Briar Rose by Jane Yolen  Summary  Each night, Gemma tells her granddaughter, Becca, the beautiful story of Briar Rose. It is an enchanting fairy tale that the grandchildren have come to love. They always beg her to tell the story again. Just before Gemma dies, she proclaims to Becca, “I am Briar Rose.” After her death, Becca begins a journey to uncover the truth of her grandmother's story. The journey leads her to discover disturbing truths of brutality and horror. She discovers that the story is based on her grandmother's experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust in Poland . She truly was Briar Rose, the princess awakened and saved by a prince's kiss. This novel is a wonderful and creative way to teach students about the Holocaust. It helps students to develop the ability to make connections from literature to ourselves, the world, and other texts. The content is wonderful and the plot is engaging and exciting. If there are students in your class who have personal connections to the Holocaust, they may have emotional difficulty reading this book. Be sensitive to these students and be prepared to provide an alternate text for them to read.   READING ACTIVITIES (compiled by Audrey Smithey) |During Reading|After Reading| Before Connections 1. Relation to Yolen's novel, "The Devil's Arithmetic"  Prior to reading "Briar Rose," students will study Yolen's other novel, "The Devil's Arithmetic." This will give them another work to compare to Briar Rose.  Ask the students questions such as, why do you think Yolen wrote two novels on the same topic?  Reading this novel before Briar Rose may lead to another activity in which students will compare the two novels in an essay. This activity will prepare the students to make text to text connections  Idea Source: Audrey Smithey   2. What is a fairy tale? Ask the students to write a short paragraph describing what a fairy tale is.  Then have them describe their favorite fairy tale and explain why it is their favorite.  Students will share their responses with the class. This will prepare them to later discuss the significance of Yolen's writing a fairy tale about a historical event. It will cause them to draw on past experiences and previously acquired knowledge to relate to the book.  Idea Source: Audrey Smithey     3. The DNA of Fairy Tales: Their Origin and Meaning   Hall , Renee . “The DNA of Fairytales: Their Original Meaning.” Sunrise Magazine . Aug-Sept 2000. Accessed 22 September 2007. < http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/general/ge-rhall.htm > This website offers the origin and significance of many fairy tales. It begins with a quote that reads, "These fairy tales are not senseless stories written for the amusement of the idle; they embody the profound religion of our forefathers, . . . -- W. S. W. Anson, Asgard and the Gods , p. 21" This information can be used to introduce students to the genre of fairy tales and their significance throughout time. Students will practice abstract thinking as they discuss possible reasons that Jane Yolen wrote about a tragic historical event in the form of a fairy tale.    4. Origins of Sleeping Beauty Charles, Gerald. “The Sleeping Beauty.” Last Updated February 2000. Accessed 23 September 2007. < http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/Sleeping.html >  Because the novel is an adaptation of the well known fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty , it is important for students to understand its long history as a story.  It was originally a ballet written by Tchaikovsky that premiered in 1890 in St. Petersburg . Educating the students about the history of this story and the different phases that it has gone through over time will get them excited about the book.  It will also cause them to begin their study of the book with background knowledge that will allow them to look for similarities in the novel's version of the popular tale and other forms of the fairy tale.     5. Video Clips from Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. Amazon.com. Video: “The Sleeping Beauty.” Accessed 22 September 2007. Last Updated 2007. < http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Beauty-Tchaikovsky/dp/6304218036 > Students will write a response to the video clips that they view.  Prompts could include: "What surprised you about this performance of Sleeping Beauty ?"  "What aspects are the same as the fairy tale that you have grown up knowing?" "What aspects are different?"  "Which do you prefer, and why?" This activity will introduce students to genres of art. It will enable to gain more understanding about expressions of thoughts other than through literature.  Idea Source: Audrey Smithey     6. Video Clips from the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty Amazon.com. Video: “Sleeping Beauty.” Accessed 22 September 2007. Last Updated 2007. < http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Beauty-Special-Mary-costa/dp/B00008X5J5/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-7359292-8447853?ie=UTF8&s=video&qid=1190642713&sr=1-2  > After watching the video clips (i.e. the prince awaking Sleeping Beauty with a kiss), students will make predictions about how these aspects of the story might relate to the Holocaust in Jane Yolen's novel.  Students will reflect and predict through writing: "Is it possible for such a tragic event as the Holocaust to be related to a fairy tale such as Sleeping Beauty." This activity will encourage students to develop their ability to think in abstract ways.     7 . Jane Yolen Biography Jane Yolen. “A Short Biography.” Accessed 22 September 2007. Last Updated 2000. < http://www.janeyolen.com/janebio.html  > This is the official Jane Yolen website.  It includes a biography as well as pictures from throughout her life.  Encourage students to look for parallels between her life and her writings. Students will become familiar with the author and her life, which will cause them to be more engaged in the text when they begin reading.  This will encourage students to read beyond the text and make text to world connections.    8 . Get to Know the Author and her Book: Interesting Facts Group Presentation   Students, organized into groups of 4 or 5, will briefly research interesting facts about Jane Yolen and/or her novel, Briar Rose. After they have collected their research, they will present their findings in a creative way.  i.e. research Jane Yolen's favorite food and bring that food to share with the class, illustrate the setting of Briar Rose through dressing up in period-type clothes and showing the location on a map, etc. This will present the author's biographical information in a different way, using multiple senses, which will aid students in remembering important facts about Jane Yolen's life as it relates to her literature. Idea Source: Audrey Smithey     9. Holocaust Timeline Florida Center for Instructional Technology. “Timeline.” A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust Last Updated 2005. Accessed 23 September 2007. < http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/timeline.htm > This timeline includes information from the rise of the Nazi party in 1918 to the aftermath through 2000.  It includes links to information about each "phase" of the Holocaust (including the trials of Nazi leaders after the war).  Within each of these links are pictures and additional links. After studying a timeline of WWII and Holocaust events, students will be able to place the text into historical context. This will encourage text to world connections throughout their reading.     10.  Teaching about the Holocaust United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , “Teaching Materials and Resources.” Last Updated 25 June 2007. Accessed 22 September 2007. < http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/resource/ > It is important for students to understand the historical context of the novel before reading. This website is sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and includes a link to an online book entitled, "Teaching About the Holocaust."  Teachers can print sections of the book or simply view them online.  It provides guidelines for teachers who want to educate their students about the Holocaust. Students will be able to make text to world connections as they read the text after learning and discussing the historical significance of the Holocaust.   During Connections   1. Map Activity http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/resource/wwii.htm Pearcy, Thomas, and Dickson, Mary. " Europe on the Eve of World War II, 1939 ." W.W. Norton and Company 1996 01 Oct 2007 < http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/resource/wwii.htm >. As students read Jane Yolen's novel, it is important that they realize the real world significance of the events that she describes. Part of this process is knowing the geography of Europe at the time. Using labeled map provided on the first link, point out locations of significant events during WWII. Specifically, make sure students are familiar with the location of Poland on the map because this is the setting of Gemma's fairytale throughout the novel.   2. Map Labeling Activity Campbell, Cindy. "Map Activities." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust . 2005. Florida Center for Instructional Technology. 1 Oct 2007 < http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/68plan/maps.htm >. http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/maps/maps.pdf (maps) http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/68plan/maps.htm (additional map activities) Students will research which European countries were invaded by Nazis and when the invasion took place. After their research, students will label the blank map found at the link. They will use this map throughout the novel as specific locations are mentioned. In the end, they will have a visual image of how places and events were interrelated. This experience will aid students in understanding how the events and places in the novel relate to actual historical fact. Maps of Europe from different times throughout history are provided. Additional questions and activities dealing with these maps are available through the second link.   3. German Administration of Poland United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , "German Administration of Poland ." 25 June 2007. 1 Oct 2007 < http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005300 >. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005300 (information) http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson_images/lesson373/WWII_in_Europe.pdf (worksheet) Studying the politics and government activities during the Nazi invasion and holocaust in Poland will help the students to make text-world connections as they are reading. These connections are important to helping students develop a love of literature and an understanding of why it is important to study it. The first website listed below contains the information that students will read and discuss. The second website features a worksheet that has students describe various aspects of the German administration of various countries. For purposes of this novel, it is only necessary that students complete the information for Poland (not the other countries listed). It would be advisable to adapt the worksheet to the specific purposes of this novel.   4. Personal Connections to the Holocaust United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , “German Administration of Poland : Personal Stories.” 25 June 2007. 1 Oct 2007 < http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_oi.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005300&MediaId=1231 >. It is important for students to understand the impact that the events of the Holocaust had on the people on a personal level. By viewing videos of interviews with Holocaust survivors, students will be able to put a face with the stories that are told. It will allow the students to understand, on a more personal level, the effects of the Holocaust in Poland . Discuss with students the connections with the novel. Are the events that these interviews describe the same as the events that Gemma describes in her fairytale? What is the same? What is different?   5. The Importance of Family Legacies and Learning from our Elders Idea Source: Audrey Smithey Discuss with students the importance of family legacies and stories that are passed down through generations. Just as Gemma relates the events of her life to her grandchildren through a fairytale, many grandparents are willing to share stories from their youth with their family members. Emphasize the importance and privilege of hearing these stories from a primary source. Have the students write a journal entry about a time that they heard a story from an older person. What was the story they told? How did you feel about their sharing the story with you? What did you learn from their experience? How did it relate to you? Why is it important to record our experiences, share them with others, and listen to the experiences of others?  6. Text-Self Connections through Photographs United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , “German Administration of Poland : Photography.” Last Updated 25 June 2007. Accessed 1 Oct 2007 < http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_ph.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005300&MediaId=663 >. Activity Idea Source: Audrey Smithey View photographs provided through this link with the class. Have the students study selected photographs in small groups. They will then share their observations. What is significant about these photos? Students will also bring in photos of a significant event in their life or the life of a family member (preferably an old photograph). They will share with the class the story behind the photograph. Why is it good to have photos? How do you think history was documented before the invention of the camera?   7. Reader's Response Worksheet Source: Mr. Scott Buck, Diamond Fork Jr. High Students will complete multiple copies of this worksheet throughout their reading of the novel (approximately one for each time that they read). Students record new words in the text, the definition, and the source. This worksheet will also aid the students in beginning to think on their own. They will record questions that they have, connections that they make, predictions, a brief summary, and their opinion of what they have read.   8. Genealogy Ancestors, Charts and Records . BYU Broadcasting. Accessed 01 Oct 2007 < http://www.byubroadcasting.org/ancestors/firstseries/teachersguide/pdf/pedigree.pdf >. Activity Idea Source: Audrey Smithey Teach the importance of understanding our ancestry. Discuss the significance of family history in the novel. How does it affect the characters? The students will complete a pedigree chart for four generations.   9. Timeline Ancestors, Charts and Records . BYU Broadcasting. Accessed 01 Oct 2007 < http://www.byubroadcasting.org/ancestors/firstseries/teachersguide/pdf/timeline.pdf >. As students read the novel, they will learn the events of individuals' lives. How do the characters know events of others' lives? They have shared their personal history in some way. Students will complete a timeline of their own life. This timeline can correlate with a personal history writing assignment that will be given after reading the text. A link to a timeline worksheet is provided above..   10. Write Your Own History-Based Fairytale Activity Idea Source: Audrey Smithey At the end of chapter 2 Becca discovers that her Grandmother's fairytale is really the story of her life. The students will choose a historical event and write their own version of it in the form of a fairytale. This writing assignment can be based on an existing fairytale or it can be the original work of the student that has previously discussed characteristics of a fairytale.   After Connections   1. Class Memorial Florida Center for Instructional Technology. “Class Memorial.” A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaus t Last Updated 2005. Accessed 8 October 2007. http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/68plan/memorial.htm It is important for the students to take what they have studied in the novel and understand its impact on the world. This activity will help to make the story and the history of the Holocaust real to them. Students will plan and hold a memorial to remember and honor the victims of the Holocaust. The memorial can include student speakers, guest speakers, student art work, essays, poems, etc. The memorial can be modified and held within the classroom.   2. Current Events Original Idea: Florida Center for Instructional Technology. “News Watch.” A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust Last Updated 2005. Accessed 8 October 2007. http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/68plan/news.htm Original Idea Modified by: Audrey Smithey Students need to understand the “so what” of the Holocaust in terms of how it affects the world today. For two weeks, students will collect newspaper and magazine articles, write summaries of news broadcasts, and collect articles from websites that deal with issues of prejudice, discrimination, and human rights. Students will be assigned to groups. Using visual aids and other creative methods, students will make a presentation to the class in their groups. The group will also submit a one-page essay describing what issues from the book parallel issues in today's society and what they have learned from the activity.   3. The Individuals of the Holocaust Florida Center for Instructional Technology. “Mapping Survivor Stories.” A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust . Last Updated 2005. Accessed 8 October 2007. http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/68plan/mapping.htm In the novel Briar Rose , Gemma's granddaughter has to research to discover the truth about her life. To help students understand what a great task this was and the importance of understanding our heritage, students will research an individual of the Holocaust. They will choose the name of a Holocaust survivor and make a presentation of that person's life specifically as it relates to the Holocaust. Their presentation can include timelines, photographs, diaries, etc.   4. Interview a Family Member Original Idea: Audrey Smithey In relation to the theme of family relationships in the novel, students will explore their own families. Students will interview the oldest living member of their family. Interview topics should include significant world events that the relative has witnessed. They should discuss the impact these events have had on the individual and family as a whole. What important lessons have they learned from these experiences? Students will present the information they gather. If possible, some family members may be invited to visit the class and help the student with the presentation. Students will write a short response paper illustrating the importance of learning from elders and building strong relationships within families.   5. Guest Speaker Original Idea: Audrey Smithey Students learn best as they make personal connections. Often, meeting a person that has experienced an event will help students feel more connected to it. Invite a survivor of the Holocaust to speak to the class. If this is not possible, invite someone who lived during World War II. Ask them to describe how society was before and after the war. What changed? What is different today because of the war? Students should prepare questions ahead of time (preferably ones that they develop from thoughts about the text) so they will be ready to participate in the conversation.   6. Create a newspaper Original Idea: Audrey Smithey Allowing students to use their own creativity is often a wonderful way to help them remember what they have learned. Divide students into groups and assign each with a section of a newspaper. After considering the events described in the novel and researching further information about WWII and the Holocaust, students will create a newspaper as if it were published during this era. They will create their own political cartoons, propaganda for the war, articles, and editorials. Another variation of this activity is to have each group create an entire newspaper (a small version) as if it were from another country involved in the war. Groups may also work together to develop one newspaper from Poland where the novel is set.   7. Rights and Freedom Teresa Morretta. “Lesson Plan – Holocaust Unit.” Teaching the Holocaust: Grades 4-12 Last Updated 1997. Accessed 8 October 2007. http://www.remember.org/educate/lessonplan.html Through this activity, students will be able to more personally connect to the events of the Holocaust as they understand that this was much more than a world war. They will understand the effects of the war including that individuals were hurt, families destroyed, and freedoms denied. Students will consider the freedoms that they enjoy and which are most important. They will then consider the freedoms that were denied to the Jews during the Holocaust.   8. Fishbowl Discussion Original Idea: (many teachers use this strategy) Topic idea: Audrey Smithey It is important for students to not only develop ideas about their reading, but to also learn to communicate those ideas with their peers. List questions about the Holocaust and Briar Rose on the board. Questions should also encourage discussion about text-text, text-self, and text-world connections. Set up four desks in the center of the room with the remaining desks forming an outer circle. Students who are sitting in the four desks will discuss the questions listed on the board, and students in the outer circle will listen and take notes on what is said. On their own initiative, students from the outer circle will take someone's place inside the “fishbowl.” Students will be graded on participation.   9. Poetry and other literature about the Holocaust Teresa Morretta. “Lesson Plan – Holocaust Unit.” Teaching the Holocaust: Grades 4-12 Last Updated 1997. Accessed 8 October 2007. http://www.remember.org/educate/lessonplan.html Various Authors. “Holocaust Poetry: Lest We Forget.” Accessed 8 October 2007. http://www.auschwitz.dk/id6.htm Hopefully, for some students, studying a certain topic through a novel will spark an interest to study and read more about that topic. To encourage this, share other sources of literature about the Holocaust with the students. Have the students read and respond to poems and other books about the Holocaust and World War II. Holocaust poetry and suggestions of novels are found on the above sites.   10. Write your own poetry Original Idea: Audrey Smithey After students have studied other literature on the selected topic, they should apply what they have learned. Students will write their own poem about the Holocaust or other topics that have been discussed in this unit. They can write any type of poem that they choose. They can even write a concrete poem that is illustrated by their original art work.