I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 Comprehensive Book Study

Do your students love the I Survived Series? While the chapter books by Lauren Tarshis are suspenseful and exciting historical fiction reads, I designed the I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 book study to dig deeper into an understanding of World War II, the Nazi ghettos, and the role of Jewish partisans. This book study includes historical background information, a photo analysis activity, as well as chapter reading responses and so much more!

What's Included:

Chapter Reading Responses (Answer Keys Included!)

Photo Analysis Activity (step by step directions for analyzing 8 historical photos)

Historical Background Information Sheets (Where is Poland; What Was the Nazi Party)

European Jewish Life Before WWII (Reading Passage)

Judaism FAQ's Sheet

Motives, Actions & Decisions Character Chart (victim, perpetrator, bystander, rescuer)

Who Were the Partisans (Reading Passage)

Timeline of the WWII & Holocaust (Fill in the Blank)

Inspired Character Reading Passages (3 reading passages of Holocaust survivors)

Literary Elements Sheet

Plot Chart

Characterization Sheet

Scene Sketch

Texting Character Dialogue

Book Review

Teacher Resources (teaching tips as well as links that align with best practice)

Student Booklet:

This resource is set up with a printable student booklet that is organized sequentially with chapter reading responses, reading passages, and background information. The chapters reading responses are group 2 chapters per page. The historical information sheets, reading passages, and maps are placed logically so as to build historical context and deeper understanding as your students read the book. However, instead of printing a booklet, you can always choose the reading responses and pages that work best for your classroom needs.

Reading Responses:

This resource includes reading responses for all chapters, and are groups 2 chapters per page. This is intentional so that students have time to read the book, reflect, and have more time for discussion without the responses being too cumbersome. The short answer questions include summarizing the chapter, short answer responses about the text, figurative language, opinion, character analysis, and more. These are found within the student booklet, but can be printed individually to meet your class needs. The reading responses include a variety of short answer, multiple choice, True/False, fill in the blank.

Answer Keys:

An answer key is provided for every reading response page. A grading rubric is also included.

Characterization Printables:

This resource includes printable graphic organizers and activities centered around literary elements and characterization. This includes a characterization sheet, scene sketch, and texting dialogue activity.

Photo Analysis:

A picture is worth a thousand words. A photo analysis activity is included which contains 8 historical photos intended for analysis with the reading of the book. A detailed lesson plan with step by step photo analysis implementation is included, as well as a photo analysis recording sheet for your students.

Building Background & Historical Information:

This resource contains material to help your students better understand World War II, the Holocaust, European Jewish Life prior to WWII, and more. The author was inspired by several Holocaust survivors, and I have included 3 reading passage sheets that cover the real life these individuals.

Teacher Tips and Resources:

I have provided tips for implementation that align with best practice when teaching the Holocaust, as well as links to websites with lots of additional helpful information.

This resource is not editable at this time. If you have questions prior to purchasing, I can be reached at michellemcdonald9515@gmail.com

Do your students love the I Survived Series? Check out:

I Survived the Eruption of Mt. St. Helens, 1980 Book Study