Then discuss the elements of historical fiction with the class and create a venn diagram. Recognize any of your own feelings about the book and the historical event before you begin discussing them with your child. The story is told in the first person by a young boy in an unnamed internment camp, whose father has decided to make a baseball field in the desert where the. Mar 05, 2017 rachels mom reads aloud the book baseball saved us by ken mochizuki, illustrated by dom lee. This is a teachers guide to baseball saved us by ken mochizukis. The story is told in the first person by a young boy in an unnamed internment camp, whose father has decided to make a baseball field in the desert where the camp is located to give people something to do. Explain what the story is about and how you felt about the characters and events in the book. Fighting the heat, dust, and freezing cold nights of the desert, shorty and the others at the camp need something to look.
After the japanese attack on pearl harbor, shorty and his family, along with thousands of other japanese americans, have been forced to relocate from their home to camp. The author cleverly avoids getting tangled up in too much detail and sticks to the story and characters. Japanese american internment is a contentious event in united states history. Imagine that you are living in a camp like the one shorty lived in.
Reading b sav us national museum of american history. Baseball saved us proved the easiest to write, and each book after that became more difficult, rather than the other way around. The video contains a short introduction on george takeis experience as a child in an internment camp and follows with a reading of the book. The educators guide to baseball saved us includes a book summary, background, discussion questions, vocabulary, readerresponse, and more. Shorty quickly learns that he is playing not only to win, but to gain dignity and selfrespect as well. Baseball saved us based on the childrens book by seattle author ken mochizuki, baseball saved us follows the journey of young shiro who, with his family, is imprisoned in an incarceration camp. Mohai and the 5th avenue theatre are proud to offer a free public performance of baseball saved us, based on the groundbreaking childrens book by seattle author ken mochizuki about the japanese american concentration camp experience during world war ii the awardwinning childrens book follows the journey of young shiro who, along with his family, is. Isolated and bored, baseball became a life and soulsaving pastime which successfully brought very different people together. Baseball saved us book by ken mochizuki thriftbooks. A japaneseamerican boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during world war ii. Find book information and teaching resources for baseball saved us, by ken mochizuki.
It explores the theme of courage in the book and ask students to apply it to their lives, as well as the story in the book. Mar 14, 2020 baseball saved us based on the childrens book by seattle author ken mochizuki, baseball saved us follows the journey of young shiro who, with his family, is imprisoned in an incarceration camp. Shorty and his family, along with thousands of japanese american. A japaneseamerican boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an. Baseball saved us vintage hardcover book ken mochizuki. I think it is important for children to understand the events as well as the reasons behind why something as horrible as this could ever take place. Forever watched by the man in the sunglasses up in the guard tower, the boy learns to overcome his fears and make the most of his tragic situation by joining his family and friends in nightly games of baseball at the camp. Mochizuki also adopted baseball saved us into a childrens play in 2003. Baseball saved us lesson plan for 3rd 5th grade lesson. This is a character education packet for the book baseball saved us.
Baseball saved us captures the wealth of emotions suffered at a dark moment in american history. Donate your contribution will help us to provide free books and literacy resources to children across the nation. Baseball saved us seattle area family fun calendar. Baseball saved us the groundbreaking childrens book about the japanese american concentration camp experience during world war ii. A japanese american boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during world war ii, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over. Baseball saved us will fascinate your family with the story of a young boy and his family who were sent to an internment camp for several years. For a young japaneseamerican boy sent to an internment camp during world war ii, baseball becomes a way to escape his unhappy surroundings. Based on the awardwinning childrens book by seattle author ken mochizuki, baseball saved us follows the journey of young shiro who, along with his family, is imprisoned in an incarceration camp. Baseball saved us ebook by ken mochizuki rakuten kobo. Explore classroom activities, puzzles, teacher resources and enrichment pdfs for this book. This is a great expansion activity on the picture book and a way to mainstream character education into y. Compiled the history of asian pacific americans in the u.
They were japanese americans who lived on the west coast at a time when the united states was fighting a war with japan. As shiro struggles to learn to play baseball on hot dusty fields, he learns more than just the game he learns to survive. Hearing about how his ability to play the game helps him after the war is over adds to this touching story. My latest book, beacon hill boys, to be published by scholastic press this fall, is a young adult novel over 200 pages. Reading is fundamental 750 first street, ne suite 920 washington, dc 20002 1 877 rifread. This baseball saved us lesson plan is suitable for 3rd 5th grade. How did baseball save those who were imprisoned in the internment camps during world war ii.
Katydids at night 9 hour sleep sound katydids and crickets duration. Baseball saved us printables, classroom activities. A young boy tells about how his life was interrupted by internment in a fenced camp in the. Shorty and his family, along with thousands of japaneseamericans, are forced to relocate from their home to a camp after the attack on pearl harbor. Shorty and his family, along with thousands of japanese americans, are sent to an internment camp after the attack on pearl harbor. Dom lee a japanese american boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during world war ii, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over. I found one lesson plan for baseball saved us that used the book as a way to introduce historical fiction books. In this guided reading lesson plan, students complete writing, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions, have discussions, and more. Apr 11, 2016 baseball saved us book trailer duration. World war, 19391945, juvenile fiction, prejudices, fiction, baseball, evacuation and relocation, 19421945, japanese americans, spanish language materials, guerra mundial ii, 19391945, prejuicios y antipatias, ficcion juvenil, japonesesamericanos, beisbol, evacuacion y reubicacion, 19421945, evacuation. Stories of asian pacific american veterans, wing luke asian museumuniversity of washington. The characters in baseball saved us were taken from their home and sent to live in an internment camp. The treatment of japaneseamericans during world war ii is the subject of this remarkable first picture book. One day, my dad looked out at the endless desert and decided then and there to build a baseball field.
As tension starts to develop between people in the camp, the boys father decides they need something to do in the camp, so they build a baseball field and start playing baseball. Authors note for baseball saved us, heroes, and passage. A fixture on childrens reading lists, the book was briefly in the news in 2008 when parents in the new milford school district in connecticut requested that the book be taken off the second grade reading list because of its use of the racial slur jap. Baseball saved us during world war ii, japanese americans were placed in internment camps. This book is almost perfect for the using in the classroom. Baseball saved us by ken mochizuki one day, my dad looked out at the endless desert and decided then and there to build a baseball field. Baseball saved us stage musical version, author of the book, produced by the 5th avenue theatre, seattle, 2003. Baseball saved us printables, classroom activities, teacher. The treatment of japaneseamericans during world war ii is the subject of this remarkable. Passage to freedom baseball saved us audiobook by ken. A japaneseamerican boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment. As shiro struggles to learn how to play baseball on the hot dusty fields, he learns more than just the gamehe learns how to survive.
Students complete pre reading, writing, and post reading activities for the book baseball saved us. Read baseball saved us by ken mochizuki available from rakuten kobo. He starts by talking about how he was bad at baseball outside of the camp and how all the other boys made fun of him. Baseball saved us is the ultimate rite of passage story.
Baseball saved usthe groundbreaking childrens book about the japanese american concentration camp experience during world war ii. Reading b sav us reading guide, page 2 of 3 parent preparation n read through baseball saved us on your own before reading it with your child. Baseball saved us teachers guide lesson plan template and teaching resources. Dom lee made his picture book debut with baseball saved us. Include a description of the baseball field, and explain why the teams are playing baseball in the desert. Write a letter to a friend, telling about life in the camp and how you feel about being sent to live there. This is a great expansion activity on the picture book and a.
Baseball saved us by ken mochizuki, dom lee, paperback. This book is about a young japanese boy living in a relocation camp during world war ii. As the teacher reads, the children make a list of characters, places, events, and facts. Yet, baseball saved us is as important a book today as it was when it was first published. Fighting the heat and dust of the desert, shorty and his father decide to build a baseball diamond and form a league in order to boost the spirits of the internees. If you would recommend the book to your classmates, give reasons for your recommendation. Authors note for baseball saved us, heroes, and passage to. There is some soft background music, and a few gentle sound effects.
We werent in a camp that was fun, like summer camp. In baseball saved us, a japaneseamerican boy learns to play baseball while at in internment camp during world war ii. These collaborators prepossessing debut book introduces readers to a significant and oftenneglectedfor children, at any ratechapter in u. Author ken mochizuki reads his awardwinning book baseball saved us about a japanese american boy who learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during world war ii.
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