Tuesday, November 9

Red Stars & WW2 Russia

In 1939, the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.  The treaty divided territories of Romania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland into German and Soviet sections in a plan for 'political rearrangement.'  

At this time, the Germans and Soviets were working together...both Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland, separately, and the Soviet Union invaded Finland during the Winter War.  However, when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, and invaded the Soviet Union, in June 1941, they broke the pact.  

By this time, Stalin was confident that the Allies would eventually stop Germany, and decided to work with the Allied troops.  In November 1943, Stalin met with Churchill and Roosevelt in Tehran.  They planned a two-front war with Germany and discussed the future of Europe after the war ended.  By forcing Germany to divide their forces into a Western and Eastern Front, they had a better chance of ending victoriously.

The Soviet Union suffered tremendous losses, losing more then twenty million citizens and fully one-third of all the military casualties of World War 2.  After the war ended, there was disagreement about how to proceed with the future of Europe and the world.  This began a new era, the Cold War.

You may also be interested in these novel studies:  The Night Witches & Breaking Stalin's Nose.


Our spine read for this unit is:
  • Red Stars  
    • Twins Viktor and Nadya are twelve years old when Hitler's Germany declares war on the Soviet Union. With little notice, the city's children are evacuated on trains that are meant to take them to safety.  Shockingly, Viktor and Nadya are separated, and disaster befalls them both. As the terrible conflict rages, each embarks on a desperate race across snow and ice, struggling through the destruction in an effort to be reunited. Their chances are slim, but they never lose hope. In an original format--using the kids' diary entries, with historical photos, maps, and drawings throughout, this fictionalized account of the Nazi siege of Leningrad during the Second World War, this heart-stopping story of danger, courage and bravery emphasizes the power of truth and what it means to be a hero.

Get the ENTIRE UNIT in Twenty-Three Reads Bundle - for someone who wants a little bit of everything! 



It includes twenty-three unit studies covering a wide range of topics. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand. These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together.
  • There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
  • After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
  • 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 era to life.
Includes:
  • Language Arts
    • Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
  • Geography
    • Anne of Green Gables & Canadian Provinces
    • Stowaway & Antarctica
    • Julie of the Wolves & Alaska
    • Blades of Freedom & the Louisiana Purchase
    • The Avion My Uncle Flew & France
  • History
    • Zlata’s Diary & the Slavic Wars
    • Freedom Summer & the Summer of 1964
    • Treasure Island & Pirates of the Caribbean Sea
    • Farenheit 451 & Types of Government
    • Red Stars & Russia in World War 2
    • The Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties
    • The Long List of Impossible Things & Post-War Germany
    • A Tale of Two Cities & French Revolution
    • Witch of Blackbird Pond & Salem Witch Trials
    • The World Made New & Early Explorers
    • Stitching a Life & Jewish Immigration
  • Life Skills
    • Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
    • Freak of the Week & Disabilities Awareness
    • Island of the Blue Dolphins & Sailing
  • Science
    • The Science of Breakable Things & the Scientific Method
    • Frankenstein & Human Anatomy
    • Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation & Albert Einstein

Product samples:





Get the entire World War 2 Bundle!

Includes:

  • The Book Thief
  • We Were There at the Battle of Britain
  • Number the Stars
  • The Winged Watchmen
  • We Were There at Pearl Harbor
  • We Were There at the Battle of Bataan
  • Island War
  • Red Stars
  • The Night Witches
  • Mare’s War
  • We Were There at the Normandy Invasion
  • Code Talkers
  • We Were There at the Battle of the Bulge
  • The Light Between Us
  • We Were There at the Open of the Atomic Era
  • A Merry 1940s Christmas

Product samples:

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