Salt to the Sea Lesson Plan

Historical Research

Kind of Activity:

Research

Objective:

Students may conduct their own research into a historical aspect of the novel.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

Structure:

Salt to the Sea sheds light on an overlooked historical tragedy, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

- Why do you think the author thought this particular story was important to tell?

- Why do you think the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff is so overlooked?

- When writing fiction about a historical tragedy, what might be some of the actions necessary to do justice to the victims’ stories? How can...