Number the Stars
A Case Study in Integrated Learning
St. John’s students study World War II literature in the spring of their fourth grade year. Over the course of one month, Mrs. Bordelon (the fourth grade literature teacher), Mrs. Haynes (their music teacher) and Mr. Parr (the drama specialist) guide students through a unit on literature dealing with children affected by the Holocaust. The skills targeted by their instruction include cooperative learning, reading comprehension, critical thinking, creative writing, social awareness and empathy.
During the unit, students study geography and history corresponding to the stories they’re reading: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The Sneeches by Dr. Seuss and Fireflies in the Dark by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. They review photos of children who were in concentration camps, and each student selects a child to be the basis of his or her process drama. Students give life to the children they select. Using a child’s expression as a starting point, they give their children names and interests and write a “biography of a stranger.” Students then use facts and ideas from the biography to create and perform monologues about the children they selected.
At the end of the unit, the fourth graders have a more intricate understanding of the complexities presented in World War II literature.
