The Butterfly

By: Amanda Burleson

An integrated literature based unit about the

Holocaust

Litera

ture

Circ

le

s

Holocaus

t

Meet t

he Auth

or

Patric

ia P

olacc

o

Science Activiti

es

Lang

uage

Ch

art

Map

s Germ

any’

s Rol

e

Math

Holocaust Vocabulary

Fam

ous

Peop

le

Links

Language ChartRead the three following books and complete the

chart to compare and contrast the books.

Book Title/Author

Genre Characters Setting What obstacles did the characters face?

What did the characters accomplish?

The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco

The Cats of Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse

Star of Fear, Star of Hopeby Jo Hoestlandt

Back

•Discussion Director

•Word Wizard

•Artful Artist

•Passage Picker

•Travel Tracer

•Character Sketcher

Back

Patricia Polacco

•Write a friendly letter to Patricia Polacco

•Go to the Patricia Polacco Website

Submit a form to get a copy of The Butterfly postcard.

Take The Butterfly quiz.

Patricia Polacco Website

Back

Artful ArtistYour job is to draw a picture

that illustrates what you liked best about the story.

Create your picture with the materials provided by your teacher.

After finishing your picture, write about your drawing. Include in your response:

-WHO or WHAT is your picture about?

-WHERE does your picture take place?

-WHEN in the story is your picture represented?

-WHY did you draw it?

-Did the picture make you think, wonder, or make any connections?

Plan for sharing:

-Show your picture to the group and let them guess how it fits in the story.

-Let your group discuss your picture before you share what you wrote.

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Discussion DirectorYour job is to write down questions that your group can

talk about. It is your job to help lead the discussion.

Examples:

setting inference/conclusion

narrator cause/effect

character relationships main idea

mood sequence

figurative language fact/opinion

compare/contrast prediction

problem/solution

Begin questions with words like:

Who What When Where Compare

Why How Tell Describe

Discussion Director Example From The Butterfly

Back to Literature Circle JobsFigurative Language

Example Questions for Discussion Director

Page 1 paragraph 1 “The moon was so radiant, it seemed almost festive.”

Reason Chosen: DescriptiveWhat kind of feelings or connections do you have to this selection?

Page 7 paragraph 1 “Their heels clicked like gunshots along the cobblestone path.”

Reason Chosen: Figurative Language/Simile How does this selection make you feel?

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Word Wizard

• Write down the word.• Copy the sentence from the book in which the word appears.• Write down the page and paragraph where the word appears.• Look up the word in the dictionary.• Using your context clues from the sentence and the dictionary definition, write the

definition in your own words.• Write down the correct part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb).• Write down a question and answer about the word that will help you teach the word

to your group.• After you have finished the above steps make your Wizard Card. Use an index card,

and on one side be sure to include your word in large print, and the page and paragraph number, and the definition. On the other side of your card should be the word and a picture illustrating the word.

Example Word Wizard CardVocabulary from The ButterflyFrench words to know from The ButterflyWorking With WordsEtymologies

Your job is to help the others in your group better understand some of the vocabulary and words that the author uses in the story.

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Word Wizard Card Example

Page 3 Paragraph 2

yellow jacket

Noun-a bee of the wasp family with a strong sting and black and yellow stripes.

hornet

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Character SketcherCharacter

Traits/Proof

Problem

Character Goal

Solution/Possible Solution

Characters to sketch from The Butterfly

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Choose a character from The Butterfly to Sketch

-Monique-Marcel Solliliage-Denise-Monsieur Mark-Monsieur Lendormy-Servine-Pe`re Voulliard

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Passage PickerYour job is to locate a few special selections of the text that your group would like to hear read aloud. The purpose is to help your group members remember some interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the text.You should select passages or paragraphs worth hearing and then jot down plans for how they can be shared. You may read the passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have your group members read them silently. Possible reasons for picking a passage:

Important InformativeConfusing ConversationalSurprising ControversialFunny/Amusing DialectInformative InterestingDescriptive HistoricalFrightening/Scary MysteriousPersuasive FantasyMath MoralEntertaining Step-By-Step Intriguing ThemeScientific Illustration and how it relates to passageWell Written Confusing

Plan for Sharing:-Pick the passage you would like to share-Write down the page and paragraph number of the passage.-Write down the reason your chose this passage and EXPLAIN WHY!-Ask a question about the chosen passage and give an answer.-Write down the author’s purpose: To describe, To Entertain, To Persuade, To Inform

Passage Picker Example from The ButterflyBack to Literature Circle Jobs

Passage Picker ExamplePage 13 paragraph 2

“Sevrine pulled up the door, and they both climbed down a very narrow set of stairs into a part of the cellar that Monique didn’t even know existed. The walls were scraped clean, and there was a small table with a tiny tray and supper dishes on it. Monique could see another small room with cots. It looked like people were sleeping on them.”

Reason Chosen: descriptive and frightening

I chose this passage because the author creates a picture of the hiding place and it makes me feel scared for Sevrine.

Where is the hiding place located in the house? Above or Below Ground? How do you know?

The hiding place is located below the house because the author says that they climbed down the stairs and into the cellar.

Author’s Purpose: To Inform and Describe

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Travel TracerYour job is to trace characters as they move from scene to scene. Help

everyone in your group understand where things are happening and how the setting may have changed.

Steps for Sharing:-Track carefully where the action takes place during today’s reading.

-Describe each setting in detail.-Write down the page and paragraph where

the setting changes.-You may want to create a map to help your group members understand where

events happened in the story.

Places to trace from The Butterfly

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Locate these places in Europe

-France-Choisi-le Roi-Paris-Melun

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Word Page number?  Paragraph number?

Copy the sentence from the book in which the word appears

What part of speech is the word? What do you think the word means?

Look up the word in the dictionary. Using the dictionary definition and everything you know about the word, write the definition of the word.

What does this word add to the meaning of the story? Think about the characters, plot, setting, theme, etc.

Example Radiant Page 1 Paragraph 1

The moon was so radiant, it almost seemed festive.

Adjective Bright Shining

Give out or reflect light. Shining or Gleaming

This word helps describe the setting for the story and shows the contrast between the festive setting and the events in France at this time.

Word 2pointless

Word 3rendezvous

Word 4lurched

Word 5refuge

Word 6Choose your own word

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Look up the meaning of the following French words from The Butterfly by clicking on the dictionary.

Monsieurma petite

shweincherievite

papillonsacre

regarde

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Teachers click on a butterfly to find wonderful symmetry and butterfly

activities.

Back Home

A Map of France

Back Holocaust Home

Germany Takes Over Europe

Find out about the Resistance, Germany, Jews, and the Holocaust of WWII.

Click here then click on the maps on the next page.http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/maps

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Math Activities

Symmetry website which includes great interactive games to help children become familiar with the concept of symmetry.

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Symmetry Website

Holocaust Vocabulary

• Resistance • Genocide• Deported• Jews• Star of David • Germany• WWII• Allies • Concentration Camps

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Famous People

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Charles ReynaudAdolph Hitler

Charles De GualleWinston Churchill Back Holocaust Home

Other LinksClick Here!http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci61.txtTeacher ActivityButterfly Kit for your students

http://www.ushmm.org/ The Holocaust Museum

http://www.annefrank.com/af_life/story_intro.htmAnne Frank scrapbook

http://www.annefrank.com/ http://teacher.scholastic.com/frank/index.htmWebsites about Anne Frank

http://www.museumoftolerance.com/site/pp.asp?c=arLPK7PILqF&b=249685Children of the holocaust http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.htmlHolocaust timeline

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Charles De Gaulle

French general and first president of the Fifth Republic (1958–69), born in Lille, N France. He fought in World War 1, he wanted to make the French Army more modern. With the fall of France (Jun 1940), he left to go to England to raise the standard of the ‘Free French’, and entered Paris in the vanguard of one of the earliest liberation forces (Aug 1944). He became head of the provisional government, then withdrew to the political sidelines. After WWII, Charles De Gaulle became the leader of France during the Kennedy Administration in the 1960’s .

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