Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted

Lesson 9
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ELA

Unit 5

6th Grade

Lesson 9 of 27

Objective


Explain how characters respond to the difficult situations they face and what their responses reveal about them.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Refugee by Alan Gratz  pp. 49 – 80

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

How does Mahmoud’s father respond to the stress and difficulty of the situation he and his family face? Provide evidence from pages 53 through 55 and 66 through 73 to support your answer.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • How do Ruthie and Josef respond to being on the St. Louis? How does this compare to the way that Josef’s father responds? Provide evidence from pages 56-59 and 74-80. 

  • How does Isabel’s father respond when he believes that the police are chasing him? Provide evidence from pages 63 through 65 to support your answer, and carefully explain your thinking. 

  • How does Josef respond to the experience of having a Bar Mitzvah? How has the experience changed him? Provide evidence from pages 77 through 80 and carefully explain your thinking.

Discussion Questions

  • What similarities are you beginning to notice between the stories of these three young people? What connections can you make?

Exit Ticket

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Vocabulary


Text-based

paranoid

adj.

obsessively anxious and mistrustful; believing that others are trying to hurt you

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: Refugee by Alan Gratz  pp. 81 – 109

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What happens to the boat Isabel and the others are riding in?

  • What happens to Mahmoud and his family when they reach the Turkish border?

  • What do Josef and the other children hear when they go on the tour below deck?

  • How does Shiendick treat the children?

  • What do Lito and the other people on the boat argue about?

  • Why are Mahmoud and his family sleeping in a mall? What are they waiting for?

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.6.3 — Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Supporting Standards

L.6.6
RL.6.1
RL.6.2
RL.6.4
RL.6.10
SL.6.1
SL.6.6
W.6.1
W.6.1.a
W.6.1.b
W.6.4
W.6.9
W.6.9.a
W.6.10
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Lesson 8

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Lesson 10

Lesson Map

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