speech Bubble at the end of class and/or for homework. Day 3: Beyond Reading Web search and two-voice poem writing in computer lab. This may be done with a partner and presented to the class. The teacher should model how to write a two voice poem first.