EXPLORATION: Around the World Read-Aloud | Whole Class
Refugee By Alan Gratz Summary & Info
Excerpt, pp. 1–17. In 1938, Josef and his family are terrorized by the Nazis during Kristallnacht , the Night of Broken Glass. In 1994, Isabel learns that her friend and his father are building a boat to sail from Cuba to the United States. In 2015, Mahmoud is doing his best to be invisible as he navigates the streets of Syria during the war. Their stories are woven together to paint a painful picture of the conditions that force people to become refugees. Genre : Fiction I GRL : Y I Pages : 352
Question of the Day Why do people leave their home countries and start over in a new place? What kinds of challenges do families face when making such a big move?
Guide students through the steps outlined here, instructing them to fill in their Student Handbooks along the way. Students can work independently, with partners, or in small groups. Pause after each step to share responses. #1: Form a First Impression Preview: Show the book and read the title. If possible, pass the book around, instructing students to pay attention to the cover image. Students are asked to imagine they are the young refugee in the boat and write about what they might be thinking and feeling. #2: Show What You Know Activate prior knowledge: Students write what they know about reasons people decide to leave their home countries. #3: Make a Prediction Ask students to use their own knowledge to predict the dangers the characters in this book might face. #4: Learn Some Words Here are some words from this book that are connected to main ideas from the unit and book. Discuss these words with your students, and then ask them to complete the sentences. (Answers provided here.) Unit Question Remind students that this unit focuses on real and fictional people who travel the globe to find new futures for themselves, reveal hidden histories, or protect others, and asks: How can reading expand our worlds?
VOCABULARY refugee (noun) a person who must leave his or her home country to escape danger (cover) despair (noun) a feeling of hopelessness (p. 5) collapsed (verb) broke down or fell apart completely (p. 10) revolution (noun) a forcible overthrow of a government in favor of a new system (p. 14) SENTENCES a. After our country’s government collapsed , my family and I had to find a new home. b. When a refugee flees a home country, it is usually because of violence or a natural disaster. c. When food is hard to come by and the police are arresting anyone who complains, people may feel despair. d. As a result of the revolution , the president was forced to leave the country.
6 Scholar Zone Summer: Reading & Writing
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