READING ACTIVITIES (compiled by Evelyn Mather) |During Reading|After Reading|   10 “Before” Sources   “Book Chronicles Warsaw Zoo as Refuge in WW2.” 2008. NPR. < http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18222827 > 28 Jan. 2008. This is a handy audio resource that introduces not only the book through an interview with the author, but also gives a really thorough introduction to the novel and its historical context.   “Dictionary Reference.” 2008. Dictionary.com. < http://dictionary.reference.com > 28 Jan. 2008. This link can serve as a handy and slick resource to look up words that pertain to the history and setting of the novel. Such words would be Nazi, holocaust, ethnic cleansing, genocide, etc.   “German Occupied Territories, World War Two: Poland.” 2008. German Notes. < http://www.germannotes.com/faq_occupied_poland_ww2.shtml >28 Jan. 2008. This website deal with more specific details about the policies and enforcements placed on the Polish by the Germans.   “Jan Zabinski with the Jews He Saved.” 1997. Museum of Tolerance. < http://motlc.learningcenter.wiesenthal.org/gallery/pg22/pg8/pg22878.html > 28 Jan. 2008. This website shows actual photos of Jan Sabinski and the Jews that he hid within his zoo. It also offers a great deal of details about the story in the captions of the pictures. It would be important to help students realize that this is not a fictional story, but an actual occurrence during WW2.   “Poland Map and Information Page.” World Atlas Travel. < http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/pl.htm > 28 Jan. 2008. This would be a good resource to show students where Poland is relative to Nazi-Germany and the U.S. It would also be helpful in order to point out other surrounding countries and perhaps the area that Warsaw zoo was located.   “Poland World War II, 1939-1945.” 2007. Electronic Museum. < http://www.electronicmuseum.ca/Poland-WW2/poland_ww2.html > 28 Jan. 2008. This website is especially valuable while studying The Zookeeper's Wife since the story is set in Poland and this site focuses primarily on the war in Poland. It offers a detailed timeline of events that took place from 1939-1945 during the Nazi-German invasion.   “World War Two.” 2008. BBC. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/ > 28 Jan. 2008. This website offers a timeline of World War Two. Although the novel is set primarily in Poland, it would be important for students to understand the complete context of the war when and how it affected other countries in the world.   “World War Two Footage-The Eastern Front.” 2007. Meta Café. < http://www.metacafe.com/watch/428147/ww2_footage_eastern_front_january_1945/ > 28 Jan. 2008. This site offers some really interesting old footage of front line action during World War Two. It could be beneficial for students to view as they are learning about and gaining an understanding of the war.   “World War Two Photos.” 2008. The National Archives. < http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/ > 28 Jan. 2008. This is a very resourceful open source website which allows access to various authentic photos from World War Two. While some of the photos are extremely disturbing and heartbreaking, it is a good way to set up the atmosphere and history of World War Two.   “The Zoo Evaluator.” University Richmond. < http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webquests/zoo/evaluator.html > 28 Jan. 2008. This would be the first “before” activity. It would be used to help students understand the different living conditions at zoos, whether they were good or bad, and then help them consider whether these conditions would be good enough for people to live in.   10 “During” Sources   Benjamin, A. “Particularity and Exceptions: On Jews and Animals.” The South Atlantic Quarterly 107.1 (2008) 71-87. < http://www.mediafire.com/?0dwxhxuuxmw > 5 Feb. 2008. This is a really interesting article that analyzes human connections animals and also relating to the dehumanization of the Jews throughout history. It would be a really interesting article to study and discuss alongside The Zookeeper's Wife if the book was being taught to an intellectually mature class.   Bornstein, Nathaniel and Mendels, Jessica. “29 Months in Exile.” 2005. 29 Months in Exile. < http://www.29months.com/english/ > 5 Feb. 2008. This is a moving account of some other Jews who where in hiding. It would be helpful to compare different accounts of Jews in hiding during the reading of The Zookeeper's Wife and discuss whether hiding in a zoo would be preferable to other forms of hiding.   “Ethnic Cleansing-A Computer Game.” Wikipedia. 2008. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_Cleansing_(computer_game) > 5 Feb. 2008. A huge controversy has spurred ever since the release of this video game in 2005. Apparently in this game you can choose whether you want to be a skinhead or Klansman and proceed to kill blacks, Latinos, and Jews in the streets and ghettos. It would be important to discuss the aftershock of WWII white supremacy that has carried over into modern media. Also see http://www.resistance.com/ethniccleansing/ .   “Hitler's Prophecy.” 1998. Stig Hornshoj-Moller < http://veritas3.holocaust-history.org/der-ewige-jude/hitler-19390130.shtml > 5 Feb. 2008. Like the Nazi Propaganda Film, this audio file can also be used to help students understand why the Germans may have been convinced to support Hitler, and to alos help increase their understanding of the politics of WWII in Nazi Germany.   Mather, Evelyn. “A Human is Sleeping in My Cage.” 2008. This is a worksheet/writing prompt designed to get the students thinking from the perspective of the animals which whose lives were so intimately intertwined with the Jewish refugees.   Mather, Evelyn. “I'm Sleeping in an Animal's Cage.” 2008. This is a worksheet/writing prompt designed to encourage students to get into the minds of the Jewish refugees and attempt to tap into their feeling about living in a zoo and sleeping in animal cages. Would some feel de-humanized? Dirty? Mental? Thankful or grateful? A little of each?   “Nazi Propaganda Film.” 1998. Stig Hornshoj-Moller. < http://veritas3.holocaust-history.org/der-ewige-jude/ > 5 Feb. 2008. This is the most popularized Nazi propaganda film from WWII. It would be good to show this to students to help them understand why Nazi soldiers and German citizens may have been convinced to support Hitler's regime.   Phayer, Michael. “Saving Jews was Her Passion.” Commonweal (1995) http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Saving+Jews+was+her+passion%3B+serving+survivors+was+her+agony-a017210237 . 5 Feb. 2008. This article presents another account of a woman who, like the zookeeper's wife, risked her life by helping to hide Jews. It would be good to compare this example to the actions and thoughts of the characters in the book.   “What Totem Animal Are You?” 2008. AllTheTests.com. < http://www.allthetests.com/quiz10/quizpu.php?testid=1095198776 > 5 Feb. 2008. The zookeeper's wife feels a strong connection to the animals at the zoo throughout the book. I thought it might be fun to have students discover what their totem animal would be and maybe help them draw connections between themselves and animals they relate to.   “Zookeeper's Wife Crossword Puzzle.” 2008. Crossword Puzzle Games. < http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/ > 5 Feb. 2008. This would be a good activity to give during reading in order to determine whether they have been reading the novel or not.   10 “After” Sources   Birrell, Scott. Class Activity on the Holocaust. Jewish Refugee Real Life Experience. Lone Peak High School, Highland, UT. 2002. This is an activity that Scott Birrell conducted in his American Studies class when I was in high school. It was very memorable and poignant. He told students to gather and smush into a confined hall area outside of the classroom. Roughly 60 students were crammed the small area (it was a large class). He taped off the area and told the students that if they crossed the line their grades would be docked, and he held to his promise. The whole class remained in that small, sweaty, hot, smelly space for the remainder of the class period. It was a unique way to show students a little bit of what holocaust victims experienced.   Mather, Evelyn. Guest Speaker from the Army/War. 2008. I would like to invite a guest speaker into the classroom to talk about the different experiences they've had with war. I think it would be interesting to have a soldier from the Iraqi war speak to the class about his or her experience. It would also be powerful to have a WW2 Veteran or Jewish refugee speak to the class. I am aware that this may be a difficult thing to do, but it would be vastly moving and effective.   Mather, Evelyn. “Star of David Segregation Activity.” 2008. I'm not sure if I can give myself the full credit of this assignment, because I've heard of it being done in many classes, but I think it would be an interesting activity to conduct. As the students enter the classroom, I'd like to segregate them by placing stickers or some kind of mark on them—maybe something resembling the Star of David. From that point on, I'd tell the students without stars that the other students are at their disposal. I'd probably give an in-class assignment and tell them that if they didn't want to do it, the starred students could do it for them. I'd have to keep this activity under tight control, and be sensitive as to who I starred, but I think it could be an eye-opening experience.   Mather, Evelyn. A Trip to a War History/Holocaust Museum. 2008. I think after reading the novel and studying so much history about the holocaust and WW2, it would be really powerful to take students to a near by history museum. Most major areas have memorial museums and many of them offer discounts for schools.   Mather, Evelyn. “The Zookeeper's Wife Final Project.” 2008. For the students final project I'd like them to either write a paper (a synthesis of research and personal response) about a chosen theme from the book, or submit a creative project of their invention and choice, as long as it is pre-approved by me beforehand.   “Non-Jewish Holocaust Victims: 5 Million Forgotten.” 2008. Holocaust Forgotten. < http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/ > 11 Feb. 2008. This is a great resource to help students see not only beyond the Jewish holocaust victims in Poland, but also beyond victim who were Jews. It would be good for students to realize how many people were affected outside of the Jewish faith and perhaps why this turned into a world war.   “US Army Report ion Iraqi Prisoner Abuse.” 2004. MSNBC. < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4894001/ > 11 Feb. 2008. I'd like to bring the issue of war prisoner abuse to a more modern context. I'd like students to read this article pertaining to the prisoner abuse which occurred in Iraq a few years ago. Although I don't want to encourage any anti-America or anti-U.S. Army feelings or opinions, I think it would be important for students to realize that this sort of behavior can develop in any country at any time.   “Voices on Genocide Prevention.” 2008. States Holocaust Memorial Museum < http://blogs.ushmn.org/ > 11 Feb. 2008. This website has a lot of blogs and podcast links from holocaust and genocide victims, including WWII victim Elie Wiesel. I think playing clips from these podcasts and having students read over their blogs would be an effective way to create empathy for WWII victims beyond Poland.   “World War Two Google Earth” 2006. You Tube. < http://youtube.com/watch?v=AWrbDFRNMEA > 11 Feb. 2008. This is a really cool source I stumbled upon which, with the use of Google Earth technology, shows important WW2 geographical locations and complimentary pictures of the war.   “The Zookeeper's Wife.” Here On Earth. 3 Oct. 2007. < http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_071003k.cfm > 11 Feb. 2008. This is a handy broadcast discussing the novel. It would be interesting to have the students listen to the broadcast in class and then conduct and open discussion about things they agree or disagree with after reading the book.