Let’s Begin

What is the Human Response to War?

A Separate Peace and WWII Cyberlesson

 

Operation Discovery: On the Front Lines of Understanding War

Your mission: What is the human response to war? How are human beings impacted by war?

Our platoon will investigate answers to these questions in our world and eventually in Chapter 10 of A Separate Peace.

What comes to mind when someone mentions war? How much do we really know about war? Are our ideas about war reflective of the reality of war? This cyberlesson will guide you through an interactive journey as you consider these thought-provoking questions.

As we learn about the way the characters in A Separate Peace respond to World War II, we will also take a look at how citizens have responded to World War II in history.

 

Materials

Notebook—You will use your notebooks to respond to the questions and activities in this cyberlesson.

Graphic Organizer—You will organize your thinking before and after the sectioned readings.

Pencil –Record your thinking in writing.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Computer– Link to related websites through an Internet connection.

 

Before Reading

Create a Before Reading graphic organizer to respond to the following questions:

I. What conditions characterize war?•What words come to mind when you think about war? List at least five descriptive words or phrases.

•What images come to mind when you think of war? Draw a picture of an image of war.

II. What was World War II really like?Click on the links below to learn more about World War II. On your graphic organizer, record at least five new facts you learned about

World War II. Look for the roles people played on the home front as well as on the front lines.

http://www.history.com/minisites/worldwartwo Links to video clips and text about WWII

http://images.military.com Type in “Faces of Freedom,” then click on Veteran’s Day – Military.com for WWII slideshows

www.teacheroz.com/WWIIHomefront.htm Information about WWII and the home front

http://www.worldwar-2.net/ Information about WWII, including timeline of eventshttp://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w2frm.htm Link to eyewitness accounts of

WWII events from veterans and citizens

III. Were your expectations about World War II similar to or different from the reality of World War II?

Write your reflection in your Before Reading graphic organizer.

Before Reading

 

During Reading(Chapter 10)

In Chapter 10, Gene meets Leper, who has left the war.As you read Chapter 10, create a graphic organizer to record your observations about how being in the war has impacted Leper.

Keep track of Leper’s words and actions, as well as his character qualities that give clues about how war has impacted him. Also include Gene’s reactions to Leper’s words and behavior in Chapter 10.

 

After Reading

After reading Chapter 10, write a one page response journal entry inyour notebook. Use evidence from the text to reflect on howLeper’s expectations about war (Think about Chapters 7 and 9) differfrom the reality he experiences in war. Discuss how Leper haschanged after enlisting. Based on your reading of the novel and yourBefore Reading Internet research, what conditions of war do you thinkcontributed to the change in Leper?

II. Imagine you were Gene in Chapter 10. If you met up with Leper, what would your reaction be to his changed behavior and speech? What would you say to Leper? Draw a picture of yourself meeting up with Leper, and create a speech bubble with what you would say to Leper in response to his upset state. Include this drawing in your response journal.

 

Beyond Reading

Leper’s reaction to war is reflective of a condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What questions do you still have about the impact of war on a person’s mental health, as well as how soldiers are supported emotionally when they return from war? Record your questions in your notebook.

Click on the websites below to read about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtmlhttp://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ptsd/alert.asphttp://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1540534

What new information did you learn? Record your findings in your notebook.

 

Evaluation Rubric

4 3 2Before Reading Graphic Organizer

I wrote five or more words and drew an image about war that shows superior effort.

I learned five or more new facts about World War II.

I reflected thoughtfully on the differences between my ideas and the reality of war.

I wrote 3-4 words and drew an image of war that shows fair effort.

I learned 3-4 new facts about World War II.

I reflected about basic differences between my ideas and the reality of war.

I wrote fewer than 3 words and drew an image of war that shows poor effort.

I learned fewer than 3 new facts about World War II.

I did not reflect in meaningful ways about my new learning.

During Reading Character Web

My graphic organizer is complete and contains thoughtful descriptors.

My graphic organizer contains specific, relevant textual evidence.

My graphic organizer is complete and contains descriptors.

My graphic organizer contains some general examples from the text.

My graphic organizer is incomplete and contains some descriptors that may be inaccurate.

My graphic organizer does not contain sufficient textual evidence.

After Reading My response journal entry contains thoughtful conclusions about all three parts of the question and is supported with relevant textual evidence.

My speech bubble expresses an insightful question for Leper that shows superior understanding of Leper’s change and his emotional state.

My response journal entry contains ideas about some of the questions posted, and it includes some evidence from the text.

My speech bubble expresses a plausible question for Leper that expresses an accurate understanding of Leper’s change and emotional state.

My response journal entry contains ideas about only one question posted, and it lacks textual evidence.

My speech bubble does not contain a meaningful question for Leper, and the question does not reflect an accurate understanding of Leper’s change .

Beyond Reading I listed 3-5 questions and 3-5 new findings about PTSD.

I created a creative two-voice poem reflective of the change in Leper.

My title is creative and fitting.

I listed 2-3 questions and 2-3 new findings about PTSD.

I created a two-voice poem reflective of the change in Leper.

My title is fitting.

I listed only 1-2 questions and 1-2 findings about PTSD.

I created a two-voice poem that does not accurately reflect the change in Leper.

The title is not fitting.

 

Credits

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (audiobook with reader Scott Snively)

Websites:Eyewitness to Historyhttp://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w2frm.htmHistory.comhttp://www.history.com/minisites/worldwartwoThe Homefront During WWIIww.teacheroz.com/WWIIHomefront.htm KSL Radiohttp://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1540534 Military.comhttp://images.military.com National Institute of Mental Health: Post Traumatic Stress Disorderhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtmlUnited States Department of Veterans Affairshttp://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ptsd/alert.aspWorld War II Timelinehttp://www.worldwar-2.net/