Day 17 Try Again

My "try again" is the projects I'm doing this quarter.  I decided to split them up.  We are reading Hana's Suitcase first which I would really call a novella and I thought a mini project for that would be a good start for them.  After that we delve into The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  I am saving the bigger project for that novel and the short stories.  The picture above is going in my example suitcase.  I'm going to throw in a journal, stuffed animal, and some clothes.  I love the story from Hana's Suitcase where one teacher named Friedl Dicker-Brandeis took only art supplies in the one suitcase she was allowed.  She ran a sophisticated art program in Theresienstadt and used art as a way to help the traumatized children when they arrived there.  I have everything ready for my suitcase/box but need to find a box that will work.  Below is a copy of the assignment I'm giving them.

Remembering Children of the Holocaust project

This mini project is designed so you can express your understanding of the literature you read.  The project is a collage of the arts: visual, written, or tactile.  Read the criteria for each project below and select one.  Complete the project from the perspective of a child during WWII—walk a mile in their shoes, so to speak.  Think about some of the things you learned they went through and include those in your project.  Your goal is to show how the children changed as a result of the events and hardships they endured.

The purpose of this is to create a sort of memorial, a reminder to learn from our mistakes.  I must approve your ideas for the project before you can begin it.  If you are unsure of your goal, meet with me and I will help you get on the right track.  Only high quality work will be accepted.

Visual Arts

You may use any medium (charcoal, colored pencils, water color, markers, crayons, etc.) to create a piece of art based on one of the events that changed the child/children.  Pretend you are one of them.  Depict the horrors that went on, how they felt, how some survived etc. On a separate piece of paper (5x8) describe your picture and what you are illustrating. Tape it to the back of your paper.

Journal Writing

Create a journal from the view of a child during the war.  The journal must be dated and share the person’s thoughts and feelings based on events in the book.  Use descriptive details.  Imagine walking in the characters shoes or living his or her life.  Include at least one type of conflict: character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. society, or character vs. nature.  Figurative language (simile, metaphor, and personification) is an effective tool for expressing your ideas in an original and heartfelt manner.  You should write several entries and be sure to carry the action on to the next day.  You may include doodling, illustrations, or poems as long as they are related to the events taking place in the journal.

Suitcase

Create a suitcase from cardboard or similar material.  Put your name or the name of a character from the story on the outside similar to how Hana did hers.  Then come up with 5 things you think they (or you) would need or like in the suitcase to make your travel to the concentration camp easier.  Once you have that, write up a brief description of what it is and why you chose it. (5x8 card) Think what life was like for them and what they might need or benefit from.  Don’t forget to check with me before you begin.

Below is my proposal for the project.  I understand that I need teacher approval before beginning the project.

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Student Signature                                                                           Date

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Teacher Signature                                                                             Date