1. “Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story” By Ken Mochizuki
Before and During Reading Skills

2. “Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story”
1. Identify and define the Literary Focus element in this selection.
2. Identify and define the Reading Focus element in the this text.
3. What is the Writing Focus in this story and what are you asked to do while reading?

3. Author Information
4. Read the information about the author on page 194.
4. Make a list of three important things you learned about the author.
4. Circle the detail you think will be the most important to help you understand the story.
5. Read the “Build Background” paragraph and make a list of 3 things you learned.

4. Quick Write
Kindness
Think of a time when someone has been kind to you.
Describe that act of kindness and how it affected you.
Have you ever gone out of your way to be kind to someone else? How did it make you feel?

5. Vocabulary DIPLOMAT REFUGEES SUPERIORS FATE TELEGRAPH
For each word below, write the definition and create a narrative story that uses each word properly. Be sure to have a complete story with a beginning, middle, and ending.
DIPLOMAT
REFUGEES
SUPERIORS
FATE
TELEGRAPH

6. “Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story”
Read the text carefully and note the way the author reveals Mr. Sugihara’s character without directly telling the reader.
Note how he interacts with his family, the refugees, and the Japanese government.
Be prepared to share and support your judgment of Mr. Sugihara.

7. Preview and Predictions
Before Reading Skills
Preview and Predictions
Examine the text features located throughout the selection.
Make a list of the things you “know” or “think you know” based only on the text features.
Make a list of at least 3 things you want to know, but you need to read in order to find out.
What genre or type of text do you think we are reading? Why?

8. During Reading Skills How does Mr. Sugihara treat… My Judgment:
His family?
The refugees?
His government?

9. Stop and Think!!!
Motivation – What might motivate someone to help another? Why might someone not help another?
Making Connections - Consider acts of kindness that you have done or that have been done to you. Think about what affect those acts of kindness might have had.