January 2019 - Grade 4: Gifts from the Enemy

I have a few favorite authors whose work I use for social-emotional lessons. One is Trudy Ludwig, a former school counselor turned writer. Her most recent work is titled "Gifts from the Enemy", pictured  and described by the publisher here:

Gifts from the Enemy is the powerful and moving story based on From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography by Alter Wiener, in which Alter recalls his loss of family at the hands of the Nazis and his internment in five prison camps during World War II. This picture book tells one moving episode during Alter's imprisonment, when an unexpected person demonstrates moral courage in repeated acts of kindness to young Alter during his imprisonment. Written by acclaimed children's writer Trudy Ludwig, author of Better Than You and Confessions of a Former Bully, and illustrated by award-winning children's book illustrator Craig Orback, Gifts from the Enemy teaches children in age-appropriate language about the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and stereotyping and that there are good and bad in every group of people. The accompanying questions and activities for readers provide teachers and parents with helpful direction in presenting this history and the valuable story. Gifts from the Enemy highlights how acts of social justice and kindness can change lives.

4th graders have been captivated by this true story of a boy not much older than they are presently. Many were curious about Alter - "is he still alive?" Yes. "How did he survive?" Good question, let's discuss! Students had many theories about the impact of hope vs despair (tying in with our SPaRK character trait Perseverance), and the practicality of relying on 1 sandwich a day for your very survival. We also addressed power of compassion for one another and the willingness to take risks to do the right thing.

This story also raises awareness of a very painful time in human history. Students are encouraged to read age appropriate literature on the topic of WWII such as the following books recommended for grades 3-6 by Scholastic: The Story of the Holocaust by Clive Lawton; Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine; The Girl Who Survived by Bronia Brandman and Carol Bierman; Elly - My True Story of the Holocaust by Elly Berkovits Gross; Jacob's Rescue by Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin among many others. Fourth graders often have many questions, but I do try to keep the lesson focused on foundation of kindness and compassion that many people demonstrate during even the most difficult circumstances.

Perhaps most importantly, we discussed gratitude. How fortunate we are to have homes, food, clothing and to be living in a country where people are free to express themselves. Gratitude that every child is entitled to an education and that we are here to provide it to them.