Lesson
1
:
Learning Compassion from Literature
Grade
Grade 7
UNIT
7
•
Compassion
In Unit 6, Lesson 2, students will read an article about the U.S. response to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Students will develop their critical thinking and academic dialogue skills by answering questions about the text and engaging in class discussion.
SUGGESTED TIME:
- 1 class period to introduce the text; 1 class period to discuss the text; if desired, additional class periods can be devoted to in-class silent reading of the text
- Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk is 291 pages, divided into 27 chapters.
- The suggested reading assignment is 3 chapters per day for either in-class silent reading or homework.
- With this schedule, students will complete the book in 9 in-class reading sessions or 9 homework sessions.
- Students should complete the short-answer questions on the worksheet as they read the book.
- Allow at least 50 minutes for in-class discussion of the short-answer questions on the worksheet.
RELATED SUBJECT:
English Language Arts
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read a contemporary work of young adult literature
- Identify and analyze the book’s genre, point of view, characters, setting, and plot
- Identify and analyze the book’s central ideas
- Write answers to questions about the book, demonstrating understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Engage effectively in collaborative discussions about the book
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Book: Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk.
- Prohuman Grade 7 Unit 6 Worksheet 1: Learning Compassion from Literature
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Step 1:
- Explain that we will be reading an award-winning work of contemporary fiction, Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk.
- The story takes place in 1943 in the small Pennsylvania town of Wolf Hollow during World War II.
- The American Library Association describes the book in the following way: “Set in rural Pennsylvania during World War II, this compelling story of consequences addresses complex issues of bullying, PTSD, and discrimination. At the center of this atmospheric novel, articulating themes of self-reliance, hope, and justice, is our heroine Annabelle who struggles to confront her tormentor and her own conscience.”
- One thing to keep in mind as you read this novel is that one of the characters in this novel named Toby was a veteran of WWI and suffered from what was then called “shell shock” and is now called PTSD for post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Shell shock is a term originally coined in 1915 by Charles Myers to describe soldiers who were involuntarily shivering, crying, fearful, and had constant intrusions of memory. (Source: Psychology Today)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a distressing event involving the threat of death or extreme bodily harm. (Source: Psychology Today)
Step 2:
- Have students complete the book, either through multiple in-class silent reading sessions or as homework.
- Students should complete the short-answer questions on the worksheet as they read the book.
Step 3:
- Allow at least 50 minutes for in-class discussion of the short-answer questions on the worksheet.
GRADE 7 UNIT 6 WORKSHEET 1: LEARNING COMPASSION FROM LITERATURE
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING Wolf Hollowby Lauren Wolk:
- What is the point of view of this novel and why do you think the author chose this point of view to tell the story? What are two benefits of this point of view and what are two drawbacks?
- Who is the narrator of this story, where does she live, and what 3 major historical events are discussed early in the book?
- Who is Toby, what does he suffer from, and what is Annabelle’s relationship with him like?
- Why do you think Betty Glengarry bullies others?
- Why does Annabelle believe that Toby is innocent?
- How does Annabelle show compassion to Toby?
- Explain how the author creates a mystery in this story through the plot.
- At the end of the book, in Chapter 27, Annabelle reflects, “I paused along the path where Betty had first confronted me and had a word with her before I left. I told her that I was trying to forgive her and myself, both, and I didn’t know if I could, and she didn’t answer in any event.” Why is forgiveness important?
- At the end of the book, what does the family discover about Toby’s role in the war?
- Do you think if Annabelle hadn’t hidden Toby in the barn, that his fate might have been different? Why or why not?
- Both Annabelle and Betty tell lies. What does Annabelle lie about? What does Betty lie about? Do you think there is ever a justified reason for lying?
- Aunt Lily regrets judging Toby. How can you be fair in how you treat others?
- Why do you think this book is called “Wolf Hollow.” What does it tell us about the setting and what does it mean for Annabelle?
- What is a principle about compassion that you learned from this book?
- How can you show compassion to others?
Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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