Behind the Bedroom Wall Lesson 7 and 8

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Seven: Chapters 13, 14 (pg. 135-157) 

Comprehension Questions

1. Who did Korinna’s father bring up to her room in the middle of the night? _________________________________________________________________
2. Describe the plan that helped the Krugmann’s escape. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What was Korinna’s explanation for the Gestapo’s search and raid of her house that night? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why did Herr Rehme decide that his family was going to escape that very night? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Getting Involved with the Story

1. On pages 138 to 140 we sense that something is wrong before Korinna does.  What signs does the author give that warn us things are not quite right? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. At the end of chapter 14, the kitten is brutally kicked.  Throughout the book the kitten reveals things about each person it comes in contact with.  Look back over the book and list all the scenes in which the kitten is involved.  Jot down what you learned about each character through his or her thoughts about and actions toward the kitten.  The kitten is a device the author uses to reveal characters. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Were you surprised when Eva warned Korinna?  Why or why not?  What clue were you given to Eva’s character early on in this book? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. “I never told her I cared.” “She knew.”

You read these words in chapter 13.  Think about ways we know someone cares about us.  How do we express love?  Think of all the ways people show their love for you. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Mastery List

instigated ________________________ incredulous ______________________

brazen __________________________ grating __________________________

Special Words

Guten Abend ___________________________________________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Eight: Chapter 15 & Afterward (pg. 159-169)

Getting Involved in the Story

1. Its’s when we feel at ease and certain of ourselves that we make mistakes.” (pg. 161). Frau Rehme says this to Korinna near the end of the book.  What do you think she means by this in the context of the story? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. When Korinna and her parents were leaving their home, Korinna finally realized what her father meant when he had said maybe there is something more important than love.  What did he mean?  Do you agree or disagree?  Explain your answer. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In the afterward, the author tells us that she “ended this novel with Korinna’s realization that freedom is perhaps more important than love.  After all, if you’re not free to love whom you wish, what good is love?”  Do you agree or disagree?  Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper.  Put the word Freedom at the top of one column and the word Love at the top of the other.  List reasons why each is important.  Draw arrows from one column to the other when you see that a quality in one column is important or dependent on a quality in the other.

Freedom                     Love

There are many important themes in the novel, Behind the Bedroom Wall.  They include CHANGE, LOVE, FREEDOM and FAMILY.  What was the most important lesson about one of those themes that you learned while reading this novel. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spelling Words Week #6

Name ____________________________  Due Date: Dec. 9, 2011 LA p. 1/5

Spelling Week 6

Write the definitions for the following words.

chancellor

plight

reign

abolish

totalitarian

elitist

ideology

ostracize

propaganda

minority

indoctrinate

For extra credit, write a paragraph using 5 of the above words. 

Behind the Bedroom Wall Lesson 1 and 2

Name ______________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson One: Chapters 1 & 2 (pg. 3-21)

Comprehension Questions

1. Why was Herr Haase taken away by the Gestapo? _________________________________________________________________
2. Describe the difference between Korinna’s and her parents’ feelings about the changes taking place in Germany. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do the girls always carry around a little black notebook? _________________________________________________________________

Getting Involved with the Story

1. In this section you learn that the main character, Korinna, is in the Hitler Youth Movement.  What do you notice about her dress and mannerisms?  Why do you think it is important for this group to have all its members dress and act in the same way? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Make a list of groups you see around you.  What features or characteristics (religion, dress, interest in sports, etc.) make you think of these people as “groups”? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How important are our clothes in terms of saying something about ourselves?  Describe someone in detail who is in a certain religious or social group.  This should be a person who is not in the same social or religious group you are in.  Imagine a day in this person’s life.  (Think of the Amish, orthodox Jews, gang members, preppies, jocks, etc.)To what extent does membership in a particular group identify the individual? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. EXTRA CREDIT: Interview a person from another religious or social group.  Write a one-page paper on what a typical day in his or her life is like.

What Would You Do?

1. At the end of chapter 2, Korinna hears Eva say things that are “un-German.” Have you ever been in a situation where you heard something that you had been told should not be said?  What happened? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Fraulein Meiser was replaced by another teacher because whe read parts of history that were forbidden by Hitler.  Do you feel teachers should be able to say whatever they want in class?  If they criticize the policies of the school or their own government, would anything happen to them?  What if they use stereotypes to describe their students?  What if they use materials that make you uncomfortable? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Mastery List

You came across the following words as you read chapter 1 and 2.  Use a dictionary to look up the words you do not already know.

faltered ______________________________ shrugged ________________________

impatient _____________________________ emphasis________________________

viciously______________________________ traitor ___________________________

cozy_________________________________ vigorously________________________

perception____________________________ shivered_________________________

intently_______________________________ extracting________________________

chided_______________________________ glint_____________________________

solemn_______________________________ sympathetic ______________________

accurate______________________________

German Words

Herr ________________________________ Gestapo_________________________

Fraulein _____________________________ Frau ___________________________

Liebling _____________________________ Fuhrer__________________________

Heil Hitler ___________________________ Jungmadel ______________________

Draw a young German girl in the Jungmadel.

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Two: Chapters 3 & 4 (pg. 23-43)

Comprehension Questions

1. Why does Korinna think that her parents are traitors?_________________________________________________________________
2. Describe who Korinna found hiding behind her bedroom wall. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Getting Involved with the Story

1. This is a story about love and betrayal.  in the last two chapters Rita turned in her own cousin to the Gestapo, and Korinna heard Eva say things that sounded “un-German”.  Now, in this chapter, Korinna’s very own parents disagree with everything she believes in and is taught in school.  In comparing Rita’s actions with the actions of Korinna’s parents, whom do you think is the traitor?_________________________________________________________________Under what conditions do you believe people are justified in turing in or reporting a family member or friend to the police?  _________________________________________________________________What do you think Korinna will do? ____________________________________

         If you had to make the choice would you rather betray your country or your family?       ________________________________________________________________

1. “At whose expense? At what cost?” pg. 29. This is what Frau Rehme, Korinna’s mother, asks when she and Korinna discuss the work of the Fuhrer.  Frau Rehme disagrees with her daughters.  Do you think discussing something with someone you you don’t agree with is worthwhile?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. “For love? I don’t know Korinna, maybe, there’s something even more important than that.” pg. 53.  Korinna is confused by Fraulein Meiser’s actions and when she asks her father about it, this is his reply, “Can you think of anything that would be more important to you than the love of people who are important to you?” Why do you think Fraulein Meiser went with her father?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is Korinna’s dilemma now, at the end of chapter 4?  Read page 43 again.  What do you think Korinna believes she should do?  Can you guess what she will do now? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Would You Do?

CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO RESPOND TO: 

a)When have you disagreed with your parents or your guardians?  What did it feel like to disagree?  Did you argue?  How did you try to resolve this conflict with them?  Did you succeed in reaching a resolution?

1. You will read about a hiding place in these in these two chapters.  What are some of your own hiding places?  Are there places you go to be away from everyone?  Are they important in your life?  Where would you go right now if you thought you were in danger?
2. Who are your protectors?  in this section of Behind the Bedroom Wall, Korinna’s parents reveal to here that they have become protectors for someone.  Whom do you feel you can go to if you need someone to protect you?  Police?  Teacher?  Parent? Friends? Relatives? Why?
3. In this section of the book, Korinna’s parent are doing something that endangers her as well as themselves.  Do you think they are right to do this?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you have had to risk something for what you believe in?  Have you ever experienced a time when your parents had to risk your safety and theirs for something for something more important?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercises

Foreshadowing is a literary device writers use to give the reader hints that something is wrong or about to happen.  Read through chapter 3 looking for foreshadowing.  One example would be that the cat could not be found.  List at least four examples of foreshadowing in chapter. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EXTRA CREDIT: Watch a mystery movie.  Look for clues that the moviemaker gives you as the story goes along.  Write them down.  OR with a small group create a play that involves foreshadowing.  Include at least 5 clues or hints fefore the final revelation of the mystery is made to the audience.

Word Mastery List

You came across the following words as you read chapter 3 and 4. Write definitions in your own words.

plunged ______________________________ scrawl __________________________

stealthily _____________________________ seldomly_________________________

fierce________________________________ wanly___________________________

preferable____________________________ mutely__________________________

tinged_______________________________ evasively________________________

constricting___________________________

German Words

Schrank _________________________ Gute Nacht_________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall Lesson 3

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Three: Chapters 5 & 6 (pg. 45-74)

Comprehension Questions

1. Why couldn’t Korinna sleep the night she met Sophie and Rachel?_________________________________________________________________
2. How did Korinna react when she saw her mother with one of Korinna’s old dresses?_________________________________________________________________
3. What do you conclude happened to Frau Rosen, the lady who made Korinna’s dress?_________________________________________________________________
4. What made Korinna feel jealous of Rachel? _________________________________________________________________

Getting Involved with the Story

1. In this section, Korinna begins to changer her feelings toward the Jewish family.  however, she still calls her mother a traitor for helping them, and calls Rachel and Sophie dirty.  Slowly, she learns that they are not dirty and do not fit any of the stereotypes the Nazi movement uses to describe them.  Yet she still feels caught up in the Jungmadel with her friends. She has a fard time with her two friends in the Hitler youth group once she knows what is happening her her own home.  She is experiencing a lot of internal conflict.

What are the various kinds of conflicts all the characters face in this book so far? Which characters face these conflicts?

 ____________________   ___________________ _____________________

____________________   ___________________ _____________________ ____________________   ___________________ _____________________

In what way have you experienced conflict in these categories? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Korinna uses the word “enemy” many times in these two chapters to describe her own parents.  Find examples of this usage or count the times she uses this word.  Do you feel her parents are enemies?  How do we decide who our enemies are?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Read over pages 57 to 61.  Look for the small signs that Korinn’s attitude toward the family behind the wall is beginning to change.  She is beginning to see through the stereotypes she has heard about Jews and to see them as individuals.  List these small ways in which she is changing.  This is how the author creates change in a character.  Do you think that getting to know someone from a group you have been taught to hate can change how you feel about the group?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In the last part of this section, Korinna puts the kitten behind the wall for Rachel to play with.  What does this say about Korinna?  Would you have done the same thing?  How do you feel she will behave with her friends the next time she see them,  given that she seems to have become friendlier toward Rachel?  __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Would You Do?

1. In this section of the novel, Korinna begins to understand that she will have to live with a Jewish family.  How would you feel if you were asked to share your space, either your room, your apartment, your house, with someone new?  Has this happened to you?  What was it like? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Think of the times in your life when you have found yourself disagreeing with or questioning something you think you believe in?  How did it feel to be in this situation?  How did you resolve this internal conflict?   How were you different after it was resolved? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Have you ever disagreed with the government?  With your city?  With the rules of your school?  Why did you disagree? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Mastery List

You came across the following words as you read chapter 3 and 4. Write definitions in your own words.

vehemently___________________________ catering ________________________

suspicion _____________________________ abhorrent_______________________

deposited_____________________________ crooned_________________________

Special Words

synagogue ____________________________________________________________

Guten Morgen__________________________________________________________

kosher ________________________________________________________________

Nazi __________________________________________________________________

Treaty of Versailles ______________________________________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall Lesson 4

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Four: Chapters 7 & 8 (pg. 75-89)

These two chapters are probably the most important in the book.  Korinna has clearly begun to have a less stereotyped picture of Jews and a more critical opinion of the Hitler Youth Movement.  An important THEME in this book is change.  As Korinna gets to know the Jewish family better and she experiences injustice in her own life, her stereotypes about Jews fall away and she questions Hitler’s vision for Germany.

In the first chapter of this section Korinna sees a young child with a cut cheek and tears streaming down her cheek.  Later, she too is hit on the cheek and has tears in her eyes as a result of being hit.  This is the author’s way of showing you how Korinna is beginning to identify with the Jews.  But even after Korinna acknowledges that the family behind the wall sent her kitten out to her when they heard her crying, she ends by thinking, “Life would get better once enemies, such as the Krugmanns, were subdued.”  

Why does Korinna, in spite of all that has happened, still think Jews are the enemy? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do we change all at once? Make a chart or graph about an issue you have gone back and forth on.  Show how you first believed one thing, then another.  Add Korinna’s changing character throughout the novel.

Begin by writing about a negative character.  Their attitude, clothing, beliefs, actions.  Give this description to a partner.  The partner is to add characteristics that will make the character positive.

Negative

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Positive

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall Lessons 5 and 6

Name _________________________________

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Five: Chapters 9 & 10 (pg. 91-110)

Fill in the blank...

In chapter 9, Rita insists on coming _______________ with Korinna.  She tells Korinna’s ____________ about the slap Korinna received the day before.  Korinna’s mother pretends that the ____________ was necessary, that Korinna needed to be reminded of her ______________ to the Fuhrer.

In chapter 10, ___________ and the other Gestapo agents barge into the ____________ house in the middle of the night.  They search the house.  When Korinna’s ______________ tries to protect some old ___________________ from being torn in the search, Hans ___________ him, drawing blood.  Korinna is confused and ______________.  She wonders if it is possible to love both the ___________ and her own ____________.

Comprehension Questions

How important is body language when you cannot say what you are thinking or feeling? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A scene on pages 99 to 100 shows Korinna becoming closer to the Krugmanns.  She even begins to recognize aspects of their Jewish life such as the lighting of the Sabbath candles.  She is beginning to show a change in attitude towards Jewish people.  Has your attitude toward someone changed?  Have you thought you could tell what someone was like just by their religion or by the color of their skin and then been surprised at what they are really like?  Describe an experience like this that you have had.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Would You Do?

Do you remember a dream that you had last night?  If so, draw a scene that you remember and write down what you think it meant.  If you don’t remember a dream from last night, think of one that you had in the past and draw it.  If you remember no dreams, then draw a powerful scene from the book.

Behind the Bedroom Wall

Lesson Six: Chapters 11 & 12 (pg. 111-134)

Special Words

Hebrew _______________________________ Tag _______________________

Jewish Sabbath ________________________________________________________

Word Mastery List

cooped _______________________________________________________________

consoled ______________________________________________________________

trivial _________________________________________________________________

dissipated _____________________________________________________________

Getting Involved with the Story

After Korinna opens the door to the hiding place and asks Rachel to come out, she encourages Rachel to draw pictures of her sister who has just died.  What does this scene show about Korinna?  How do you feel about her now?  Does she help Rachel by encouraging her to draw her sister so Rachel can remember her?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When you read the conversation between Rita and Korinna on page 128, did you believe Rita was sincere?  Did you trust her?  How as the author created Rita’s character so you feel as you do about her?  Find incidents, words Rita has said, body language, etc. that support your opinion of her?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you create a memory portrait of someone or something who has died?  Does this portrait keep the person close to you even though he or she has died?  Would you rather take a photograph or draw a picture of someone you love?