Lesson Plan: Finding Hope in a War Zone

Essential Questions

• How does war affect people’s lives?
• What does it mean to have hope?
• How do changes in technology change the world?

Literature Connection

• Graphic nonfiction: Science Comics: Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future by Mairghread Scott
• Historical fiction: Jacob’s Rescue by Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in their magazines or at Action Online. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the article’s title and subtitle, and look at the image next to them. What do you predict the article will be about? Answers will vary. Sample answer: It seems like the article will focus on Igor, a teenager from Ukraine who is trying to do something important during a war. Maybe he’s helping people or finding a way to make things better.
• Study the map in the sidebar “Ukraine and Russia.” What are two things it helps you understand about Russia and Ukraine? Answers may vary. Acceptable answers include: Ukraine and Russia share a border. Russia is much larger than Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Russia border the Black Sea. Moscow is the capital of Russia. Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (robotics, drone, detect, civilians, prototype) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the article “Finding Hope in a War Zone” describes how a brave teenager worked to invent a lifesaving device while his own life was in danger.
• Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
• Tell students that as they finish each section, they should think about how the text features on the page (e.g., photos, captions, and section headings) relate to what they’ve just read.
• Point out the activity at the end of the article and tell students they’ll complete it after reading. Encourage them to keep the Think About It! question at the bottom in mind as they read.

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• The article says that at the start of the war, Igor and his family stayed mainly indoors for more than a month. Why did they do this? (inference) Bombing and fighting were happening all around Ukraine, and there was no way to know when it would be safe to be outdoors. You can infer that the family believed staying in one place, protected by walls and with a basement they could use as a bomb shelter, was the safest thing to do.
• What is the central idea of the section “A Lifesaving Drone”? (central idea) Answers may vary somewhat. Sample answer: Igor came up with the idea of a drone that would allow soldiers to find land mines without the risk of stepping on or driving over them, and he started working to create it.
• The article’s last few paragraphs describe Igor’s hopes for the future. In your own words, describe what he hopes the future will look like. (inference) Igor hopes that the war in Ukraine will come to an end. He imagines a future in which he and his family are together in their home country once again, sitting outdoors and enjoying the sounds of nature without worrying about their safety.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• The article says that at the start of the war, Igor felt helpless and wondered if there was anything he could do to make a difference. Do you think people have a responsibility to help their country during a war? (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Some students might say that everyone who can support a war effort should do so because their country is their home. Others might say that kids and teens are too young to take part in war efforts. Still others might give more nuanced answers that consider whether each individual agrees with the reason for their country’s involvement in the war.
• What important lesson can readers learn from Igor’s story? (theme) Answers will vary. Students might say the story shows that hard work and determination can make a big dream into a reality, or that having a personal goal can offer hope even in very difficult times.

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Text Evidence activity. As a class, discuss students’ answers and the Think About It! question.
• Have students work independently to complete our Sequence of Events Skill Builder, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine that you are a leader in Ukraine’s government, and you are presenting an award to Igor for his invention. Write a short speech explaining how the drone might change the way soldiers search for land mines and help keep people safe. Include details about the challenges that Igor overcame as he worked on his invention.