|
One of my favorite novels to read when I teach 6th grade is NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry. It is a great story about best friends, one Jewish and one not, who live in Denmark during WWII. The non-Jewish family risks their lives to help many people, including the best friend's family, escape to Sweden. It is a great story about friendship, tolerance and personal challenges people face when in extreme situations. The students get an idea about the effects of the atrocities of WWII, but the book does not go into detail. They see things through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl.
I think the Museum of Tolerance is an appropriate field trip for sixth graders. It is pretty intense. Those who are ready for it will understand and find meaningful connections. Those who aren't ready will be exposed and later in life they will be able to connect back to the things they saw. It will encourage conversation and awareness.
The bus ride, now that is a whole new test of one's tolerance.
|