Summer of My German Soldier

by Bette Greene

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Patty Bergen is a lovable yet vulnerable twelve-year-old girl living in a small Arkansas town during World War II. Although she is Jewish, Patty opens her heart to a German POW imprisoned in her town. As her relationship with Anton deepens, Patty risks losing her family and friends, and possibly even her freedom.

Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books by Bette Greene

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Enrichment Activities

• Arkansas Research Research what the state of Arkansas was like back in the 1940s – population, geography, major industries. Have students brainstorm their ideas on why prison camps for German POWs were set up in this particular state. Use the Arkansas map from TeacherVision's Map Library to assist students in their research.
  
  
• Comprehension Checks Check your students' comprehension of Summer of My German Soldier with Test A, Test B, and Test C. Use the Answer Key for correcting.
  
  
• Culminating Projects Have students choose from a selection of six motivating and thought-provoking projects. Project types include writing diary entries, creating a newspaper, and comparing and contrasting Patty's moods with her different hairstyles. Use the Summer of My German Soldier Project Ideas sheet.
  
  
• Knish Recipe Make knishes with your students to help them become part of the Jewish family tradition Patty celebrates with her family. Try out this Knish Recipe or use one of your own.
  
  
• Story Elements Define the story elements of Summer of My German Soldier by breaking down the different components of the book.
  
  
• World War II Theme Check out the lessons in our World War II Theme. Activities and resources include a Veterans Day newspaper lesson, flag facts, and more.
  
  
• World War II Research Questions Use encyclopedias to have students search for answers to questions about World War II on the Summer of My German Soldier Research Questions sheet.
  

Internet Resources

German POWs in Mississippi
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle, Secondary
Included in this article are specifics on the living conditions for the POWs and the recreational sporting activities they were allowed to participate in.
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature20/germanprisonersofwar.html

German POWs in North America
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle, Secondary
This article describes how many German U-boat POWs were imprisoned in the United States from 1942-1944 and how they were treated.
http://uboat.net/men/pow/pow_in_america.htm

Word Find Puzzle Maker
Grade Levels: All
Use this Family Education Network site to create a word find puzzle using vocabulary words from Summer of My German Soldier.
http://fen.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/shtml.cgi?A1=../detect/index.html

World War II Timeline
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle, Secondary
View a detailed timeline of the events leading up to World War II and those that occurred during the war. Also included on this site are links to picture galleries, maps, and documents.
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/start.html