Survival Against All Odds: A Journey Through 'Prisoner B-3087
Join us for a 6-week book study of "Prisoner B-3087," the true story of a teen, the sole survivor of his family during the Holocaust. Follow his ten harrowing moves as a Nazi prisoner, we’ll explore themes of hope amid immense sadness.
Kim Guthriegabs M. Ed
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(424)
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What's included
6 live meetings
5 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Please read the assigned chapters before the next class. For the first class, it is okay to have only read Chapter 1. Optional reading questions and reflection handouts will be posted in the classroom each week.Projects
Students will be offered different types of projects (poem writing, timelines, drawing) upon request.Assessment
Class discussion Completed reading questions and reflections Book quiz at the end of the classClass Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Read about the personal and true story of a young Jewish teen as we follow him through the years 1938-1945. Each week we read 3-4 chapters of the book before each class. This course is designed to allow students to have an open discussion and have questions answered about this time in history. The story is about a memoir from a Holocaust survivor who lived in Poland during World War II. The author uses several literary devices to make this story both interesting and easy to follow as readers travel with Yanek from Poland in 1938, walking across Czechoslovakia, and into Germany, until he is liberated in 1945. Yanek’s story is both inspiring for students and provides an opportunity for students to learn about the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust in a way that fosters a deeper connection to the material. During the reading, students will engage in activities focused on history and geography, such as tracing Yanek’s route and discussion of the Nazi Nuremberg Laws. The themes discussed are survival, cruelty, isolation, determination, chance, and coming of age. Students do not have to have any background knowledge of World War II before completing this book study. The book is a total of 272 pages written for a middle and high-school audience.
Learning Goals
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sourcesCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)6 Units
6 Lessons
over 6 WeeksUnit 1: Calm Before the Storm
Lesson 1:
1939
After reading Chapter 1, discuss the themes, setting, characters, and political landscape of this true story. 50 mins online live lesson
Unit 2: 1939-1940
Lesson 2:
Chapters 3-4
Discuss the characters, symbols, and themes we read about. Plot the timeline and how Yanek's neighborhood has changed since chapter one. 50 mins online live lesson
Unit 3: 1942
Lesson 3:
Chapters 5-10
50 mins online live lesson
Unit 4: Loss and Luck
Lesson 4:
Chapters 11-16
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This book is about the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II. The main character in the story is a Jewish boy living in Poland. The story allows discussing the atrocities of war and how hope and survival are possible during the worse of times.
People dying of starvation and illness is a topic during the time in the ghetto and concentration camps. People are removed from their families and taken to prisons, concentration camps, and death camps.
This story is one of hope, but it does deal with the horrors of the Holocaust. I will keep student conversations on topic about the story, I will not provide pictures of these events.
Survivors of the Holocaust want these stories to be told so that we can remember what happens when people do not stand up to dictators and injustice. One of the reasons I chose this book is to be able to talk about these issues within a story format. We will focus our discussions on how a person keeps hope in a world where they see mostly injustices around them.
Supply List
Notebook and teacher handouts for book reflections. Class map provided before the first class for geography.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Novel: Prisoner B-3087
Joined April, 2020
4.9
424reviews
Star Educator
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Teacher expertise and credentials
South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Southern Wesleyan
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Limestone University
I have taught World History for over 15 years. I have spent time with Jewish Holocaust survivors and taken students on tours of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. I believe that by looking back at history we can reflect on the bad events, as well as strive to understand how people are able to survive the worst of the world.
In addition, I was named Middle School Reading and Writing Teacher of the Year on two separate years for my district. Reviews
Live Group Course
$20
weekly1x per week, 6 weeks
50 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-15
2-6 learners per class
