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THE BRACELET

Overview
World War II affected people in different ways, and it created new situations and challenges. Some Japanese-Americans had difficulty accepting and adjusting to these situations.

Suggested Levels
Grade 1

Time Frame
5 days

Learner Outcomes
Develop an awareness and understanding of the effects of World War II on many Japanese-Americans.

Performance Standards: History
Demonstrate understanding of the roots and foundations of U.S. and Hawai'i. (p. 127)

Listen courteously and attentively during planned activities.

Performance Standards: Speaking and Listening
Demonstrate courteous, attentive listening. (p. 11)

Participate in class or group discussion in a relevant manner.

Performance Standards: Speaking and Listening
Participate in discussion in a relevant way. Follow the direction of talk and stay on topic. (p. 11)

Respond to the story read to them with an illustration and in writing.

Performance Standard: Reading and Literature
Respond to texts in a variety of ways (e.g., talking, writing, art, drama, movement, etc.). (p. 12)
Learning Processes/Strategies
Day 1
Read The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida to the class. Ask for any questions the class may have about the story and lead the class to find answers to these questions.

Have students respond to any part of the story with an illustration drawn on the computer. Ask them to think about the following questions as they prepare to do their illustrations:

How does this story make you feel?
 What part of the story made you feel that way?
 How did you feel for Emi?
 What part of the story made you feel that way for her?

Day 2
Have students write a short piece about their illustrations. They will write a draft, edit with the help of the teacher, and write a final copy which will later be attached to the illustration.

Days 3 - 4
In groups of five or six, have students compile their illustrations into a booklet, deciding together which illustration would be first, second, and so on. They will write a Foreword for their booklet explaining what they have learned from reading The Bracelet . They will also design a cover and dedication page, and share their booklet with the class as a group.

Day 5
Have students view an experiential theater performance of excerpts from Farewell to Manzanar by middle and high school students. After the performance, have students respond in their journals about what they experienced. Remind them about the story The Bracelet and ask them to make connections between that story and this performance, or any other situation they know of and this performance.


Resources Middle and high school students performing in the experiential theater.

Materials
The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida.
Journals.
Assessment
Illustrations, writings, booklets, journals, and teacher observations.


SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES

Overview
The effects of war are devastating. Eleanor Coerr so richly captures the life of Sadako Sasaki who was only twelve when she died of leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bomb. Children here in Hawai'i many times cannot relate to the suffering and hardships that others endure due to the tragedy of the war. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes helps students to understand the realities of war, its ramifications, and the heroism and courage Sadako displays in dealing with her tribulation.

The Arizona Memorial, located in Pearl Harbor, is a tribute to the courageous men and women who unselfishly gave of their lives. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes allows students to build a connection with a peer and, thus, begins their journey of learning towards a deeper understanding of WW II.

 Suggested Level
Grade 5

Time Frame
4 weeks

Learner Outcomes
Use appropriate speaking and listening skills.

Performance Standards: Speaking and Listening
Explain own thinking and viewpoints, and provide convincing arguments using supportive facts and information . (p. 17)
 Apply strategies of active, critical listening. (p. 18)
 Generate questions to gain information. (p. 18)

Create meaning with text and build an understanding and appreciation of self and the world.

Performance Standards: Reading and Literature
 Participate in shared reading experiences and read aloud activities. (p. 20)
 Predict, validate, and modify predictions when creating meaning with text. (p. 20)
 Read strategically, adapting process to purpose and text/literature.
(p. 21)
 Discuss reading, referring appropriately to text/literature. (p. 21)
 Extend text reading to other ideas and situations. (p. 21)
 Respond to literature in a variety of ways. (p. 21)
 Identify issues concerning attitudes and draw personal conclusions. (p. 21)
 Express own opinion about reading. (p. 21)
 Understand and effectively use reading and writing processes in a complementary fashion. (p. 22)

 Write personal responses to literature he/she has read or to literature that has been read aloud. (p. 22)
 Connect literature to own life experiences. (p. 22)
 Use literature to build a larger understanding of one's world. (p. 22)
 Use a variety of reference materials. (p. 23)
 Hear or read literature that represents a variety of perspectives. (p. 23)
Apply appropriate writing skills to convey ideas and understandings.

 Performance Standards: Writing and Composition
Select own topic or write on a given topic. (p. 24)
 Utilize pre-writing activities such as discussion, webbing, and brainstorming. (p. 24)
 Revise writing to improve organization, sharpen focus, and refine language as needed to enhance communication. (p. 24)
 Confer with classmates about writing. (p. 24)
 Use feedback and criteria to self-evaluate writing. (p. 24)
 Use conventions of language to convey ideas effectively. (p. 24)

Understand the influence and impact of people on the culture and history of Hawai'i.

Performance Standards: Cultural Anthropology and History
Show ways that language, arts, and literature are essential parts of culture. (p. 127)
 Demonstrate understanding of the roots and foundations of U.S. and Hawai'i History. (p. 127)

Learning Processes/Strategies
(The teacher is encouraged to bring any WWII books or related materials to school from home or the local library to initiate curiosity and begin to create a display. Students will quickly take over and bring in additional materials.)

Prereading
Ask in large group:

What do you already KNOW about WWII?

Create a chart with this question and record student responses. (You may keep this chart as this will show students evidence of growth when shared at the end of the unit.)

What would you like to LEARN more about WWII? "

Again, create a chart and record responses.

Discuss:

How do you suggest we go about learning more about WWII?

Suggest to students, if the idea of question loops has not been discussed:

You have generated many interesting and intriguing questions about WWII. Can we take similar ideas and loop them together?

Use colored markers and loop similar ideas together with the same color. (e.g., Atomic bomb questions may be looped together. Questions related to the country's people, health issues, lifestyle, etc., may be looped and researched separately as part of this activity. Ideas are unlimited and come from the students.)

State:

Before we decide what we are going to do with these questions on WWII, I would like to share with you a story about a little girl who suffered from leukemia as a result of the atomic bomb, etc.

Reading Aloud
Read aloud Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr (approx. 5 days).
.
Postreading
After completing the story, have a discussion and add to the list of what they KNOW and/or what they want to LEARN more about. At this point, ask students:

How can we learn more about WWII?

Allow time for discussion.

Have students select an area of interest of WWII. Divide students into small groups based on their interests. Instruct each group to generate questions about their topic and to loop their questions together. They may then make a web or outline, depending upon your expectation.

Have students research their topic. Review note taking skills. Encourage them to visit the local library, Art Academy lending library, etc., to find information on their topic.

Instruct students to take notes and to write a draft of a report or skit or poem, etc. They may present their information to the class in written form, art, poetry, drama, rap, multimedia, etc.

Upon completion of all small group presentations, ask students what they LEARNED about WWII that they did not know at the beginning. List ideas on chart paper. (This could also be done individually and used as a form of assessment.) Compare and contrast this chart with the first chart. Students will quickly see growth.

Optional Activities
Character Analysis . Have students do a character analysis of Sadako and her view of the war.

Interview. Have students create questions and interview a grandparent or relative who has experienced the war. Have students take notes. They may want to take photos, use an audio tape and/or video tape of the interview.

Using Hyperstudio, students may create a multimedia presentation on their interviewee and present in class.

Students may compare and contrast interviewee's experience with Sadako's experience.

Link with Hiroshima. Become pen pals with students in Hiroshima; or have a lumaphone conference.

Integration with Other Subjects
Students may research health issues (e.g. Leukemia, communicable vs. non-communicable diseases, etc.).

Students may research athletes and their characteristics (e.g. track stars, etc.).

Field trip
Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial.

Extension Activities
Students may be introduced to origami. Paper folding may be integrated with math. Concepts of symmetry and congruent shapes can be discussed.

Students may want to experience races that the nisei generation participated in at yearly picnics--three-legged races, the geta race with a partner, water balloon toss, etc.

Students may share grandparents' favorite Japanese songs or teacher may teach a simple hand/exercise song.

Resources
Coerr, Eleanor. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
Community members (WW II veterans).

State/school library system and state archives.

World Wide Web/Netsearch.

Materials
Chart paper, origami colored markers.

Audio and video tapes.

Cloth for three-legged race.
Two person geta.

Kid Pix.

Equipment
Tape recorder and camcorder.
Cameras--Polaroid, Quick-take.
Computer with Internet access.
Lumaphone and telephone.
Hyperstudio.

Assessment
Teacher should share beginning chart, What do we KNOW about WWII , with What we LEARNED about WWII .

Small group presentations by collaborative groups will provide indicators of what students learned.

Learning log entry. This may include reflections and thoughts about what they learned, but more importantly, explain how they feel about what had happened over 50 years ago. Students may also be encouraged to share how they want our world to be when they are adults, what can they contribute in order to make this world a better place to live, etc.

Based on the facts that were learned from the class presentations, ask students how they would resolve this issue between Japan and the U.S.A. today?

A lumaphone conference may be arranged with a neighboring school to share findings.

Teacher-made test. Create a true/false, multiple choice and/or essay test from student generated questions.

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