Title: The Boy Who Dared

Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti 
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Corporation 
Reading Level:​ 4.9
Description: true, tragic, different perspective, frustrating, horrifying 
Suggested Delivery: Literary Discussion
Electronic Resources:
World War II 
This website has student-friendly information about World War II as a whole.

Helmuth’s Day of His Death Sentence

This is an infographic I created that brings together all the events of the day of Helmuth's death sentence.

ELA Teaching Suggestions:
Key Vocabulary-
Boycott- to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a way of protesting
Warmonger- a person who wants a war or tries to make other people want to start or fight a war
Communists- those who believe in communal ownership as of goods or property
Nazis- a member of a German political party
Chancellor- the highest government official in Germany
Treaty of Versailles- treaty that ended WWI  and demanded Germany paid extreme amounts of money back to the Allied Powers
Star of David- a Jewish symbol
Extraordinary Radio Law- listening to foreign broadcasts and spreading any information contained in them was a crime
Adolf Hitler- Austrian-born founder of the Nazi Party, chancellor of the Third Reich, and absolute dictator
U-boat- a submarine of the German navy
Propaganda- information reflecting the views and interests of its propagators.
Blitzkrieg- (lightning war) a sudden and overwhelming military attack
Plutocracy- a country that is ruled by the richest people
Idealism- the act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal form
Inflation- a persistent increase in the level of consumer prices
Swastika- a symbol of anti-Semitism or of Nazism
Doctrine- a statement of government policy
Dissent- difference of opinion
Incite- to provoke and urge on.

Before- Ask students about their prior knowledge about World War II, Germany, and Hitler.
During- Have students answer questions about why the characters make the decisions they make (Why Mutti stays with Hugo, why Helmuth decides to listen to the radio, why BBC broadcasts to Germany knowing the consequences Germans can face, why did Gerhard Duwer tattle on Helmuth instead of sacrificing himself for himself and what is right?, etc.)
After- Have students do Tossed Terms using a tissue box or dice. Have one group of students pick the terms and challenge the other group to know the turns and then repeat for the other group.

Writing Activity- Have students write a letter to the judge saying why Helmuth should be sentenced to death or should not be sentences to death, using evidence and support from the story.

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading Level:​ 5.1
Description: suspenseful, exciting, mysterious, extraordinary, imaginary
Suggested Delivery: guided reading
Electronic Resources:

Dancing the Macabray Video

This video creates a visual for students to put a picture to their imagination from the scenes in Chapter 5. 

Orphans in America

This website brings the subject of orphans in the book to the real world with information and facts about orphans in America, orphans overseas, and adoptions. 

ELA Teaching Suggestions:
Key Vocabulary-

Discarnate- not having a physical body

Wreathed-to cover, surround, encircle

Shilling-a former British coin

Wheedling-persuading someone to say, do or give something

Apoplexy-unconsciousness from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke

Avarice-extreme greed for wealth

Scuttle-to run hurriedly

Tottered-to move in an unsteady way

Obduracy-the state of being hardheaded

Brooch-an ornament fastened to clothing with a pin and catch

Dismal-gloomy

Mausoleum-a building for the burial of important people 

Before- Ask for prior knowledge about orphans and what struggles they think they face.
During- Ask about the famous people that are included in the book and have discussions about them. Also, ask them why they think the author included them in the book.
After- Have students do Reader's Theatre in some of the scenes using accuracy, rate, and prosody.
Writing Activity- Have students write about Nobody's journey through life and how he changed as a character from the beginning of the story to the end.