Sunday, September 8, 2013

War Horse

War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Published by Scholastic Press in 2007
 
Suggested Delivery: Small Group Read

Reading Level:
Grade Level: 5-6
Lexile Measure: 1090
Fountas and Pinnell: Z

Key Words:
1. War
2. Loyalty
3. Commonalities between opposing sides
4. Friendship
5. World History

Vocabulary: lunging (8), foreboding (18), peremptory (41), meticulous (50), finesse (50), Yankees (143)

Summary: Told from the perspective of a young English farm horse Joey, War Horse is the story of a young boy, Albert, and his beloved friend throughout the First World War. From early on, Joey is sold to the English Army to be used in battle. Throughout the novel, Joey serves as an inspiration for all who meet and ride him, including individuals from both sides of the battlefield, as well as Albert, who never loses hope that they will reunite once again. War Horse teaches readers about the brutality, and pointlessness of war, while showing that love and loyalty are universal values that can be found on both sides of any conflict.

Teaching Strategies

Before: Because this novel is set around the time of the First World War, students will need some background information on the conflict, in order to follow the initial layout of the story. For example, Albert tells Joey in the beginning of the novel,” Mother says there is likely to be a war. I don’t know what it’s about – something about some old duke that’s been shot at somewhere” (15). Students may be curious to know who that person is (Archduke Franz Ferdinand), and why his role is important to the causes of war. In general, students should have an idea of:
·  Alliances on each side of war (Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary vs. Great Britain, France and Russia)
·  General reasons for fighting (territorial disputes, intricate alliances)
·  How the war ended (11 o’ clock armistice)
 
During: Throughout the book, Joey is exchanged between many owners, and eventually finds himself fighting for both the British and the Germans. Because of the intricacy of the web of owners and their personalities, students should make a timeline of Joey’s journey while reading. In their timeline, students should include where Joey is geographically, and information about who is taking care of him. More than simply recording names and dates, students should also write down personality traits and insights into the characters they meet, including both humans and horses.

After: As a group, we will review the timeline and compare and contrast Joey’s various owners. While making a list of similar character traits, students will discuss how each caretaker, despite being opposed to each other officially in war, is similar in how he/she has love and respect for each animal that they meet. To reinforce this lesson, we will discuss the scene in which the German and British soldiers speak civilly about which side will rescue Joey from the barbed wire.
Some pages to revisit and reread may include:
·  Pg. 64: Germans take Joey
·  Pg. 119: “I think if they would let you and me have an hour or two out here together, we could sort out this whole wretched mess. There would be no more weeping widows or crying children in my valley and no more in yours. If worst came to worst, we could decide it all on the flip of a coin, couldn’t we?”
·  Pg: 160: Discussion of commonalities

Writing: Throughout the novel, readers learn quite a bit about the personalities of other characters from Joey’s point of view. Instead, students should tell the story from Tophorn’s point of view. Who were Tophorn’s caretakers, and how did he get involved in the war? Upon meeting Joey, describe his personality.

Additional Teaching Recommendations:
·  Seeing how War Horse is set in war, teachers will need to consider how they want to handle the conversation about brutality and life loss that may come up. For a younger reader, teachers may need to be more adamant in delivering the inspiring qualities of Joey’s personality, over the physical consequences of battle.

Electronic Sources:
Video of World War One Information for Children:
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htyue8xRS7M
War Horse Trailer:
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRf3SfeMRD4
Includes additional lesson plans and related activities
o   http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/war-horse

Morpurgo, M. (2007). War Horse. New York: Scholastic Press.

No comments:

Post a Comment