The Spirit That Moves Us, Volume II

The Spirit That Moves Us, Vol II

Volume II, by Rachel Quenk, uses children's books to explore the issues of diversity and prejudice. Each chapter contains lesson plans based on fictional or autobiographical children's books appropriate for grades five through eight. Lesson plans include discussion questions as well as exercises that explore underlying concepts while teaching students about geography, history, social studies, math, art, music, and science. The guide can be used as a curriculum in itself, or individual lesson plans from the guide can be incorporated into an existing curriculum. An annotated bibliography includes both print and non-print resources as well as Internet links; appendices include articles for teachers and helpful information on locating further resources. Recognizing the importance of teaching about the Holocaust in the proper historical context, The Spirit that Moves Us, Volume II places emphasis on the broader issues of identity and prejudice. The early chapters in this guide focus on establishing a working definition of culture and the common needs and emotions that bind all human beings, and the later chapters use the earlier discussions of culture and prejudice to illuminate the plight of oppressed groups during the Holocaust. The next-to-last chapter deals with heroism and social responsibility, and the final chapter gives direction for student social action, leaving students with a sense of hope and an understanding of their own obligations to a multicultural society. The evolution from general to more specific themes places prejudice and the Holocaust in the context of an ongoing social problem, making this guide relevant to almost any curriculum that is concerned with diversity.

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