Voices of Upstanders: Johtje and Aart Vos | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M3:U3:L1

Voices of Upstanders: Johtje and Aart Vos

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.2, W.8.4

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.8.4, RI.8.10, W.8.10, L.8.4, L.8.6
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine a central idea and analyze its development in the article "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36." (RI.8.2)
  • I can generate characteristics of a Holocaust upstander.
  • I can write a text reflection about "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36." (RI.8.1, W.8.4)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket
  • Work Time A: Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (RI.8.1, RI.8.2)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Text Reflection: "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36" (RI.8.1, W.8.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36" and Identify Central Idea - RI.8.2 (20 minutes)

B. Characteristics of a Holocaust Upstander (5 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Group Write: Text Reflection - RI.8.1 (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.8.2 – Work Time A: Students determine the central idea of “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” and analyze its development over the course of the text.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time A: Students cite evidence from the text that supports the central idea.
  • W.8.4 – Closing and Assessment A: Students write a clear and coherent text reflection on “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36.”
  • RI.8.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students use evidence from “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” to support their text reflection.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Students may conduct research on Johtje and Aart Vos and write a text reflection about other upstander characteristics Johtje and Aart Vos exhibited.
  • In Opening A, students learn the term upstander. Students may review Maus I to identify the upstanders who helped Vladek and Anja to deepen their understanding of the term. Students can write a short reflection on what habits of character upstanders practice.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons, students read about victims of the Holocaust who experienced the horrors of ghettos, deportation trains, and concentration camps. In this lesson, students will read about people who helped Holocaust victims, identify the central idea of the text, and write a text reflection about how they demonstrated upstander characteristics.

Support All Students

  • The text for this lesson is an obituary that depicts the life of Johtje Vos. It includes her heroism as well as the heroism of her husband, Aart Vos. Students may need support in focusing on the information about their involvement in the Holocaust only, instead of details about Johtje’s life before and after the war that are also included in the text. Consider reading the text aloud, highlighting the details relevant to their involvement in the war.
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher used in Work Time A in the separate Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲
  • Some students may have difficulty determining the central idea of a new text. Ask prompting questions to support students in identifying the central idea in Work Time A. ▲
  • Some students may need support in generating characteristics of an upstander in Work Time B. Consider using additional prompt questions to help students determine upstander characteristics to record on the anchor chart.
  • Students may need support with identifying examples of upstander characteristics in the text and choosing the most relevant supporting evidence. Support students in annotating the text for the most significant details to include in their text reflection. ▲
  • Some students may benefit from choosing how they will read the text. Read aloud the text with some students, have student-led groups read amongst themselves, and allow other students to read independently. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review student text reflections after the lesson to check whether they are on the right track. Use common issues as teaching points for the whole group in the next lesson.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will read about a new Holocaust upstander and write a text reflection about the upstander characteristics the person exhibits in the text.

In Advance

  • Prepare Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1.
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6, 8.I.B.7, 8.I.B.8, 8.I.C.12, and 8.II.C.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes a supported in-class reading, time for students to work together to determine characteristics of an upstander, further work with determining a central idea, and scaffolded instruction in writing a text reflection. This is the first of a series of lessons that follow a similar format in which students will read about upstanders during the Holocaust and then write short text reflections on what they have read.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to identify characteristics of upstanders and to find details within the text that support this concept. Students may need to be led to words and phrases like compassion, empathy, and moral obligation and may need prompting questions to help them understand the role of upstanders during the Holocaust.

Vocabulary

  • clandestine, impetus, nostalgic (A)
  • upstander (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening B)
  • Academic word wall (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Work Time D)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference)
  • Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Characteristics of Upstanders anchor chart (example for teacher reference)
  • Characteristics of Upstanders anchor chart (one for display)
  • Criteria for an Effective Text Reflection anchor chart (one for display)
  • Text Reflection: "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36" (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Online or paper dictionary (one per student)
  • "Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36" (one per student and one for display)
  • Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (one per student)
  • Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher ▲
  • Text Reflection: “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” (one per student and one for display)
  • Homework Resources (for families) (see Homework Resources)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine to focus students on the word upstander (a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked, persecuted, or threatened) in the learning targets and to use an online or paper dictionary to define the terms. With students' support, record the meaning of the word on the domain-specific word wall. Invite students to record the term in their vocabulary logs.
  • Students may also use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to deconstruct the term and add any relevant notes to the vocabulary strategies on this chart.
  • Explain to students that the term upstander was not used in Maus I, but there were people throughout the book and throughout history who have acted on behalf of others who were attacked, persecuted, or threatened.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • After students complete the entrance ticket, expand the discussion by inviting students to find additional synonyms for the words they used to describe the people who helped Anja and Vladek. This will serve to deepen students understanding of qualities of upstanders in the Holocaust, preparing students for the work ahead in this lesson and throughout the unit by arming them with vocabulary relevant to the topic. Meanwhile, it will also reinforce dictionary skills.

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” and Identify Central Idea – RI.8.2 (20 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can determine a central idea and analyze its development in “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36.”

  • Display and distribute “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36.”
  • Read aloud the article, and instruct students to follow along.
  • With students’ support, record the meanings of impetus (the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly), clandestine (kept secret or done secretively), nostalgic (longing for or thinking fondly of a past time or condition) on the academic word wall. Write synonyms or sketch a visual above the key terms to scaffold students’ understanding. Invite students to record these words in their vocabulary logs and encourage them to record the definitions in both English and their home languages.
  • Think-Pair-Share, and remind students of the habits of an ethical person, particularly empathy and compassion, as they discuss the character of Johtje and Aart Vos:

“What did Johtje and Aart Vos do?” (They sheltered Jews in their home.)

“What were the risks they faced?” (Being caught by the Nazis and possibly killed.)

“What did Johtje and Aart Vos sacrifice? How did they show empathy and compassion?” (They sacrificed their food and often starved to feed 14 people at a time; served up their home as a safe house; showed compassion and empathy for strangers to keep them safe from persecution.)

“The text says: ‘For their actions, Vos and her husband received the title “righteous people” in 1992.’ What makes Johtje and Aart Vos righteous people? Why do you think they helped 36 people?” (They did what many people felt was right, at great risk to themselves; they felt a moral obligation.)

“How did you feel about Johtje and Aart Vos as you read their story? Why?” (Answers will vary, but may include the following: proud of them for saving lives.)

“What additional habits of character did Johtje and Aart Vos show? Explain how these habits of character connected to their experiences, and use evidence from the text to support your thinking.” (Answers will vary, but may mention that they showed integrity by standing up and acting for what they believed was right when they used their house as a safe house even if it was risky.)

  • Display and distribute Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking with prefilled information.
  • Instruct students to work in pairs to record key details from the text, the central idea, and evidence that supports the central idea in the note-catcher. Remind students that they used a similar note-catcher in Unit 2 and that they are recording key details from the text in the first column, the central idea in the second column, and evidence from the text that supports the central idea in the third column. Refer to Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (for teacher reference) for answers.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“What are the key details of the text?” (Answers will vary.)

  • As students share, record the key details on the displayed note-catcher. Refer to the Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as needed.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the idea by asking the following questions:

“What do you think is the central idea of the text?”

“What evidence in the text supports the central idea you determined?”

  • As students share, record responses on the displayed Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher. Instruct students to follow along and record these notes on their note-catchers. Refer to the Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as needed.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.
  • N/A

B. Characteristics of a Holocaust Upstander (5 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can generate characteristics of a Holocaust upstander."

  • Explain to students that they will write a text reflection on how Johtje and Aart Vos were upstanders during the Holocaust. Remind them that they will write a narrative interview about an imagined Holocaust upstander for their end of unit assessment, based on the upstanders they read about in this unit.
  • Display the Characteristics of Upstanders anchor chart.
  • Review the meaning of upstander. Ask a volunteer to read the definition at the top of the anchor chart.
  • Orient students to the anchor chart. Read the headings for each column. Explain to students that they will generate characteristics of an upstander, and then find examples of how Johtje and Aart Vos demonstrated those characteristics.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"Based on the text, what are some general characteristics of an upstander?" (Answers will vary, but may include the following: integrity, compassion, empathy, uses power to help the powerless, takes risks when they do not have to, leadership.)

  • As students share, record their responses in the first column of the anchor chart. If students need additional support, consider using the following prompts:

"Think about the people who helped Vladek and Anja in Maus I during the Holocaust. Why do you think they got involved? Why do you think these people helped them?"

"Many people reported safe houses, smugglers, and bunkers to the Gestapo. What were the consequences of aiding Jews during the war? Why would someone risk facing those consequences?"

"Non-Jewish people had freedom to live their normal lives. How did Non-Jewish people use their freedom to help Holocaust victims?"

  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What examples of these characteristics did Johtje and Aart Vos demonstrate?" (Answers will vary, but may include that the Vos family hid Jews in their home in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam; they risked their lives and the lives of their children to save strangers.)

  • As students share, record their responses in the second column of the anchor chart.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time B, invite students to use the information they have tracked on their note-catchers to write text-dependent questions about central idea and theme in the reading for their peers. This will help students to further comprehend what they read, preparing them to write a text reflection that focuses on essential information presented in the reading.

For Heavier Support

  • Invite students who need heavier support to use Track Central Idea: Voices of Upstanders note-catcher ▲. This resource has pre-filled information to help guide students’ thinking.

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Group Write: Text Reflection – RI.8.1 (15 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can write a text reflection about “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36.”

  • Display Criteria for an Effective Text Reflection anchor chart. Have students read the model and the criteria aloud.
  • Turn and Talk:

“How does the model text reflection meet the criteria?” (It identifies two characteristics of an upstander and uses evidence to support the characteristics.)

  • Explain to students that they will use these criteria to practice writing a text reflection that explains how Johtje and Aart Vos were Holocaust upstanders.
  • Move students into predetermined pairs.
  • Display and distribute Text Reflection: “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” handout. Read directions aloud.
  • Focus students on the first sentence of the model in the Criteria for an Effective Text Reflection anchor chart. Instruct students to record this sentence in their text reflection. Explain to students that the first sentence will explain what an upstander is in relation to the story and that they can use this sentence to practice.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“What is one characteristic of an upstander that Johtje and Aart Vos demonstrated? How did they demonstrate this characteristic?” (Answers will vary but may include the following: One characteristic they showed as they helped others was compassion when they sheltered Jews in their home in Amsterdam. They showed compassion toward strangers in need and kept them safe. Even when there was not enough food for all of them in the house, the Voses felt a moral obligation to help people.)

  • Remind students that they will independently write a similar text reflection in the next lesson. Refer to Text Reflection: “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36” (for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share about the following questions. After each Think-Pair-Share, use total participation techniques to prompt students to share with the whole group. Synthesize answers, and write on the displayed Text Reflection: “Johtje Vos, 97; Sheltered Jews in Her Home in WWII Holland, Saving 36.” Record responses, modeling how to begin a text reflection on the displayed handout. Write on the displayed handout and instruct students to write on their own handouts.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“What evidence from the story demonstrates this characteristic of an upstander? Explain your answer.” (Answers will vary but may include the following: Johtje Vos later said, ‘We couldn't do differently than say yes.’ They did not see their work as a choice, but as a duty. This shows the characteristic of _________ because they felt that other people’s well being was their own duty.)

“What is another upstander characteristic that Johtje and Aart Vos demonstrated? How did they demonstrate this characteristic?” (Answers will vary but may include the following: Taking risks is another important characteristic of an upstander because it takes courage to sacrifice your own safety to save others. Often Johtje and Aart Vos hid as many as 14 people at a time, and the Nazis frequently raided their house, so they were taking a risk to keep others safe.)

“What evidence from the story demonstrates this upstander characteristic? Explain your answer.” (Answers will vary but may include the following: Johtje and Aart “never regretted the decision—though it placed their lives and the lives of their children at risk.” The Vos family could have been caught, but they had the courage to keep on hiding people and smuggling them to safety.)

“What concluding sentence can we write that sums up why we are reading and writing about Johtje and Aart Vos?” (Answers will vary but may include that the Voses’ work helps us understand what it takes to be an upstander.)

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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