Zlata's Diary & the Slavic Wars

June 26, 1991 - The Ten-Day War is initiated by the JNA (Yugoslav People's Army) after Slovenia secedes.

The Slavic Wars (Yugoslav Wars) were several smaller ethnic conflicts and wars for independence that all occurred in the same area at the same time.  They were fought in the former country of Yugoslavia, from 1991 to 2001.  Many of the wars ended through peace agreements.

The JNA (Yugoslav People's Army) tried to preserve the country as a whole by crushing secessionists as they arose.  However, when Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević came in to power, touting Serbian nationalism, the JNA lost many of its non-Serbian participants.  These included Slovenes, Croats, Kosovar Albanians, Bosniaks, and Macedonians.  This new Serb-centric group did not want to keep Yugoslavia as a unified country.

The war was terrible for local citizens, with over 140,000 deaths, making it the deadliest European conflict since World War 2.  War crimes were prevalent, including crimes against humanity, rape, and genocide.  People became desperate to escape the area, and would do just about anything for the protection of their families.

Today, the region looks like this (see map to right).

Our spine read for this unit is Zlata's Diary

Access the complete unit in Twenty-Three Reads Bundle, the literature-based program 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:

• Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
• Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
• Farenheit 451 & Types of Government