Unbroken

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who has a relative or close family friend who served in a war? Without violating their trust or sharing private details, what are some things they have shared about their experiences? How does this impact you and your relationship with them? What challenges have they faced in returning home?

Teaching Suggestion: As discussion of military service and POW experiences involves trauma, students may benefit from content warnings, reminders of pre-established SEL strategies and difficult discussion protocols.

• Teachers may find these guidelines from the University of Michigan useful for facilitating sensitive discussions throughout the unit.
• This website from the National WWII Museum offers articles detailing soldier and POW experiences for follow-up after discussion and for text extensions within the unit.

Short Activity

Research the experiences of POWs during WWII to answer the questions that follow. What major differences were there between POWs in Europe and the Pacific? What atrocities did POWs face? What protections were supposedly in place during WWII and why were these protections not followed? What steps have international law enforcers taken since then to better enforce protections?

Teaching Suggestion: By the time of the Second World War, the Geneva Conventions had already established international laws regarding the treatment of POWs. However, the Japanese government never fully committed to these laws; additionally, Japanese culture considers surrender to be a sign of weakness. Combined, these two factors led to terrible atrocities in POW camps, including execution, starvation, and torture. In Germany during WWII, 1.2% of POWs died. That same number in the Pacific theater was 37%. Having students share or discuss their answers afterward may increase retention.

• This article from Brittanica offers general information about the history of POWs including information about WWII POWs and modern laws regarding the treatment of POWs.
• This archive from the Library of Congress offers a variety of sources related to WWII POWs for reference through the unit.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Reflect and then journal about a challenge you have faced or face. What has been your attitude toward challenges? Explore what internal and external resources you use when facing this challenge. What motivates you to persist?

Teaching Suggestion: Trauma-informed practices are advised for this prompt. Students may benefit from explicit instructions to share only what they feel comfortable sharing and an explanation as to how the exercise connects to the book. Students may find this activity more approachable if they know they will not have to share, but allowing students the opportunity to share if they want may encourage empathy and build class culture.