Holocaust Rescuers SUMMARY This informational text describes the efforts to save Jewish people across Europe from certain death at the hands of the Nazis during World War II The information provided supports and extends the lesson concept of the risks people took to help others during World War II LESSON VOCABULARY agreement diplomat refugees superiors cable issue representatives visa INTRODUCE THE BOOK INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR Examine with students the title and the author of Holocaust Rescuers Discuss with students what they expect the book will be about based on its genre (nonfiction), its cover photographs, and its title, even if they don’t know the meaning of the word holocaust BUILD BACKGROUND Have students discuss what they know about the Holocaust during World War II Make sure that students know that the Holocaust was the Nazis’ plan to eliminate the Jewish population in Europe and that six million Jews died during this time PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Have students preview the book by skimming the text, looking at the photos, and reading the captions Based on this preview, ask what students expect to learn about the Holocaust from reading this book 36 5.2.2 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE MONITOR AND FIX UP READ THE BOOK SET PURPOSE Guide students to set their own purposes for reading the book Review students’ predictions about what they will learn and what they believe is the author’s purpose STRATEGY SUPPORT: MONITOR AND FIX UP Have students monitor and fix up their understanding as they read At the end of each section, have students write a sentence summarizing the facts from that section COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS PAGES 5–6 Why were many people unaware that the Holocaust was happening? (The Nazis kept their plans secret, and there was no real proof it was happening.) PAGES 10–11 What did Britain to help Jewish children during World War II? (It gave visas to thousands of children so they could live in England.) PAGES 12–13 What is the author’s purpose in telling the story of Varian Fry? (to show that not just governments but individuals and small organizations tried to help Jews escape the Holocaust) PAGES 14–15 Make a generalization about the villagers in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (They helped many Jews escape the Holocaust but did not expect praise for their actions.) PAGES 16–19 Who was Raoul Wallenberg, and what did he do? (Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who rescued thousands of Jews in Hungary and moved them to “Swedish houses.”) Holocaust Rescuers 16917_LRD_TG_036-037 36 12/28/05 1:13:44 PM REVISIT THE BOOK READER RESPONSE Possible responses: The Kindertransport played an important role in saving Jewish children’s lives Descriptive words may include journey, foster, families, sad, safety He created “Swedish houses” where Jews could not be attacked He handed out protective passes to Jews on trains Answers will vary as to why these methods might have been unusual for a diplomat to use They may include that what he was doing was not allowed, or mention that there were orders to shoot him Sentences should show understanding of the definitions Responses will vary EXTEND UNDERSTANDING Have students reread the selection title and skim through the headings used in the text Then have them answer each of the following questions: If the author’s purpose is to inform, how the headings help the author provide information to the reader? (Possible response: They tell the reader which Holocaust rescuer will be described in each section so the reader can keep track of the information.) If the author’s purpose is to persuade, the headings help the author achieve this purpose? Why or why not? (Possible response: No, most of the headings only tell the topic of the section, not the author’s opinion about the topic.) RESPONSE OPTIONS WRITING Provide students with an excerpt from The Diary of Anne Frank Have students write a personal response to Anne’s description of life in hiding from the Nazis SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION Have students research other people or groups that helped Jews survive the Holocaust Students can write brief biographies or reports about these people and organizations Skill Work TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Write the vocabulary words on the board and read them aloud Have students tell which words are unfamiliar to them Ask: Where might you find the meanings of those words? Have students use a dictionary or thesaurus to find as many synonyms as possible for each vocabulary word Then have them put the vocabulary words and their synonyms on index cards Have pairs of students play a game to match the vocabulary words to their synonyms TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY AUTHOR’S PURPOSE Remind students that an author may write for different purposes— to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to express feelings Based on their previews, ask students what they think the author’s purpose was for writing Holocaust Rescuers MONITOR AND FIX UP Remind students to monitor, or check, whether or not they understand what they read If they find they not understand something, one way to fix up their comprehension is to make a quick summary of the details they have just read Suggest that understanding what they read will help them determine the author’s purpose for writing At the end of each section, students should ask themselves: What is the author trying to tell me here? ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION GENERALIZE Remind students that when they generalize they are making a broad statement that applies to many facts or examples Read aloud page and model how to make a generalization: “One generalization I can make about this page is that Hitler convinced many people to hate Jews, but he failed to convince everyone I can make this statement based on the facts in these paragraphs.” Holocaust Rescuers 16917_LRD_TG_036-037 37 37 12/28/05 1:13:45 PM Name Holocaust Rescuers Author’s Purpose • An author’s purpose is the reason an author writes something Some purposes an author may have are to persuade, to inform, to entertain, and to express a mood or feeling • An author may have more than one purpose in writing a particular selection Directions Refer to the selection and answer the questions below What you think is the author’s purpose for writing Holocaust Rescuers? Why you think the author includes the section entitled “Did people know?” (pages 5–7)? How does the last section entitled “Remembering: Yad Vashem” support the author’s purpose? © Pearson Education The author starts page 16 with this sentence: “More than anyone else, Raoul Wallenberg is remembered for saving Jewish people from the Holocaust.” Why does she write this about Wallenberg? Use details from the selection to explain your answer 38 16917_LRD_TG_038_039 12/28/05 1:14:22 PM Holocaust Rescuers Name Vocabulary Directions Use the vocabulary words above to complete the following sentences Not all words will be used Check the Words You Know agreement refugees cable representatives Many became citizens in their new lands My friend and I are in in history diplomat superiors issue visa from the Holocaust fled to foreign countries and that the Holocaust was a terrible time must be interesting and exciting, since you The work of a travel and meet people from many other countries Without a , it is difficult to enter some foreign countries When she was growing up, Grandma says, people feared to receive a because it almost always meant bad news Directions For each word below, use a thesaurus to find as many synonyms as you can that relate to the meaning of the word as it is used in Holocaust Rescuers issue representatives © Pearson Education superiors Directions Write two sentences using the words diplomat and refugees 10 39 16917_LRD_TG_038_039 39 3/20/06 8:55:10 AM ... this statement based on the facts in these paragraphs.” Holocaust Rescuers 16917_LRD _TG_ 036-037 37 37 12/28/05 1:13:45 PM Name Holocaust Rescuers Author’s Purpose • An author’s purpose is the... people from the Holocaust. ” Why does she write this about Wallenberg? Use details from the selection to explain your answer 38 16917_LRD _TG_ 038_039 12/28/05 1:14:22 PM Holocaust Rescuers Name Vocabulary... as it is used in Holocaust Rescuers issue representatives © Pearson Education superiors Directions Write two sentences using the words diplomat and refugees 10 39 16917_LRD _TG_ 038_039 39 3/20/06