Letter From a concentration Camp

1. Letter From a concentration Camp By Yoshiko Uchida

2. Skills • Recall • Compare and contrast • Evaluate • Main idea • Important details • Unimportant detail

3. list A • actual[AK choouhl] adj. real, true People call me “Moochie,” but my actual name is Ben. • barrack [BAHR uhk] n. shed or barn-like building often used to house soldiers The soldier lives in a barrack on the army base. • betrayed [bee TRAYD] v. did something that showed a lack of loyalty, let someone down My sister betrayed me by telling Mom what I did wrong. • composed [kuhm POHZD] v. made up of, filled with Today’s baseball practice was composed of two drills: one for hitting, one for catching. • conclude [kuhn KLOOD] v. finish, end Please wait until I conclude my speech before asking me any questions. • failure [FAYL yuhr] n. bad result, something that is not a success, unwanted outcome The bake sale was a failure; no one bought a single cookie or cake. • luxuries [LUHK zhuhrees] n. things that aren’t really needed but are nice to have Food and water are things you need; televisions and video games are luxuries. • rumor [ROO muhr] n. something people are talking about that may or may not be true I heard the rumor, but I’m not sure if it’s true or not.

4. Exercise A Fill in each blank in the paragraph below with an appropriate word from WordList A. Use each word only once. • I heard the [1] _____________________ from my brother Kim but found it hard to believe! Kim said that Rex was going off to live in the woods. • “It’s not a lie,” said Kim. “It’s the [2] _____________________ truth. He’ll be all alone in a [3] _____________________ in the woods. It’s a shed really, no lights, no [4] _____________________ at all. I told him his days will be [5] _____________________ of swatting bugs and searching for food. I told him they will [6] _____________________ with him sitting around in the dark by himself. My attempt to change his mind was a [7] _____________________. He’s going. I guess I [8] _____________________ Rex by telling you this. It’s supposed to be a secret.”

5. word list B • doubly[DUB lee] adv. twice the amount, two times as Ouch! That’s doubly bad; I will miss the party and the carnival! • fulfilling [ful FIL ing] v. completing; taking care of After fulfilling all your tasks, you can take a break to rest. • genuine [JEN yoo in] adj. real, not fake That’s a genuine hundred dollar bill; you can spend it in a store. • misery [MIZ uh ree] n. sadness, pain, suffering The pain in my teeth gave me such misery. • satisfactions [sat is FAK shuhnz] n. feelings of pleasure or of being content Being a teacher gives me many satisfactions; one is the pleasure of helping others learn. • triumph [TRY uhmf] n. win, victory, success Being able to reach the top of the mountain was a great triumph. • virtue [VER choo] n. goodness, good quality a person has Honesty is one virtue Ann has; friendliness is another. • volume [VAHL yoom] n. book The fact you need is not in this volume; it is in the other book.

6. Exercise BAnswer the questions with complete explanations. • If a small cone costs a dollar and a large cone is doubly costly, how much is it? • What are some things you have to do when fulfilling your duties at home? • 3. Is a fake diamond a genuine jewel? • 4. If your dreams come true, would you feel misery? • 5. What is an activity that gives you many satisfactions? • 6. If a team loses a game, is it a triumph? • 7. What quality do you think is an important virtue in people? • 8. Where is a good place to go if you need to find a certain volume?

7. background • WWII began in 1939 • USA entered the war December 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor • President Franklin Roosevelt moved Japanese people to concentration camps in 1942 • Yoshiko Uchida spent most of her life in such camps • Letters are used to create hope for the people who are writing them • To keep contact with the outside world • Have someone know what is going on

8. Yoshiko Uchida • Born in California • Parents came from Japan • When the USA entered the war, she and her parents were forced to live in prison camp • She was proud of her heritage • Wrote for children and adults • Wrote two autobiographies and fiction about her war experience

9. Discussion questions • Pg-477 what sorts of things would you write about to friends? Formal or informal? • what language here is informal? 5) What details about his surroundings make the letter writer feel as if he is in a prison? • Would you say the author’s style is informal or formal? Explain

10. Thinking about the selection (pg-479) • Respond: what did you find most difficult about Jimbo’s situation? • Recall: Name some rights that Jimbo and his family have lost

11. Homework/ quiz • Literature work book (pg-12) • Complete question 1 and 2 • Literature workbook (pg-13) • Complete question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 14, 15, 18

12. Background • Around this time of the letter • Fitzgerald’s wife was very ill • He was worried about work and money • His book was not doing well • The time of the Great Depression • He never believed in happiness which is reflected on his comment

13. Motivation • What kinds of advice do parents give to their kids?

14. About the reading • Fitzgerald advices his daughter to live a virtuous life and develop her talents. • With a humorous tone, he lists things she should worry about and things not to worry about. • He ends the letter with a humorous instruction for her not to call him “Pappy” • He told her that he would call her “Egg” if she calls him “Pappy”

15. Reading check (pg481-482) What does the picture tells us? They are affectionate Is there anything about the letter that looks unusual? It contains lists, not regular paragraphs Is Fitzgerald using a formal or informal language? Both: formal “documentation” informal “the bottom of the White Cat” Is the author’s style humorous, serious, or both? Both: serious about not being called Pappy but uses a humorous way to letting her know that is displease him

16. Thinking about the selection • How would you react if you receive this letter? • What is Scottie's nickname for her father? How does he feel about this?

17. Activity • Write a sentence for each of the words on the list: