Lindsey Pearlstein

Topic: STAAR preparation using U.S. history, specifically Japanese internment camps
Grade Level: 5th (ELA/Social Studies)
TEKS:
ELA 3 (C): explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work
of literature.
ELA 7: Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied
structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding.
ELA 10: Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's
purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the
text to support their understanding. Students are expected to draw conclusions from the
information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author's purpose was
achieved.
ELA 11 (B): (B) determine the facts in text and verify them through established methods.
SS (8): Students identify and discuss how the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state,
and federal governments have either met or failed to meet the ideals espoused in the
founding documents.

In this lesson, I read the book, The Bracelet to the class. Students had to pay close attention and
take detailed notes because unlike in the real STAAR exam, they would not have the text in front
of them when answering questions. After reading The Bracelet, we discussed Japanese
internment. This conversation took place during our World War II unit, directly following the
lesson about Pearl Harbor from the previous day. Students were also given a non-fiction article
titled, The Japanese-American Internment. We read this popcorn style and took notes
altogether about the main idea (who and what about it) of each paragraph. Afterwards, students
answered STAAR-like questions comparing and contrasting the two pieces. I wrote these
questions after looking closely at several STAAR exams. In the real test, they will likely only see
3-4 compare and contrast questions, but I wanted to challenge them to answer more. The
students enjoyed this STAAR preparation because I was able to read aloud for the more auditory
learners and the visual learners could follow along in the article. Additionally, they are fascinated
by WWII, so they were intrigued for that reason. I believe it is important to change up the ways
we do test preparation, so that students are able to get as much out of it as possible, while still
learning valuable information.

Compare and Contrast: The Japanese-American Internment article & The Bracelet

1. Based on the article, it made sense that in the book Emi and her family were forced to go
to the Japanese internment camps because

A) The story takes place in 1942

B) They lived in San Francisco
C) They were Japanese-Americans
D) All of the above
 Lindsey Pearlstein

2. What is the writers purpose in each of the stories?

A) Both are informational text, meant to provide the reader with historical knowledge about
Japanese internment.
B) The purpose of Japanese-American Internment article is to inform the reader about this
subject, while the purpose of The Bracelet is meant to provide a firsthand account, using a story.
C) The Japanese-American Internment article is to persuade the reader that the U.S. should not
have forced Japanese and Japanese-Americans into internment camps. The Bracelet is a fictional
text to tell a story about a girl whose family was forced into the internment camps.
D) Both are pieces of fiction, but based on true historical events.

3. In what way does Emi remember her father and friend?

A) By singing songs she used to sing with both of them.

B) By keeping a bracelet given to her until she leaves the internment camp.
C) By talking to new friends about them.
D) By simply thinking about them and the time they spent together.

4. In both texts, but specifically in paragraph 4 of The Japanese-American Internment, the

word internment most likely means

A) a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay to gain experience.

B) the state of being confined as a prisoner, especially for political or military reasons.
C) to be able to visit for a short time, then return home.
D) to come back from somewhere after any amount of time.

5. What fact from The Japanese-American Internment is supported by The Bracelet?

A) Everyone agreed that this evacuation of Japanese and Japanese-Americans was necessary.
B) Members of the Quakers and the American Civil Liberties Union spoke out against the
internment.
C) Japanese and Japanese-Americans were often moved to horseracing tracks and slept in horse
stalls.
D) These camps had schools, hospitals and recreation centers.
 Lindsey Pearlstein

7. Both selections suggest that

A) There were people who did not believe that the governments actions were just or necessary.
B) Japanese internment did not actually happen.
C) The U.S. government was justified in their actions, sending Japanese and Japanese-Americans
to internment camps.
D) Speaking out in order to help a cause can be effective.

6. Which fact from the article best supports why Emis father was forced to leave their
family?

A) The United States military declared the West Coast a military zone, so he went to fight in the
war.
B) Men were the first Japanese-Americans to be forced to evacuate, in order to construct the
camps.
C) The U.S. said they had to force Japanese to evacuate because they could be spies and he
worked for a Japanese company.
D) He was allowed to return home in 1944.

8. According to the article and the book

A) The journey to the internment camps could take as long as two weeks.
B) The families could only bring two suitcases to the internment camps.
C) Descendants of the Japanese Americans were paid restitutions in 1988.
D) Very few people tried to help the Japanese that were being sent to the internment camps.