Dear Parents and Guardians, Hello, again! Im Ms.

Lexi Dressel, your childs Language Arts teacher for this school year. As we have progressed through the first half of this 2013-2014 academic year, I have enjoyed working with your students! They have done a wonderful job remaining focused through Halloween and now into the Thanksgiving season. Thank you for your work with all of the students at home. If we continue to work together, the rest of the semester will undoubtedly be just as wonderful as the beginning! The next unit we will be starting is an integrated unit on World War II (WWII). This coincides nicely with what our team is currently learning in their Social Studies class. Our unit in Language Arts will deal with different perspectives of WWII. The unit will last for three weeks and will end with a final project that will serve as the assessment for the unit. There will be several literary works for students to choose from to learn as much as they can about this pivotal time in world history. Attached to this letter is a permission slip with a list of the book choices for students. The importance of this unit is so big it is hard to put into words. Students need to learn the importance of this time historically and it will support their learning in Social Studies with literature from different groups. More than that, it is important because students can relate to the courageous ideas that so many people of the time showed. Along with learning about the historical relevance of WWII, students will learn how to incorporate technology into school in a meaningful way through their final project. I am so excited to begin this unit with these wonderful students! Please feel free to come to me with comments, questions, and concerns at any time at (314)448-3284 or and6fd@mail.missouri.edu. Sincerely, Lexi Dressel

Book List for World War II Unit The topic of WWII, specifically the Holocaust can be uncomfortable at times. Below, I have written a summary of the four book options your child can choose from for this unit. Feel free to look up the books yourself to learn more about them. If you have a preference or an objection to your student reading any of these four books, indicate which books (if any) you would prefer they not read.

1. The Devils Arithmetic written by Jane Yolen is about a young Jewish girl from the modern day who travels back in time to WWII. She goes back to some of the things her family members went through in concentration camps. When she returns to her future life, she does so with a new understanding of what it means to be Jewish and what persecution is like. 2. Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene is about a girl, Patty, living in Arkansas who meets an escaped German Prisoner of War. The story tells of their friendship and teaches very important lessons when Patty decides to hide the POW to protect him. 3. Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli takes place in Poland during the Holocaust. The story is told from now looking back on events that have transpired. The main character is an orphan who lacks any sort of identifying pieces of information. He lives with other Jewish orphans to avoid German soldiers and the camps. 4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about a young girl in Nazi Germany told from deaths point of view. Throughout the story, readers watch the main character, Liesl, steal books for a reason that is explained throughout the book. Along the way to our understanding of Liesl and her understanding of herself is a foster family, an unpopular friendship with a Jewish man, and lots of reading.

All of these books are wonderfully written and to supplement your childs learning in class, you may want to pick up your own copy and read along with them!

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