Title of Activity
Orphan Train

 

Description of educational activity
Duration: 2 x 45 minutes

Student Age: 16 – 17

Student Class organization: group work, individual work, frontal work

Lesson goal:

• development to work on the text: kind of narrator and his influence on the reception of the work, the characterization of the characters and the characterization procedures
• recognition of the impact of socio-historical circumstances on the life of the child
• empathy development and critical thinking

 

Support materials:

-Internet

-Teaching leaflets

 

Highlights:

- 1 part of the story

 

Activities:

Reading, interpreting and discussing the text, watching and discussing video clips

 

I. Activities before reading

- Provide motivation, open students to share their own experiences, group cohesion

 

The students are divided into groups of four. Each group gets the assignment of defining the concept of home and the concept of family. 

 

Using the dramatic technique of dynamic statues to present their vision of this concept: to show it by movement, by sound, by communion with others. Presentation of the results of the work.

 

Together watch a clip from the documentary film about the becoming of the Orphan train novel. 

 

Group task: Write the three key information’s you think are most important and that impressed you the most. Together comment.

 

II. Activities during reading.

Students first work independently. They get part no. 1 and a teaching leaflet for focused reading (recognition of the narrator, narrator characterization: distinguishing features from an emotional state, differentiation of objective and subjective time).

 

III. Common activities after reading.

By linking the clips from the documentary movie and reading the text, the students are preparing to participate in a discussion: they need to choose a side. The teacher makes a statement, and the students choose whether they agree with it or disagree by taking the foreseen places in the classroom. There is also the possibility of "I'm not sure."

Students argue their opinions. Students who are not sure after the argumentation can choose their own opinion. The goal of the game is to open a discussion and updating of the issues (claims can be made from the text itself but also the issues it opens).

 

An example of a claim:

• Orphan's train is a positive attempt to help abandoned, unbridled children.
• People who adopt children have the right to change their name, for their good.
• The care of a nine-year-old over a two-year-old is an overwhelming task.
• Escape from your own country in search of a better life is not a good solution for families. (...)

 

Evaluation and Assessment Method:

• Teacher Role - Prepare Materials and act as a Moderator
• Evaluation of group work - questionnaire: evaluation and self-evaluation

 

Students are assessed on the basis of their abilities:

- reading comprehension, recognition of the narrator's type, characterization of the main heroine

- participation in the discussions by expressing their points of view

 

The Impact of Activity on Reading RSP:

Activities encourage the development of critical thinking, as well as the empathy of the students because of the heartbreaking story. At the same time, they are interested in expanding their own knowledge of the problems encountered in the text and the video clips: the care of orphans, abandoned children, emigration from their homeland.

Connection to curriculum

Class: Freshman or Junior year

Curriculum:

Epics - access to epic work (Freshman year)

Realism - Social Issues (Junior year)

 

 

Knowledge:

- the impact of socio-historical opportunities on an individual’s life - recognition of social issues

- the elements of epic technique: the narrator, the characterization of the character, the recognition of characterization procedures

- Critical thinking about the world, family, society, migration

- enjoying reading literary literature

 

Skills:

- collection, selection and evaluation of information

- reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts

 

Competence:

- communication competences

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

Christina Baker Kline: Orphan Train

Mozaik knjiga, Zagreb, 2016.

298 pg., Soft cover

ISBN 9789531418447

 

Short description of digital sources

Testimonials and real clips from the orphan trains from documentaries were used in making of the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDJx8m5DCL4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z3djWoTGFU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z3djWoTGFU

 

Results

Expected outcomes:

Students will be able to:

- characterize the character based on the text

- explain the impact of socio-historical opportunities of the child’s destiny 

- by argumentation they are able to state their opinions and take into consideration opinions of others

 

Recommendations

Speaking of the tough destiny of abandoned children and orphans in the early 20th century in America, this work allows the development of empathy of the students, while at the same time stimulating them to note the social problems that are still present today as well as their critical observation. The work is shocking, but at the same time positive and optimistic.

Title of Activity
Home and a welcome

 

Description of educational activity
Duration: 4 x 45 minutes

Students age: 16 - 17 (3^rd year of high school)

 

1. class

Introduction of the class: whole class

Student Homework:

• without an introduction, students need to read the given text by themselves from the book collection, only providing the title, no name of the author and name of the book collection it belongs to.
• The first task after the reading: extract and write down three questions that rise up after reading the story. The students write down their questions and after 3-4 minutes they are given task no 2. From the three questions they have written, they need to choose one they need to find the answer to. Write the question on the board. Possible /Expected questions:

What is the setting of the plot – place and time?

Who is the narrator? What kind of books does he/she write?

How can a house be just a hundred and twenty centimeters wide?

Is there another part of the book (extension of the story/plot)?

Is the story part of a book collection?

Who is the author, to what national literature does it belong to?

 

The questions should bring up a discussion. To some questions they should answer themselves if possible, the professor returns back to the text, hints possible answers, or gives answers.

 

Middle part of the class: divide the class into two groups

Assignments for the groups:

• One group reads the first part of the book again (plot mainly happening in Poland), the second group reads the last part again (plot mainly happening in Poland currently, they should recognize and distinguish:

-The first group: a comic element in a serious action, explaining the purpose of such an element and the "serious" and "ironic" relationship in the text

- The second group: the fragment in which the theme of story is about (says: this is the same kind of jam that her mother spread on slices of bread and now this is the second time, and she hopes that no one will ever force you to leave )

- After the work, group representatives formally present jointly formulated responses

 

Last part of class: whole class

Student homework:

I read the final part again (I was still eating when my mom called me on my phone. ˝Where the hell are you? ˝ she asks me with a worried voice which remembered me of my childhood when I was late coming home as I lost track of time playing with my friends. ˝I’m here, in our home in Warsaw˝, I tell her as my throat closes up. ) and explain and argue whether the author is ironic or serious at the end of the story, and can a the narrow home represent the author's home.

 

 

2^nd class

Introductory part of the class: whole class

Student homework:

- What kind of welcome did the neighbor receive from Etgar Keret in his story?

" That same night I was sitting in the kitchen of my narrow house drinking a cup of tea, and eating a piece of bread with jam, whose taste was sweet by the kindness of the quester and sour by the memories it brings.˝

- Discussion about story context

 

The middle part of class: pairs

Student Tasks: outside the context of the story

- comment on the importance of welcome as a way to host the the guest

- comment on personal experiences related to a welcome

- comment on the practices associated with welcoming us in our environment

- Identify some social events / situations / welcome arrivals

- comment on whether we always welcome everyone - explain your views in pairs

- describe personal experiences related to the given tasks

 

Last part of class: whole class

Student Tasks:

- Write a composition of up to ten sentences in which students describe and demonstrate what kind of welcome they would show to the three foreign tourists who would wonder around their home

(situation: August, Saturday night around 21 o'clock, you as a student with your parents are in a family cottage isolated. You are sitting on the terrace and see two young men and one girl with their backpacks approaching).

 

3^rd class

Introductory part of the class: whole class

Student Tasks:

- Several students read their compositions

- discussion the topic of readings

 

The middle part of class: two groups of students

Tasks for groups:

- Two groups will prepare for 10 minutes -  they need to explain their views on global issues related to the theme of "home and welcome" (the only teacher's instructions: Link the theme of Jams’ story with home and welcome motives on the current, global social level.)

- group representatives will be verbally informed about the student's thinking

 

The closing part of the lesson:

In the comments it is expected, among other things, to highlight the current political conflict in the Middle East, between Israel and Palestine. The place of Etagar Kereta in today's world literature is to be placed and the motives which are found in the stories.

 

The following are the tasks for the final, fourth classroom lesson.

Student Tasks:

- Read the two stories from the same collection: What does that man say? and Salama (These are short stories, students can read stories in a very short time if their texts are available)

https://fraktura.hr/blog/sto-kaze-taj-covjek.html

 

4^th class

The introduction of the class: the class is divided into two groups (groups divided according to the criterion "which is the most preferred story")ž

 

Student Tasks:

- Explain the themes of the story

- compare them

- Link them to the Jam story

- Conclude what is common between them

- describe Keret's literary style

 

Central part of the class: five groups (four students)

Tasks for groups:

- to distinguish two of the most important Keret features as an authors

- evaluate the stories

- Survey of whether the collection of seven good years is acceptable as a lecture title for the next educational period (ex. quarterly)

 

Final part of the class - end of the teaching unit:

The teacher asks if anyone has independently investigated / learned / read something about the life and work of writer Etagaro Kereta.

 

*

 

Support materials: printed story Jam, Salama, What does this man say?

Or:

• https://fraktura.hr/blog/pekmez-etgar-keret-sedam-dobrih-godina-uskoro.html
• https://fraktura.hr/blog/sto-kaze-taj-covjek.html
• https://issuu.com/fraktura/docs/sedam_dobrih_godina_knjigica

 

Evaluation and Assessment Method:

Evaluation of the teaching process will be apparent from the survey results conducted on the 4^th class (Survey of whether the collection of Seven good years is acceptable as a lecture title for the next educational period (eg quarterly).

 

Activity Impact on RSP Reading or Reading Motivation:

The chosen stories invite students to understand their personal and family problems. Stories encourage tolerance towards differences and understanding of historical circumstances. Speaking of everyday, most readers with well-known motives, the author reaches the attention of the most demanding readers.

 

Connection to curriculum

Gymnasium curriculum, 3rd grade:

Croatian language:

language - written and spoken expression, analysis and review

literature - world romance and the Croatian National Revival, the motive of patriotism in romance

Sociology: everyday life in a cultural and historical perspective

History: Second World War and Holocaust

 

Knowledge, Skills and Competences:

a)    Critical reflection of their actions and actions by other people,

b)    interdependence of people of different nationalities and religious beliefs, acceptance of diversity

c)    collection, selection and evaluation of information; reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts; showing empathy; debate

d)    communication competences; ability to work in the team, accepting something different and different

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

Author: Etgar Keret

Country: Israel

Language: English

Type: short story

Publisher: Fraktura

Year: 2018.

Type of issue: hard cover

ISBN  978-953-266-927-5

Page no.:     Story Jam – 4 pg., whole collection 176 pg.

 

Short description of digital sources  (applications, games, webpages, FB pages etc.)

Since the collection of stories is new. In Croatian language published recently, teachers and students can use the story of

 https://fraktura.hr/blog/pekmez-etgar-keret-sedam-dobrih-godina-uskoro.html

 

To get more familiar with the author, an interview is suggested:

https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/knjizevnost/etgar-keret-moj-sin-ne-zeli-da-ovu-knjigu-citaju-njegovi-prijatelji-i-njihovi-roditelji/7026096/

 

Results

Students will be able to:

• Identify historical facts in current contemporary literary texts
• Critically address intolerance towards others 
• Precise articulation of personal attitudes and evaluate the readings
• Understand literary practices and humor in a serious subject

 

Recommendations

Each war raises similar horrors in people's lives. In the story of Jam, Etgar Kereta, it is known that the little girl survived the Holocaust, actually the author's mother, whose father gave her a serious task - survive the war and make sure our name does not die. The story reveals a way to survive in the toughest conditions when you feel responsible towards the ones you love. The award for perseverance is not absent. In this story, it is a jar of jam which is given by the new polish neighbor as a welcome gift - the Israeli’s in Warsaw.

Students sympathize with a girl due to family tragedy, crimes, but also recognize new opportunities for coexistence.

Title of Activity
The Colors of My World

 

Description of educational activity
Duration: 2 x 45 minutes

Student age: 16 – 17 (sophomore year)

Student class organization: group work

Lecture goal:

- Encourages the development of emotional intelligence of students: the recognition of feelings the main character has in order to understand them, and the observation of emotional influences on the functioning of a person in society

- Empathy development

 

Support materials:

-Internet

-Teaching leaflets

-Dictionary of symbols, Croatian phraseological dictionary

 

Highlights:

- 3 texts

- Sticky notes

 

Activity:

reading, interpreting, and discussing the text

 

1.  Activity before reading

experiences/opinions, group cohesion

 

The students are divided into groups of four. Each group gets one task.

 

1. Our colors

Individually choose a color and explain your choice. Together (hand, computer) create a palette of emotions and add colors to them. Explore the symbolism of each color with the Symbol Dictionary and Internet resources and compare the results you have with your choice.

 

2. Music and feelings

Specify your favorite type of music individually and explain it. Is listening to certain music related to an emotional state?

Explore: Are certain types of music specific to topics and feelings, messages

 

3. Colors in language phrases

Remember the language phrases that use colors and try to explain the meaning of that color within the phrase and the choice of that color. Use the Croatian phrase dictionary as an aid (for example, get a red card (soccer), red as a cancer, give green light, be green of envy, have pink glasses ...).

 

Presentation of group results and short discussion.

 

II. Activities during and after reading in group.

- The groups receive parts of the story and teaching leaflets (each group reads one part)

 

1. Chapters p. 9, 10: Appropriately titled: Everything has its own color

 

 Basic task: What does this claim mean to you? What does this claim mean in the context of the part you read? What about the character himself?

 

Analysis: Leo's attitude about music, colors, school, love, about himself

 

2. Chapter p. 37: Appropriately Title: I Feel Like a Spelling Error

 

Basic task: what does this sentence mean before reading the text? What does it mean within the paragraph and what does it say about the character?

 

Analysis: T9, Beatrice (Dante and Beatrice), the attitude of young people towards adults and the attitude of adults towards young people: they have the ability but are not trying  - the characteristics of a young man

 

3. Chapter pg. 127: maturity isn’t proven with the wish to die as a sign of being noble, but live humble for it

 

Basic task: what does this sentence mean before reading the text? What does it mean within the paragraph and what does it say about the character?

 

• relationship between Lea and the professor, the meaning and influence of the professor's story

 

III. Common activities after reading.

 

Two options:

• Group work presentation and summery of: Who is Leo? What did we learn about him? What would you like to find out about him?
  • Discussion: is everything easy when you are young? Updating issues.
  • Group work presentation - results.
• Drama improvisation: a conversation between Leo's friend and Lea: what would you suggest as a friend to him? How would you help him? Submit 3 suggestions.

 

Evaluation and Assessment Method:

-           Teacher Role - Prepare Materials and act as a Moderator

• Evaluation of group work - questionnaire: evaluation and self-evaluation

 

 

Students are assessed on the basis of their abilities:

-           Reading with understanding and shaping their own opinions and arguments

-           Participation in a argumented discussion

-           presentation of group work - systematic and structured presentation

 

The Impact of Activity on Reading RSP:

Activities encourage the development of student empathy, emotional development of the students, and book awareness as an experience that influence the development of an individual. "The reader lives a thousand lives before his death," said Jojen. A man who never reads lives only once. "Mr. R. Martin.

 

Class: sophomore year

Curriculum:

World Literature - pre renaissance (Dante), reading for pleasure

Psychology - emotional development

Musical Arts - Classical Music, Rock Music

Artistic Art - Color

 

Knowledge:

- better understanding of yourself and the world around you

- recognizing and accepting others, their emotions and understanding the influence of emotions on everyday life and human relationships

- Critical thinking about the world, family, school, religion

- enjoying reading literary literature

 

Skills:

- collection, selection and evaluation of information

- reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts

 

Competence:

- communication competences

- ability to work in a team, and acceptance of someone different

 

 

Connection to curriculum

 

Class: sophomore year

Curriculum:

World Literature - pre renaissance (Dante), reading for pleasure

Psychology - emotional development

Musical Arts - Classical Music, Rock Music

Artistic Art - Color

 

Knowledge:

- better understanding of yourself and the world around you

- recognizing and accepting others, their emotions and understanding the influence of emotions on everyday life and human relationships

- Critical thinking about the world, family, school, religion

- enjoying reading literary literature

 

Skills:

- collection, selection and evaluation of information

- reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts

 

Competence:

- communication competences

- ability to work in a team, and acceptance of someone different

 

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

Alessandro D`Avenia: White as Milk, red as blood

Algoritam, Zagreb, November, 2011.

220 str., Hard cover

ISBN 978-953-316-167-9

 

Results

Expected outcomes:

Students will be able to:

- express their opinions clearly and reasonably as well as actively listen to others

- recognize the feelings of another person (character) and understand the impact of feelings on the character's behavior

- to observe the symbolic and metaphorical language of everyday communication

 

Recommendations

A work that is great for stimulating student emotional development, and a motivation for reading similar works

(Stating that books are the source of different life situations, feelings, experiences that enrich us).

Book title
Jam

(from the book collection of  The Seven Good Years)

 

Author
Etgar Keret

​

Bibliographic information

 

The short story Jam was published in the newest authors book collection of The Seven Good Years, Fraktura edition, 2018. It is one of the 36 short stories which are divided into seven chapters, and it belongs to the last one of the Seven Good Years.

 

Author: Etgar Keret

Country: Israel

Language: English

Genres: Short story            

Publisher: Fraktura

Year of publication: 2018

Type of release: hardcover

ISBN  978-953-266-927-5

 

 

Links (adaptations, reviews, full texts etc.)

 

• https://fraktura.hr/blog/pekmez-etgar-keret-sedam-dobrih-godina-uskoro.html
• https://issuu.com/fraktura/docs/sedam_dobrih_godina_knjigica

• https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/knjizevnost/etgar-keret-moj-sin-ne-zeli-da-ovu-knjigu-citaju-njegovi-prijatelji-i-njihovi-roditelji/7026096/
• https://www.express.hr/kultura/u-izraelu-je-izdajnik-za-svijet-je-ubojica-palestinaca-13853
• https://www.mvinfo.hr/knjiga/12105/sedam-dobrih-godina

 

 

Theme
The theme of the story Jam is based on the build of a very small, narrow house (width of a hundred and twenty centimeters) in Warsaw, where there was once a ghetto with Jewish kids during WW2 who smuggled food for their families. Talking about the episode from his own family, the author describes the scares that the holocaust left on the people and societies.

 

Short summary

Being a Jew and a resident in the Middle East, son of holocaust survivors, brother of an ultraorthodox Jew and anarchist fighter for legalizing marijuana. Keret talks about his dream of building a house in Warsaw, the hometown of his mother, place of a ghetto where she smuggled food for her family. On the initiative of a Polish architect, the author realizes his dream and builds a house between a split in memory of his mother’s family, killed in WW2. Making her father’s wish come true of saving the families name, she had a family of her own. When the house was built, above it there was a sign ‘House of Kerete’. The author received a jar of jam from an old lady. That same jam was given by the old lady to the author’s mother. She spread the jam on two pieces of bread and for the two little Jew girls who had to be in the ghetto once the Germans took over. 

 

 

Why is the story appropriate for the targeted groups of RSP readers?
 

1. It deals with an active, real and unusual event
2. It connects the past with the present
3. It reminds us that trauma brought up from the war, lives within us, and that there are ways to overcome them.

 

 

 

What are the distinguished readers interests reflected by this book/story?
The consequences of WW2 are still present in the minds of the survivals. Every war scares people in similar ways. In the story, we find out how a little girl survived the holocaust and were given a task from her father – your task is to survive the war and make sure our name is not forgotten. The story reveals how you can survive when you feel the responsibility of your closest ones.

 

Why is this story motivational for the pupils?
Students find out about the bizarre everyday situations and interpersonal relationships which hide unsettled issues, links and consequences.

 

Is there a historical, political, multi/inter cultural, migrant or similar context recognized in this book/story? 
Looking more in depth, the story brings up the problem of the Status of the Jews in Warsaw during the war and the faith of the little girl who lost her family, due to which she spent her childhood traveling to European orphanages after which, she was sent to Israel after WW2. She started her family there, and unfortunately, her children are reliving the war themselves, between Israel and Palestine.

 

Is there a principle of inclusion reflected in this book/story and does it promotes understanding of cultural diversities and heritage? 
In a subtle way the author askes for her readers to focus on details (ex. possibility for the author to build a house in Warsaw and the meaning of the jam), the story revels the only way to understand differences -  tolerance and good will.

The meaning of the title is revealed in the last part of the book, where the lady gives the jam to the author.  She does that with the intention to tell the story of her mother, the Polish woman, who once a long time ago gave the same jam spread on bread to two Jewish girls before they had to leave for the ghetto and thus disappear from the city.