Weeks 1 & 2
Read-Aloud Tips As you read, stop periodically to check for
After p. 15 : Why did Assad, the leader of Syria, attack his own people when they protested for freedom? (draw conclusions) He was trying to squash the rebellion led by people challenging the way he ruled the country. #6: Review the Book Instruct students to work independently or with a partner or group to write about this book in the back of their Student Handbooks. #7: Do a Book Project Students may choose to work independently or with a partner or group on a project, which they’ll complete in the back of their Student Handbooks. Projects : “Who Is Alan Gratz?” and “Design a Care Package.” (You may wish to direct students interested in Alan Gratz to an interview with him on the Scholastic Reads podcast.) In This Book: As you read the first chapter of each story, pause and give students time to compare and contrast the characters’ experiences. For example, Josef and his family are singled out as part of a campaign of violence against Jewish people, while Isabel and Mahmoud are both caught up in countrywide emergencies.
understanding and to encourage critical thinking and reflection. Also, reinforce the vocabulary words as you come across them.
#5: Read-Aloud Instruct students: As I read, take notes on when and why Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud have to act like adults, and the challenges that each faces. Language Support: Explain to students that the book includes multilingual terms, as well as concepts that relate to World War II, Communism, and the Arab Spring. You may pause during or after the read-aloud to point out the background information the author provides to help readers with unfamiliar terms. You may choose to use these prompts to guide discussion: After p. 3 : Why have the Nazis come for Josef’s father? (identify reasons and evidence) Because his father has continued to practice law even though Jewish people are forbidden to do so under the Civil Restoration Act of 1933. After p. 6 : What leads Josef and his family to leave Germany? (cause and effect) Papa is released from Dachau on the condition that the family leave the country within 14 days. After p. 8 : For decades the Soviet Union helped Cuba. Then what happened? (sequence of events) The Soviet Union fell in 1989 and no longer supported Cuba, and many Cubans fell into poverty. After p. 14 : : Why do you think Isabel is struggling to hear the clave, or beat, inside the music? (make inferences) Isabel is living with a lack of food and fear of the government, and it’s hard for her to connect with her music.
#8: Don’t Miss Discuss with students the idea that the
common denominator in these three stories is a leader determined to impose a dictatorship.
Grade 7 I Teacher’s Guide 7
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