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=Choosing Peace When Faced With Conflict = A Themed Literature Unit by Mr. C.

__Activities to Support Student Learning__

Rationale for Unit:
This unit uses peace as a unifying theme that will connect student understanding of history with their own lives. As a teacher, I want to help my students learn about the world, and what we can do to make it a better place. As people, we are all faced with tough decisions in our lives. By exploring some key choices made by fictional and real characters, students will learn how to make and articulate their own choices about how to react to conflict in today’s world. In doing so, students will synthesize their understanding of historical figures, moments in history, fictional characters, and their own life experiences, to make their own informed decisions about how best to react to conflict.

Key Generalizations:
//Violence and conflict are a cycle that can be broken with peace. // This generalization is inspired by this famous quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that." //Peace is the noblest choice when faced with conflict. // ==== This generalization involves special attention to the word noble, and how it relates to peace. Students will seek out the wisdom and justice in the actions of the people and characters they will read about. ====

Literacy Skills Learning Targets:
__Strategy:__ Asking Questions   __LT:__ Students are able to use their ability to ask questions as a guide for discovering important information about peace and conflict. __Strategy:__ Making Connections    __LT:__  Students are able to make text to text and text to self connections. __Strategy:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Publishing Written Work   <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__LT:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Students are able to create an edited and printed version of their essay that is hung in the hallway of the school.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And Picasso Painted Guernica
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This art-sized account of Picasso’s masterpiece “Guernica,” provides a comprehensive context from which to understand the meaning of the painting. The books provides background information about Picasso’s life, and the events that lead to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Additionally, the process involved with the actual painting of “Guernica” is documented in the book. With large full color pictures, including a fold-out 4 page print of the painting, this is an essential book for understanding this painting. This book is used as shared read aloud during the unit and as a primary example of how creativity and art can be used to channel emotions and demonstrate peace. Serres, A. (2007). And Picasso Painted Guernica. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen and Unwin.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Children of the Longhouse
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This young adult novel tells the story of a young Native American boy named Ohkwa’ri and his twin sister Otsi:stia. The story centers around a conflict that arises between Ohkwa’ri and an older boy named Grabber. Ohkwa’ri has to make important decisions when faced with conflict in this story. This story is central to the theme I have developed as well as both generalizations. This book is featured in the unit as a shared read aloud. Bruchac, J. (1996). Children of the Longhouse. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ===<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Guernica” from Lines in the Sand === <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This story version of the painting of “Guernica” by Picasso provides extra context for understanding the full meaning of the painting. The story is featured in a collection of stories, art, and poetry on war and peace called Lines in the Sand. This story adds to student understanding of how peace can be used to brake the cycle of conflict. It is used during the unit as a text for literature circles. Jungman, A. (2003). Lines in the Sand: Guernica. New York, NY: The Disinformation Company Limited.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Iron Giant (Book and Movie)
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This children’s classic provides a more light hearted fictional account of characters that make noble choices in favor of peace. Set during the cold war, the Iron Giant is a mysterious and large metal man discovered by a young boy named Hogarth. The Iron Giant is some sort of weapon and is feared by the military. This story supports my theme as well as both of my main generalizations. It is presented as a shared reading and viewing at the end of the unit. Hughes, T. (1968) The Iron Giant. (L. Carlin, Illus.) New York, NY: Random House.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Martin’s Big Words
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This picture book tells a concise story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. The book provides the unit with an excellent introduction to the concept of overcoming conflict through peace. The book makes excellent use of a number of classic and eternal quotes by Dr. King. This book is used as a shared read aloud during the unit. Rappaport, D. (2001) Martin’s Big Words. (B. Collier, Illus.) New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peace Crane
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the first books I found for this unit, Peace Crane tells the story of Sadako, a young Japanese girl who suffered from Leukemia as a result of exposure to radiation from the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War II. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl in a modern day city that is having problems with conflicts of it’s own. This story captures some important historical information about the cycle of conflict. It is used as a choice during literature circles. Hamanaka, S. (1995) Peace Crane. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Time for Kids: Mohandas Gandhi
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This non-fiction leveled reading book is a short biography of Gandhi’s life and accomplishments. Gandhi is one of the world’s greatest champions of peace and non-violent resistance. This book provides historical background on this important figure and ads to student knowledge of the unit’s theme and generalizations. This book is used as a choice for literature circles. Rice, D. and W. (2005) Time for Kids: Mohandas Gandhi. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. ===<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Trailblazers of the Modern World: Mahatma Gandhi === <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This non-fiction book is a more advance version of the Time for Kids book used in the literature circle portion of the unit. Used as a shared read aloud, this book provides the class with a jumping point for discussion about one of history’s greatest peace activists. Gandhi’s accomplishments provide students with an understanding of the way peace can be used to break the cycle of conflict and how it is a noble choice. Discussion about Gandhi also connects back to Dr. King and the civil rights movement discussed earlier in the unit.Heinrichs, A. (2001) Trailblazers of the Modern World: Mahatma Gandhi. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library. ===<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes === <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This book is a work of historical fiction that tells the story of Sadako, a young girl sick with Leukemia from exposure to radiation from the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during WWII. Students gain an understanding of the consequences of war and conflict by reading this book. They also learn more about noble choices and how some of Japan’s history fits in to the story of peace. This book is used as a literature circle book during the unit. Coerr, E. (1977) Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. (R. Himler, Illus.) New York, NY: The Penguin Group.