Heidi & Switzerland Unit Study

April 1, 1944 -- The Swiss town of Schaffhausen is mistaken for a German town and bombed by American aircraft

In 1939, Switzerland prepared for mobilization of troops -- nearly 850,000 soldiers were mobilized, but they were never attacked.  Though the Germans had plans for an invasion, in Operation Tannenbaum, it never happened and Switzerland was able to remain neutral throughout the war.  The country was used as a base for both espionage and mediation by both the Axis and Allies.

Throughout the war, both the Nazis and the Allied troops repeatedly intruded on Swiss air space.  The country was even bombed by the Allies, who mistook it for a German city nearly 175 miles away.  Until that bombing, the Swiss had been lenient with both sides, putting up prisoners of war in emptied ski resorts.  After the bombing, they became much more severe.  When the cities of Zurich and Basel were bombed in 1945, the Swiss began to shoot down American and British planes in their air space.

In recent decades, there have been questions about the validity of that neutrality, as documents have been exposed linking the Swiss to the Germans in military and economic affairs.  Although the Swiss criticized the Third Reich, and the Germans denoted them as second-class citizens, the countries had a tacit agreement of assistance.

Our spine reads for this unit are:

• Heidi (Joanna Spyri)
• The Apple & the Arrow

Access the complete unit in Beautiful Book Studies!

Each unit addresses a new topic, including science, history, and geography.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the topic to life.

Table of Contents

• The King’s Fifth
• Red Falcons of Tremoine
• Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan
• Red Hugh of Ireland
• Calico Captive
• The Story of Eli Whitney
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• The Lost Kingdom
• The Secret Garden
• Heidi
• Girl of the Limberlost
• The Winged Watchman
• When the Dikes Broke
• Using the Good & the Beautiful in High School

Product Sample:  Red Hugh of Ireland & the English Civil Wars 

The books selected for these unit studies can be found in the upper grades areas of The Good and the Beautiful Book List.  However, Homeschool On the Range and Sparks Academy are not employed by or affiliated with, nor do they receive any compensation from, The Good and the Beautiful.  It has simply been their curriculum of choice for many years.  These unit studies are not endorsed by The Good and the Beautiful or Jenny Phillips.