Children of War

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: How does war affect civilians—particularly children?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see right). Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read. 

• trauma (p. 12)
• displaced (p. 12)
• adversity (p. 13)
• pervasive (p. 14)
• clandestine (p. 14)
• depleted (p. 15)

3. Engage
Have students preview the title, subtitle, and opening image for the article. Then ask them to make predictions on what the children interviewed in the article will likely talk about.  

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: Children of War, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the central idea of the article? How does the opening section establish this central idea? How does each subsequent section develop the central idea? (Central idea, text structure) (The central idea of the article is that the war in Ukraine is having devastating effects on the country’s children. The opening section establishes this central idea by quoting 14-year-old Kamila Horbachova about her experiences during the war. The next section develops the central idea by giving an overview of how children have been affected by the war and ways to help them. The section “Injuries and Trauma” then gives greater detail about the trauma some children are suffering. The last section, “Longing for Home,” discusses in greater detail ways people are helping children cope with the trauma they are experiencing.)

• What are some of the adversities children in Ukraine are facing because of the war? (Problem & solution) (Children have been separated from their parents—either because their parents sent them away to safety or because their parents left to fight in the war. Some children have been orphaned. Children have also had their education interrupted. Many children are suffering psychologically and physically. Some have been severely wounded in attacks.)

• In the section “Injuries and Trauma,” Joe English says children separated from their parents “are among the most vulnerable of the vulnerable.” What does he mean? (Make inferences, word meaning) (He means that children separated from their parents are the most likely to suffer the worst effects of war. He says the reason is that parents and caregivers are the ones who are most likely to recognize that their children are suffering and to respond to that suffering. Without parents or caregivers present, children may not get the help they need as quickly as they need it.)

• What is the tone of the last section of the article, “Longing for Home”? Which details and chosen words help create this tone? (Tone, word choice)(The tone of the last section is somber but hopeful. The details about the effort to register families to foster orphans, the children in Lviv going to school and having movie nights, and the teachers saying those children have adjusted to the changes help create a hopeful tone. Words such as hope and grateful also create this tone. However, the details about the number of families taking in orphans and about children calling parents frantically to make sure they’re still alive as well as the phrases “strange new reality” and “long for a true return to normal” help create a somber tone.) 

• How does the sidebar “Becoming a Refugee” help support the authors’ purpose in writing the article? (Authors’ purpose)(The authors’ purpose in writing the article is to inform readers about what children in Ukraine are experiencing. The sidebar supports this purpose by providing a first-person account from 16-year-old Irina Kiselyk about what she has experienced in having to leave her father to live with friends in Warsaw to be safe from the fighting. Her account of the mental hardships she’s faced supports the point the authors make in the article about the psychological trauma children are experiencing.) 

• What does the sidebar “Where the War Stands” add to the article? (Integrate multiple sources) (The sidebar explains that the war could go on for quite some time. This helps readers understand that it may be a long time before Ukrainian children are able to reunite with their parents, and that the trauma they are experiencing will continue and likely be added to.)

6. Writing Prompt
Write a paragraph comparing the experiences of Kamila, who is featured in the opening section of the article, with those of Irina, who wrote the account in the sidebar “Becoming a Refugee.” 

7. Video
Watch the video about Ukrainian teens. What does it add to your understanding of the article?

8. Classroom Debate
Should the U.S. send troops to Ukraine to help its army fight Russia?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Be the Editor to review grammar skills.