Allusions, while important to helping readers understand themes and characters on a deeper level, can sometimes be hard for students to grasp. Engage and challenge students with activities from Storyboard That!
The War That Saved My Life is a historical fiction novel set in England at the outbreak of World War II. However, there is another "war" that the protagonist, 10-year-old Ada Smith, faces: the battle to escape her abusive mother. Engage and educate students with Storyboard That premade activities!
Students can track the many different terms and allusions present in the novel to gain a greater understanding of the setting, characters and plot development. They can choose 3-5 terms and label, define and illustrate them in a spider map.
Storyboard Text
OPERATION PIED PIPER
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
DUNKIRK EVACUATION
England
France
Belgium
'Operation Pied Piper' was the code name for the British Government's plan evacuate three and a half million children and adults from major urban areas like London to more rural areas such as the countryside in Kent. Children were separated from their families and sent to live with foster families. The plan was meant to keep children safe from potential bombings / air raids.
The Battle of Britain began July 10, 1940. Nazi Germany continuously bombed Great Britain for three and a half months in an attempt to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force so Germany could invade. Great Britain was successful in defeating Germany at this time, but there were thousands of casualties and devastating destruction.
The Dunkirk evacuation was the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France. It lasted from May 26 - June 4, 1940. Belgian, British, and French troops were surrounded by German troops, stranded. They would either be captured or killed. Naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats saved about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian soldiers!
THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE TERMS AND ALLUSIONS